Body problems of the 2021 Ford Escape - part 1

The sunshade panotramic panel cover that sperates the two roofs seems to be falling off due to cheap two side tape which caused the whole sunshade assembly and motor to break. I took my car to the dealer yeasterday anderson Ford based in Lincoln ne, and they cahrged $119 to diagnis and qouted me over $2000 to fix it. This is manufacturere fault that caused this to happed by using cheap, unreliable two side tape to attach panel cover!. Please address this as alot of Ford Escape owners suffer from this issue.

Sunroof cover has detached. When uncovering sunroof, panel droops and blocks rear window. This happened while driving and can pose a serious safety hazard. Component has been inspected by dealership and diagnostics include taking entire top panel apart which is quoted at 2. 5k. This is a recurring problem with Ford Escape vehicles. There was no warning that this was broken, I realized while driving that it had become detached when I tried to open the sunroof and it blocked my rear window and fell on my kids sitting in the back seat.

Driver door, door check arm popping and hardly opens and closes won’t allow driver window to roll down all the way.

My driver front door latch assembly failed at 42,153 miles. I had it inspected and repaired at the dealership. I had to pay out of pockets due to no longer being covered by the 3/36 warranty. The symptoms were that the driver front door would not lock at all. It took a while to figure this out as I just thought maybe we left it unlocked. Also this vehicle has the perimeter key fob so it automatically unlocks when you have the fob with you and attempting to open. This had been going in fine moths u til we figured out the problem and took it to the dealership. They did offer a discount since I purchased it there but they said due to the design it messed an entire assembly and was over $1k before the discount. They also had parts in stock and I did confirm they had seen this failure before. While we did not have an actual incident happen with us, our vehicle was vulnerable and we had no idea, because the lock appeared to work and it still moved visually, it just wasn’t actually doing anything inside the door. This is my wife’s vehicle so my fear was either someone breaking into the vehicle or even worse, attempting to enter the vehicle while she was inside but she would be unable to lock the doors. As mentioned, the dealer did repair the vehicle and it is worked properly for now. Thought we did have to pay out of pocket.

The front driver door check arm attachment point is compromised. My service representative has over a dozen of these problems. This means there are many more of these issues than you indicate in your nhsta action number pe23013, July 7, 2023-January 24, 2024 report. My window might or might not go down or up. This is a problem with my allergies and my daughter's asthma when triggers are present outside. My door might or might not shut. Also a problem. I might get stranded someplace. I travel frequently. My car door issue was identified August 2025. I am still waiting for a new door. The contractors recently delivered passenger doors which do not fix the problem. Please investigate this issue further.

Driver door check bracket is making loud crunching sound and making door difficult to open and close. This is cause for concern about integrity of door and ability to use vehicle. Not been inspected yet.

Drivers door popping noise when opening and closing the door, not closing properly, window not being able to roll up and down. Vehicle was brought to dealership for inspection and the problem was confirmed that there is arm bracket failure in the front door. No warning lights come on and no injury has occurred but car is not being driven for safety reasons at this time. We never received a letter about the one time repair and until the problem happened had no idea about this. We are on a list with local dealership and have been waiting for Ford to get parts and approve repair. We have no idea how many people are in front of us on this list.

The door check bracket is broken.

My back passenger door will not lock. If I lock it from my Ford app or key fob that back door stays unlocked. This puts my safety at risk because I’m a young female living in a big city known for sex trafficking. I could be followed to my car and I could lock the door but that door stays unlocked someone could kidnap me. Or what if I’m driving the car and the door flies open, that can cause a deadly accident. There was no warning signs or messages just a mere coincidence that I noticed it wasn’t locking. We took it into Ford and they have found the issue but don’t want to cover it even though we pay for the primary care. I noticed that past models have been recalled for this issue and should be recalled again that this is something that should not be taken lightly. A lock on a door is not wear and tear when it doesn’t get used.

Schedule repair maintenance with spirit Ford dundee mi on my 2021 Ford Escape on 1/16/2024 for water leaking in the spare tire compartment which created moisture to collect on interior windows and smell like mold. Spirit Ford said that it was leaking from the rear light and that was replaced. We drove the car as it was fixed and never had a reason to look back in the spare tire compartment as we thought it was fix. Last week [xxx] when the weather was started warming for a day after having snow/rainy days we noticed the car smelling again and looked in spare tire compartment to find that was full of water all the way to the top. So apparently the issue was never fixed correctly. Schedule an appointment for repair maintenance on the vehicle 03/10/2025 for issue again. As of 4pm on 3/10/25 the car had not been looked at. I received a call around 5pm and was told that they ran it through the water testing and did not see anything leaking. On 03/11/2025 around 1:30pm my husband informed that the vehicle repair is now out of warranty and will not be covered and would cost $729 to replace the lift gate seal. I asked why the repair was not covered as it was never repaired correctly the first time when vehicle repair was under warranty and was told well, they replaced the light. But that 1st repair did not fix the water issue now we as the consumer is responsible for the repair when it should have been fixed correctly the first time. If the issue was never fixed the 1st time, how am I to trust them again to fix it for the $729 that I shouldn't have to pay as I stated before should have been fixed. But let's not forget ron basically blamed us for driving it since last repair and implying that is why the water was leaking in the same place. We had to pay for a diagnostic fee of $165 to tell us that it could be the seal. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The left front door stopper makes an abnormal sound, a popping noise when the door comes open.

Door fails to stay open. Closed on my leg and caused bruising. Window will not close once open. Dealer has known of problem for two months but says there is no one locally to fix it.

The check arm on my Ford Escape broke off at the welding attachment point which lead to me having to drive down the road for 10 miles with my door ajar in order to get home it started making a popping noise a few days ago then I opened my door tonight and it completely broke off.

