NHTSA Safety Recalls
2003 Ford Escape Recalls
The 2003 Ford Escape has 9 NHTSA safety recalls on file, the newest reported on September 29, 2015.
A recall covers a range of VINs, not every 2003 Ford Escape. Whether a recall on your own car is still open shows only on a VIN check; recall repairs are free.
- Recalls
- 9
- Owner complaints
- 558
- Crashes reported
- 43
- NHTSA crash test
- ★★★★★
NHTSA campaigns
filed with NHTSA
27 fires
frontal crash, no overall star before 2011
On a 2003 Ford Escape, the 17-character VIN is on the driver-side dashboard, visible through the windshield, or on the door jamb sticker.
9 recalls on the 2003 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 2001–2002, 2004–2008 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 2001–2002, 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 2001–2002, 2004 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 2001–2002, 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 2001–2002, 2004–2005 Escape
Vehicle speed control: cables
- Campaign
- 04V574000
- Reported
- December 7, 2004
- Vehicles affected
- up to 470,245
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2002, 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 2001–2002 Escape
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: master cylinder
- Campaign
- 07E023000
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2001–2002, 2004 Escape, 19 other models
Suspension: front: wheel bearing
- Campaign
- 15E045000
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2001–2002, 2004–2012 Escape, 2 other models
2003 Ford Escape complaints by year
NHTSA has received 558 owner complaints about the 2003 Ford Escape, the newest on April 19, 2025. Of these, 43 describe a crash (8%) and 27 a fire; owners reported 31 injuries.
In complaints about the 2003 Ford Escape, the component group named most often is the structure (22%), followed by the suspension (16%) and the vehicle speed control (16%).
1 of the 2003 Ford Escape's 9 recalls also concerns the structure.
Where 2003 Ford Escape owners gave the mileage (432 complaints), the median was 90,000 miles.
Component groups named in complaints
- Structure121
- Suspension90
- Vehicle Speed Control90
- Air Bags60
- Power Train55
- Engine And Engine Cooling47
Complaints received, by year
| 2003 | 53 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 37 | |
| 2005 | 31 | |
| 2006 | 24 | |
| 2007 | 31 | |
| 2008 | 23 | |
| 2009 | 31 | |
| 2010 | 29 | |
| 2011 | 23 | |
| 2012 | 38 | |
| 2013 | 27 | |
| 2014 | 59 | |
| 2015 | 35 | |
| 2016 | 27 | |
| 2017 | 33 | |
| 2018 | 11 | |
| 2019 | 22 | |
| 2020 | 13 | |
| 2021 | 6 | |
| 2022 | 1 | |
| 2023 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 2 | |
| 2025 | 1 |
Complaints about the 2003 Ford Escape peaked in 2014, when NHTSA received 59. 26% arrived between 2002 and 2006, the model year's first years on the road.
Adjusted for how many complaints NHTSA received about all 2003 vehicles, the 2003 Ford Escape drew 0.7× the complaints of the median Ford Escape year in the same window: 17th highest of the 22 ranked years.
NHTSA crash-test stars
- Overall: none before 2011
- Frontal: 5/5
- Side: 5/5
- Rollover: 3/5
The 558 complaints about the 2003 Ford Escape are unverified owner reports, and a model sold in large numbers collects more of them.
Ford Escape by model year
Other 2003 Ford models
Newest record on this page: April 19, 2025. Data: NHTSA recall and owner-complaint files. How these figures are counted