2019 FORD ESCAPE

What owners reported to NHTSA, ranked by how often and how seriously.

This is complaint data, not a random sample.

It only includes owners who chose to file a federal complaint, so it over-represents dramatic and safety-related problems and under-represents minor issues an owner just had fixed without reporting. Read this as what NHTSA complainants report most, not as this vehicle's true failure rate. Full methodology.

Component ranking

  1. #1

    engine internal

    3 stranded, 104 unsafe

    107
    incidents

    Commonly reported, insufficient mileage data - n=21, median 56,000 mi, no reliable range below 25 reports.

    • "THE VEHICLE STARTED RUNNING ROUGH AND MISSING AT 75 MPH WITH ABOUT 5000 MILES ON IT. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, CRUISE CONTROL SHUT OFF. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID I HAD 3 TROUBLE CODES BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE WERE. THEY REPROGRAMMED SOMETHIN…"~5,000 mi, complaint #1628856
    • "STARTING APPROXIMATELY OF APRIL OF THIS YEAR, NOTICED THAT THE CAR WAS SURGING AND "MISSING" ON START. THOUGHT IT MAY HAVE BEEN A SPARK PLUG OR SUCH GOING BAD AND IT WASN'T HAPPENING WITH EVERY START. THEN MIDDLE OF MAY, IT WAS DAILY ON EVERY START AND WAS S…"~26,000 mi, complaint #1679443
    • "The contact owned a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was white smoke coming from the rear driver's side and there was a burning odor. The vehicle was parked and the contact noticed smoke coming from the dri…"~70,000 mi, complaint #1990718
    • "The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 mph, the vehicle hesitated and the check engine light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer diagnosed the issue with a coolant leak and engine failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The…"~86,708 mi, complaint #2204609
    • "The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle shuddered abnormally, and there was white smoke coming from the exhaust pipes. In addition, the contact became aware of an abnormal coolant consumption. T…"~117,645 mi, complaint #2100334
  2. #2

    engine cooling

    7 stranded, 85 unsafe

    92
    incidents
    Typical range: 40,000–98,500 mi

    Median 74,000 mi, based on 33 reports (73% had no usable mileage)

    • "DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, ALL OF A SUDDEN WARNING COMES ON STATING, "CAR IS OVERHEATING STOP ENGINE NOW." CAR STARTED TO SHAKE AND STEERING WHEEL STARTED TO SHAKE. PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS RED. POLICE OFFICER PULLED ASIDE TO ASSIS…"~4,100 mi, complaint #1670882
    • "PURCHASED VEHICLE APRIL 2019. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY HEARD COOLANT GURGLING SOUND COMING FROM ENGINE WHEN ENGINE AUTO TURNED OFF AT STOP LIGHT. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS SOUND WAS NORMAL. JANUARY RECEIVED NOTICE FROM FORD THAT MY VEHICLE NEED PCM REPROGRAMMING. DAY…"~20,000 mi, complaint #1644390
    • "The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. The contact opened the hood and noticed that the coolant level was extremely low. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manuf…"~40,000 mi, complaint #1994695
    • "The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine. The contact was in…"~82,000 mi, complaint #1995515
    • "Coolant is going into the engine. Ford will not replace since it is a known issue and not a recall. I've had to replace cylinder 3 and spark plug since car started jolting down the road and wouldn't go past 30 mph. Constantly adding coolant. It is available f…"~129,657 mi, complaint #2039076
  3. #3

    engine head gasket

    1 stranded, 48 unsafe

    49
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=4)

    • "The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal clapping sound detected. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an unknown local dealer in Kansas…"~50,000 mi, complaint #1838111
    • "The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving 25 MPH, there was smoke coming from the rear of the vehicle with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over on the right side of the road, exited the vehicle, r…"~109,000 mi, complaint #2219600
    • "The contact called on behalf of her mother-in-law who owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 75 MPH, the "Vehicle Hot, Reduce Speed" message was displayed. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The veh…"~170,000 mi, complaint #1992154
  4. #4

    transmission automatic

    7 stranded, 36 unsafe, 1 broken

    44
    incidents
    Typical range: 66,000–108,000 mi

    Median 84,000 mi, based on 31 reports (60% had no usable mileage)

