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Selling a junk Ford Escape

Any Escape sells for scrap or parts, running or not. Below: what owners report most often for each model year, the recalls on file, and which of those change the offer. Enter your ZIP for a buyer near you.

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What owners report about the Ford Escape

NHTSA has 36,252 owner complaints on file for the Ford Escape, model years 2000 to 2022, the 4th-most of the 423 models in our data. The most-reported components are engine (7,149, 20%), transmission and drivetrain (4,667, 13%), steering (3,960, 11%). 1,130 complaints involved a crash, 753 a fire, and 1,621 say the vehicle had to be towed. The median mileage when the problem was reported is 77,000 miles. The 2013 model year has the most complaints (3,688). Data as of 2026-10-12.

When the top complaint is engine, the question for a seller is whether a buyer will resell the car, pull the parts or scrap it. Read our guide to selling a car with a blown engine: it explains which offers assume the part works and how to describe the car so the price holds at pickup.

Ford Escape by model year

YearComplaintsMost reportedCrashFireRecallsMedian miles
20005Air bags100—
20011,389Engine and cooling109931584,000
20021,397Engine and cooling961471090,871
2003736Body and structure5535997,325
2004715Suspension49218111,364
20052,030Suspension54245110,000
2006627Speed control2610587,000
2007350Transmission and drivetrain222474,000
20082,407Steering8095100,000
20092,350Steering562385,000
20103,187Speed control433558,000
20111,880Steering5112353,000
2012798Fuel system594256,000
20133,688Engine661311875,000
20142,678Engine781501675,328
20151,383Transmission and drivetrain4133977,500
20161,407Transmission and drivetrain5414475,000
20173,308Engine5223470,000
20182,216Engine417480,519
2019762Engine374363,500
20202,141Body and structure3292344,000
2021479Body and structure17141940,000
2022319Fuel system1161935,000

Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not confirmed defects. Median miles is the odometer reading owners gave when they reported a problem, shown only where 20 or more reports include it.

Ford Escape recalls

NHTSA lists 85 recall campaigns across these model years, most often for fuel system (11), transmission and drivetrain (10), electrical system (9). Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer. Before you sell, check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a buyer who plans to resell the car will.

  • 2017 model year, visibility and wipers (campaign 26V374000, Jun 2026): Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017 Escape vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall number 16V617. The power-operated windows may exert excessive force when encountering an object, before the…
  • 2020 model year, visibility and wipers (campaign 26V117000, Mar 2026): Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Explorer, Escape, Lincoln Aviator, and Lincoln Corsair vehicles. The windshield wiper motor may fail and prevent the windshield wipers from operating properly.
  • 2020 model year, driver assistance (campaign 26V123000, Mar 2026): Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Escape, Lincoln Corsair, 2020-2024 Lincoln Aviator, and Explorer vehicles. The image on the center display may flip or invert, resulting in an incorrectly displaye…
  • 2013 model year, equipment (campaign 26V011000, Jan 2026): Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Focus, 2013-2019 Escape, and 2015-2016 MKC vehicles equipped with a 2.0L engine. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short …
  • 2020 model year, body and structure (campaign 25V829000, Dec 2025): Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Escape and 2025 Escape vehicles. The liftgate hinge covers may not be properly secured and detach from the vehicle.

What a Ford Escape is worth as a junk car

Buyers price a junk Escape on four things: its weight at today's scrap steel price (the floor), the parts still on it that can be resold, whether it starts and drives, and how far they have to tow it. None of those come from a complaint database, so use this page to describe the car accurately and our junk car value guide to work out a ceiling for the metal. Then get more than one offer.

Guides for selling this car

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Questions people ask

What is a junk Ford Escape worth?
What a yard can recover: the car's weight at the current scrap steel price, plus parts it can resell (the catalytic converter, engine, transmission and wheels if they're good), minus towing and processing. The same Escape gets different offers from different buyers, so compare at least two. Our value guide shows the public benchmark.
Will a junkyard buy a Ford Escape that doesn't run?
Yes. Junkyards and junk car buyers take cars that don't start, and most arrange the tow. Tell them honestly whether it starts, whether the engine and transmission are still in it, and whether the catalytic converter is on; those are what change the price.
Should I fix an open recall before selling a Ford Escape?
Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer for as long as the car exists. If the car is going for scrap, the repair won't change the scrap price. If a buyer might resell it or pull parts, a completed recall can help. Check your VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup first.
Where do these Ford Escape numbers come from?
From the complaint and recall data NHTSA publishes for every make and model, counted by model year on 2026-10-12. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect, and the count rises with how many of the model were sold.