2009 Ford Escape Steering Problems

NHTSA component category: STEERING · data through 07/14/2026

817Steering complaints

48.3%Of all 1,691 complaints

#1Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How steering ranks on this vehicle

STEERING817 · 48.3%

POWER TRAIN279 · 16.5%

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL277 · 16.4%

ENGINE254 · 15%

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM142 · 8.4%

Share of the 1,691 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2009 Ford Escape overview page.

What owners report

“SHORTLY AFTER ENTERING HIGHWAY ON DARK RAINY EVENING, WITH NO FORE WARNING, CAR BEGAN TO SHAKE AND LOSE POWER. WAS ABLE TO PULL TO SIDE…”NHTSA complaint 10480188 — filed 10/15/2012

“THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN DRIVING, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE STEERING COLUMN TWICE BUT…”NHTSA complaint 10401340 — filed 05/17/2011

“ON SATURDAY, MARCH 26, 2011 I NOTICED THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKING AS MY 2009 FORD ESCAPE IDLED. THIS 'SHAKING' IS RANDOM; IT DOESN'T OCCUR ALL…”NHTSA complaint 10393736 — filed 03/30/2011

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Steering complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2009 Ford Escape have steering problems?

Steering is the most-reported problem area on the 2009 Ford Escape: 817 of 1,691 complaints on file (48.3%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 2009 Ford Escape have in total?

1,691 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 34 involved a crash, 2 involved a fire, 17 reported injuries, and none reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's steering category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the STEERING category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/14/2026.