2008 Ford Escape Safety Review [ 2009 ]
Based on analysis of 10 Escape reviews and test drives.
Safety - What the Auto Press Says
The 2008 Ford Escape's decent crash test ratings lead to a good score in the safety category.
Crash test scores from the federal government reveal that later releases of the 2008 Ford Escape (produced after June 6, 2007) receive four out of five stars for driver protection and a top score of five stars for passenger protection in frontal crashes. However, earlier releases of the Escape fare worse, receiving only three stars for driver protection, but still five stars for passenger protection. All 2008 models get top five-star scores for the front and rear seats in side crashes. Though the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) only gives the Escape an "Average" rating for frontal offset tests, it awards the Escape a "Good" rating for side impact tests.
Accident Avoidance
The 2008 Ford Escape comes with power anti-lock brakes and stability control, but reviewers are disappointed that the once disc brakes are now "old-fashioned" drums, as USA TODAY says, considered a downgrade.
The 2008 Escape also relies on AdvanceTrac® with Roll Stability Control (RSC) to keep the wheel steady in less-than-ideal driving conditions. As Cars.com states, RSC "comes only on SUVs from Ford-owned brands, including its originator, Volvo, is the only system with a sensor that actually detects the beginning of a rollover and can act to stop it."
Crash Protection
To protect its passengers, the 2008 Ford Escape has a Personal Safety System® designed to use sensors to detect proper deployment of its standard dual-stage driver and front passenger air bags, based on seat position, safety belt use and the overall severity of impact. The Escape also comes with front-seat side mounted air bags.
