What 1,479 owners told NHTSA about the 2020 Ford Escape Gas

My car hesitates when driving forward from a stop and the rpm's jump up and down. It almost stalls when going up a steep hill. I have to leave it running when filling it up or it is very hard to start and sometimes will stall after starting. Check engine light is on and tire sensor light is on. The sound system doesn't work. Have read online about a lot of people having the same problems with their car.

NHTSA ODI 11694193

My 2020 Ford Escape's 2.0 ecoboost engine suffered a catastrophic head gasket failure at only 83 thousand miles. This occurred on 10/9/2025 and was confirmed via Ford dealership (Crossroads Ford- Ravena, NY) on 10/13/2025. Prior to 10/9, there were no warning signs or known mechanical issues. The failure happened out of nowhere. In discussing the failure with the Ford service advisor, it was explained that Escape models prior to 2020 have this failure commonly reported, leading to class action lawsuits/coverage from Ford. I am reporting my occurrence so it can be documented in hopes of Ford being held accountable in the future. Such poor product quality can not only endanger the lives of customers but also cause great economic impact to customers and their families.

NHTSA ODI 11693136

"engine stalls on the road after refueling the vehicle", some sort of evap issue, the purge valve leaks and pours so much vapor to cylinder with overwhelming fuel vapors, system can't handle too much fuel at once and shuts down. this happens every time when I refuel, so I started to park the car and leave it to idle every time after refueling, and even so it's rough idle. If I notice this pattern, this issue with the car for a while! I can't think of a scenario where someone on a highway middle of the night, hits the road after refueling, and if it stalls! rough idling is okay, but stalling on the road is a safety issue! please note, there is no CEL so far!

NHTSA ODI 11691883

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.

NHTSA ODI 11691691

It appears that either the rear differential is locked up, or the traction control system has decided to lock all tires for the same rotation. When making any turns at slow speed, the tires grind and pop on the road. If turning in grass it will rip up the grass where the turn was made. In addition, the RPMs and vehicle lurch at normal cruising speed and when accelerating. I understand this as an issue with the torque converter. When the tires locked up, it put excessive force e on this component. It was stated in a similar TSB with the exact issue. There was a lack of fluid in the rear differential when it left the factory. Determination on repair was based on an inspection of the differential fluid and its levels. The cascade of failures happened after a road trip from FL to NY, I believe the miles were around 45,000. Upon arrival, NY roads were covered in snow for the next 5 months of travel, masking the severity of a locked drive train. No recalls were out, we thought maybe we needed tires. Now at 66k miles, there is a strain on the entire drive train and tires, whenever turning, accepting, I would further speculate, that this has put excessive wear on the CV/half shafts, wheel bearings, and related components. Although there’s a system failure, No codes have been thrown. Vehicle Speed Sensors and system, and or the ABS system should have noted some kind of error. While numerous complaints have arose accross varying ford models, no recalls issued. Ford may honor some repair costs. The location and nature of the initial failing unit, the rear differential, as its not part of routine maintenance, Would lead to an increase accross all related components and systems, which would lead to vehicle failure. Possibly causing loss of life or serous physical harm.

NHTSA ODI 11690302

On 9/15/2025, my 2020 Ford Escape SE began experiencing serious electrical and shift system issues: hard downshifting, “Shift System Fault” warning, inability to go into park, and failure to shut off without disconnecting the battery. I confirmed a related PCM recall was active and had the vehicle towed to Art Hill Ford for diagnostic and recall service. The dealership refused to perform the PCM recall, claiming my issue “didn’t match” the symptoms — despite clear electrical failure. Instead, they diagnosed a park pawl solenoid issue without scanning or physically inspecting the vehicle. I was told the issue was resolved, paid ~$1,400, and picked up the vehicle. Within 24 hours, new and dangerous transmission issues arose: harsh downshifting, loss of power, sudden high RPMs, and dashboard warnings. I became stranded in the middle of the road and had to have the car towed again. After this second visit, the dealer claimed there were metal shavings in the transmission and now says I need a full transmission replacement (~$10,000). These shavings were not reported during their first transmission disassembly — which is highly suspicious and may indicate the damage was caused during or after their service. Replacing transmission fluid on high-mileage vehicles (mine has ~132,000 miles) is known to be risky and can cause internal failure if not done carefully. My transmission had no mechanical problems prior to this visit. I now believe the dealership’s misdiagnosis, failure to perform the PCM safety recall 1st, and service caused a safety-critical failure that they are refusing to take responsibility for. I am a veteran with a pregnant wife — we depend on this vehicle. Ford corporate has not provided assistance. This situation has left me without transportation and potentially with catastrophic repair costs due to service-related damage.

