YearToAvoid

2011 Ford Escape Visibility & Wipers Problems

NHTSA lists 45 Visibility & Wipers complaints for the 2011 Ford Escape, 3% of all complaints that year, with a median failure mileage of 43,900. No related recall is listed for this area on the 2011 model.

Visibility & Wipers complaints
45
3% of 1,316
Crashes reported
0
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
5
Median mileage
43,900 mi
Related recalls
0

Typical visibility and wiper symptoms owners report

  • Rear liftgate window shatters spontaneously while closing the hatch, sometimes cutting hands or faces with flying glass.
  • Rear glass explodes even when the vehicle is parked, stationary, and untouched, including after being left overnight in cold temperatures.
  • Some rear glass failures occur at very low mileage, in some cases just days or weeks after purchase.
  • Driver's side visor moves on its own and can block the rear view mirror.
  • Owners report the piston rods or reciprocating arms supporting the liftgate glass appear to break or fail to collapse properly before the glass shatters.

When 2011 Ford Escape visibility and wiper complaints were filed

First complaint Jan 16, 2011, latest Aug 8, 2023.

2011 Ford Escape visibility & wipers complaints: complaints filed per month5Jan 2011Nov 2011Feb 2013Jan 2014Nov 2014Aug 2015Apr 2017Jul 2019
45 complaints filed with NHTSA from Jan 2011 to Aug 2023; peak Dec 2013 (5).

Visibility & Wipers recalls for the 2011 Ford Escape

No safety recalls on record for this model year.

Visibility & Wipers complaints by Escape model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 201087 (4%)
  2. 201145 (3%)
  3. 201220 (3%)
  4. 201338 (1%)
  5. 201425 (1%)
  6. 201519 (2%)
  7. 201619 (2%)
  8. 201715 (1%)
  9. 201812 (1%)
  10. 20193 (1%)
  11. 202064 (4%)
  12. 202122 (6%)
  13. 20223 (1%)
  14. 20233 (3%)
  15. 20241 (1%)
  16. 20251 (4%)

Frequently asked questions

How common are visibility and wiper complaints on the 2011 Ford Escape?
NHTSA lists 45 complaints in this area for the 2011 Escape, which is 3% of the 1,316 total complaints filed for that model year.
Is there a recall for the 2011 Ford Escape rear window shattering?
No related recall is listed in NHTSA data for the Visibility & Wipers area on the 2011 Ford Escape.
At what mileage do these problems typically show up?
The median mileage at failure for Visibility & Wipers complaints on the 2011 Escape is 43,900 miles, though several sample complaints describe failures at very low mileage.
Have these issues caused crashes or injuries?
NHTSA data shows 0 crashes and 0 fires tied to this complaint area for the 2011 Escape, but 5 injuries were reported.
How does 2011 compare to other Escape years for this issue?
The 2011 Escape had 45 Visibility & Wipers complaints (3% share), compared to 87 complaints (4% share) in 2010 and a low of 3 complaints in 2019.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.