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2010 Ford Escape: engine and transmission complaints

HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
55%
1,149 of 2,127 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

55% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2010 Ford Escape are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.

Worse than 71% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).

NHTSA data checked September 13, 2026
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Drivetrain complaints
1,149
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
2,127
this model year
Fires reported
3
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
5
32 crashes · 23 injuries

Complaints by component

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL566 · 27%
POWER TRAIN513 · 24%
ENGINE505 · 24%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM445 · 21%
STEERING440 · 21%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM218 · 10%

The years either side

2010
55%
1,149 of 2,127
2011
48%
639 of 1,353
2012
43%
249 of 613
2013
68%
1,816 of 2,752
2014
67%
1,347 of 2,080
2015
51%
538 of 1,085
2016
53%
571 of 1,109
2017
85%
2,223 of 2,669
2018
90%
1,575 of 1,783
2019
84%
470 of 582
2020
26%
458 of 1,809
2021
28%
91 of 339
2022
35%
101 of 297
2023
45%
52 of 118

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

Cleaner alternatives

Same car, a better year

Other compact SUVs with no elevated signal in 2010

The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.

What owners reported

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYS01/02/2018CRASH2 INJURED
2010 FORD ESCAPE WAS PULLING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT, FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR, BUT VEHICLE PROCEEDED TO GAIN SPEED AND GO FORWARD STRIKING ANOTHER VEHICLE. UNINTENDED ACCELERATION
STEERING,AIR BAGS,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM06/01/2016CRASH1 INJURED
TAKATA RECALL
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE,ENGINE07/11/2014CRASH1 INJURED
I HAD JUST TURNED LEFT UNDER AN UNDERPAS AND WAS IN THE MIDDLE LANE UNDER AN OVERPASS I REMEMBER THINKING "WOW. THIS IS APOWERFUL ENGINE." A CAR WAS COMING IN FRONT OF ME AND WHEN I BRAKE IT DID NOT SLOW DOWN AND I HIT THE CAR AND THAT'S ALL I REMEMBER WHEN I CAME TOO THE HORN WAS BLOWING AND TWO PEOPLE WERE POUNDI…

Three of 1,149 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Recall campaigns on this model year (5)

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2010-2012 Ford Escape vehicles manufactured February 26, 2009, to April 29, 2012, and 2010-2011 Mercury Mariner …
SUSPENSION:FRONT:WHEEL BEARING
The Timken Company (Timken) is recalling certain aftermarket front wheel bearings, part number 510072, sold from January 22, 2015, to May 21, 2015, to be used as service …
STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner vehicles manufactured August 18, 2006, through September 11, 2010. Th…

This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.

Before you buy a 2010 Ford Escape

Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.