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Ford Escape Reliability by Year

Every Escape model year from 2004 to 2025, scored on reported failures weighted against how many were sold — and ranked against every other Compact SUV of the same year.

The short answer

Best model year
2007
#7 of 22 that year
Year to avoid
2020
#34 of 35 that year
Latest scored
2025
#17 of 42

Across 22 scored model years the Escape needs fixing less often than its class, and repairs cost about what you would expect. The spread between years is what matters: 2007 is its strongest, 2020 its weakest.

Every model year, scored

Longer bar is better. Rank is against every Compact SUV sold that same model year.

YearRelative standingClass rankPctl
2004#6 /1358th
2005#15 /1713th
2006#9 /2058th
2007#7 /2271thBest year
2008#17 /2224th
2009#22 /249th
2010#21 /210th
2011#16 /1917th
2012#5 /1876th
2013#17 /186th
2014#20 /215th
2015#14 /2341th
2016#14 /2135th
2017#23 /244th
2018#25 /278th
2019#23 /3127th
2020#34 /353thAvoid
2021#28 /3521th
2022#23 /3739th
2023#22 /4249th
2024#28 /4437th
2025#17 /4261th

The line has moved around across 22 model years, with its weakest stretch in 2008–2022. The recent trend is upward. This 2025 car falls in a middling stretch.

What tends to break

All 12 systems, measured against the class average for each model year.

Every Escape model year is scored across 12 separate systems — engine, transmission, brakes, electrical, steering and suspension, structure, interior, and five more. Each system is compared against how often that same system fails on the average Compact SUV of the same year, so a common failure is judged against how common it is everywhere else.

Across the last three model years (2023–2025), no single system stands out. All measured systems draw issue reports less often than the same systems on the average Compact SUV of their year — a cleaner sheet than most of this class manages.

🔒 System-by-system breakdown
All 12 systems scored for the Escape year you are looking at — which ones fail more often than the class, by how much, and on how many reports.
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How it compares to the class

All 42 Compact SUVs from 2025, plotted by how often they need fixes and what those fixes cost.

🔒 The whole class, plotted
Where the Escape lands against every other 2025 Compact SUV — and which rivals beat it.
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Common questions

What is the best year for a used Ford Escape?

2007 is the strongest Escape model year on record, ranking #7 of 22 Compact SUVs that year.

Which Ford Escape years should I avoid?

2020 is the weakest year in the model's history, ranking #34 of 35.

Is the latest Escape reliable?

The 2025 Escape ranks #17 of 42 Compact SUVs — the upper half of its class.

Where does this data come from?

Failure reports filed with NHTSA — submitted by vehicle owners and repair shops alike — weighted against US sales volumes so a high-volume model is not penalised for selling well, then benchmarked within segment and model year.

See the full picture for your Escape

All 12 systems scored, the whole class plotted, and a downloadable Full Model Report for any year — 6,000+ vehicles in the dashboard.

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How this was built. Scores derive from failure reports filed with NHTSA — submitted by vehicle owners and repair shops alike — weighted against US sales volumes and benchmarked within segment and model year. We measure two separate things: Fix Frequency — how often a vehicle needs fixing — and Fix Severity — how costly those fixes are. These figures describe a model line, not the specific vehicle in front of you; trim, mileage and service history still decide an individual car.