Are Ford Escapes really so unreliable?

I’ve got a 2016 Escape. It’s been fine, but honestly, I wish I’d gone with a CX-5. I’d probably be less worried.

Graydon said:
I’ve got a 2016 Escape. It’s been fine, but honestly, I wish I’d gone with a CX-5. I’d probably be less worried.

No issues with my 2016 either, but I get it. Hearing all these horror stories makes me paranoid.

@Hayes
Yeah, every bad review makes me feel like it’s one step from breaking down. My family’s always joked that ‘Ford’ means ‘fix or repair daily,’ but my Fords have mostly lasted.

Graydon said:
@Hayes
Yeah, every bad review makes me feel like it’s one step from breaking down. My family’s always joked that ‘Ford’ means ‘fix or repair daily,’ but my Fords have mostly lasted.

Some people just have bad luck with Fords and think they’re all like that. I’ve had mine checked and serviced regularly, and it’s been good. Just have to stay on top of maintenance!

Graydon said:
I’ve got a 2016 Escape. It’s been fine, but honestly, I wish I’d gone with a CX-5. I’d probably be less worried.

My friend’s CX-5 needed an engine rebuild because of oil burn from wrong-sized valves. So, seems like every car has its issues.

Most problems I see are with the newer, curvier Escapes. The boxy ones, like my 2006 or the second gens, are way more reliable. My 2006 hybrid is at 240k miles. A first-gen or second-gen in good shape is a solid choice as long as you keep up with maintenance. Hope this helps!

Depends on the year and model.

Hybrids are mostly alright.

Ecoboost models and automatics tend to have engine and transmission issues.

Owned a few Escapes—a 2015, 2017, 2021, and a newer model. Had zero issues with any of them. Guess I might just be lucky, but they’ve been more reliable than other brands people claim are better.

Scout said:
Owned a few Escapes—a 2015, 2017, 2021, and a newer model. Had zero issues with any of them. Guess I might just be lucky, but they’ve been more reliable than other brands people claim are better.

On my third too! Had a 2014, 2018, and now a 2019. All fine. The 2014 was starting to slip at around 200k, though.

Scout said:
Owned a few Escapes—a 2015, 2017, 2021, and a newer model. Had zero issues with any of them. Guess I might just be lucky, but they’ve been more reliable than other brands people claim are better.

My brother says the same. His in-laws have had a few, and they’ve all been reliable for them.

Put 455k on my 2008 with only one transmission rebuild and a motor reseal. Regular maintenance kept it going.

The 2018 I have now needed a new battery, but that was an issue from the previous owner.

Blakeley said:
Put 455k on my 2008 with only one transmission rebuild and a motor reseal. Regular maintenance kept it going.

The 2018 I have now needed a new battery, but that was an issue from the previous owner.

Wait, they put the wrong battery in?

@Alston
Yeah, dealer missed it. Previous owner or their shop didn’t check the battery.