My door was on the recall list and needs to be replaced. I had this checked in September 2024 but the doors are on back order. My broken door is a safety hazard it is not shutting properly and has been known to open.

My driver side door began making popping noise and it has been discovered the weld has broken.

Front driver side door started clicking when open/closed about a month ago. Yesterday it started a loud thumping sound when opening. Upon closer investigation, four points where the door was welded to the arm mechanism have broken. The loud thumping sound is the internal brace hitting the door.

Left front door check arm welds broken away (same as sms 50150). Popping sound when door is used. Driver door difficult to open posing a danger.

Problem description component/system failed: the driver-side front door has been inoperable since April 2024, unable to open or close, linked to Ford’s customer satisfaction program 23b56 (faulty door welds/hinges). Vehicle is available for inspection. Safety risk: I must climb over the passenger seat to enter/exit, risking injury, especially in emergencies. My disabled veteran father, who shares the car, cannot drive it due to inaccessibility, severely limiting his mobility. An inoperable door could delay evacuation, endangering us both. Confirmed by dealer: empire Ford, new bedford, MA, confirmed the issue in October 2024, tying it to 23b56. They quoted 2-3 weeks for parts but haven’t repaired it as of April 10, 2025. Inspections: only empire Ford inspected it in October 2024. They admitted to marking the work order as done without repairs, restarting the process. No other inspections by Ford, police, or insurers occurred. Symptoms/warnings: no warning lights or messages. Around April 2024, the door became hard to open/close, then failed completely, remaining stuck closed. No prior noises or partial issues noted. Details: in October 2024, I took my Escape to empire Ford for the 23b56 repair. They said parts would take 2-3 weeks. After months without updates, I learned they falsely marked the job complete, forcing a restart. Six months later, the door is still broken, and they only say parts are “ordered,” offering no timeline. This aligns with NHTSA’s pe23013 investigation into Escape door welds. The delay makes the car unsafe and unusable for my father. I request NHTSA’s help to push Ford for a prompt fix or loaner vehicle.

Bracket that holds the check arm device in the door broke loose. It is not properly welded to the inside of the doors. Left stranded because the door could not be shut. Other 2021 Ford Escapes are having the same issues. There was no warning to indicate a problem with the door.

A cracking sound is heard when the door is opened and closed.

Drivers door arm assembly that limits door opening. First it started to have a small 'click' when closing. Then it had a loud clicking and snapping noise. Tried to lubricate assy. Didnt help. The next day, the door wouldn't close. Inspected the arm and found it detached from the door at the welds. In order to drive vehicle I unbolted the arm at the door jam and removed the two nuts from the arm assy. Then pushed the assembly into the door. Made sure it fell to the bottom of the door . Window works and door now closes and opens normally . But the door opens too far and doesnt stay open on its own.

Door check bracket pulled off of door.

I have to keep pressing the gas handle to put gas in my car because the damn carbon sensor shit thingy is broke. Also the door keeps clicking and tiktok says it’s going to fly off. Now that’s just dangerous. The clicky thingy is from something that is welded into the door keeps coming off of the car. Now that’s fucked.

The driver side door arm has broken without any reason. It now makes noise opening and closing and will need to be replaced.

The spot weld on my driver's side door looks like it broke where the hinge is attached to the door. It's going to totally break.

The door check system on the door assembly of my Ford Escape is attached to the body by three spot welds. These welds have come off and now it's not possible to lower the window. I was in a situation where I had to open the door to adjust my mirror on the road, this is very unsafe and can lead to accidents.

The drivers door check arm welds are breaking, the plate is flexing inside the door.

Hinge on the front driver door the weld broke loose.

Driver side door hinge pops when opening and closing. Spoke to a Ford dealer and since we are now just over 36,000 miles, our warranty is out. Concerned the door will not close/open or open while in motion. Need to drive this vehicle to work everyday.

Door check bracket detaches from driver door when it is opened.

Driver door check arm bracket welds broke in door.

Door hinge on driver side front came loose from weld and won’t let window roll down.

I reported a known critical safety issue regarding my 2021 Ford Escape hybrid to Ford motor company and the dealer on 2/21/2024. I requested they repair this widespread issue to them requesting a free repair but they refused. This defect is also documented in Ford service bulletin ssm-50150. The issue is that there is a potential defect in the front door weld, which may cause the door to unexpectedly open while the vehicle is in motion, posing a significant safety risk to the driver, passengers, and other road users. My door pops and creaks and squeals every time the door is opened and the hinge seizes up. This is an operational as well as a safety issue, and the door has been reported in other cases to come open unexpectedly as there is a defect in the weld on the hinge of the driver door.

2-23-24 2021 gold Ford Escape aka goldie purchased on 9-8-23 miles at purchase 52,771 current miles 60,054 2-22-24 I took my daughter to school. When I opened the door I heard a popping noise. When I got home I open the door to get out and heard a really big pop. I went to close the door it would not close. I gently tried to close it again but stopped because I did not want to make matters worse. I called a tow truck. The driver mentioned the door check was broken. My service advisor called to let me know the spot wells and door check were broken. She said I would have to take to body shop. My Escape is available for inspection. I took goldie to body shop 2-23-24. Advisor took pictures and said he would have technician look at it then send me a quote. He mentioned I may need a new door. After getting home I did some research on my issue and found the same issues are currently ongoing and Ford has not announces any solution to the matter. After reading the same issues online I am afraid to drive it. Anything faulty with a door in unsafe for me, my family and anyone else. The dealership I purchased goldie from is aware of the issue because I had it towed there. The body shop knows because I went there and he took pictures to get me an estimate. The popping noise is all I heard which began est. 2-20-24.

Driver door spot welds broken. Lot of noise opening door. Sounds like ready to fall off. Understand it has been reported by numerous others.