I’m thinking about buying a Ford Escape. Which years and engines are the most reliable? How can I tell if the seller might be hiding the coolant intrusion issue?
2011 and 2012 are solid choices. I have a 2011 that’s close to 200k miles, and it’s still running great. Just some minor oil leaks but nothing serious.
Baylen said:
2011 and 2012 are solid choices. I have a 2011 that’s close to 200k miles, and it’s still running great. Just some minor oil leaks but nothing serious.
My 2010 has 130k miles. The only work has been regular maintenance and some suspension repairs last year. It still feels and drives like new.
@Storm
I’ve got a 2010 too, but it’s been a nightmare. Throttle body issues, misdiagnosed problems, and now cylinder issues after a bad freeze last year. It’s been one headache after another. Even the battery failed on the same day I bought it.
@Valentine
Yikes, sounds like you’ve had some terrible luck with that car!
@Storm
I had a 2014 Escape too, but it wasn’t nearly as reliable as my older one.
I’m really happy with my 2022 SE model.
Zephyr said:
I’m really happy with my 2022 SE model.
Same here, I’ve got the 2022 SEL AWD and I love it.
If you’re looking at 2013-2019, I’d be careful. A big sign of coolant intrusion is thick white smoke when you start the car. Best way to know is to get a mechanic to check it out. If the seller won’t let you do that, walk away.
@Ciel
I might’ve gotten lucky, but my 2015 2.0L Ecoboost has been perfect. I’ve had it for two years and it’s at 138k miles. Just regular oil changes and tires.
Aki said:
@Ciel
I might’ve gotten lucky, but my 2015 2.0L Ecoboost has been perfect. I’ve had it for two years and it’s at 138k miles. Just regular oil changes and tires.
The 2.0L engines are definitely more reliable than the others.
Aki said:
@Ciel
I might’ve gotten lucky, but my 2015 2.0L Ecoboost has been perfect. I’ve had it for two years and it’s at 138k miles. Just regular oil changes and tires.
Same here with my 2015 SE 2.0L. No problems so far at 174,000km.
@Lior
I’ve got a 2016 with 100k miles and haven’t had any major issues either.
Aki said:
@Ciel
I might’ve gotten lucky, but my 2015 2.0L Ecoboost has been perfect. I’ve had it for two years and it’s at 138k miles. Just regular oil changes and tires.
My 2014 has 126k miles and it’s been trouble-free so far.
Aki said:
@Ciel
I might’ve gotten lucky, but my 2015 2.0L Ecoboost has been perfect. I’ve had it for two years and it’s at 138k miles. Just regular oil changes and tires.
I’ve had the same model but with a lot of issues. At 180k miles, I’ve dealt with electrical problems, a bad EVAP valve, and recently replaced a blower motor on Christmas Day. Some repairs have been really frustrating.
Aki said:
@Ciel
I might’ve gotten lucky, but my 2015 2.0L Ecoboost has been perfect. I’ve had it for two years and it’s at 138k miles. Just regular oil changes and tires.
I’ve owned three Escapes (2015, 2017, and 2019), and they’ve all been reliable for me. Never had any serious issues.
@Crosby
Maybe you just sold them before any problems showed up?
@Ciel
Thanks for the advice. I used to have a 2008 Escape, and it was great. Drove it for six years without much maintenance. But where I live, rust is a big issue, and I don’t want to spend more than $5k. Looks like I’ll have to keep searching.
@Jules
Those older models are like tanks. Rust is usually the only thing that takes them off the road. I had a 2013 that lasted 200k miles before coolant issues, but my 2017 barely made it to 60k before needing a new engine.
@Ciel
I’ve got a 2017 with the 2.5L engine, which seems to avoid the coolant issue. Planning to drive it for as long as it holds up.