    • "INTERMITTENT ISSUES WITH THE TRANSMISSION NOT BEING ABLE TO SHIFT INTO PARK. WHEN IT HAPPENS, THE SHIFTIER FREELY MOVES BETWEEN ALL POSITIONS EXCEPT WILL NOT GO ALL THE WAY FORWARD TO THE "PARK" POSITION. IT CAN EVENTUALLY BE MOVED FORWARD BY FIDDLING WITH I…"~1,000 mi, complaint #1605373
    • "AT 10,000 MILES MY ESCAPE TRANSMISSION BEGAN SLIPPING. IT TAKES FOREVER FOR IT TO SHIFT BUT NO TRANSMISSION LIGHT COMES ON. MY GAS MILEAGE HAS ALSO GONE WAY DOWN AS A RESULT OF THIS. FORD CLAIMS IT'S FINE. BUT IT DOES IT OFTEN. ALSO WHEN THE ENGINE STOP IS ENG…"~10,000 mi, complaint #1584948
    • "The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 30-35 MPH, the transmission was slipping. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the failure was due to the shifter…"~76,000 mi, complaint #1985393
    • "The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated the vehicle was making an abnormal sound while idling. The contact stated that while accelerating from a complete stop, the vehicle hesitated to respond. There was no warning light illuminated. The contac…"~98,000 mi, complaint #2027309
    • "The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was unable to shift into a lower gear, and the vehicle unexpectedly went into LIMP Mode. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and was diagnosed with sh…"~145,000 mi, complaint #2219906
  5. #5

    engine stall or no start

    2 stranded, 12 unsafe

    14
    incidents

    Commonly reported, insufficient mileage data - n=12, median 11,000 mi, no reliable range below 25 reports.

    • "I BOUGHT THE CAR MARCH 20TH BRAND NEW. ON APRIL 14TH I WAS DRIVING IT HOME AND THE ENGINE STOPPED WORKING. ALL WARNING LIGHTS WERE FLASHING AND THE CAR JUST STOPPED WORKING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. I COULD NOT GET IT STARTED AND WHEN I FINALLY DID IT WOULDN…"~800 mi, complaint #1560161
    • "I WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 30 MILES AN HOUR AND THE ENGINE JUST SHUT DOWN FOR NO REASON. AN ALERT CAME UP THAT SAID AUTO STOPSTART SHIFT TO P RESTART ENGINE."~6,980 mi, complaint #1617077
    • "SINCE BUYING MY ESCAPE BRAND NEW WITH 1 MILE ON IT, IT HAS BEEN PLAGUED WITH ISSUES, ENGINE SHUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING CAN BE GOING 30 MPH OR 70 MPH, WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AT 70 BAD SMELL FROM CATALYTIC CONVERTER SEEPS IN THROUGH VENTS. PASSENGER SIDE T…"~11,000 mi, complaint #1650865
    • "The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that in November of 2020 the engine was replaced under an unknown recall. The contact stated while driving at approximately 60 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact stated that after attem…"~14,000 mi, complaint #1761675
    • "The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after his daughter parked the vehicle to run some errands; after returning to the vehicle and starting the vehicle, the vehicle was shifted to drive(D) but failed to respond. The contact stated that…"~64,420 mi, complaint #1890923
  6. #6

    other

    9 unsafe, 3 annoyance

    12
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "I AM NOT SURE IF THIS IS THE BEST FORUM BUT I WAS UNABLE TO FIND A BETTER WAY. I WAS INFORMED OF A RECALL TO MY VEHICLE. I CALLED THE LOCAL DEALER ON TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 29, 2020. HASSETT FORD [REDACTED ADDRESS], WANTAGH, NY 11793. THE DEALER REUSED TO MAKE AN…"~63,000 mi, complaint #1696226
  7. #7

    tire failure

    1 stranded, 10 unsafe, 1 broken

    12
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=6)

    • "WITH LESS THEN 10000 MILES ON THE CAR I HAVE HAD TWO TIRES BLOW SIDE WALLS WHILE DRIVING"~9,000 mi, complaint #1645797
    • "The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after receiving a maintenance check-up by her mechanic, she was informed that only 50% of her tread remained on all four tires. A few months later, the contact noticed that all four tires were shredd…"~21,034 mi, complaint #1752722
    • "The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape equipped with Continental Tires, Tire Line: Pro Contact, Tire Size: 235/45/19, DOT Number: 436E647LB3818. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the front-end of the vehicle would shake and vibrate. Upon in…"~40,600 mi, complaint #1799492
    • "The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape equipped with Kumho Tires, Tire Line Crugen HP71, Tire Size: P235/45/R19, DOT Number: 1H2TEYA8E. The contact stated that the TPMS warning light was illuminated. The contact attempted to inflate the tires; however, the tires…"~125,000 mi, complaint #2030774
  8. #8

    evap system

    10 unsafe

    10
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=8)

