Electrical System Problems of Ford Escape - part 1

Check engine light keeps flashing, car vibration, bad head gasket, oil and fluid leak.

See all problems of the 2008 Ford Escape 🔎.

The contact owns a 2024 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 26v091000 (electrical system); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and 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.

See all problems of the 2024 Ford Escape 🔎.

I have had many issues with this vehicle. Most concerning is that the other night while driving down the road at night, my car blacked out and I had no lights inside or headlights outside while driving in the dark. My back hatch button only works when it wants to. My screen freezes every once in awhile and also makes horrible noises very frequently. I’ve had one case of my screen freezing on a longer drive with my seat warmer on and the seats getting too hot and burning me. My safety features shut off all the time. My cruise control wouldn’t work at all on a 4 hour drive last month. When I get my oil changed they tell me under my hood is way louder than it should be for a vehicle this old. The dealership did a factory reset hoping it would help but I’ve already had issues with the hatch door not working appropriately, the sound coming from my screen, and notifications that my safety features have been shut off.

See all problems of the 2023 Ford Escape 🔎.

The contact owns a 2025 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 26v091000 (electrical system); however, the part to do the recall repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not informed of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

See all problems of the 2025 Ford Escape 🔎.

Electrical/motor~ yes, myself, [xxx] daughter and others safety is at risk from stalling in a busy intersection. Yes, its happened multiple times. The dealerships says its not throwing a code and have nothing to go off of. No, the manufacturer hasnt checked it. The rpm went up and down. No other lights on the dash. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

My 2018 Ford Escape has experienced coolant intrusion into the engine cylinders, a known issue affecting this model year. The vehicle began misfiring and consuming coolant without external leaks. This is an engine defect Ford has known about since 2010, yet they continued to put this engine into their cars. I had bought this car less then a year ago, it had been in the shop more then I have had it. It is constantly overheating. The most recent time I was driving my son to school my exhaust was smoking really bad and everything seemed to be ruining smoothly the day before when I drove it the auto shop I have been taking it to they had spent 2 weeks researching what was wrong with it they told me I needed my whole engine replaced. Im a single mom amd I need answers. . I look up my VIN in the recalls and its stating 0 results but that cant be possible if I have had been same issue as others my eco start and stop dont work and my passager in the front cant roll window down.

See all problems of the 2018 Ford Escape 🔎.

When driving, the car has stopped 4 times in the last 3 years. Last week the car came to a red light and the inside lights started flashing. There was a warning that read "transmission not in park. " the car's power steering and brakes went out and the car went through the red light. Three other times the car was on the expressway and it died with the same warning. Fortunately, the car was in the slow lane and was able to pull onto the shoulder. Once the car is put in park and turned off, it is able to be restarted and everything is working.

See all problems of the 2017 Ford Escape 🔎.

Component: driver-side door latch and lock assembly. The driver-side door latch appears to have failed, preventing the door from opening from both the inside and outside and creating an occupant entrapment risk. The failure is fully reproducible and ongoing. The condition first occurred without any prior warning signs, messages, or symptoms and has persisted for more than a day without resolving. Although the vehicle responds to unlock commands from the key fob, keypad, and interior door controls with normal audible confirmation, the driver door frequently remains unable to open. Failure behavior includes: •the driver door cannot be opened from inside the vehicle, preventing occupant exit. •the door also cannot be opened from the outside during these events. •an occupant became trapped inside and had to crawl across the vehicle and exit through the passenger side. •the vertical lock indicator moves between locked and unlocked positions, but the latch does not release. •the electronic systems appear functional, yet the mechanical latch does not respond. •using the physical key can sometimes force the lock cylinder past a mechanical click point, temporarily allowing the door to open; however, this places the mechanism into abnormal states where the door may remain permanently unlocked or, when turned in the opposite direction, cannot be opened at all regardless of unlock attempts. •all other vehicle doors operate normally. Video evidence documenting the failure is available. This condition presents a serious safety concern because occupants could become trapped inside the vehicle during an emergency or after a crash, delaying rescue. The latch mechanism is a critical safety component that consumers cannot reasonably inspect, predict, or maintain. Given the life-safety implications of a door that cannot be opened from either side, this issue warrants investigation for potential defect trends.

