Small overlap front: driver-side
Rating applies to 2017-19 models
Tested vehicle: 2017 Ford Escape SE 4-door 4wd
The Ford Escape was redesigned for the 2013 model year. Beginning with 2017 models, the driver door hinge pillar was reinforced and the front-end structure was modified to improve occupant protection in small overlap frontal crashes.
Evaluation criteria | Rating |
---|---|
Structure and safety cage | |
Driver injury measures | |
Head/neck | |
Chest | |
Hip/thigh | |
Lower leg/foot | |
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics
The dummy’s head contacted the frontal airbag but started to slide off the left side because the seat belt allowed excessive forward excursion of the head and torso. The side curtain airbag deployed and has sufficient forward coverage to protect the head from contact with side structure and outside objects. The side torso airbag also deployed. |

Action shot taken during the driver-side small overlap frontal crash test.

The dummy's position in relation to the door frame, steering wheel, and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver's survival space was maintained reasonably well.

The dummy’s head contacted the frontal airbag but then slid partway off the left side, allowing the head to move into the gap in coverage between the frontal and side curtain airbags.

Intrusion into the driver's space was reasonably well controlled, and risk of injuries to the dummy's legs and feet was low.
Small overlap front: passenger-side
Rating applies to 2013-19 models
Tested vehicle: 2018 Ford Escape SE 4-door 4wd
The Ford Escape was redesigned for the 2013 model year. Although Ford reinforced the structure starting with the 2017 model year on the driver side to improve occupant protection in small overlap frontal crashes, no such changes were made on the passenger side.
Evaluation criteria | Rating |
---|---|
Overall evaluation | |
Structure and safety cage | |
Passenger injury measures | |
Head/neck | |
Chest | |
Hip/thigh | |
Lower leg/foot | |
Passenger restraints and dummy kinematics
The dummy’s head contacted the frontal airbag but then rolled around the right side. The side curtain airbag did not deploy, leaving the dummy's head vulnerable to contact with side structure and outside objects. | |
Driver injury measures | |
Head/neck | |
Chest | |
Hip/thigh | |
Lower leg/foot | |
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics |

Action shot taken during the passenger-side small overlap frontal crash test.

The dummy's position in relation to the door frame and dashboard after the crash test indicates that the passenger's survival space was not maintained well.

The dummy's head contacted the frontal airbag but then rolled around to the right. The side curtain airbag did not deploy, uncommon for 2018 model year and later vehicles.

Extensive intrusion of the dashboard and door hinge pillar contributed to a likely risk of injury to the right hip.
Moderate overlap front: original test
Rating applies to 2013-19 models
Tested vehicle: 2013 Ford Escape SE 4-door 4wd
The Ford Escape was redesigned for the 2013 model year. Two moderate overlap frontal tests of the Escape were conducted, one by the Institute and the other by Ford. Ratings are based on both tests.
Evaluation criteria | Rating |
---|---|
Overall evaluation | |
Structure and safety cage | |
Driver injury measures | |
Head/neck | |
Chest | |
Leg/foot, left | |
Leg/foot, right | |
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics |

Action shot taken during the Institute's moderate offset frontal crash test.

The dummy's position in relation to the steering wheel and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver's survival space was maintained well (Institute test car shown).

Smeared greasepaint behind the dummy's head shows where the head was protected from hitting hard structures during rebound by the side curtain airbag in the Institute's test.