NHTSA ODI 11689775

The primary component that failed is the turbocharger system, which has malfunctioned five times since October 2024. Additional failures include the catalytic converter, and there is now suspected motor damage. These components are currently in possession of the dealership and are available for inspection upon request. The safety of myself and my children was repeatedly put at risk. The first turbocharger failure left us stranded in early morning traffic, with no engine power and limited ability to exit the roadway safely. Subsequent failures occurred within 24 hours of service completion. These breakdowns created dangerous roadside conditions, especially during high-traffic hours and in areas without safe pull-off zones. The problem has been reproduced and confirmed multiple times by the dealership’s service department. Each turbocharger replacement has failed within days, and the vehicle is currently awaiting its fifth turbocharger in two months. The dealership has also confirmed damage to the catalytic converter and now suspects motor damage. The vehicle has been inspected repeatedly by the dealership, which is in contact with Ford Motor Company. However, Ford has not provided a permanent solution or acknowledged the root cause. No inspections have been conducted by police or insurance representatives at this time. Prior to second breakdown; the FordPass app displayed an oil life warning at 0%, which was reportedly reset by the service department, raising concerns about system accuracy. The vehicle has also triggered diagnostic codes P0420 (Catalyst System Efficiency Below Threshold) and P0234 (Turbocharger Overboost Condition), both of which are consistent with the mechanical failures observed. Additionally, Manufacturer Recall 25S76 was acknowledged, but when asked whether the fuel injectors had been inspected, the technician stated they would only be replaced if a fuel leak or smell was present. This reactive approach contradicts the intent of the recall.

NHTSA ODI 11688277

Car has self started in my garage 3 times in the last two weeks, just now it did it again. This is very dangerous, could hurd someone or burn my house down. This needs to be looked into.

NHTSA ODI 11688187

Powertrain control module failure causing vehicle to lose power and engine to run at 5 to 6 RPMs. and transmission not shifting properly. Vehicle is going into limp mode and will also shut down while driving but the engine stays running and the cruise does not shut off. There is not remedy for the recall that I believe is causing these issues. This has been going on for 6 month. This vehicle has been nothing but a problem.

NHTSA ODI 11687244

EVERY TIME I TRIED TO PUT GAS IN THE CAR IT WILL NOT START AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKS

NHTSA ODI 11687297

1) confirmed after many service trips that a wire in the engine harness is being pinched causing my check engine light to come on or off depending on if the wire is currently pinched or not. i took my car in a couple times and was told that they could not do anything if the engine light is not currently on, even when i could read the error to them from my app. 'service engine soon due to an electrical fault' this made evething even harder because when the engine light would come on was unpredictable. after recall work my care was always returned with no engine light shining, i was hopefull those recalls was what i needed, after a short time the engine light would come on and off again. i kept bugging about the light and FINALLY they dug deeper into the issue and found the wiring harness issue. SHORTLY after my warrenty expired, and would not fix it with out cost.. even though i could show... by the alerts in my app that this had been an issue long before the warrenty expired. the car was a demo sold as new and i had my first notification within the first few months of having it. 2) Door Recall- i was told would take months to fix due to not having parts. my window currently does not work due to issues that caused the recall. 3) car stalls after fueling most of the time. 4) RPMS jump high randomly 5) plastic sunroof piece fell off.

NHTSA ODI 11683672

2020 Ford Escape SEL was taken into Ford Service Center for oil change and to address acceleration issue that started two days prior, (check engine light had come on the day before drop off). One week after dropping my vehicle off to be assessed, I was told I needed a small part and it would be complete in 3 days. Another week went by, so I reached out and was told that I need a new engine because of a known Ford issue. Unknown to me, coolant was leaking into the engine and destroyed it. I was assured by the Ford technician that this was a known issue and the problem did not arise from something I did/did not do. I was quoted over $9k and weeks worth of work. I easily drove the vehicle to the Service Center, but was told it is now no longer drivable. I drive a LOT for work and had only had the vehicle for 15 months, still owing over $16k on my auto loan. I had no choice but to purchase a new (NOT FORD) vehicle and am now stuck with two vehicle payments. Vehicle is still sitting at the Ford Service Center while I pay on it monthly.

