NHTSA Safety Recalls
2002 Ford Escape Recalls
The 2002 Ford Escape has 10 NHTSA safety recalls on file, the newest reported on September 29, 2015.
A recall covers a range of VINs, not every 2002 Ford Escape. Whether a recall on your own car is still open shows only on a VIN check; recall repairs are free.
- Recalls
- 10
- Owner complaints
- 1,027
- Crashes reported
- 66
- NHTSA crash test
- ★★★★★
NHTSA campaigns
filed with NHTSA
104 fires
frontal crash, no overall star before 2011
On a 2002 Ford Escape, the 17-character VIN is on the driver-side dashboard, visible through the windshield, or on the door jamb sticker.
10 recalls on the 2002 Ford Escape
Power train: automatic transmission: lever and linkage: floor shift
- Campaign
- 15V606000
- Reported
- September 29, 2015
- Vehicles affected
- up to 57
- Risk NHTSA names
- injury
- Same campaign
- also 2001, 2003–2008 Escape, 1 other model
Structure: frame and members
- Campaign
- 14V165000
- Reported
- April 2, 2014
- Vehicles affected
- up to 348,950
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2001, 2003–2004 Escape
Engine and engine cooling
- Campaign
- 12V353000
- Reported
- July 26, 2012
- Vehicles affected
- up to 529,719
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash, injury and death
- Same campaign
- also 2001, 2003–2004 Escape
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: control unit/module
- Campaign
- 12V005000
- Reported
- January 9, 2012
- Vehicles affected
- up to 244,530
- Risk NHTSA names
- fire
- Same campaign
- also 2001 Escape
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: control unit/module
- Campaign
- 07V156000
- Reported
- April 10, 2007
- Vehicles affected
- up to 446,460
- Risk NHTSA names
- fire
- Same campaign
- also 2001, 2003–2004 Escape
Latches/locks/linkages: doors: latch
- Campaign
- 04V602000
- Reported
- December 20, 2004
- Vehicles affected
- up to 262,113
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Federal standard
- FMVSS 206, door locks and door retention
- Same campaign
- also 2001, 2003–2005 Escape
Vehicle speed control: cables
- Campaign
- 04V574000
- Reported
- December 7, 2004
- Vehicles affected
- up to 470,245
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2003–2004 Escape
Power train: automatic transmission: control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
- Campaign
- 04V165000
- Reported
- April 6, 2004
- Vehicles affected
- up to 321,903
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2001, 2003 Escape
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: master cylinder
- Campaign
- 07E023000
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2001, 2003–2004 Escape, 19 other models
Suspension: front: wheel bearing
- Campaign
- 15E045000
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2001, 2003–2012 Escape, 2 other models
2002 Ford Escape complaints by year
NHTSA has received 1,027 owner complaints about the 2002 Ford Escape, the newest on April 18, 2026. Of these, 66 describe a crash (6%) and 104 a fire; owners reported 42 injuries and 2 deaths.
In complaints about the 2002 Ford Escape, the component group named most often is the engine and engine cooling (29%), followed by the service brakes, hydraulic (15%) and the electrical system (12%).
1 of the 2002 Ford Escape's 10 recalls also concerns the engine and engine cooling.
Where 2002 Ford Escape owners gave the mileage (652 complaints), the median was 85,900 miles.
Component groups named in complaints
- Engine And Engine Cooling294
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic149
- Electrical System123
- Power Train105
- Vehicle Speed Control100
- Structure87
Complaints received, by year
| 2001 | 16 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 183 | |
| 2003 | 123 | |
| 2004 | 96 | |
| 2005 | 57 | |
| 2006 | 46 | |
| 2007 | 47 | |
| 2008 | 35 | |
| 2009 | 31 | |
| 2010 | 43 | |
| 2011 | 44 | |
| 2012 | 85 | |
| 2013 | 32 | |
| 2014 | 54 | |
| 2015 | 44 | |
| 2016 | 24 | |
| 2017 | 22 | |
| 2018 | 18 | |
| 2019 | 11 | |
| 2020 | 6 | |
| 2021 | 4 | |
| 2022 | 2 | |
| 2023 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 1 | |
| 2025 | 1 | |
| 2026 | 1 |
Complaints about the 2002 Ford Escape peaked in 2002, when NHTSA received 183. 46% arrived between 2001 and 2005, the model year's first years on the road.
Adjusted for how many complaints NHTSA received about all 2002 vehicles, the 2002 Ford Escape drew 2.0× the complaints of the median Ford Escape year in the same window: 6th highest of the 22 ranked years.
NHTSA crash-test stars
- Overall: none before 2011
- Frontal: 5/5
- Side: 5/5
- Rollover: 3/5
The 1,027 complaints about the 2002 Ford Escape are unverified owner reports, and a model sold in large numbers collects more of them.
Ford Escape by model year
Other 2002 Ford models
Newest record on this page: April 18, 2026. Data: NHTSA recall and owner-complaint files. How these figures are counted