See all problems of the 2011 Ford Escape 🔎.

Passenger side door will not. Lock.

See all problems of the 2014 Ford Escape 🔎.

Phev sometimes fails to "start". That is, vehicle will not enter "ready" mode when brake is depressed and start button is pressed. Instead, 'refuel error', 'stop safely now', 'service advanctrac', 'precollision assist not available', and several other warnings appear. This only occurs on the first 'start' of the day, when the ev battery has been recharged overnight, indoors. Outdoor use/charging does not have this effect. Concerned that something is overheating during indoor charging. Dealer has not been able to fix.

Recall issue: the vehicle failed and became disabled due to the shift cable bushing while in a parking lot on private property, with driver in the vehicle. The gear would not shift or go into park and continued to roll forward until either I hit the curb or applied the brake. Ford will not pay for the tow or diagnostic fee to have the problem diagnosed at another body shop (before I knew of the recall) Ford will not replace shift cable, only install protective cap. Recall issue: rearview camera displays distorted images, and does not always show rear view when backing up. It shows blank sometimes, and forward when reversing. Visibility unclear when backing. Ford will not replace as they say they do not have the parts to replace. This leaves the vehicle at high risk for safety issues.

See all problems of the 2016 Ford Escape 🔎.

Battery light came on, its a new battery with warning of 12v battery failure. The back camera has been giving blank screen and camera unavailable message.

The vehicle is subject to an open federal safety recall involving a fuel injector that may crack and leak fuel onto the top of the engine. According to NHTSA, liquid fuel or fuel vapor may accumulate near hot engine or exhaust components, creating a risk of an under-hood fire and injury. I purchased this vehicle after the recall had already been issued. The recall was not disclosed to me at the time of sale, and the vehicle was presented for service multiple times after purchase without any disclosure of the recall or safety warnings. When I contacted an authorized dealer to ask whether there were any open recalls, I was initially told there were none. After I specifically referenced the recall, I was told that parts were not available and that no repair had been completed. The safety risk is that the vehicle may leak fuel near hot components without warning, creating a fire hazard while driving or after the engine is shut off. I have not been provided interim safety guidance or a timeline for repair. Nhtsa records currently show the recall remains open, unrepaired, and without an available remedy.

See all problems of the 2020 Ford Escape 🔎.

My 22 Ford Escape has 620000 miles on it most of them highway miles. The issue I'm having began approx. 5000 miles ago. While in motion my dash lights, radio, and entertainment screen will go completely black for long periods of time and the chime will begin randomly ringing. A message sometimes appears on screen that says system off to continue please start engine but the engine is running the whole time. Sometime the message will appear on my dash saying front camera not available. I've taken it to a Ford service station and they advised me my pcm software needed updating but the problem still existed and is existing even after the update. I still have a recall active on my vehicle as well regarding the fuel injector issue.

See all problems of the 2022 Ford Escape 🔎.

The vehicle has experienced repeated electrical failures over an extended period of time despite multiple repair attempts. After the most recent repair, which required the vehicle to be kept for approximately 10 days and included a battery replacement, the same electrical issue returned shortly after the vehicle was returned. The vehicle has previously stalled in traffic, creating a safety concern. In addition, the sunroof collapsed into the passenger compartment while a rear-seat passenger, who was a child, was present. A seat belt malfunction also occurred and required repair. Repairs have been attempted for these issues, but safety-related problems have continued. I do not feel the vehicle is safe to operate, especially when transporting a child.

