3 generations of the Ford Escape rated, newest first.
13-19
The 3rd gen Escape looks modern and has strong safety ratings, but the EcoBoost engines brought the same coolant leak and head issues that plagued the Fusion, the 2.5L base engine is the only safe powertrain choice.
08-12
The 2nd gen Escape added standard ESC and bumped to 5-star NHTSA, but reliability still trails the class leaders, it's a reasonable buy at the right price if you go 4-cylinder.
01-07
The 1st gen Escape was a legitimate compact SUV pioneer, but it's aged into something you buy at a very specific price, under $4k, with documented maintenance, knowing it's not a long-term keeper.