Ford Escape Complaints (2021)

335 consumer complaints on file.

#11759872August 26, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, STRUCTURE:BODY, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
When I lock my car, whether from my phone, keys, or lock button inside car, the car will lock except the passenger side door which remains unlocked. So when the car is supposed to be locked and secured, anyone who wants can gain access in my car whenever they want. The car alarm will go off. But the door still opens. I believe this is a safety concern for my family and I while being in the vehicle and also a threat to valuables in my car. I haven’t had it looked at yet. But I want to report it.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11759831August 26, 2026
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, POWER TRAIN, ENGINE
My escape would not change gears and the escape would not reverse it was also pulling back and accelerating in speed to the point I could not control it in traffic. My safety and the safety of my mother were greatly affected as the escape was malfunctioning in traffic and I could not control the gears. The alert on the escape came up and it stated: The powertrain control system has detected one of the transmission clutches did not apply within the expected time as expected. Some transmission gears may not being available resulting in delayed or harsh shifts into another gear. Additional alerts that may provide additional information may accompany this alert. I took it to dealership and they told me it would need a transmission over haul. Once repairs were completed I brought it back home and had to take the escape back to the dealership because it started to pull back again and for the second time the dealership told me the escape would need a second transmission overhaul
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11758655August 21, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The ulpostery covering the sunroof fails to retract all the way causing a sag in the fabric blocking the view from the rearview mirror. Dealership states not covered under warranty
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11756242August 11, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Need transmission replacement. Only had car for 2 1/2 years.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11756227August 11, 2026
SEAT BELTS, AIR BAGS
When there is a seat belt fault, it disables the airbags from going off, even though the seat belts are all engaged
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11754688August 4, 2026
EXTERIOR LIGHTING, INTERIOR LIGHTING
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked with the vehicle turned off, the exterior and interior lights failed to turn off as intended. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 19,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11753814July 30, 2026
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE, VISIBILITY
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V467000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE) and 26V117000 (VISIBILITY); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11753473July 29, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, SUSPENSION
My car began to shake significantly when going over 60 mph on the highway. I had to drive under the speed limit. When I had the car checked, they said the shocks had been leaking and it impacted the alignment, causing my tires to become “wavy” and unsafe to drive. I had to get a set of 4 new tires, but could not afford the shocks during that visit. By the time I could afford the shocks a few months later, the new set of tires were ruined as well and I needed 4 new tires again. After some research, I see I am not the only one who had this issue with this model vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11752308July 23, 2026
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V467000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11751782July 21, 2026
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
Complaint to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) I am filing this complaint regarding an unresolved safety recall on my vehicle. This recall has remained open for more than one year, yet no remedy has been made available. Despite the manufacturer acknowledging the safety defect, I continue to operate a vehicle that presents significant safety concerns because the defect has not been corrected. The recall has caused my vehicle to experience severe drivability issues, including engine failure, excessive rough idling, and violent shaking while the vehicle is operating. These conditions create an increased risk of the vehicle stalling unexpectedly, reducing my ability to safely operate the vehicle and placing myself, my passengers, and other motorists at risk. Additionally, because of the unresolved recall condition, my vehicle is unable to pass the required state safety inspection. This has left me with a vehicle that I cannot fully utilize or register while I continue waiting for the manufacturer to provide a repair. It is unreasonable for consumers to wait more than a year for a safety recall remedy while continuing to experience hazardous operating conditions. I respectfully request that the NHTSA investigate the manufacturer’s failure to provide a timely remedy, determine whether it is complying with its obligations under federal motor vehicle safety laws, and take appropriate action to ensure affected owners receive a prompt repair or other appropriate relief. I have retained documentation regarding the recall, the symptoms affecting my vehicle, and the impact this unresolved defect has had on my ability to safely operate and maintain the vehicle. I am prepared to provide this information upon request.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11750142July 13, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
