What 557 owners told NHTSA about the 2019 Ford Escape Phev

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 failed to properly accelerate after starting the vehicle. The check engine light illuminated several weeks after the initial failure. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where a diagnostic test was performed, and the contact was informed that the canister solenoid was inoperable. The canister solenoid was repair; however, the failure returned immediately after refueling the vehicle. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic and a DTC was retrieved. The failure was related to an inoperable Oxygen sensor which was connected to the purge valve. The vehicle was then taken back to the dealer and it was confirmed that the canister purge valve was inoperable. The contact attempted to contact the manufacturer but never received a response. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.

NHTSA ODI 11729986

Coolant leak via head gasket failure on cylinder number 3. Trouble light (check engine) reported on the dashboard.

NHTSA ODI 11728660

I own a 2019 Ford Escape with a 1.5L EcoBoost engine. The vehicle began experiencing engine misfires and a powertrain malfunction warning. Diagnostic code P0302 appeared for cylinder 2 misfire. The coolant reservoir level began dropping without any visible external leaks. A mechanic performed a pressure test and confirmed there were no external coolant leaks, indicating coolant intrusion into the engine cylinder. This is a known defect affecting 2017 - 2019 Ford Escape 1.5L EcoBoost engines. The issue can cause engine misfires, reduced power, and potential engine failure while driving. This problem poses a safety concern because engine power can be reduced unexpectedly while driving.

NHTSA ODI 11727587

I have a 2019 Escape with only 33k miles. The check engine light came on for P0304cyl 4 misfire and on/off again rough idle. Ford service had technician pulled plug on cylinder four and used a borescope and found coolant leaking into engine. Ford has a known TSB for coolant intrusion on this particular model and vin and manufacturing date. Ford refuses to help me with cost to replace the long block of the engine at a cost of $14000. The blue book is 10k. This appears to be a very common issue and needs a recall immediately. This is completely wrong of Ford to do this to customer fully knowing there is a problem but won't pay to fix it.

NHTSA ODI 11727294

We just bought this vehicle 3 weeks ago, paid sales tax and first car payment. The check engine light came on for P0304cyl 4 misfire, notice white smoke blowing from exhaust and low coolant level. Had technician pull plug four and used a boriscope and found coolant leaking into engine. Ford has a known TSB for coolant intrusion on this particular model and vin and manufacturing date. Ford refuses to help me with cost to replace the long block of the engine at a cost of $7000, out of my pocket. I have not even put a thousand miles on this car. This is completely wrong of Ford to do this to customer fully knowing there is a problem but won't pay to fix it.

NHTSA ODI 11726813

Ford at Jim Ellis dealership in [XXX] [XXX] look at my car last Thursday and gave me only one code P0304 which means tune up but texted me that my car need $8000 of labor and $6k of a new engine, without an explanation. Prior too the vin they pulled up showed Cust satisfaction 21N12 said yes a recall when the rep saw it. However, even expired 2022 another paragraph states If exceed mileage 84000 and 7 yrs ..that THIS IS NO COST. Yet ford still stating not related to Cust sat...engine fire, exhaust low coolant smoke rides rough which is what my car did last Saturday 3/14/26. To text me 15k pay or not with a conversation as to why but invoiced only one code about a tune up yet told the Tow guy my coolant going into the engine but didn't advise me of that same information is highly unprofessional this is a risk and unsafe I have seen 3 other complaints 2025 2022 same issues and on kbb. The rep said that depends on manuf well it showed [XXX] same manuf as Cust satisfaction. This should be listed as a new recall many more complaints on kbb.....I will notify FTC as I am also a govt worker its unruly unsafe and for Ford to act unworthy with no integrity is an outrage. I called there corp and complained as well. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11726862

I initially replaced the entire Y coolant hose to the coolant system. Six months later I had to replace a secondary coolant hose separate from the initial one. Initially, it cost me about $600 and then $300 for the second incident. Now March 22 I have to replace a coolant bypass valve because it has been failing and my car is overheating again. The HVAC system is not working properly and the car is overheating.

NHTSA ODI 11726212

In June 2025 vehicle had no coolant in tank, refilled and monitored, July 2025 check engine light appeared and code for cylinder 3 misfire, Aug 2025 vehicle went to local certified automotive repair company who began running diagnostics, replaced spark plug and coil #3. After replacement was asked to drive, less than 10 miles check engine came back on with same code. Mechanic kept working on vehicle until December/January 2026 when it was determined and confirmed that there is a coolant leak, running a check engine with malfunction of cylinder 3 inevitably leading to full engine failure. Was quoted February 2026 by another local certified automotive repair company over $8,000 for the removal and install of a new engine.

NHTSA ODI 11726228

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed or while the vehicle was parked, there was a loud ticking sound coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the flex plate had failed and needed to be replaced, and that additional transmission parts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 112,823.

NHTSA ODI 11725566

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.

NHTSA ODI 11724483

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.

NHTSA ODI 11723859

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while coming to a stop, there was an abnormal clanking sound coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the flex plate had failed and needed to be repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 79,545.

NHTSA ODI 11723388

I am experience coolant intrusion into cylinder 3 causing the check engine light to come on, when.checked on obd2 system shows a misfire on cylinder 3, multiple checks by service centers all diagnose the coolant intrusion defect on the 2.0 ecoboost engine requiring a long block replacement

NHTSA ODI 11722668

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the engine needed to be replaced due to coolant intrusion into cylinder #2. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 74,500.