    • "The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the canister purge valve had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repa…"~45,000 mi, complaint #1909936
    • "The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated and remained illuminated. The contact drove to the gas station and while refueling, there was an abnormal fuel odor coming…"~46,000 mi, complaint #1790381
    • "The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. After refueling the vehicle, the contact had to depress the accelerator pedal to the floorboard then turn the key in the ignition until the vehicle sta…"~80,000 mi, complaint #1873622
    • "The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to immediately start-up after refueling the vehicle. The accelerator pedal needed to be depressed to the floorboard before the vehicle would start-up. Additionally, the vehicle fai…"~88,000 mi, complaint #2194910
    • "The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal humming sound coming from the passenger’s side rear of the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated; however, a message to turn off and…"~145,000 mi, complaint #2107811
  9. #9

    airbag system

    9 unsafe

    9
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "MY WIFE WAS SIDE SWIPED IN OUR 2019 FORD ESCAPE. THE SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAGS AND THE DRIVER'S SEAT AIRBAG DEPLOYED. THE DRIVER'S SEAT AIRBAG CAUGHT THE LEFT SLEEVE ON FIRE. SHE WAS SITTING STILL AT A STOP LIGHT WAITING TO TURN LEFT WHEN SHE WAS SIDE SWIPED."~23,000 mi, complaint #1719437
    • "The contact owned a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 20 mph and intersecting into the highway, a service van crashed into the front driver-side tire/bumper. The contact stated no air bags were deployed. The contact sustained bruises on her ch…"~58,000 mi, complaint #1866711
    • "The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at 15 MPH through a yellow light on an off-ramp, another vehicle crossed the intersection at high speeds and crashed into the entire front of the vehicle. The air bags d…"~59,000 mi, complaint #2059948
  10. #10

    lighting exterior

    5 unsafe, 3 annoyance

    8
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "The contact's brother owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH at night, the headlights became inoperable. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the headlight module failed to operate as needed and the contact…"~70,000 mi, complaint #2008934
    • "Low beam headlight bulbs keep burning out, literally replacing bulbs at least once a year"~108,965 mi, complaint #1971939
  11. #11

    backup camera

    3 unsafe, 2 annoyance

    5
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "MY CAR BEGAN SENDING MY HUSBAND ALERTS MY CAR HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN A COLLISION AS THE ALERT READ THE FRONT CAMERA WAS NOT WORKING, THEN MY ABS AND SKID CONTROL LIGHTS WENT OFF AND MY SPEEDOMETER WENT TO ZERO, WHILE MY CAR WAS RUNNING. MY CAR WOULD NOT ALLOW ME…"~7,800 mi, complaint #1614000
  12. #12

    control module

    4 unsafe, 1 annoyance

    5
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=9)

    • "VEHICLE SHUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING. STEPS TO REPRODUCE ISSUE: KEYFOB IS INSIDE VEHICLE IN DRIVERS COAT POCKET, MOBILE PHONE IS INTERMITTENTLY CONNECTED TO VEHICLE VIA USB CORD, VEHICLE IS ON, ENGINE RUNNING, START/STOP IS ON, VEHICLE IS DRIVING THEN STOPS AT A ST…"~1,000 mi, complaint #1555227
    • "WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE AT APPROXIMATELY 70MPH ON THE INTERSTATE I NOTICED THAT ALL INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTING, GAUGES, AND DISPLAY SCREENS WENT OUT. THE GAUGE NEEDLES RETURNED TO THEIR 'HOME' POSITIONS. THERE WAS AN ERROR MESSAGE ON THE MAIN TOUCH SCREEN T…"~3,000 mi, complaint #1569310
    • "DRIVING 70+MPH ON FREEWAY AND THE ACC WENT OUT WITH AN ALERT. CONTINUED DRIVING AND THE LANEKEEP ASSIST HAD AN ERROR AND CEASED WORKING, FOLLOWED BY AN ERROR FOR COLLISION AVOIDANCE. SHORTLY AFTER THE SPEEDOMETER AND ODOMETER WENT TO 0 AND SEVERAL OTHER ERRO…"~14,100 mi, complaint #1655688
  13. #13

    torque converter

    1 stranded, 4 unsafe

    5
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired at a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the torque convertor needed to be replaced. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate, th…"~59,000 mi, complaint #2025847
  14. #14

    unintended acceleration

    5 unsafe

    5
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=7)

