2017 Ford Escape

small SUV / 4-door SUV

2017 Ford Escape 4-door SUV

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Evaluation criteriaRating
Small overlap front: driver-side
A
Small overlap front: passenger-side
P
Moderate overlap front: original test
G
Side: original test
G
Roof strength
G
Head restraints & seats
G

Crash avoidance & mitigation

Evaluation criteriaRating
Headlights (varies by trim/option)
AMP
Front crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle
Optional system
Basic

Seat belts & child restraints

Evaluation criteriaRating
LATCH ease of use
M

Other available safety features

  • Optional blind spot detection
  • Optional lane departure warning
  • Optional lane departure prevention

Key

  • G
    Good
  • A
    Acceptable
  • M
    Marginal
  • P
    Poor
  • Superior
  • Advanced
  • Basic

Some ratings use a scale of Poor to Good. Others range from Basic to Superior.

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 criteriaRating
A
Structure and safety cage
A
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
G
Chest
G
Hip/thigh
G
Lower leg/foot
G
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.
A

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.

Technical measurements for this test

About the small overlap front test

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 criteriaRating
Overall evaluation
P
Structure and safety cage
P
Passenger injury measures
Head/neck
G
Chest
G
Hip/thigh
P
Lower leg/foot
G
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.
M
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
G
Chest
G
Hip/thigh
G
Lower leg/foot
G
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics
G

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.

Technical measurements for this test

About the small overlap front test

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 criteriaRating
Overall evaluation
G
Structure and safety cage
G
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
G
Chest
G
Leg/foot, left
G
Leg/foot, right
G
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics
G

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.

Technical measurements for this test

About the original moderate overlap front test

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 criteriaRating
Overall evaluation
G
Structure and safety cage
G
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
G
Torso
G
Pelvis/leg
G
Driver head protection
G
Rear passenger injury measures
Head/neck
G
Torso
G
Pelvis/leg
G
Rear passenger head protection
G
Technical measurements for this test

About the original side crash test

Roof strength

Rating applies to 2013-19 models

Tested vehicle: 2013 Ford Escape SE 4-door 4wd

Overall evaluation
G
Curb weight3,612 lbs
Peak force18,167 lbs
Strength-to-weight ratio5.03

About the roof strength test

Head restraints & seats

Seat type: Manual cloth seats

Overall evaluation
G
Dynamic rating
G
Seat/head restraint geometry
G
Technical measurements for this test

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 criteriaRating
Low-beam headlight typeHID projector
High-beam headlight typeHID projector
Curve-adaptive?No
High-beam assist?Yes
Overall rating
A
Distance at which headlights provide at least 5 lux illumination:
car-simpler car-simpler car-simpler car-simpler car-simpler 0 ft 100 ft 200 ft 300 ft 400 ft 500 ft 600 ft Low beams Optimal low-beam illumination High beams Optimal high-beam illumination High-beam assist credit

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.

Technical measurements for this test

Trim level(s)

  • SE trim equipped with SE Technology package
  • Titanium trim
Evaluation criteriaRating
Low-beam headlight typeHalogen projector
High-beam headlight typeHalogen reflector
Curve-adaptive?No
High-beam assist?No
Overall rating
M
Distance at which headlights provide at least 5 lux illumination:
car-simpler car-simpler car-simpler car-simpler car-simpler 0 ft 100 ft 200 ft 300 ft 400 ft 500 ft 600 ft Low beams Optimal low-beam illumination High beams Optimal high-beam 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.

Technical measurements for this test

Trim level(s)

  • S trim
  • SE trim
Evaluation criteriaRating
Low-beam headlight typeHalogen reflector
High-beam headlight typeHalogen reflector
Curve-adaptive?No
High-beam assist?No
Overall rating
P
Distance at which headlights provide at least 5 lux illumination:
car-simpler car-simpler car-simpler car-simpler car-simpler 0 ft 100 ft 200 ft 300 ft 400 ft 500 ft 600 ft Low beams Optimal low-beam illumination High beams Optimal high-beam illumination Some glare

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.

Technical measurements for this test

About the headlight evaluation

Front crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle

System details

  • Optional Forward Collision Warning and Brake Support

Package name

  • Optional Adaptive Cruise Control with Forward Collision Warning and Brake Support

Overall evaluation

Applies to 2017-19 models

Basic
Basic
with optional equipment
  • This system meets the requirements for forward collision warning.
  • Autobrake not available.

About the original front crash prevention test

Child seat anchors

Rating applies to 2015-19 models

Evaluation criteriaRating
Overall evaluation
M
Vehicle trimSE
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 criteriaRating
Overall evaluation
M
Vehicle trimSE
Seat type cloth
1 2 3
Rating iconRating
GGood
AAcceptable
MMarginal
PPoor
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
shared lower achors symbol
Lower anchor(s) can be borrowed from adjacent positions(s)
No hardware available

Details by seating position

PositionRating
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
Technical measurements for this test

About the child seat anchor evaluation