My car was at only 55,000 miles, there was a weird shuddering and my RPMs were very jumpy. It almost felt like my car was going to stall out. I took it in to the ford dealership and I had to get my Torque Converter replaced. I had no dash lights on or any other problems. I got it replaced, but my car still feels shaky while at low speeds. Apparently it’s a very common problem in this car.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11749333July 9, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES, SEAT BELTS, VISIBILITY
See attached document for complaint.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11748977July 8, 2026
POWER TRAIN
This car is constantly sputtering and when you give it gas to take of, it sputters as if it is going to stall. This poses a safety concern when you are giving the car gas and it is not properly accelerating. I was almost hit several times now. The check engine light is on, the wrench is illuminated and I keep getting an AWD/power train message, as well as a battery saving mode message. Then soon after this started, all the audio in the sound system is gone.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11748809July 7, 2026
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE, VISIBILITY
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact received recall notifications for NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V467000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) and 26V117000 (Visibility); however, the parts required to complete the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact called the local dealer and left a voicemail message, but the contact had not received a return call. The manufacturer was not contacted. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11748373July 5, 2026
POWER TRAIN
On XXX, the 8F35 transmission in my 2021 Ford Escape experienced a critical failure, characterized by severe slipping and a violent shuddering condition while operating at speed. This sudden loss of predictable power and drivetrain stability directly compromised my ability to safely operate the vehicle in traffic, creating an immediate highway safety hazard for myself and others. The vehicle was towed to an independent service center, Brownie’s Independent Transmission Shops ([XXX]), where technicians inspected the vehicle and confirmed a total internal failure along with a defective torque converter. Resolving this manufacturing defect required a complete transmission replacement and overhaul. The repair required a total out-of-pocket expense of $8,275.77 (with $8,236.97 directly tied to the transmission failure defect). I paid this balance in full across two installments: a $3,500.00 down payment on XXX, and a final balance of $4,775.77 on XXX. Prior to the sudden failure on XXX, there were no preceding dashboard warning lamps or long-term symptoms—the severe shuddering and loss of acceleration occurred abruptly. Ford Motor Company is internally aware of this defect, having issued Special Service Message (SSM) 54939, which explicitly documents a known "shudder condition" occurring within the 8F35 transmission spanning 2020–2026 Ford Escapes. Despite this awareness, Ford has failed to issue a safety recall. I have uploaded the complete itemized diagnostic notes and proof of payment receipts under the file name "Transmission Invoice and Receipts.pdf 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
#11747792July 1, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
This vehicle has had transmission slipping issues since I bought it. I had the PCM flashed and reset but it still jerks and slips out of gear ALL the time. The car actually stalled on me while turning through an intersection. This almost cause me to be t boned via a car crash. The transmission has already been replaced and still malfunctions. When it stalled there were no lights and the car would not go into neutral unless you pulled the emergency latch for it. This is a HUGE safety issue and from what I read a lot of people are having the exact same problem. Ford is just giving me the run around and my local dealer literally acted like he didn't know what I was talking about when I mention the new service bullentin. This transmission has clearly been an issue since the vehicle was new according to service records. The fact that ford isn't reaching out to people is nuts to me. They are also saying it may be over miles for the work to be covered. I really don't understand that as the transmission was replaced with only about 75000 miles on it. That's not normal. They are not honoring any work on an item they built poorly.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11747600July 1, 2026
POWER TRAIN
The vehicle stutters on acceleration. This causes issues when at intersections or when merging into traffic. I have since replaced the torque converter that has resolved the problem.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11747564June 30, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Transmission shifts hard, jerking, stuttering when pushing the accelerator. Continues to go into limp mode when driving highway speeds.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11747555June 30, 2026
POWER TRAIN
transmission bucking jerking lurching at low speeds. dangerous in stop and go traffic. hard 3rd gear shift. ford refused to remedy.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11745094June 18, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY
The sunroof cover has come off its tracks and has lost tension. It requires a full sunroof cover replacement. Upon searching this issue online, I found it was a common issue in Escapes around 2020-2022.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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