    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE SHIFTING GEARS TO REVERSE, SHE HEARD A LOUD ABNORMAL NOISE. THE CONTACT STATED NO WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED WHILE MAKING A RIGHT TURN, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ACCELERAT…"~700 mi, complaint #1653956
    • "MY MOTHER WAS ATTEMPTING TO PARK HER 2019 FORD ESCAPE. UPON APPLYING THE BRAKE THE VEHICLE SURGED / JOLTED / ACCELERATED FORWARD AND SHE WENT OVER THE PARKING CURB AND HIT A BUILDING. THANKFULLY SHE IS OK, HOWEVER, SHE DOES NOT WANT TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE AN…"~800 mi, complaint #1611448
    • "CAR ACCELERATED FROM 25 TO 75 MPH WITHOUT MY FOOT BEING ON ACCELERATOR. CRUISE CONTROL WAS OFF. SUBSEQUENTLY, STOPPED AND TURNED OFF VEHICLE. RESTARTED AND VEHICLE WOULD ACCELERATE FROM ANY SPEED WHEN I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR. I HAD TO CONTROL MY SPE…"~3,889 mi, complaint #1652845
    • "WHILE TURNING RIGHT SLOWLY AND GRADUALLY TOWARD A PARKING PLACE, WITH MY FOOT OFF OF THE THROTTLE AND COASTING, THE CAR ACCELERATED SUDDENLY. I IMMEDIATELY HIT THE BRAKES AND BARELY AVOIDED A CRASH INTO THE OTHER CAR AT THE CURB. VERY UNSETTLING!"~4,694 mi, complaint #1601047
  15. #15

    adas collision warning

    4 unsafe

    4
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=6)

    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE COMPUTER SYSTEMS RELATED TO THE CRUISE CONTROL AND FORWARD COLLISION WARNING MALFUNCTIONED. THE FORWARD COLLISION WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE BRAKED SUDDENLY ON A HIGHWAY WI…"~500 mi, complaint #1596567
    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 FORD ESCAPE. WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, THE PRE-COLLISION ASSIST FEATURE MALFUNCTIONED WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING CLOSE TO OTHER VEHICLES. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS TWO FEET FROM THE PRECEDIN…"~4,957 mi, complaint #1598139
    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2019 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, WHEN THE HILL ASSIST MODE INDEPENDENTLY ACTIVATED WITHOUT BEING ON A HILL. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE STARTED TO APPLY THE BRAKES INDEPENDENTLY CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO HESITA…"~8,623 mi, complaint #1662964
  16. #16

    brake pads and rotors

    2 unsafe, 1 broken, 1 annoyance

    4
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=5)

    • "The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, the contact heard a grinding sound. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who diagnosed that the grinding came from metal-on-metal contact and that the brake pa…"~10,800 mi, complaint #1825913
    • "FORD DEALER CHECKED MY BRAKES AFTER 11000 MILES AND WAS TOLD MY REAR BREAKS WERE BAD AND IT WAS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR AFTER 10000 MILES THEN I WAS TOLD THAT'S COMMON WITH THE ESCAPES THE BREAKS DON'T LAST! I FEEL THE BRACES SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRENTY"~11,000 mi, complaint #1571944
    • "I TOOK MY 2019 FORD ESCAPE INTO A FORD GARAGE TO GET A OIL CHANGE AND WAS TOLD MY REAR BRAKES ARE REALLY BAD AND SHOULD BE SERVICED ASAP. THEY COULD NOT UNDERSTAND HOW THE BRAKES COULD BE SO WORN OUT SINCE THERE IS ONLY 14500 MILES ON IT. THEY STATED THAT THER…"~14,500 mi, complaint #1734577
    • "The contact owns 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, she became aware that a part was dragging in the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the rear driver's side brake pads an…"~20,863 mi, complaint #1885859
  17. #17

