Power Train Problems of Ford Escape - part 2

My first incident with my 2019 Ford Escape happened when I had my [xxx] in the vehicle with me at a stop sign in November of 2024. As I proceeded to enter the intersection, the vehicle would not accelerate. I was able to reverse enough to get out of the intersection, but was still on the roadway, which is a safety hazard. While I waited for help, I was having to direct traffic around my vehicle, another safety hazard. The vehicle would not drive at all. The milage at the time of failure was approx. 112,000 miles. I was later informed the vehicle's transmission needed to be replaced and that they had found metal shavings in the transmission fluid. The Ford dealership stated my vehicle was financed used and there was no warranty on it. The dealership also informed me there was no recalls on my vehicle. I spent approx. $4,600 to have this repaired by a local mechanic shop. Now, a year later, I had pulled over to let a funeral procession pass and once I began to accelerate, my vehicle began to stall. I was able to drive it to a gas station that was nearby where I was unable to drive it any further. My 3 children were in the vehicle with me. I took it to the same mechanic shop that had initially repaired it to inquire about a warranty on the transmission. I was informed the warranty was through a third party and they would not fix it, claiming I had gone 500 miles past what warranty covered ( 1 year or 12,000 miles). They diagnosed it and confirmed the transmission had to be replaced. I have been told it would cost me approximately $3,500 (plus labor) to repair again with another year/12,000 mile warranty. I took the Escape to the Ford dealership to have them diagnose it and was informed the the transmission needed to be replaced, and they would do it for $8,500. I have read about plenty of 2019 Ford Escape recalls on the transmission and this is definitely a safety issue. I'm over being stranded on the roadway with my kids. . . Thankfully I wasn't on the interstate. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of info.

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At about 95,000 miles, I began experiencing transmission issues. On several occasions, the transmission would not go into second gear and left the vehicle unable to move forward unless I let off the accelerator and it shifted back into first gear. At about 96,000 miles, when placing the vehicle into park, the park light would flash and a growling/grinding noise is present for about 5-10 seconds. In my experience, the park light flashing is an indication that the vehicle has not shifted into the park gear yet. On 11/25/2025, my local Ford dealer confirmed these issues, stating the vehicle had “harsh engage, shift flare 1-2 shift”. The fluid sample was dark and contained metal shavings. The Ford dealer has recommended a complete transmission replacement. The dealer stated they have seen numerous Ford Escapes/broncos/mavericks with my model years and mileage experience similar failures. Because the transmission lags between 1st and 2nd gear, the vehicle could be at low speeds during a lag, and may roll back during a lag, causing a collision. Additionally, it is possible that the vehicle may not be properly engaging its parking gear due to these issues, which may leave the vehicle in an unsafe condition.

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To whom this concerns: my name is [xxx] and I’m writing this on the behalf of my wife [xxx] , but her last name was [xxx] years ago. My wife purchases a 2018 Ford Escape. Car was working completely fine and there were no problems. As time went on, we had to take our vehicle to jordan Ford where the car was purchased. The issue with the car was something called engine intrusion. We took it to jordan Ford, and they told is this needed to be fixed. The cost was around 5,000 which was a lot for this. Then we found out that this vehicle had a recall on it for the exact same issue that we were having. Looking at the recall, it said that we had to give them this by a certain date. We were too late on that date so the recall could not be honored. We called Ford and told them about the problem with the vehicle and they were willing to knock the price down. I told them that is not fair that we must pay for a problem that is a recall. We did not get the car fixed and they knew about it. Now, it looks like our Ford Escape has the exact same issue, but now they are saying that we must pay over 8,000 to replace the short block because it’s over-heating. Well, we found out that this car was purchased after the recall was in motion and we were not told about it. It is not fair that this vehicle has had this many problems and Ford knew about it. [xxx] [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

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We had to replace the engine about 4 years ago and we’re still getting gas smell into the cabin. About 3 years ago, we broke down on the road because the transmission quit. All our repairs have been done through Ford service department. We are now broke down again because of the transmission. Something has to be done with the Ford Escape!.