NHTSA ODI 11681753

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that occasionally the vehicle was difficult to start or was idling roughly at start-up. The contact stated that while driving on a neighborhood road at various speeds and attempting to make a turn, the vehicle lost automotive power and shut shutoff. The contact stated that the electrical components remained operational. The message “Service Vehicle Soon” was displayed, and the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 95,000.

NHTSA ODI 11680505

All kinds of warning lights come in and stay on, which a lot of people are having the same issue which is due to a faulty sensor module.. I almost hit a truck who pulled out of a parking lot once I was on top of him ( was trucks fault) and no warning lights were functioning properly. There's also a recall for a fuel injector issue that ford is taking their sweet time to remedy, but technically I'm driving a time bomb that st any moment this fuel injection issue could crack and leak and cause a fire. And I'm not about to lose my life because of it. I've contacted ford for a lemon law buyback and they are taking their sweet time in that. No warning lights are functioning properly causing a danger for me to drive it. But I have to have a reliable care to get to dr appts and to shop for groceries. Something has got to be done about this. And further more when I purchased this car used I questioned the salesperson at the used car lot about this recall paper that was in the glove compartment about the recall on the fuel injection. He told me it was nothing. Bull!!! Why have that paper in the car if there wasn't a recall for the fuel injection when I bought it back in July 2023. No dealership should have the right to sell any car with a recall already in place. I want to sue the used car dealership for selling me this lemon. The car dealership was key auto of Somersworth nh but now they have a new place in Rochester nh...they should be held accountable for selling me the vehicle with a recall already in place. Ford said recall didn't go into effect till 2025, but why have a document in the car about it when I purchased car in 2023. Makes no sense.

NHTSA ODI 11677418

Well there is a recall for fuel injection that could cause a fire under the hood and ford has no parts and info to fix it right now. So basically I am driving a time bomb. How safe is that???? I either get my money back for purchasing this car or I will sue ford company.

NHTSA ODI 11676440

I have a recall been having this problem for months told them what was going on they said nothing was wrong. Months later recall got called for the fuel injector and replacement of high fuel injectors im a single mother. Check engine came on when I gas it..it won't go or goes slowly then takes off into gear

NHTSA ODI 11676294

I am the owner of a 2020 Ford escape. My vehicle falls under the recall dealing with defective fuel injectors. The dealership preformed the suggested service or installing the drain tube and updating the software. I’ve been noticing that my vehicle has a slight hesitation while accelerating in speed and I would periodically smell the strong scent of gasoline, but no check engine or warning lights ever come on. Here recently while driving, my car started slowing down unexpectedly by itself and started idling extremely rough, almost like a tractor and the check engine light came on. I pulled over in the nearest parking lot, turned the car off and looked under the hood but didn’t see anything out of the norm except a small wet spot on the engine cover and there was the slight smell of gasoline. I didn’t think anything of it because I had recently had my oil changed and thought it was probably just a slight spill from there they and refilled the engine oil. I was able to restart my car and everything seemed to have went back to normal. I was able to drive my car to the nearest auto part store where they were able to run a diagnostic scan to see why my check engine light was on. The scan pulled two error codes: the first one being P0302 which is a cylinder 2 misfire, and the second one being P3402 which is a Cylinder 1 Deactivation/Intake Valve Control Circuit Performance. I called ford to see what could be done and they informed me that there was currently no fix for my vehicle. And when asked what i should do the person on the phone told me to “drive the car until it was inoperable”. Which is absolutely crazy to me!

NHTSA ODI 11675519

Engine failure at 50,000 miles. 2020 Ford Escape needs full engine replacement due to the faulty 1.5L engine ford put in these vehicles knowing they were bad. Was driving on the highway and my engine started whining and then all of a sudden heard and felt a crash and then white smoke was coming out of the exhaust. I then lost acceleration which was dangerous on a highway.