    steering electric assist

    4 unsafe

    4
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "I was stopped at a traffic light and when I went to resume driving the steering froze and a steering assist warning light came on the dash. I turned the engine off and restarted the wheel turned and locked again. I then drove the car back to the dealer service…"complaint #1759464
    • "Steering. The steering would go out. Turning was very hard to do. Had the problem fixed at Ford deelership There was no warning to when this would happen. My car had under27,000 miles on it. This should not have happened with this few miles on my car. "complaint #1900160
    • "Electric power steering failing at 35000 miles"complaint #2085172
    • "Electric power steering failed and the vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The power steering unit failed while driving down a curvy highway in Kenai Burrow, Alaska. I took the vehicle to the local Ford dealer and dropped said vehicle off. The se…"complaint #2171069
  18. #18

    door latch and hinge

    2 unsafe, 1 broken

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "The inside door panel clips have broken and now the door is unopenable"complaint #1753073
    • "The driver's side rear door panel gets caught on the door frame and will only open a couple of inches unless force is used. The car has never been in an accident, and nothing has ever been shoved or forced against the door to cause this. There are MANY reports…"complaint #1859552
    • "Rear drivers side door latch suddenly will not latch. No damage noted. Simply closed the door after leaving the house, then tried to close it 8 minutes later and it wont latch. "complaint #2223258
  19. #19

    parking brake

    3 unsafe

    3
    incidents

    Commonly reported, insufficient mileage data - n=12, median 41,000 mi, no reliable range below 25 reports.

    • "The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated she had front-end parked her vehicle in her garage, as she had placed the vehicle into park (P) and was exiting the vehicle, the vehicle rolled backward at approximately 2 MPH. The contact stated that the…"~33,644 mi, complaint #1871554
    • "The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount…"~48,000 mi, complaint #1829264
  20. #20

    seatbelt and pretensioner

    3 unsafe

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Drivers side buckle would not allow me to put the connection plate in it so I put wd40 in it now I can put it in but it won’t stay clicked I have to click my driver side seatbelt in the passenger side buckle for my safety driving and I feel as if that isn’t v…"complaint #2030900
    • "Right side rear passenger seat belt malfunction as it won't retract and when pulling it around your body there is no resistance as it just hangs loose."complaint #2185637
    • "Rear right passenger seatbelt came apart at the webbing. When my granddaughter tried to buckle her seatbelt it came apart in her hands. This has been confirmed by the dealer, it appears to have been severed but there has been no accidents. "complaint #2186572
  21. #21

    steering rack mechanical

    3 unsafe

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owns a 2019 Escape. The contact stated that soon after start of the vehicle, the power steering failed to operate as the "power steering assist, system malfunction" warning message appeared on the instrument panel. The contact's husband arrived at…"~38,000 mi, complaint #1839178
  22. #22

    trunk or liftgate

    3 unsafe

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "WHEN YOU HIT THE BUTTON TO CLOSE THE LIFTGATE IT DOESN'T USUALLY LATCH. MANY TIMES I HAVE TO MANUALLY CLOSE IT BECAUSE WHEN I PUSH THE BUTTON THE LIFTGATE WILL CLOSE DOWN BUT IT WON'T LATCH. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO A FORD DEALER 2X. THE FIRST TIME THEY CON…"~6,000 mi, complaint #1665010
    • "THE REAR HATCH DOES NOT FULLY LATCH WHEN USING THE REMOTE OR THE BUTTON ON THE HATCH"~6,350 mi, complaint #1706359
  23. #23

    wheel or rim

    1 unsafe, 2 broken

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after taking the vehicle into the dealer for service, she became aware that the lug nuts had swollen. As a result, the dealer had to break the lug nuts to complete the service and required the contac…"~64,500 mi, complaint #1933698
  24. #24

    wiring harness

    3 unsafe

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=4)

    • "WHILE DRIVING A LOCAL INTERSTATE BETWEEN 60 AND 70 MPH, OUR NEWLY PURCHASED (3,000 MILES) 2019 FORD ESCAPE SEL SPORT COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN WITHOUT WARNING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. LUCKILY, MY WIFE WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE NEAREST EXIT AND PULL OFF THE ROAD WHILE TRAFF…"~3,000 mi, complaint #1580247
    • "The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled with several warning lights illuminated. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was discovered tha…"~59,512 mi, complaint #1962603
  25. #25

    acceleration loss or hesitation

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Vehicle has been shaking as it accelerates normally on the lower speeds; however, even in the 40-65 mph range the vehicle will shake/sputter as you try to accelerate. When accelerating from a stopped position vehicle at times will seem to loose power while acc…"complaint #1990142
    • "Within the first year of purchase, I was going to the Toronto Airport on the 401 and the vehicles' engine power quickly reduced to about 5mi/hr. I had to pull off the freeway in fear of being rear ended. I slowly made it to a gas station, the vehicle running…"complaint #2217207
  26. #26

