Equal-exposure complaint evidence and changes in the reported problem mix

2017 vs 2018 FORD ESCAPE

NHTSA Consumer Complaints complaints · snapshot 2026-08-21

Share shifts show how a vehicle's problem mix changed. They do not measure reliability, and complaint counts are not normalized for sales volume.

First 107 months on market for each model year

Exposure window calculated through Aug 22, 2026

Age-matched reports

▼ 22.9% fewer reports in the equal exposure window

NHTSA Consumer Complaints complaints · snapshot 2026-08-21

Bars start at the neutral midpoint. Left means a smaller share; right means a larger share.

View component share data as a table

Component	2017 share	2018 share	Share change
ENGINE	64.4%	70.1%	▲ 5.8 pts larger share
WHEELS	2.7%	1.1%	▼ 1.6 pts smaller share
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	3.0%	1.6%	▼ 1.4 pts smaller share
STRUCTURE	1.9%	0.9%	▼ 1.0 pts smaller share
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	1.4%	0.6%	▼ 0.7 pts smaller share
FUEL SYSTEM	2.3%	1.9%	▼ 0.5 pts smaller share
POWER TRAIN	12.4%	12.1%	▼ 0.3 pts smaller share
VISIBILITY	0.4%	0.7%	▲ 0.3 pts larger share
AIR BAGS	0.6%	0.3%	▼ 0.3 pts smaller share
SERVICE BRAKES	1.3%	1.0%	▼ 0.3 pts smaller share
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	not reported	0.2%	▲ 0.2 pts larger share
BACK OVER PREVENTION	0.2%	0.3%	▲ 0.2 pts larger share
LANE DEPARTURE	0.1%	0.2%	▲ 0.1 pts larger share
SUSPENSION	0.3%	0.3%	▲ 0.1 pts larger share
STEERING	1.6%	1.5%	▼ 0.1 pts smaller share
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	1.0%	1.0%	▼ 0.1 pts smaller share
PARKING BRAKE	0.0%	not reported	▼ 0.0 pts smaller share
TIRES	0.1%	0.1%	▲ 0.0 pts larger share
SEAT BELTS	0.5%	0.5%	▲ 0.0 pts larger share
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	11.5%	9.7%	▼ 1.8 pts smaller share

NHTSA Safety Recalls recalls · snapshot 2026-08-22

2017 4

Campaign components: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EQUIPMENT, POWER TRAIN, and VISIBILITY

2018 4

Campaign components: AIR BAGS, EQUIPMENT, POWER TRAIN, and SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

NHTSA Consumer Complaints complaints · snapshot 2026-08-21