Are there open safety recalls?
9 open
Ask the seller for proof each was fixed. Repairs are free — and there’s also an open investigation.
FREE VEHICLE RESEARCH
The 2015 Ford Escape has 9 NHTSA safety recalls on file, 1,038 owner complaints, and gets about 25 mpg combined. Here's the full free record from NHTSA and the EPA.
FREE PUBLIC RECORD · U.S. GOVERNMENT DATA
2015 Ford Escape
- Engine 4-cyl 1.6L
- Drive All-Wheel Drive
- Fuel Regular
- Body Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
Should you worry?
Be careful
Serious flags in the public record. Read below, and verify recall work was done.
What do owners report?
32 injuries reported
32 of 1,038 reports (~3%). On a high-volume model that alone isn’t unusual — look for patterns below.
How did it score in crash tests?
4 out of 5 stars
5 is best. This model scored well in government crash tests.
Open recalls · nearby years
Same make and model. This car is the 2015.
- 201318recalls
- 201416recalls
- 2015 · this car9recalls
- 20164recalls
Based on free U.S. government safety data · checked July 28, 2026.
SAFETY
Will it protect people in a crash?
These are government crash-test scores. 5 stars is best. They rate this year and model, not your exact car.
- Overall
- 4 / 5 stars
- Frontal
- 4 / 5 stars
- Side
- 5 / 5 stars
- Side pole
- 5 / 5 stars
- Rollover
- 4 / 5 stars
Factory safety & driver-assist equipment
- Stability control
- Standard
Tested as: 2015 Ford Escape SUV FWD · 2 versions tested
Open safety recalls
9 openA recall means the manufacturer must fix a safety problem for free at a dealer. Ask the seller for proof the work was done.
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Seat Belts
25/07/2017
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014 Ford F-150 and E-350, 2014-2015 Ford Escape, and 2015 Lincoln MKC vehicles. Improperly manufactured bolts may have been used to install certain seats, seatbacks, seatbelt buckles, or seatbelt anchors on these vehicles.
How they fix it: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected bolts, free of charge. Interim notices informing owners of the safety risk were mailed September 8, 2017. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available in the fourth quarter of 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S17.
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Latches/Locks/Linkages
06/09/2016
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2012-2015 Ford Focus, 2013-2015 Ford Escape and Ford C-MAX, 2015 Lincoln MKC and Ford Mustang, and 2014-2016 Ford Transit Connect vehicles. A component within the door latches may break, preventing the doors from latching and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.
How they fix it: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the door latches with an improved part, free of charge. The recall began on January 27, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S30.
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Electrical System
24/06/2015
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Ford Escape vehicles manufactured May 19, 2014, to February 6, 2015, and Transit Connect vehicles manufactured May 11, 2014, to July 2, 2015. Due to a software incompatibility issue, the instrument panel cluster be inoperative including a blank multiple functional display (MFD), and non-functional warning chimes, messages and warning lights. Specific warning chimes, messages and warning lights. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 101, "Control and Displays."
How they fix it: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the instrument panel software, free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15C03.
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Electrical System
08/07/2015
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2015 Ford Escape vehicles manufactured April 1, 2014, to June 12, 2015, Ford Focus vehicles manufactured June 17, 2014, to June 12, 2015, and Ford C-Max vehicles manufactured April 22, 2014, to June 12, 2015. In the affected vehicles, the engine may continue to run after the key or the START/STOP engine button is turned to off. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
How they fix it: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the body control module software, free of charge. The recall began on July 27, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15C06.
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Latches/Locks/Linkages
08/06/2020
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Fiesta, 2013-2014 Fusion, 2015 Mustang, 2013-2015 Escape and C-Max, 2012-2015 Focus, 2014-2016 Transit Connect, 2013-2014 Lincoln MKZ, and 2015 MKC vehicles. These vehicles were previously recalled and repaired under recalls 15V-246, 16V-643 or 17V-210, however the repair may not have been completed properly. A component within the door latches may break making the doors difficult to latch and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.
