Overview & Reviews

The 2009 Ford Escape receives under-the-skin changes that complement last year's cosmetic makeover. There's more power underhood and a tweaked suspension for improved handling and ride dynamics. Ford has also added its Sync MP3 player and cell phone interface.

• Comfortable interior, peppy performance, Sync voice-control system, impressive safety scores.

• Lackluster braking compared to rivals, folding down second seat needlessly complex.

User Reviews:

Showing 1 through 10 of 134.00

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  Do yourself a favor, dont buy it. - 2009 Ford Escape
  By Curt - January 4 - 3:05 pm

  If there was a lower rating for transmissions I would have given it. This car seems to have a ton of recalls, which the techs like to tell me that Ford is looking out for its customers. I like to view it as, a lot of poor design choices from a company who has been making cars to long. I get being new and innovative, but how about making a car that doesnt have the worst transmission in the world?!? Did they even test the damn thing before they threw it into cars? I realize that all cars have their issues, but this car seems to be the worst I have ever dealt with (dont believe me? just google it).

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  Excellent - 2009 Ford Escape
  By pete162 - April 8 - 8:49 pm

  Had since new, very reliable , cheap to maintain, fuel sipper with plenty of power with the I4 2.5 liter engine. Always hand washed and waxed,it looks almost as good as the day we drove it off the lot.

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  Awesome little SUV - 2009 Ford Escape
  By tugboat95 - January 15 - 11:46 pm

  I love this truck! I bought this with 33k miles to replace a Durango I could no longer afford to feed. It was an adjustment to go that small. I chose the Escape because it had the most interior room of the small SUVs. Im 65 and I sit comfortably in it for an 8 hour drive twice a month. I have the XLT V-6. I get 28mpg round trip on that drive and I see 33 in certain spots where I behave with the throttle. It now has 75k miles on it and the only thing I have touched is the oil and transmission fluid and a new set of tires. Most dependable vehicle Ive ever owned. And it pulls a 3050lbs RV and gets 12mpg doing it. Ive been offroading in WV with it and even just 2wd, it holds its own.

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  A good fit for me - 2009 Ford Escape
  By michiganphil - February 22 - 3:25 pm

  I have owned two 2009 4 cyl FWD Limited Escapes, traded one at 41K miles, last month, and still own another with 43K miles. The only issues I have had with the vehicles is with the Fan motor, in which a resister went bad. Otherwise, I have had no issues with either vehicle. The vehicles offered me the features I wanted, with few I did not want. The acceleration, handling, braking were good enough for me. I was impressed with the gas mileages, I topped 32 MPG, door to door, with both vehicles on long trips, a number of times.

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  Love it...sometimes - 2009 Ford Escape
  By ttescape09 - February 2 - 10:58 am

  I bought this car used, and after owning it for 1 1/2 years I still love it. However it has had some pricey problems. I bought the car and I thought it needed a blend door motor on the passenger side (~$900) I replaced it and turns out it was a HVAC module (this was free after a letter to the owner of the Ford dealership because they misdiagnosed it the first time). I now have intermittent power steering (~$1500 to fix) This is my biggest issue because it appears to be a safety issue. So if you buy this car beware and have that money ready! Also paint is starting to chip off the top of the liftgate for no apparent reason (only 12 inches is covered by paint anymore)

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  Too many breakdowns! - 2009 Ford Escape
  By nthernlgts - March 30 - 7:49 pm

  I bought this vehicle new in the summer of 2009. About a month later the Transmission failed. It took a month and a half to repair because of back ordered parts. After the rebuild, the shift pattern was messed up and had to go back for reprogramming. This was all within 15,000 miles and covered by warranty. After warranty, the a/c condenser failed. $900 there. Then the power steering unit failed. This isnt a standard power steering unit either. In other words, $1400 more. Ive also had some sort of an mid shaft axle support bearing fail. $400 more. All in all, I have put nearly $3000 in repairs into a 3-1/2 year old vehicle. Way too many mechanical failures. Im done with Escapes

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  Comfortable fun, but........ - 2009 Ford Escape
  By thvillebear - October 12 - 1:24 am

  Bought the 2009 Escape as a replacement for our 1998 F150 that was super reliable. The Escape is comfortable and the V6 is powerful and economical delivering about 22 in mixed driving. However quality leaves much to be desired, the transmission started leaking right before the warranty expired and was fixed under warranty. The throttle body failed at 44000, costing 400 to replace I might mention out of all the cars I have owned I have never ever had a throttle body fail! I really question our decision to buy the Escape and curious as to what other problems will surface, I will be hesitant to buy another Ford.

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  Looks Great and Very Reliable! - 2009 Ford Escape
  By russter - March 1 - 8:57 am

  My 09 Escape has far exceeded what I expected. Unlike the review, this is a very reliable SUV, no problems at all through 50K+ miles, good pickup when I need it, average 22 to 23 MPG, (actually tracked via receipts) despite pulling a trailer quite often. Had a front and rear end wreck, not my fault, the car behind was totalled, the truck in front was damaged, my Escape got new bumpers and lights and some body work! Its quiet inside, unlike my just traded in Honda Pilot. Engine has a perfect sound when you floor it otherwise, it has a understated gentle purr that I like. The 2nd. row is much easier to fold down than Edmunds would have you believe, and, its made in K.C., MO, USA!

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  Greatest vehicle made!! - 2009 Ford Escape
  By fordguy54 - December 18 - 2:32 pm

  excellent ride, very powerfull, looks sporty! this is a great vehicle made by ford! dont let the transmision problems scare you away from this great vehicle. ive had mine since new and have never had a single problem with it! ive checked into it also, and if you have a problem with your tranny more then likely it will be covered under factory warranty(not sure why people are complaining). dont waste your time with a chevy equinox, dodge nitro, or toyota rav4. this vehicle is the nicest for the money. and the most powerful as well. i had a 2010 didge nitro and traded it for this 2009 ford escape. gas mileage is awesome. if u wanna have problems buy a dodge nitro.

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  Transmission Problem - 2009 Ford Escape
  By smishra - December 15 - 2:43 pm

  I was fine it till the transmission died at 36200 miles. Fortunately I had bought extended warranty. I fixed it at the dealer and it still giving me troubles. I still see sudden gear change at low speeds. Do not know how much time this fixing will last, but I am always scared to take my family on a drive on this one. So Pros: 1. Ample of cargo space 2. Feels sturdy 3. Nice seats 4. Very fule efficient 5. Love the SYNC, I hooked up an external hard drive to this. It recongnizes and plays all my music. Cons: 1. Unreliable transmission 2. Interior is not nice - pretty cheap plastic 3. Very noisy - I reckon being an I4 engine it will be noisy, but it is a litle too much.