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Will not shift into park. Code is p068a on reader. When it started not going into park, it started shifting really hard between 1st and 2nd gear. When came to a stop, tried to put the vehicle in park and it automatically put the parking brake on. When the shop looked up recalls, they told me Ford had issued a recall that may be related but put a 70,000 mile or 7 year limit on it. My vehicle meets the year limit but is over the mileage so Ford said they would not cover it.

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Coolant intrusion in my 2017 Ford Escape titanium presents a serious safety hazard that warrants an immediate recall. When coolant leaks into the engine’s cylinders, it can lead to sudden engine misfires, stalling, loss of power, or complete engine failure while the vehicle is in motion. This creates extremely dangerous driving conditions—especially at highway speeds, during turns, or in intersections—because it removes the driver’s ability to accelerate, maintain speed, or safely maneuver the vehicle. In many cases, coolant intrusion causes the engine to overheat rapidly, which can result in thermal damage, smoke, or even fire risk. Drivers often receive little to no warning before these failures occur. The problem is both unpredictable and progressive, meaning a vehicle that appears to be operating normally can suddenly stall or seize without sufficient time for the driver to react. Ford has been aware of widespread coolant intrusion issues across multiple ecoboost engines, yet many affected owners—including myself—have not received adequate support, coverage, or recall actions. This defect is not merely a mechanical inconvenience; it is a direct threat to driver, passenger, and public safety. The only appropriate response is a mandatory recall to inspect, repair, or replace affected engines before more drivers experience dangerous failures on the road. Paying for this on a teachers salary before the holidays is a struggle.

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Ford has an issue where the coolant leaks into the cylinder blocks ruining the engine. Also, cause for low coolant which could catch the engine on fire.

Continues to roll when parked engine has been replaced twice grinding when putting in park.

Transmission failed at 83000 miles with no warning or prior issues. I was driving home from work and the vehicle completely stalled out in traffic. Had it towed to a shop and was quoted nearly the cost that the vehicle is worth to have the transmission replaced.

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Complete loss of power and the transmission just going out, there was no warning or indication that something was wrong with the transmission prior to it going out on the highway. Car has 120k miles on it. It was diagnosed as needing a new transmission, and cooler. The pump may have needed to be replaced as well. But the transmission was pushing fluid out into the engine. If the car was fixed, I would likely need a new engine as well. This was a platinum edition 2016 Ford Escape.

Purchased the vehicle approximately 45 days ago. Has driven fine with no problems. Randomly had a hard down shift and when I went to leave my destination put the vehicle in reverse and it would not go. The vehicle would not move in drive and when put in neutral it was still not even able to be pushed. Had it towed to the nearest Ford dealership, they diagnosed that there were metal shavings in the transmission, stated the vehicle was no longer drive able and recommend a transmission replacement or rebuild. Vehicle only has 80,000 miles.

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The transmission had an internal failure that caused metal fragments to end up in the transmission fluid and caused failure. The vehicle will not drive and required the transmission to be rebuilt.

Engine failure due to coolant leaking into engine block. Known issue from design flaw.

Summary of problem: following the mandatory software update for NHTSA recall 22v859 (Ford 22s73) on my 2020 Ford Escape 1. 5l, the vehicle experienced a catastrophic electrical failure. The vehicle is now subject to the expanded NHTSA recall 25v467 (Ford 25s76) with a status of 'remedy not available'. Safety failures: continuous overcharging: a multimeter test confirms the alternator is overcharging at 15. 5v or higher, posing a severe risk of battery explosion or vehicle fire. Safety system collapse: the overvoltage has forced multiple safety modules into 'fail-safe' mode, disabling the anti-lock braking system (abs), traction control, and awd powertrain. Network communication failure: diagnostic reports confirm a u3000 critical control module fault and 'lost communication' with the battery energy control module, indicating a software-induced network collapse. Undriveable status: the vehicle has been unusable for over 30 days and cannot pass NY state inspection due to persistent evap and module communication codes triggered by the recall update. Dealer negligence: [xxx] (dealer #xxx) confirmed that all physical communication lines are functional but refused a free recall-related diagnosis, demanding a $600 fee instead of honoring the federal safety recall mandate. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

My wastegate solenoid in my turbo is over-boosting. I have replaced it once and it’s still an issue. I also am leaking coolant heavily. Ive seen 2013 Ford Escapes engine’s like mine have recalls stating 1. 6l engine overheating & fire risk: a major recall involved 1. 6l engines where a cylinder head cup plug could fail, causing coolant loss and potential fire. Another recall addressed fuel lines that could leak, causing fire risks. I’ve looked on carfax, NHTSA. Gov, and Ford. Com to see if my car has the recall alert and it says it does not but I have the same exact issues.