    battery and charging

    1 unsafe, 1 broken

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "WE WERE DRIVING ON A [REDACTED ADDRESS] AT NIGHT, STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. SUDDENLY, THE CAR WENT COMPLETELY DEAD - NO LIGHTS OR POWER. CARS DRIVING AT BETWEEN 40-50 MPH WERE COMING UP BEHIND US, BUT COULD NOT SEE US BECAUSE WE COULD NOT EVEN GET HAZARD LIGHT…"~1,500 mi, complaint #1642946
  27. #27

    brake hydraulics

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2019 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE EXITING THE RAMP FROM THE FREEWAY GOING ABOUT 20 MPH. THE CONTACT WENT TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL WHICH FAILED TO ENGAGED PROPERLY AS ANOTHER VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AT THE STOP SIGN. THE CO…"~1,300 mi, complaint #1737436
    • "JERKING AND THROWING PASSENGERS FORWARD. *TR"~4,619 mi, complaint #1667847
  28. #28

    differential

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "REAR AXLE SEEMS TO HOP & IT FEELS LIKE GRINDING OF DIFFERTIAL & BANGING NOISE WITH VIBRATION. DURING ACCELERATION ( EVEN SLOWLY) THIS OCCURS LEFT OR/& RIGHT AXLE SLIPS & BANGS, VERY UNNERVING !!! THIS HAPPENS STARTING OUT VERY SLOWLY LEFT OR RIGHT."~29,900 mi, complaint #1743247
  29. #29

    engine turbo supercharger

    1 stranded, 1 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced an abnormal rattling sound on cold starts and while idling. The vehicle was taken to Midas Service Center, where it was diagnosed that the engine turbo had failed and needed…"~101,000 mi, complaint #2115501
  30. #30

    fuel pump

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated, and the contact received an unknown notificat…"~63,000 mi, complaint #2116244
  31. #31

    fuel tank and lines

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Commonly reported, insufficient mileage data - n=11, median 88,000 mi, no reliable range below 25 reports.

    • "The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 75 MPH, the vehicle started to stall and lost motive power. The contact stated that it was like gasoline was not getting to the engine. Additionally, the contact stated that sh…"~52,000 mi, complaint #1883872
  32. #32

    glass and windshield

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "The front section of the panoramic sun roof exploded, for no apparent reason. There was a loud booming sound and glass came raining down everywhere. I was startled and swerved but stayed on the road and did not crash. Broken glass covered me, the front and…"complaint #1865029
    • "The cowl part broken in JAN24, dealership replaced. I was told this part hold windshield and protects electrical in vehicle. March 2024, I noticed the seal on bottom of windshield wasn’t against the windshield, buckling in several spots, I contacted Ford custo…"complaint #1988198
  33. #33

    power steering hydraulic

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "It was power steering failure while in operation. The vehicle has been inspected by a mechanic, who cleared the error code, but the problem persists. It is an internal failure in the power steering. THE CONSUMER STATED THE POWER STEERING FAILED WHILE THE VEH…"complaint #1788048
    • "My battery light has been on for about a week it will come off and on thos morning as I was pulling into work I notice the power steering wasn't working right! "complaint #2141548
  34. #34

    seat mechanism

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "WE WERE REAR ENDED FROM A STOPPED POSITION ON THE HIGHWAY. . MY FIANC WAS DRIVING AND SUFFERED WHIPLASH. I WAS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AND BROKE MY BACK AND SEPARATED MY PELVIS, REQUIRING SURGERY TO STABILIZE. THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT IS NOW VERY SQUEAKY.…"~22,400 mi, complaint #1645455
    • "The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting to remove a safety seat located on the rear driver's side seat, the contact pulled the lever to move the seat but the seat collapsed on the contact's hand. Medical attention was rece…"~37,900 mi, complaint #1770531
  35. #35

    suspension arms and bushings

    1 unsafe, 1 broken

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. While the contact’s daughter was driving 65 MPH, the driver's side rear control arm fractured and detached. The contact stated that the failure occurred when the vehicle drove over a mild bump on the road, causing the entir…"~54,000 mi, complaint #2152254
  36. #36

