The 2015 Ford Escape was actually able to achieve a maximum towing capacity of up to 3,500 lbs. Which is pretty impressive, but a lot of the other model years were also able to achieve this rating because of similar engine options that were available.
Keep in mind, this was at the higher end of the capacity range spectrum as some models were only able to achieve a 1,500 lb rating, so you really need to see what additional equipment was needed in order to get the most out of these vehicles.
Your owners manual for your SUV contains a lot of information about your vehicle and I highly recommend that you read through it. I also recommend that you abide by all of Ford's recommendations and requirements.
2015 Escape Overview
Overall Capacity: The overall towing capacity for the 2015 Ford Escape ranged from 1,500-3,500 lbs. overall, and really boiled down to what engine your vehicle was equipped with when it came from the factory. The optional trailer package that was available also affected the numbers pretty substantially, especially in the case of the 2.0 liter engine.
Capacity By Trim Levels: The 2015 Escape had three different trim levels to choose from, and I wanted to break down the data and look at the three different trim levels and compare the trailer weight ratings for each trim level in order to get a side-by-side overview of how each trim level compared.
I did this by looking at the engine options that were available for each trim level, as they were a bit different for each trim level, as you can see by the data below. The S trim level was able to achieve a 1,500 pound rating, while the SE trim level was able to achieve a much higher 1,500- 3,500 lb rating and the Titanium trim level was able to achieve the highest overall range of between 2,000-3,500 pounds.
- S:1,500 lbs.
- SE: 1,500-3,500 lbs.
- Titanium: 2,000-3,500 lbs.
By Engine Options: We discussed earlier how each trim level had a different set of engine options that were available to them and by breaking down the data for the three different engine options, we can see which engine options were available for which trim levels.
The 2.5 liter engine had the least amount of power even though it had more cubic volume overall, having a 1,500 lb maximum trailer weight rating associated with vehicles that had this engine equipped.
If you had the 1.6 liter engine equipped, then you could expect to see a maximum rating of 2,000 pounds but, if you had the 2.0 liter engine equipped, you would see the highest ratings overall, with a range of 2,000-3,500 pounds, depending on if you had a trailer to package equipped or not.
Since the 2015 models shared the same three engine choices as the 2013-2016 models, they also shared a lot of the same data. For example, if we look at the 2014 Escape's towing capacities, we can see that the same maximum trailer weight ratings were specified, which is also true for the 2013 model years and 2016 model years.
- 2.5L (4 cylinder): 1,500 lbs.
- 1.6L (4 cylinder) EcoBoost: 2,000 lbs.
- 2.0L (4 cylinder) EcoBoost: 2,000-3,500 lbs. (2,000 lb. limit without trailer package 536)
The Tow Chart:
If we take a look at the tow chart that I have listed below, we can see that the 2015 Escape shared a chart with the Lincoln MKC vehicles, but I went ahead and highlighted the areas of interest for us in the red box to make the chart more scannable and easier to read.
On the right side of the table that is outlined, we can see that the four different maximum trailer weight ratings are listed and pay attention to the number 2 and number 3 notes that are next to each trailer weight rating as they correspond to notes below the table. The engine options are listed to the left and in between you will find the axle ratios and the gross combined weight rating specifications for these vehicles.
What You Need To Know About Your SUV To Get Your Maximum Trailer Rating:
In order to get your basic trailer weight rating specification for your specific vehicle, you only really needed to plug in the engine option that came equipped on your vehicle from the factory and plug that into the chart.
This will give you your basic maximum trailer weight rating and the only other variable that really would be left is to verify whether you have the optional trailer package installed on your vehicle, particularly if you have the 2.0 liter engine installed.
- The engine you had equipped - You will need to figure out whether you had the 2.5 liter engine equipped in your vehicle or if you had the 1.6 liter or 2.0 liter engine equipped instead.
If you're having trouble finding out what engine you have installed in your SUV, then I would recommend that you grab your VIN and plug it into an online VIN decoder in order to find that information out. By doing this, it will also show you additional information about your vehicle that will come in handy later on.
2015 Escape Trailer Tow Packages...
I was also able to find a chart that lists the three different items that were included with the trailer packages for these vehicles and this trailer package was referred to as package 536 for these model year vehicles.
If we look at the chart below we can see that the three items that were included in this package are a four pin wiring harness that will work for your trailers lights, a hitch receiver and they mention another feature about trailer sway control.
(1) Available with 2.0/2.3L EcoBoost® I4 only. Available as dealer accessory with 2.5L I4 engine and 1.6L EcoBoost® I4 engine
Hitch Receiver Weight Limits: I also wanted to post this additional chart that talks about the hitch receiver weight capacity limits for a weight carrying hitch and a weight distributing hitch. Since the 2015 Escape only had a maximum capacity of up to 3,500 lbs no matter which model you had or what engine you had equipped, the specification for a weight distributing hitch was not needed because this is usually used for higher maximum trailer weight ratings.
Trailer Brakes: if you are planning on hauling anything above 1,500 pounds, which would be the weight of the trailer and the cargo combined, then you will need to have trailer brakes installed per Ford's requirements. Now your local state may require trailer brakes For less than the specified 1,500 pounds, so you will need to check your local laws to see what they require as far as trailer brakes and trailer weight.
I think it's also important to point out that these vehicle's electrical system was not equipped from the factory to accommodate certain accessories that are needed if you are planning on using electric trailer brakes with your trailer. If you are planning on having electric trailer brakes installed, then you will need a brake controller and a 7 pin wiring harness instead of a four pin because the extra terminals provide power to the brakes of the trailer.
Now The Certification Label...
GVWR & GAWRs: I know some of you out there will want to know what the gross vehicle weight rating is for your vehicle and possibly even the gross axle weight ratings as well and I wanted to quickly mention that these are not found in any of the online resources.
In order to grab these specifications, you will need to look on the vehicle itself and more specifically on the certification label, which I have an example of what one looks like above. If you look towards the top of this label you will see these two metrics specified in both pounds and kilograms and this label will be located on the driver side door pillar of your vehicle and will be clearly visible when the driver side door is open.
GCWR: One of the easiest weight rating specifications to get for your vehicle, other than the maximum trailer weight ratings would be the gross combined weight rating because this is listed right in the chart, right next to the axle ratios.
Axle Code: On a side note, I did want to point out that at the bottom of the certification label you can find your axle code for your vehicle which basically tells you what the axle ratio for your rear axle is, which is sometimes needed to figure out your maximum trailer weight ratings but for these vehicles it was not necessary.
Helpful Resources I Used For My Research:
I was able to conduct all of my research for the 2015 Ford Escape using the three resources that I have listed below and wanted to post links for those of you out there that want to check those out in more detail.
Last updated on May 12th, 2022 at 09:44 pm