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The contact owns a 2020 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 while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal cracking sound coming from under the hood, and the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. However, it was unclear if the failure was recall-related. The parts for the recall repair were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 28,000. The VIN was not available.

When driving the car suddenly stopped and made a loud clunk noise. Unable to get car to move when pressing gas petal. I had to call police to get car out of busy road. Had car towed to dorian Ford (where car was purchased) . Car was inspected to investigate problem. Was told "luck of the draw "that the transmission failed. Car has always been services at dorian Ford with recommended maintenance and oil changes completed. This resulted in dorian saying transmission had to be replaced at the cost of $7238. 22. The car only had 82,608 miles on it.

I purchased this vehicle $9000 cash from Toyota morgan city in morgan city louisiana the end of September 2025 on a Saturday, not even a week later the car shifts real hard and it’s an automatic. You can see the rpm going up but the car steaks and then shifts hard to where it jerks. I called the car dealership where I purchased, they “looked” at the car and told me that it was not a problem they could fix because it was the transmission that Ford put in the cars. And proceeded to tell me that they were sorry that I need a new transmission but that’s not there problem and for me to take it to a Ford dealership even though I purchased from them. Why is this not a recall if you’re putting faulty transmissions in?.

The fuel injector and the one of the cylinders has gone bad and has been available for inspection. My safety has been put to rest due to engine overheating. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer police or any insurance representative. The check engine light did appear on November 1, 2025. The car started overheating on November 4, 2025. According to other owners that I have spoken to, this is a constant problem with this make and model. I believe it is a manufacturer defect since so many other owners are experiencing the same issue.

Coolant intrusion into cylinders at 81,000 miles has damaged engine and transmission pump, requiring replacement of both. Appears this is a known issue with both 2. 0l and 1. 5l engines.

Engine light came on. It came up as misfire cylinder 3 needing spark plugs/ignition coil so I made an appointment to get that fixed. On my way to my appointment today, the “engine overheating stop vehicle” warning came on. Turns out this is the known coolant intrusion into the engine block problem that has caused the engine to crack and now needs replaced. Called Ford customer service and just like what they are telling everyone else, there is nothing they can do to help. Yes it’s a known problem by Ford but they will not fix it because my car does not meet mileage criteria. It has 130,000 miles.

My vehicle stooped running. I scheduled maintenance at metro Ford. According to the diagnostic test completed at metro Ford, there were powertrain issues. This diagnosis also appears on my Ford motor pass app. According to the service department at metro Ford, coolant was leaking into the engine and that a new water pump and battery needs to be installed to get the car back running. We complied with the cost ($2,400 this included new water pump and battery) and 30 days later the car stopped running again. The car was towed back to metro Ford and we were told that the engine is dead and that a new diagnostic check will need to be done with an additional $410 on top of the $2,400 which was paid to get the water pump and other items fixed previously. We were never informed that the engine will need to be replaced after the first diagnostic check. That information should have been told first since you are running the same check that now tells you the engine is dead.

My 2013 Ford Escape had safety recall 22s43 (NHTSA 22v413000) completed by a Ford dealer in January 2023. That recall was supposed to fix a defect in which the shift cable bushing can detach from the transmission, potentially allowing the transmission to remain in gear even when the shifter shows “park. ” after the recall repair, the same issue has occurred again — the bushing has disconnected from the transmission lever, creating the same roll-away risk that the recall was intended to correct. When this happens, the gear selector shows “park,” but the vehicle can still move. Ford motor company customer service told me that because more than 12 months or 12,000 miles have passed since the recall repair, they will not cover it again. However, this is the same safety defect reoccurring after the recall remedy. It appears that the recall repair did not permanently correct the problem, and the part may still be defective or the cable end may have worn prematurely. I am submitting this report because the defect has returned after the recall was supposedly completed, and I believe other owners may also experience repeat failures that pose a roll-away safety risk.