How they fix it: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the latch date codes to confirm if the repair was done correctly, and replace the side door latches if necessary, free of charge. Owners will also have the option to inspect their own vehicle's door latches and enter the date codes into a website to determine if the latches are correct. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 27, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S30.
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Power Train
14/04/2022
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015 Escape vehicles equipped with 2.0L engines. The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach.
How they fix it: Dealers will replace the under hood shifter bushing and add a protective cap over the shift cable bushing, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 27, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S25.
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Power Train
10/06/2022
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2019 Escape, 2013-2018 C-Max, 2013-2016 Fusion, 2013-2021 Transit Connect, and 2015-2018 Edge vehicles. The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach.
How they fix it: Dealers will replace the under hood shift bushing and add a protective cap over the shift cable bushing, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters, informing owners of the safety risk, were mailed July 1, 2022. Remedy parts are expected to be available in 4th Quarter 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed October 27, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S43.
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Back Over Prevention
13/10/2025
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Flex, 2015 Explorer, Lincoln MKT, Lincoln MKZ, 2015-2016 C-Max, Escape, Taurus, 2016 Fusion, 2018-2019 Taurus, 2019 Lincoln MKT, Fiesta, and 2020 Mustang vehicles. The rearview camera may display a distorted, intermittent, or blank image when the vehicle is in reverse.
How they fix it: Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model and model years. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on October 25, 2025. Additional letters will be mailed once the final remedy is available on each phase. Mustang owner notification letters were mailed January 2, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA9. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 14, 2025.
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Equipment
15/01/2026
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Focus, 2013-2019 Escape, and 2015-2016 MKC vehicles equipped with a 2.0L engine. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.
How they fix it: Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed March 6, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S01. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on January 16, 2026.
The government also has an open investigation on this model. Look it up on nhtsa.gov before you buy.
From NHTSA (U.S. safety agency) · checked July 28, 2026.
OWNERS
What problems do owners report?
People file these with the government when something goes wrong. They show patterns, not a diagnosis of any one car for sale.
Owner reports · nearby years
Same make and model. This car is the 2015.
- 20132,744reports
- 20142,069reports
- 2015 · this car1,038reports
- 20161,050reports
1,038 owner reports on file
29 crash mentions 19 fire mentions 32 injury mentions
Parts mentioned most often. Longer bar = more reports. Counts are out of 1,038 total reports.
- POWER TRAIN 272 of 1,038
Dash board panel comes on when you turn on the car, but once you put it in drive it automatically shuts off accept the rpm gauge, car goes into limp mode when driving and causes it to not allow any acceleration or movement of vehicle.
- ENGINE 145 of 1,038
THE ENGINE STARTED RUNNING RUFF, AND STALLING AND WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM EXAUST LIKE IT EITHER A BLOWN HEAD GASKET OR A CRACK IN THE BLOCK. I CHECKED FOR OTHER CARS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND IT SEEMS TO BE THE SAME ISSUE. THIS SEEMS LIKE T
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 109 of 1,038
The battery keeps dying even though it's been tested and is good. Lights keep shorting out I've had to replace the brake light and wires twice. The coolant is disappearing causing the vehicle to overheat even after driving ahort diatances b
- UNKNOWN OR OTHER 106 of 1,038
I received a recall notice for my car in Oct 2025 that the rear-view mirror may go blank while using it. This has happened on several occasions while I am driving in reverse and using the review view camera for guidance- it either goes b
- BACK OVER PREVENTION 94 of 1,038
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while reversing at an undisclosed speed, the rear-view camera was inoperative and depicted objects farther away than normal. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact receiv
- STEERING 79 of 1,038
The vehicle currently has 119,000 miles. While driving, I received a service steering assist fault on my dashboard and immediately lost all power steering. There was no previous signs of any sort of power steering failure whatsoever. After
Bars are sized relative to the most-mentioned part on this list, not to 100% of all cars.