Me and my [xxx] old was driving on the highway in my 2009 Ford Escape and suddenly my power steering completely went out with no warning. I was driving 60 mph because that's my safe speed. Steering got completely resistant to the point I could not turn my steering wheel almost crashing into another vehicle with a child in the vehicle. I found out that Ford has had power steering issues with almost all their vehicles due to their electrical power steering system. My vehicle was inspected by a independent service center that confirmed that Ford's electrical power steering is not safe because it can disable while driving, however I called to see if Ford could inspect the issue complimentary, they declined and said it would cost. Not knowing that as a consumer, that is extremely terrifying to know that while driving I'm at a high risk of an accident. I also called Ford to see about a recall because I was informed Ford had multiple recalls for their electrical power steering in most of their Ford Escapes, but there was none for mine. The Ford service worker I spoke to, infact, volunteered to inform me that all Ford Escapes from 2008-2012 should be recalled due to the electrical power steering issues. Once I got home turned my vehicle off and the next morning started my vehicle up to show my husband the power steering issue, 24 hrs later a warning came on saying power steering assist fault. With that warning coming on after the fact, 24 hours later, without that warning could have ended fatal. This is not a situation that should be handled lightly because it can end fatal, and with no warning that these vehicles power steering can disable while driving there's no telling how many accidents have ended fatal already because of this very issue. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2009 Ford Escape 🔎.

I was parking vehicle & noticed from center console burning smoke coming from heater vents & middle console. I turned it off right away, waited a while & it stopped, driving at 60mph a back & forth forward & back hesitation or vibration. Shifting back & forth, no check engine light, but I feel that this vehicle has the recalls that are listed for this same year model & it has never being corrected. I need to bring this vehicle to a Ford dealership to get it checked. I'm in the madison wisconsin area, please have this matter taken care ove. 2013 Ford Escape 2. 0l.

See all problems of the 2013 Ford Escape 🔎.

The transmission shifting got increasingly rough over time, and then suddenly refused to shift into gear/reverse. The Ford shop told us it was the reverse solenoid, but it ended up requiring a full transmission rebuild. Safety of the car refusing to shift gears led to loss of power several times, unable to accelerate in traffic, until total failure occurred. Problem was inspected by Ford dealership, then repaired by independent service center due to cost. Not inspected by insurance, as it did not result in a collision. Warning lamps did not turn on until total failure occurred. Then lights on gear shift dial blinked, refused to allow us to put the car in gear. Dash lights also indicated "check engine" at that time, but no earlier.

The entire dashboard/infotainment interface will lose power suddenly. The car will struggle to start, and have an emissions or evap code, and there's a smell from the engine sometimes, that leaks into the cabin, which the cabin has bad thermoregulation, and cold air seeps in quick. Also I've driven on the highway and have had all the steering and power stop all at once! the headlights also keep getting popped or burnt out.

See all problems of the 2021 Ford Escape 🔎.

Was opening the moon rooftop and I noticed smoke started coming from the middle of the radio / navigation system, all through vents smoke coming out something was burning I shut the vehicle, and waited about 10 minutes till it went away don't know why this happened, but I'm curious that the recalls that coming up for this vehicle are very significant, running hesitation & smell of burning, vibration in front of vehicle.

I purchased this vehicle on 10/16/25 through affordable auto sales 692 pleasant st fall river MA as it is a buy here pay here. It had 97,626 miles on it day of purchase. I noticed trouble with power steering as it is electric and kept locking up and asked several times to fix it. It didn't get repaired until the week before christmas. On 1-10-26, took it for first oil change and it had 100,837 miles in total I put 3,211 miles on it. The mechanic called me into the garage and showed me 3 things that were critically wrong with the vehicle. It had severe rot in front and rear, mostly rear, the transmission had a significant leak, and the power steering was still not properly fixed. The mechanic informed me that the dealership had not done their safety inspection and this was deemed an unsafe vehicle and I should not be driving it. I brought it to the attention of affordable auto sales and they are accusing me of the damage. The owner lucy sousa also changed the mileage on the paperwork saying I put 20,000 on itinerary 2 months time. She changed it to 82,294 which is false. I have my inspection report to show accurate mileage. I no longer have this vehicle. I returned it to them. I bought another vehicle from a different dealer.

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 service tech stated that the 2019 Ford Escape was prone to having issues with the power steering unit. The vehicle is in the shop at this time. The warning lamp came on stating that there was a problem with the power steering unit that however, happened while we were driving down the highway. This was a life-threatening incident that it could’ve caused my wife and I and any oncoming traffic to parish in a car accident. The roads were snow covered and icy.

See all problems of the 2019 Ford Escape 🔎.