Intrusion into the driver's space was minimal in both tests, and all leg and foot injury measures were low.
Side: original test
Rating applies to 2013-19 models
Tested vehicle: 2013 Ford Escape SE 4-door 4wd with standard front and rear head curtain airbags and standard front seat-mounted torso airbags
The Ford Escape was redesigned for the 2013 model year. Side impact ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test conducted by Ford.
Evaluation criteria | Rating |
---|---|
Overall evaluation | |
Structure and safety cage | |
Driver injury measures | |
Head/neck | |
Torso | |
Pelvis/leg | |
Driver head protection | |
Rear passenger injury measures | |
Head/neck | |
Torso | |
Pelvis/leg | |
Rear passenger head protection |
Roof strength
Rating applies to 2013-19 models
Tested vehicle: 2013 Ford Escape SE 4-door 4wd
Overall evaluation | |
---|---|
Curb weight | 3,612 lbs |
Peak force | 18,167 lbs |
Strength-to-weight ratio | 5.03 |
Head restraints & seats
Seat type: Manual cloth seats
Overall evaluation | |
---|---|
Dynamic rating | |
Seat/head restraint geometry |
About the head restraint & seat test
Currently, IIHS tests apply only to front seats.
Headlights
Ratings are given for 3 different headlight variations available on this vehicle.
Trim level(s)
- Titanium trim equipped with Titanium Technology package
Evaluation criteria | Rating |
---|---|
Low-beam headlight type | HID projector |
High-beam headlight type | HID projector |
Curve-adaptive? | No |
High-beam assist? | Yes |
Overall rating | |
Distance at which headlights provide at least 5 lux illumination: |
Low beams
On the straightaway, visibility was good on the right side of the road and fair on the left side. On curves, visibility was fair on the sharp left and both right curves and inadequate on the gradual left curve.
The low beams never exceeded glare limits.
High beams
On the straightaway, visibility was good on the right side of the road and fair on the left side. On curves, visibility was fair on the gradual right and gradual left curves and inadequate on the sharp right and sharp left curves.
High-beam assist compensates for some limitations of this vehicle's low beams on the straightaway and all 4 curves.
Trim level(s)
- SE trim equipped with SE Technology package
- Titanium trim
Evaluation criteria | Rating |
---|---|
Low-beam headlight type | Halogen projector |
High-beam headlight type | Halogen reflector |
Curve-adaptive? | No |
High-beam assist? | No |
Overall rating | |
Distance at which headlights provide at least 5 lux illumination: |
Low beams
On the straightaway, visibility was fair on both sides of the road. On curves, visibility was inadequate in all 4 tests.
The low beams never exceeded glare limits.
High beams
On the straightaway, visibility was good on the right side of the road and inadequate on the left side. On curves, visibility was inadequate in all 4 tests.
Trim level(s)
- S trim
- SE trim
Evaluation criteria | Rating |
---|---|
Low-beam headlight type | Halogen reflector |
High-beam headlight type | Halogen reflector |
Curve-adaptive? | No |
High-beam assist? | No |
Overall rating | |
Distance at which headlights provide at least 5 lux illumination: |
Low beams
On the straightaway, visibility was good on the right side of the road and fair on the left side. On curves, visibility was fair on the sharp left curve and inadequate on the gradual left and both right curves.
The low beams created some glare.
High beams
On the straightaway, visibility was good on the right side of the road and fair on the left side. On curves, visibility was fair on the gradual left curve and inadequate on the sharp left and both right curves.
Front crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle
Child seat anchors
Rating applies to 2015-19 models
Evaluation criteria | Rating |
---|---|
Overall evaluation | |
Vehicle trim | SE |
Seat type | cloth |
This vehicle has 2 rear seating positions with complete child seat attachment (LATCH) hardware.
It has 1 additional seating position with a tether anchor and the ability to borrow lower anchors from the other seating positions.
Note: When anchors are borrowed, they aren't available to use in their designated positions.
Evaluation criteria | Rating |
---|---|
Overall evaluation | |
Vehicle trim | SE |
Seat type | cloth |
Rating icon | Rating |
---|---|
G | Good |
A | Acceptable |
M | Marginal |
P | Poor |
Seating positions that rely on borrowed lower anchors or have only a tether anchor available are not rated. | |
thether anchor symbol | Tether anchor |
lower anchor symbol | Lower anchors |
Lower anchor(s) can be borrowed from adjacent positions(s) | |
No hardware available |
Details by seating position
Position | Rating |
---|---|
1 | |
Tether anchor | |
easy-to-find location | |
other hardware could be confused for anchor | |
Lower anchors | |
too deep in seat | |
not too much force needed to attach | |
difficult to maneuver around anchors | |
2 | |
Tether anchor | |
easy-to-find location | |
no other hardware could be confused for anchor | |
Lower anchors | |
Can be borrowed from 1 and 3 | |
3 | |
Tether anchor | |
easy-to-find location | |
other hardware could be confused for anchor | |
Lower anchors | |
too deep in seat | |
not too much force needed to attach | |
easy to maneuver around anchors |