NHTSA ODI 11720222

On 2/12/2026 I was driving in Gordon County, GA. I was going about 25 MPH when I hit a pothole on the right hand side of the road. It resulted in a split wheel/rim on the right front side of my vehicle. It also damaged the wheel/rim on the right hand back side, as well as breaking the shock absorber on the right back side.

NHTSA ODI 11719083

The contact owned a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle unexpectedly stalled, and an abnormal sound was coming from the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate and unexpectedly lunged forward while shifting gears. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The mechanic determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 126,000.

NHTSA ODI 11717580

my 2019 ford escape engine has recently taken a big decline due to coolant leaking into the cylinders of the car. i was told this is a common occurrence with 2019 Escapes, so why has it not been situated? it is unsafe and over all inconvenient for the ones who are with out a car now. my car decided in the middle of traveling that it was no longer going to move no matter how hard the gas was pushed, unsafe. the engine is now loud, shaky, and over heats, while idling and driving. i have had this car for a year and a half and every time the check engine light came on and i took it to be diagnosed i was met with another issue that i paid to fix, and still no place fixed the engine. it was not until the car is no longer drivable that i finally got an answer on what has happened to my engine. this car was regularly maintained. my vehicle was inspected by a Ford specialist who said this problem caused my car to now be valued at $500. if this is a known problem with this car why are they still being sold on the market?

NHTSA ODI 11715735

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

NHTSA ODI 11714103

Waterpump pulley/ waterpump, yes it's available for inspection. I lost power and a message came up on the screen to shut off the vehicle there was a engine failure , overheating. No, I have not had it confirmed by a dealer yet. No it has not been inspected by any person. I started hearing a noise about a month ago and I was going to make an appointment the same week it happened to break down on me. I have a disabled daughter and I'm thankful I just took her home because of the extreme cold weather. I was outside for over an hour waiting to get suv towed.

NHTSA ODI 11713249

I have a coolant intrusion in my 2019 Ford Escape. It idles roughly, there’s thick sweet smelling white smoke coming from the exhaust and when we refilled the coolant to max and started it once, the coolant level was immediately at the minimum. We have not turned it on or driven it since we found this out. There is a customer satisfaction program for 2019 Ford Escapes for Powertrain Control Module reprogramming (Campaign 19B37) that then makes the vehicle eligible for a one time repair under campaign 21N12. This campaign fixes exactly what is wrong with my vehicle. It applies to vehicles built in Louisville until April 2019. My vehicle was built in Louisville in May 2019. The dealership told me to call Ford Customer Relations/Recall Team to explain the situation and get a goodwill repair since my vehicle is having the exact same issues as the vehicles built at the same plant the month before. The recall team refused to provide me with a goodwill repair and also refused to give me information on when or if at all my case will be reviewed by the appropriate team. I asked to be able to contact the team handling my review by phone. They said I could only communicate with them by physical mail. This is unacceptable and I believe that Ford caused an unsafe situation for countless drivers for years by not including 2019 Ford Escapes built in Louisville in May 2019 in their customer satisfaction program and are still refusing to do so.

NHTSA ODI 11711177

I am submitting this complaint to formally document a known engine defect affecting my 2019 Ford Escape prior to initiating direct contact with Ford Motor Company. My vehicle has recently been diagnosed with a cracked engine block, a defect that is well documented for this model and engine type. I understand that Ford has acknowledged this issue and established a repair or replacement program; however, I have been informed that eligibility is limited to vehicles manufactured on or before April 2019. My vehicle’s manufacture date reportedly falls just one day after this cutoff. Given the nature of this defect, specifically that it is a manufacturing flaw in the engine block material itself. The one-day exclusion appears arbitrary and unrelated to the actual failure mechanism. The failure occurred under normal use, and there was no warning or misuse that would account for the damage. This strongly suggests the issue is consistent with the known defect affecting other vehicles within the same production period. I am requesting that this complaint be officially logged to document the defect, the timing discrepancy, and the resulting financial and safety concerns. My intent is to ensure there is a formal record of this issue before I proceed with further action or correspondence with Ford Motor Company. Please confirm receipt of this complaint and advise if any additional documentation is required.

NHTSA ODI 11710879

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 INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11710706

The transmission in the vehicle needs replaced. There have been recalls on 2019 ford escapes for the same issue that this vehicle is having.

NHTSA ODI 11708491

Coolant intrusion into the engine potentially causing engine failure. A cracked cylinder head was allowing coolant to leak into one of the 4 cylinders.

NHTSA ODI 11708329

I went to get my spark plugs changed as maintenance on my vehicle. The plugs on both the second and third cylinder were very tight and breaking with residue all over the plugs. The shop I took my car to had to send it to another shop in order to get the plugs put back into the engine. Since then it sounds like a blown muffler whenever I start my car and I have a check engine light with a third cylinder misfire. I have also been having white smoke whenever I start my car with a cool engine. I tried seeing about getting the car fixed but mechanics don’t want to touch my car because they said it will not fix the issue because this is a manufacturer defect caused by coolant intrusion. Now I have to sell my car and. I am under because I still owe 6340.95 on my Loan. The most I can get for it is $3300 through Carvana. The car has less 96,092 miles.

NHTSA ODI 11707417