    catalytic converter

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "SMELL ENTERS PASSENGER CABIN FROM WHAT APPEARS TO BE CATALYTIC EXHAUST FUMES WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY."~719 mi, complaint #1546279
  37. #37

    exhaust system

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "This vehicle has the 1.5L turbo engine and 64,xxx miles on it. Recently there has been large amounts of smoke come out of the exhaust after the car sits for several hours at a time. There are not any service/check engine lights on, however I feel as if it is o…"complaint #1913916
  38. #38

    fluid leak unspecified

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that over time the roof rack sealant failed causing water to enter the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was determined there was a leak due to the sealant failing to function caused b…"~70,000 mi, complaint #1991228
  39. #39

    hv system fault reduced power

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "I HAVE HAD MY FORD ESCAPE FOR JUST OVER 30 DAYS. ABOUT TWO WEEKS INTO OWNING IT, I HAD STOPPED BEHIND A VEHICLE. THE START/STOP ENGAGED AND WHEN I WENT TO ACCELERATE AGAIN THE POWER TRAIN FAULT ILLUMINATED. IN ORDER TO MOVE THE VEHICLE, I HAD TO PUT THE VEHICL…"~736 mi, complaint #1564649
  40. #40

    interior trim

    1 broken

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the rear driver’s side interior door panel separated from the door frame, making it very difficult to open and close the door. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the clamps…"~50,000 mi, complaint #1860674
  41. #41

    key fob and immobilizer

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "THE VEHICLE WILL OCCASIONALLY LOCK AND UNLOCK ITSELF AS IT IS BEING DRIVEN. AS IT LOCKS AND UNLOCKS ITSELF, IT BRIEFLY ACTIVATES THE HAZARD LIGHTS AS WELL. THE VEHICLE IS KEYLESS IGNITION, AND THE KEY FOB IS PLACED IN THE CENTER CONSOLE AREA WITH NOTHING CONTA…"~18,029 mi, complaint #1729638
  42. #42

    lighting interior

    1 annoyance

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "LIGHTING ON CONSOLE AND HVAC FLICKER OFF AND ON WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE. DRIVERS SIDE MIRROR MOVES WHEN EXCITING VEHICLE."~8,100 mi, complaint #1647278
  43. #43

    throttle and pedal

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "I SUBMITTED THIS COMPLAINT ON 3/08/2020. THE PROBLEM WAS RESOLVED WHEN THE FORD DEALERSHIP WHERE I HAD MY CAR TOWED INSPECTED THE CAR. THEY FOUND THAT I HAD INSTALLED A WEATHERTECH FLOOR MAT IN THE DRIVERS SIDE AND HAD OVERLAPPED THE LEADING EDGE OF THE MAT OV…"~3,889 mi, complaint #1652961
  44. #44

    timing belt or chain

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Was driving out of town when the car started to slow down on its own, and when stepping on the gas kept slowing down and jerking and we had to pull over and shut it off. Did that a few times and then would go gaining speed a little at a time, except when going…"complaint #2099713
  45. #45

    transfer case awd

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "The contact owned a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated the vehicle was parked on a flat surface; however, it inadvertently rolled down the street backward into two different fences. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a collisi…"~20,000 mi, complaint #1825746
  46. #46

    transmission cvt

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the accelerator pedal failed to respond. The vehicle was stalling and jerking. There were no warning lights illuminated. An independent mechanic arrived at the residence to diagnose…"~25,000 mi, complaint #2067317
  47. #47

    transmission manual clutch

    1 broken

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "2019 FORD ESCAPE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED THE TRANSMISSION LEVER HAD FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND STATED THAT LEVER COULD NOT BE REPAIRED. *JS"complaint #1685628
  48. #48

    wiper and washer

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "We bought this new Ford Escape at Malloy Ford in December 2019. It now has just under 21,000 miles. We have never had any prior wiper problem. Our Escape is a Titanium model with intermittent wipers that adjust automatically to whatever speed is needed to c…"complaint #1874121

Recall-sized clusters

These are large batches of near-identical complaints (recall notifications, service campaigns), kept separate from the ranking above so they don't drown out individually-reported problems.

Not matched to any cluster below: every campaign NHTSA has on file for this exact make/model/year is 21V155000, 22V413000, 26V011000. This is a vehicle-wide list, not an attribution - see below for which clusters have a real, complainant-cited match.

Search NHTSA's own recall and complaint database for FORD ESCAPE directly.