The contact owned a 2023 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the infotainment center would display a black screen, and while doing so, the radio would continue to play. The contact stated that while driving at different speeds, the trunk would suddenly open, causing the contact to have to pull over and close the trunk in order to continue to drive. The failure occurred 3 times while the vehicle was parked at home. There would be a burning odor emitting from the vehicle intermittently; however, there would be no smoke or indication of where the smell was coming from. While parked at home and unoccupied, the rear window suddenly shattered, and the vehicle caught on fire. The fire department was called and extinguished the fire. The fire department and the insurance company had determined the vehicle would be totaled; however, an official determination had not been provided. A police report was filed. The dealer was informed of the failure. There were no injuries or medical attention needed. There was no damage done to the property. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 37,000.

Hi, vehicle is under a second recall for the high voltage battery potential fire hazard. The first recall lasted 7 months before a potential fix. The second recall was issued in November with no fix available yet. Received second recall identical to first recall indicating a fire risk with no apparent fix. I have requested Ford buyback the vehicle, but it fell outside the 18 month nys lemon law. They have refused. They have no fix and will not provide a loaner until it is fixed. The original vehicle electric range was between 38 and 40 with a window sticker range of 37. It is now down to around a range of 20 on full charge with an actual driveable of about 16. I have asked both Ford and delivering dealership to replace the high voltage battery pack as it has seriously deteriorated. Ford refuses to allow dealer to replace the battery pack. The vehicle is basically unusable for it's original intended purpose as a partial electric vehicle. I asked Ford, what am I supposed to do if I am transporting my two grandchildren in the vehicle and it starts on fire. How do I choose which child to get first? no response. These vehicles should be removed from use by Ford and loaner vehicles provided or a full buy back should take place. I only have 11,000 miles on this vehicle and it has been in the shop for more than 30 days for various warranty repairs and multiple recalls. These vehicles are not safe. See pictures attached for factual information from vehicle. I have plenty of detail if you need it. Please help. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

No dummy lights show. Drivers low beam wiring connector melts and burns out headlight bulb. I have had it replaced by Ford dealer rt 2, dixon IL on 12/20/24 but again the same thing occurred again 01/03/26. I believe bad wiring or module. When asked dealer what caused the melting was told "we fixed it, it's good now". The bulb burnt out while driving on a rain dark night. My visibility was extremely low.

I took my car in for a safety recall for the bushing on the transmission. A short time after getting it back my cabin filled with smoke when I used the remote start. I had never had this problem until it came back from the dealer. So I stopped using the remote start! but after that the car's cabin began filling with acrid smoke whenever it idled for more than a minute. It now fills with smoke when sitting at a stop sign or in slow traffic, so I have to open the windows to breathe! on top of that the transmission started slipping in park again! I don't think they actually fixed it. And that they may have caused the smoke problem. There are no warning lights going on. I am [xxx] and on socsec. I need my car to be safe! I have been dealing with this for a while now because I don't trust the dealer now. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the passenger seated in the front passenger's seat became aware of smoke inside the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the contact was informed that the engine cover had cracked and that there was an oil leak coming from the engine. The independent mechanic cleaned up the oil from underneath the engine and became aware that the wires and additional parts underneath the engine were burned. The contact was informed that there had been a fire underneath the engine. The contact was informed that the vehicle could have caught on fire. The contact referenced an unknown recall, but the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

Accessory protocol interface module went out screen went dark. No recall on my VIN but should be. Problem appeared 12/26/2025 and has been inspected by peach state Ford.

Engine light is now on and when I fill my car up with gas it has a stall and takes 3-4 times to turn on. My safety is at risk if this recall is not repaired and my car catches fire. Started a month ago and it's challenging to schedule with Ford.

Coolant intrusion: a design flaw in the open-deck engine block allows coolant to leak into the combustion chambers, leading to misfires, white smoke, and severe engine damage. Affected vehicles: primarily 2017-2019 Escapes and 2014-2019 fusions with the 1. 5l ecoboost engine, built before specific dates. Symptoms: low coolant, white exhaust smoke, rough idling, check engine light, and dtcs like p0300, p0301-p0304.

