Ford Escape Complaints

29,499 consumer complaints on file.

#11757082August 15, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The fuel door actuator malfunctioned, rendering the emergency release ineffective. This necessitated a replacement at 30,000 miles or four years from the manufacturing date. We believe that an inoperable fuel door presents a significant safety concern.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11757086August 15, 2026
ENGINE
Engine coolant in the oil. The engine needs to be replaced. The cost is greater than the value of the car.. it is a known defect that Ford knows about, but will not do anything to repair or replace the engine problem….
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11757137August 15, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES
While traveling on the interstate, the driver of the Ford Escape moved into the left lane from behind an 18-wheeler that had stopped while attempting to enter a turning lane. After moving into the left lane, the driver observed traffic ahead stopping. The vehicle ahead was at or beyond the front of the 18-wheeler. The Escape was still behind the rear of the 18-wheeler when the driver began braking. The driver pressed the brake pedal, but the vehicle did not stop as expected. It may have slowed slightly at first. The driver released the brake pedal and pressed it again. On the second application, the vehicle did not appear to slow further, and the brake pedal felt as though it went straight to the floor. The driver continued holding the brake pedal down until the Escape collided with the vehicle ahead, which was at or beyond the front of the 18-wheeler's cab. The driver had applied the brakes twice before the vehicle's forward-collision/impact warning activated. There were no known brake warning lights or brake-related messages before the incident. The suspected system involved is the braking system; the exact cause is UNKNOWN. The collision resulted in the vehicle being declared a total loss by the insurance company. The vehicle is currently being held at the insurance company's investigation yard and has not yet been released to the salvage department, so it remains available for inspection at this time. During approximately three years of ownership, the vehicle had previously experienced recurring squealing from the rear brakes when backing up. The vehicle was taken to Ford regarding the brakes on two occasions, and the brake pads were replaced once. Ford advised that no other issue was found at those times though squealing happened occasionally after.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
2
Deaths:
0
#11756911August 14, 2026
ENGINE
There was a sudden loss of power/acceleration while driving our [XXX] on the highway. The car would bog down, then briefly accelerate, then lose acceleration again. The car started to shake at this point and then the check engine light came on. No symptoms prior to failure. Very dangerous as the car suddenly slowed down well below speeds for highway, resulting in cars swerving around us. Local mechanic and dealership both confirmed coolant intrusion due to engine block Crack. Car only has 65k miles and has been meticulously maintained. Currently available for inspection INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11756939August 14, 2026
POWER TRAIN, SERVICE BRAKES
NOV 20, 2025 Manufacturer Recall Number25SC4 NHTSA Recall Number25V789 Recall StatusRecall Incomplete, remedy not yet available Summary this has been 9 months and still no remedy. this doesnt seem timely.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11757001August 14, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
recall has remedy not available since Oct 13, 2025 for the rear view camera. This has been an issue in several models of Ford vehicles. I have a 2019 FORD MUSTANG that had the same issue and the recall was completed in 5 months. the manufacturer has failed to provide a remedy for 10 months.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11756661August 13, 2026
ENGINE
I am hoping you can help me. I have a 2015 Ford Escape. It has 107,000 miles on it. I do the regular maintenance items as needed. Last Friday I was driving my car and my temperature gauge went to Hot and my Check Engine Light came on. It said to pull over and stop engine. I pulled over and let it cool down. I drove it home. My neighbor looked at it and said, that it needed coolant. There was not any coolant in the reservoir. He added 1 gallon of coolant to my reservoir. The next morning he added another gallon of coolant to my reservoir. I took my car to a garage to have it looked at. I was told, the coolant is leaking into my engine. And not to drive my car. Because it could stop at any minute and the engine would be done. Online I found a Ford Recall for 2013 to 2019 Ford Escape, Recall # 26S01. Coolant that leaks into the cylinder causing engine failure. And potential fire risk. The engine block heater may crack and develop coolant leak. Dealers will replace block heater free of charge. I called my dealership where I purchased the car. They are not a Ford dealership and advised I call a Ford dealership. I called a Ford dealership and gave them my VIN number. Was told my VIN number was not included in the recall. I was advised to call Ford. I called [XXX]. I was told my car VIN was not included in the recall. The VIN number determines which factory it was built and came from. I advised my year and diagnosis is what the recall is for. There was not anyone else to talk to. I asked this information to be sent to someone else. She advised, she will send it to Safety Office to review the recall. I was advised, I will probably not hear from anyone because there are so many recalls right now. I called Ford Customer Service [XXX] and was told the exact same thing, like a script was being told to me. I am Very Disappointed on how Ford is not handling my situation. I can't drive my car and forced to purchase a new car. This is my only vehicle. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11756696August 13, 2026
