Ford Escape Safety Ratings (2011-2026)
NHTSA has crash-tested the Ford Escape across 16 model years from 2011 to 2026. Its overall safety rating averages 4.6 out of 5 stars, a strong four to five-star result.
These are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings from its New Car Assessment Program. Each vehicle is scored on frontal crash, side crash, and rollover resistance, which combine into the overall star rating. The ratings use the tougher test methodology NHTSA adopted for 2011 and later, so they are not comparable to older results and are separate from the IIHS awards you may also see. Here is how the Ford Escape scored by model year.
Ford Escape NHTSA ratings by model year
| Year | Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2026 FORD ESCAPE GAS SUV N/A AWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2026 | 2026 FORD ESCAPE GAS SUV N/A FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2026 | 2026 FORD ESCAPE HEV SUV HEV AWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2026 | 2026 FORD ESCAPE HEV SUV HEV FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2026 | 2026 FORD ESCAPE PHEV SUV PHEV FWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2025 | 2025 Ford Escape Gas SUV AWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2025 | 2025 Ford Escape Gas SUV FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2025 | 2025 Ford Escape HEV SUV AWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2025 | 2025 Ford Escape HEV SUV FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2025 | 2025 Ford Escape PHEV SUV FWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2024 | 2024 Ford Escape HEV SUV AWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2024 | 2024 Ford Escape HEV SUV FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2024 | 2024 Ford Escape PHEV SUV FWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2024 | 2024 Ford Escape SUV AWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2024 | 2024 Ford Escape SUV FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2023 | 2023 Ford Escape HEV SUV AWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2023 | 2023 Ford Escape HEV SUV FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2023 | 2023 Ford Escape PHEV SUV FWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2023 | 2023 Ford Escape SUV AWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2023 | 2023 Ford Escape SUV FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2022 | 2022 Ford Escape HEV SUV AWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2022 | 2022 Ford Escape HEV SUV FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2022 | 2022 Ford Escape PHEV SUV FWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2022 | 2022 Ford Escape SUV AWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2022 | 2022 Ford Escape SUV FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2021 | 2021 Ford Escape HEV SUV AWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2021 | 2021 Ford Escape HEV SUV FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2021 | 2021 Ford Escape SUV AWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2021 | 2021 Ford Escape SUV FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2020 | 2020 Ford Escape HEV SUV AWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2020 | 2020 Ford Escape HEV SUV FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2020 | 2020 Ford Escape SUV AWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2020 | 2020 Ford Escape SUV FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2019 | 2019 Ford Escape SUV AWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2019 | 2019 Ford Escape SUV FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2018 | 2018 Ford Escape SUV AWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2018 | 2018 Ford Escape SUV FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2017 | 2017 Ford Escape SUV AWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2017 | 2017 Ford Escape SUV FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2016 | 2016 Ford Escape SUV AWD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2016 | 2016 Ford Escape SUV FWD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2015 | 2015 Ford Escape SUV AWD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2015 | 2015 Ford Escape SUV FWD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2014 | 2014 Ford Escape SUV 4x2 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2014 | 2014 Ford Escape SUV 4x4 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2013 | 2013 Ford Escape SUV 4x2 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2013 | 2013 Ford Escape SUV 4x4 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2012 | 2012 Ford Escape Hev SUV 4x2 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 |
| 2012 | 2012 Ford Escape Hev SUV 4x4 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 |
| 2012 | 2012 Ford Escape SUV 4x2 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 |
| 2012 | 2012 Ford Escape SUV 4x4 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 |
| 2011 | 2011 Ford Escape Hev SUV 4x2 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 |
| 2011 | 2011 Ford Escape Hev SUV 4x4 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 |
| 2011 | 2011 Ford Escape SUV 4x2 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 |
| 2011 | 2011 Ford Escape SUV 4x4 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 |
How NHTSA's crash tests work
NHTSA scores three crash tests and combines them into the overall rating. The frontal test drives the vehicle into a fixed barrier at 35 mph to model a head-on collision. The side test hits the vehicle with a moving barrier and, separately, slams it sideways into a rigid pole, which is the type of crash that puts the most force on occupants. The rollover rating is part lab measurement of how top-heavy the vehicle is and part dynamic maneuver test. More stars is better in every case, with five the top mark.
What the ratings do not tell you
Two caveats are worth holding onto. Star ratings only compare vehicles of a similar size and weight, so a five-star small car and a five-star large SUV did not face the same physics, and the heavier vehicle generally protects its occupants better in a collision between the two. The ratings also come from standardized lab tests, which cannot capture every real-world crash. They are a strong, independent measure of crashworthiness, not a guarantee, and they are separate from both the IIHS awards and the recall record on this site. See the Ford Escape recall history and its common owner problems for the rest of the safety picture.
Common questions about Ford Escape safety
- Is the Ford Escape a safe car?
- In NHTSA crash tests, the Ford Escape averages 4.6 out of 5 stars overall across the 2011 to 2026 model years, a strong four to five-star result. 39 of the 55 tested configurations earned the full five stars.
- What is the Ford Escape crash test rating?
- The most recently rated Ford Escape (2026) earned 5 out of 5 stars overall from NHTSA, with 5 stars in the frontal test, 5 in the side test, and 4 for rollover resistance.
- Are NHTSA stars the same as IIHS ratings?
- No. The star ratings here come from NHTSA's federal crash-test program. The IIHS is a separate insurance-industry group with its own tests and "Top Safety Pick" awards. Both are worth checking, and they do not always agree.
Ratings come from NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings program (model year 2011 and later). See the methodology and data sources for detail. This page is a reference, not legal or safety advice.