An escaped defect is a defect or nonconformance that is not detected at the intended inspection, verification, or process control point and is found later. In manufacturing, it usually refers to a quality issue that passes beyond the operation, work cell, supplier, or facility where it should have been identified.
Escaped defects are commonly tracked in quality systems, MES workflows, nonconformance processes, supplier quality reviews, and corrective action programs. An escape may be internal, such as a defective part found at a downstream assembly step, or external, such as a defect found by a customer after shipment.
The term focuses on failure of detection or containment, not only on the defect itself. It should not be confused with a latent defect, which may not be discoverable by normal inspection at the time, or with scrap and rework, which can occur before any escape from the intended control point.