From NHTSA owner complaints · checked July 28, 2026. Anyone can file a report; they are not verified repairs.
FUEL COST
What does it cost to drive?
EPA estimates for this year and model. Your real cost depends on gas prices, how you drive, and how far you go.
Sold in 2 versions
They range from 25 to 26 mpg combined. Figures below are the base version. Pick yours to see its own numbers.
Combined MPG · nearby years
Same make and model. This car is the 2015.
- 201324mpg
- 201424mpg
- 2015 · this car25mpg
- 201625mpg
$2,400
estimated fuel cost per year if you drive about 15,000 miles
Miles per gallon. Higher is cheaper to drive.
City driving 22 mpg
Highway driving 29 mpg
Combined (typical mix) 25 mpg
Over 5 years, compared to an average new car
This model is estimated to cost about $1,250 more on fuel.
Spends more Saves more
From EPA fueleconomy.gov · checked July 28, 2026.
HOW IT WAS BUILT
Factory details
What’s on the build record for this VIN or model.
Engine
4-cyl 1.6L
Drivetrain
All-Wheel Drive
Transmission
Automatic (S6)
Fuel
Regular
See all factory details (7)
- Engine
- 4-cyl 1.6L
- Cylinders
- 4
- Displacement
- 1.6 L
- Drivetrain
- All-Wheel Drive
- Transmission
- Automatic (S6)
- Body
- Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
- Fuel
- Regular
From EPA and NHTSA vehicle records · checked July 28, 2026.
What this free check does not include
We only show free U.S. government data: safety recalls, owner reports, crash tests, and fuel economy. We do not show prior accidents, flood or salvage titles, odometer rollback, insurance history, or a “should you buy” verdict on a specific listing. For that kind of check on one car for sale, use the VINly app.
BEFORE YOU BUY
What to check on this car
Confirm the recalls were fixed
This model has 9 open NHTSA recalls (including the seat belts). Recall repairs are free at the dealer, so ask the seller for proof the remedy was performed, or verify by VIN at nhtsa.gov before you buy.
Have a mechanic check the power train
Owners report problems with the power train more than anything else on this model. Call it out specifically during a pre-purchase inspection.
Watch for a pending investigation
NHTSA has an open investigation covering this model. A recall can follow an investigation, so check nhtsa.gov for the latest before you commit.
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Test-drive the basics
Cold start, full-lock steering both ways, firm brakes with no pulsing, smooth shifts, and every electronic feature. Warning lights should come on at key-on, then go out.
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Check the title and the VIN
Confirm the title status in hand matches the listing, and that the VIN matches across the dash, door jamb, and title. VINly does not show ownership or accident history, for that, run a paid report like Carfax.
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Ask the seller the right questions
Why they are selling, any service records, accident or panel-repaint history, how many owners, and whether any open recalls were completed.
See the full used-car inspection checklist. None of this replaces a hands-on inspection by a mechanic.
FOR SALE NEAR YOU
2015 Ford Escape listings
Quick answers
What is recalled on the 2015 Ford Escape? +
NHTSA lists 9 safety recalls for the 2015 Ford Escape, including the seat belts. See the full list above, and confirm by VIN at nhtsa.gov.
What gas mileage does the 2015 Ford Escape get? +
The EPA rates the 2015 Ford Escape at 25 mpg combined (22 city / 29 highway), about $2,400 a year in fuel.
How safe is the 2015 Ford Escape? +
NHTSA's NCAP program gives the 2015 Ford Escape 4 out of 5 stars overall, with 4 stars for rollover resistance.
What do owners complain about on the 2015 Ford Escape? +
Owners have filed 1,038 complaints with NHTSA for the 2015 Ford Escape, including 29 involving a crash. The most-reported area is power train.
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