NHTSA Safety Recalls
2004 Ford Escape Recalls
The 2004 Ford Escape has 8 NHTSA safety recalls on file, the newest reported on September 29, 2015.
A recall covers a range of VINs, not every 2004 Ford Escape. Whether a recall on your own car is still open shows only on a VIN check; recall repairs are free.
- Recalls
- 8
- Owner complaints
- 499
- Crashes reported
- 29
- NHTSA crash test
- ★★★★★
NHTSA campaigns
filed with NHTSA
14 fires
frontal crash, no overall star before 2011
On a 2004 Ford Escape, the 17-character VIN is on the driver-side dashboard, visible through the windshield, or on the door jamb sticker.
8 recalls on the 2004 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, 2005–2008 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 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 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 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 2002–2003 Escape
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: master cylinder
- Campaign
- 07E023000
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2001–2003 Escape, 19 other models
Suspension: front: wheel bearing
- Campaign
- 15E045000
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2001–2003, 2005–2012 Escape, 2 other models
2004 Ford Escape complaints by year
NHTSA has received 499 owner complaints about the 2004 Ford Escape, the newest on March 3, 2026. Of these, 29 describe a crash (6%) and 14 a fire; owners reported 16 injuries and 1 death.
In complaints about the 2004 Ford Escape, the component group named most often is the suspension (31%), followed by the structure (28%) and the vehicle speed control (20%).
1 of the 2004 Ford Escape's 8 recalls also concerns the suspension.
Where 2004 Ford Escape owners gave the mileage (426 complaints), the median was 107,394 miles.
Component groups named in complaints
- Suspension154
- Structure138
- Vehicle Speed Control98
- Air Bags45
- Wheels34
- Electrical System31
Complaints received, by year
| 2003 | 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 17 | |
| 2005 | 26 | |
| 2006 | 15 | |
| 2007 | 20 | |
| 2008 | 14 | |
| 2009 | 18 | |
| 2010 | 21 | |
| 2011 | 10 | |
| 2012 | 32 | |
| 2013 | 37 | |
| 2014 | 96 | |
| 2015 | 84 | |
| 2016 | 42 | |
| 2017 | 26 | |
| 2018 | 17 | |
| 2019 | 7 | |
| 2020 | 3 | |
| 2021 | 5 | |
| 2022 | 2 | |
| 2023 | 2 | |
| 2024 | 2 | |
| 2026 | 1 |
Complaints about the 2004 Ford Escape peaked in 2014, when NHTSA received 96. 16% arrived between 2003 and 2007, the model year's first years on the road.
Adjusted for how many complaints NHTSA received about all 2004 vehicles, the 2004 Ford Escape drew 0.4× the complaints of the median Ford Escape year in the same window: 21st highest of the 22 ranked years.
That makes 2004 one of the three best-measured Ford Escape years.
NHTSA crash-test stars
- Overall: none before 2011
- Frontal: 5/5
- Side: 5/5
The 499 complaints about the 2004 Ford Escape are unverified owner reports, and a model sold in large numbers collects more of them.
Ford Escape by model year
Other 2004 Ford models
Newest record on this page: March 3, 2026. Data: NHTSA recall and owner-complaint files. How these figures are counted