Saturday, August 8, 2026
RecallGazette

Vehicle problems, recalls & safety intelligence

2001 Ford Escape vs 2001 Toyota Highlander

Complaints, recalls, TSBs, investigations and safety ratings side by side, from official federal data. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Raw complaint counts are not adjusted for sales volume.

Metric2001 Ford Escape2001 Toyota Highlander
NHTSA complaints996137
Recall campaigns133
Service bulletins (TSBs)158135
Investigations80
Crash reports7619
Fire reports582
NCAP overall rating
EPA MPG (combined)18–2318–22
Median reported incident mileage78,000 mi62,500 mi

Reported problems side by side

ComponentFord EscapeToyota Highlander
Engine and Engine Cooling28217
Electrical System1365
Power Train12813
Service Brakes, Hydraulic12215
Vehicle Speed Control10715
Air Bags6310
Structure5413
Steering581

Symptoms owners describe

Stalling24311
Loss of power430
Vibration / shaking357
Rust / corrosion340
Check engine light230
Steering problems230
Hesitation / surging210
Brake problems190

Compare all Ford Escape vs Toyota Highlander years →

Method. Complaints are unique NHTSA reports. A vehicle that sold more units will naturally accumulate more complaints — use shares and read the underlying reports before drawing conclusions.