NHTSA ODI 11675739

Underneath the transmission is a part that once damaged could emit steel into the transmission which causes damage to the transmission. Small pieces of steel. My technician said it happens to all the Ford vehicles mainly the Ford Escape and Ford has not provided a recall for this and it cost $3,500.00 to be replaced. I am disgusted that this damaged part that puts pieces of steel into the transmission could not be noted by Ford as a legitimate recall. Please see what you can do. It's been reported constantly. Thank you

NHTSA ODI 11675452

When I push the driver window down and when I want to roll it up. The driver window don't go up i have to play with button by pushing it up and down for about 5 to 10 minutes. I have to keep pushing the button up-and-down or turn my car off, open my door it takes a minute for it to go back up. The passenger window goes up and on its on like for example i want to let the window up it comes down by itself. Ford has fixed the driver door panel for the window, but it's doing the same thing. My tire system, it doesn't give me the tire pressure. And when I put gas in my suv, my engine is revving up-and-down, and it cuts off. And when I'm driving, he doesn't want to go I have to push on the gas to make it go. But as far as the window, I have issues with that every single day ever since Ford fixed my suv. And the gas, every time I put gas in My suv make like it wanna shut off, and it do shut off. Sometimes when I put my foot on the gas after pumping gas. This is a ongoing procedure for me. This happens every single day, and every time that I put gas in my suv. This has been going on for about six months or more.

NHTSA ODI 11674174

The "check engine" light came on so took in to be checked. Independent mechanic indicates that there is coolant leaking into one of the cylinders as the result of a casting defect and repair requires complete engine replacement. He tells me this is a common problem. I spoke with a local Ford dealership's service person who tells me this is a known defect in other Ford models as well and, in those models, Ford has extended the warranty to cover this repair. Ford is not covering it for this model, however. Since it is the same problem -- a manufacturing defect, Ford should cover/replace since continuing to drive it will result in a complete engine falure

NHTSA ODI 11673747

For 6 months, after a routine visit and safety recall preformed by ford, I have had an issue with the park brake engaging on its own. When pressing the button to disengage it, the car would not disengage and would remain locked. The only way to disengage it would be to throw the car into reverse, press the button to disengage the park brake and step on the gas pedal as fast as you could. After 6 months of trying to diagnose the issue, ford pittsville came up inconclusive, replacing multiple parts of the e-brake such as the buttons themselves, the wires connecting the brakes, and checking over the brakes. The issue itself was unrecreatable but the only common denominator was remote starting the car via the app. The most recent investigation this past month conducted by ford revealed that the pin for my brake and e brake was loose after they (ford) had replaced it. They fixed the connection and delivered my car to me. I hadnt even driven the car yet, only remote started it due to the heat. When the car was started, it immediately popped up with a new issue. The powertrain had failed, with codes popping up via fords system indicating the: park brake, brake system, gear shift, and 5 other codes that i cannot recall at the moment showing on their system. Ford diagnosed the problem, finding the gear shift itself was not engaging due to a loose pin (code: P0929:77). I was told that the car was safe to drive but there has been zero communication on when the part would be ordered or taken care of. I have tried to follow up multiple times with the dealership in the past two weeks and update them about the cars current state, including now with the error still showing, my steering feels loose and my car feels as if it is drifting while i drive.

NHTSA ODI 11671249

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the traction control, AWD, Forward Collision Assist, and several other warning lights were illuminated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was informed that there was a recall for other model vehicles for a similar failure; however, the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed with a defective purge valve assembly. The contact had the part replaced; however, the check engine warning light became illuminated again. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.

NHTSA ODI 11663681

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware of an abnormal odor on the interior of the vehicle. The contact stated that the odor was entering the interior of the vehicle through the vents. The contact stated the abnormal odor had a sweet smell. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. In addition, the contact stated the transmission was slipping. The contact was informed that a software update needed to be performed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 43,000.

NHTSA ODI 11660963

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after refueling the vehicle, the vehicle failed to immediately restart. The contact stated that upon depressing the accelerator pedal continuously, the vehicle started. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was making an abnormal knocking sound. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the contact was informed that the fuel was not reaching the engine. The mechanic determined that an unknown part needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a related recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

NHTSA ODI 11660489