I received a letter saying that if I charge my battery over 80% it will catch on fire. This is the second battery recall this year saying my car will catch on fire. I couldn't charge my car for 6 months with the first recall and I bought this car because I only drive short distances and use the battery for most daily driving. Having two recalls saying that my car will catch on fire makes me very scared to drive with my wife and son in the car, so I would like to have this vehicle replaced immediately.

He freeway I notified future Ford of concord and I was told I would receive a call back but as I recall I didn’t receive a call back. The car started acting as if nothing was wrong about a week or so later then two days ago December 13,2025 first my head lights went out and a message saying there’s a bulb outage or electrical issue appeared and also the hill assist unavailable warning light appeared , following the 911 calling assistance is unavailable as well, and I also noticed my radio is no longer producing sound so I believe the engine ( block , head gasket etc) component also electrical system, sync 3 system has also failed or malfunctioned. During the second occurrence I was driving as I was before which led to the safety of my children, my husband and myself put at risk being it was night time and I could no longer see the road the car acted as if it was turning off and slowing down. . Yes there was warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem during the failures, and they first appeared at the exact time of the failures . Also below are photos captured from the Ford vehicle app alerting me about issues for the car.

For months, I have had restraints indicator lamp warning, specifically for the driver seatbelt buckle sensor circuit, as well as one notification for a fault with the occupant classification system which includes air bags and safety belt buckle pretensioners. It is going to cost over $600 to fix the driver belt alone. As this is part of the safety features of a car, I do not feel as though the consumer should be responsible for this. It seems as though it should fall on that of the manufacturer.

The safety-critical driver-assistance systems on my 2024 Ford Escape have remained in a failed state since March 2025. The blind spot detection (blis), cross-traffic alert, park aid, pre-collision assist, and front camera systems all display warnings and do not function reliably. The vehicle has now been in the dealership for over 62 cumulative days for this safety defect, including 38+ continuous days on the current repair order. Ford engineering has taken control of the case and has stated there is no fix available and no estimated timeline for repair. A major electronic module was replaced under engineering direction in November, but the same safety-system faults continue. The vehicle’s alert history and Fordpass data have remained frozen and non-updating for months, indicating a continued system-level electronic failure. The vehicle is still at the Ford dealership under engineering control with no repair available, which confirms the defect is ongoing, unresolved, and unrepairable at this time. These persistent failures impact multiple crash-avoidance systems and create a significant safety risk during lane changes, cross-traffic backing, parking maneuvers, and forward-collision situations. I request NHTSA review this as a potential defect trend involving the 2024 Ford Escape driver-assistance systems.

Following ongoing unresolved adas and pre-collision assist failures that have required repeated service visits and manufacturer engineering involvement, my vehicle underwent a master modem/system reset while in dealership custody. After this reset, vehicle access, safety alert history, and diagnostic data were erased, preventing verification, monitoring, or reconstruction of safety-critical events. Safety issue description on or about December 11, 2025, while the vehicle remained in service for unresolved safety system failures, the dealership performed a master reset of the vehicle’s modem/telemetry system. Immediately afterward: •my Fordpass access was removed •all historical vehicle alerts and safety warnings were erased •no active alerts are displayed, despite documented prior adas failures •the vehicle now shows no alert history, no mileage data, and no retrievable safety logs •the vehicle appears as a new/uninitialized vehicle in the Fordpass system this reset occurred without resolving the underlying safety defect and while engineering had previously indicated no fix was available. Systems affected the loss of telemetry, alert history, and diagnostic logging impacts multiple advanced driver assistance systems (adas), including but not limited •forward collision warning •automatic emergency braking •lane departure warning •lane keeping assistance •blind spot warning •rear cross-traffic warning these systems rely on integrated camera, sensor, and software data that can no longer be verified, reviewed, or audited. Why this is a safety concern the master reset eliminated evidence of prior safety warnings and failures, impairing: •driver awareness of active or recurring safety conditions •manufacturer and regulator ability to diagnose or confirm defect behavior •event reconstruction in the event of a collision or near-miss •oversight of whether safety systems are functioning as designed.