POWER TRAIN, ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Check engine light would come on vehicle was not running well, seemed to stall. When I turned off the car I could hear liquid moving around from inside the vehicle. I am a Mom so I am driving with my 2 small children constantly and worried about their safety. The problem was confirmed by the dealership as well as an independent service center.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11756727August 13, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Coolant is leaking into the head causing engine failure. This car has fewer than 60,00 miles. From what I have read this is a common problem and is due to a manufacturer’s design flaw. Ford refused to help me in any way when I contacted them. When I took the vehicle to the dealership they informed me that the engine would need to be replaced. The bill would be $13,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11756743August 13, 2026
BACK OVER PREVENTION
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the camera screen was blank. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention). The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were on back order. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11756749August 13, 2026
BACK OVER PREVENTION
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera displayed a blank image. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the recall repair could not be completed because parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired until parts became available. The failure mileage was approximately 126,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11756768August 13, 2026
BACK OVER PREVENTION
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while in reverse, the back over prevention camera failed to display an image and displayed a black screen. The dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 59,127.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11756827August 13, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
A quien corresponda Por medio de la presente me pongo en contacto con ustedes por motivo de falla mecánica en mi auto móvil Ford escape 2009 ya que hace aproximadamente dos meses atrás al llenar el tanque de gasolina me percaté que el interior olía a combustible y al revisarlo noté que se tiraba por debajo del vehículo lo cual me llevó a investigar posible causa encontrando que en ese modelo es falla del fabricante solicitando sea reparado para evitar posible incendio del mismo ya que según lo que encontré es muy probable sufrir accidente en este estado del vehículo
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11756832August 13, 2026
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while stopped at a red light, upon depressing the accelerator the vehicle would not move and an abnormal beeping sound was emitted, no warning lights were illuminated however a warning message was displayed on the instrument panel "Place vehicle in park to restart engine". The local dealer was contacted however the vehicle was not diagnosed due to cost. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 101,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11756833August 13, 2026
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while stopped at a red light, upon depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to move, with an abnormal beeping sound coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated; however, the message "Place Vehicle in Park to Restart Engine" was displayed. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed due to the cost. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 101,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11756844August 13, 2026
ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I have had to repair the transmission twice. Recently the coolant intrusion has forced me to not have a car with engine failure. Mechanic confirmed gasket was blown.The car did not give a low coolant warning, but only an overheating warning, which I immediately called AAA. This car has been well taken care of, with oil changes and everything that comes with an oil change on time! This has been confirmed with an independent business. There needs to be a nationwide recall on this consistent malfunction!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11756851August 13, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY
I went for an oil change and my mechanic found that the subframe/cross member assembly was almost rusted through. Very dangerous. Needs to be replaced. Found out this is very common with the Ford Escape model of these years. Will cost thousands to repair.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11756389August 12, 2026
ENGINE
Check engine light came on 3 weeks ago. Misfire codes on start up and cylinder 3. Mechanic replaced spark plugs, cleaned injectors. One week after repairs, check engine light came back on. Took vehicle back to the shop and after more tests, my engine showed it had suffered coolant intrusion and I was told a total replacement of the engine was needed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11756415August 12, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The system that failed was the rear passenger door latch. The door will not latch and I checked the door latch and it moves freely. My vehicle also is telling me that my rear passenger door is open
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11756424August 12, 2026
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
The contact's son owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her son was driving 30 MPH, the vehicle stalled with an unknown message displayed on the instrument panel. The contact's son pulled off to the shoulder of the road and restarted the vehicle. The vehicle was restarted and went into LIMP Mode and drove slowly back to the residence. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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