2021 Ford Escape. In January 2025 the turbo system failed and was replaced by a Ford dealer for about $5,903. 85. Around five months later the transmission required repairs for a valve body issue, totaling roughly $3,000 in August. Two months after that repair, firestone advised that the entire transmission now needs replacement. Each time the problem appeared, the vehicle showed violent slippage while upshifting and downshifting. When coming to a stop, the car would shake violently, slip forward several inches while my foot was still on the brake, and sometimes hesitate or lose power. Recently the vehicle will stop responding to acceleration, then suddenly surge forward without warning. These repeated transmission failures have created serious safety risks and appear consistent with ongoing problems involving the Ford 8f35 transmission used in the 2021 Escape.

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After 104,000 miles experienced transmission issues. Been told this happens to several Ford Escapes' after 100k miles.

By dong my own research, I found out it was the awd module. It's not grounded correctly. There are multiple, long detailed forum posts on this. Here is one: [xxx] I verified my awd drive module was indeed not getting enough power do to the grounding issue, which sends a cascade of other faults including the anti lock breaks, collision detection, driving modes, cruise control, auto hold, hill park assist. All are non-operational. Now my awd module does not even show up with a obd scanner. This should be a recall. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

On 10/17/2025, my transmission stop working properly after driving fine for 145,000 miles. This seems to be a common occurrence with this year and model for the Escape. The transmission is an automatic and stopped going in the drive gear on the highway. I was able to get the car off the road and have it towed to a mechanic where they verified that that I would need a new transmission.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that soon after the engine was replaced by the dealer under warranty, the vehicle started to hesitate and jerk while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The failure worsened, and the contact initially called the dealer and was provided an estimate for a diagnostic test. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic, where the vehicle was diagnosed with transmission failure, and the contact was provided with estimates to replace the transmission. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall. The contact was then referred to the NHTSA for additional assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 3,000.

Coolant infusion into engine , powertrain light issue turns on but & it stated to replace spark plugs/ coil overs but coolant still dissapates from coolant resevior.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the message "transmission fault" was displayed once. Additionally, the contact stated while driving approximately 60 mph, the accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to respond as needed and shuddered abnormally. The contact stated that the vehicle decelerated and jerked forward while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the residence. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the transmission was replaced; however, the vehicle hesitated to shift into gears while driving. The contact stated that prior to the failure, the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA campaign number: 22v413000(power train), which the contact related to the failure. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that after refueling, the vehicle hesitated while attempting to start, with the power train warning light illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 25v467000 (fuel system, gasoline). The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 18,474.

Upon starting our vehicle, we received several warning lights relating to collision control and that the awd system had failed. This happened on a Saturday so we had to wait until Monday to bring the car in to the dealer for service. The service department told us that the diagnostic testing indicated that the awd module and the ptu actuator motor needed to be replaced. Our vehicle is under six years and under 29,000 miles, along with being garage kept and having regular maintenance.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 22v413000 (power train). The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. No warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to coast to the side of the on-ramp where the vehicle failed to restart. The contact asked passersby for help pushing the vehicle off the ramp. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the cylinder, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the head gasket needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact then towed the vehicle to an independent mechanic who confirmed coolant intrusion in the cylinder. The contact stated that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact then towed the vehicle to another independent mechanic, who confirmed coolant intrusion into the cylinder. An independent mechanic replaced the engine block. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

Transmission fault in red letters came on. Turned car off and then turned back on after 20 minutes and the message disappeared. Three days later same things happened- repeated what I did before and message went away. I've noticed when I try to accelerate it sounds as if I'm accelerating but I'm not getting passed 20 mph. Car does a hard jerk when trying to accelerate.

There are swveral issues with this model, the worst being the constant jerking/ bucking while driving. The second being the forward collision warning alerting when no vehicles are near you, it just randomly alerts. The third most annoying issue is the dashboard from time to time goes out as if no electricty is flowing throught it, ive also experinced the volume not adjusting properly at times.