Home · 2020 Ford Escape Gas · Complaints

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

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (1,479)Crash / fire / injury (36)Body & structure (603)Transmission & drivetrain (226)Fuel system (182)Electrical system (149)Engine (107)Driver assistance (60)Visibility & wipers (59)Latches & locks (39)Brakes (37)Backup camera & sensors (26)

107 of 1,479 complaints match · Engine · clear filters · page 4 of 5

May 13, 2024Engine & coolingEngine

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that coolant was leaking from the vehicle. The contact replaced the radiator cap; however, the failure recurred, and coolant was added. The contact stated that approximately 2 gallons of coolant was added. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the cause of the failure was not found. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact discovered Technical Service Bulletin: 22-2229, however, the vehicle was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 69,000.

NHTSA ODI 11588494

Apr 8, 2024Engine

78,000 miles second vehicles of this make/model that our business had the head gasket destroyed by - Coolant leaks into the engine -causing a need for an engine replacement that ford will not cover.

NHTSA ODI 11581766

Mar 14, 2024Engine

The turbo started leaking coolant internally making a few components fail in the motor. It has a really strong smell of burnt coolant. It started leaking about one year and half ago according to the service manger it was leaking before replacing the turbo and there was a failure to inform me about that issue. Due to this leak motor has to be replaced. Prior to the repair a warning lamp or any other notification appeared.

NHTSA ODI 11577442

Jan 14, 2024Electrical systemEngine

Drivers side Front door pops when you open or close it drivers side window won’t let down all the way lift gate doesn’t work most of the time but the most scary issue is riding down the road radio screen will read turn engine on or shut off to save battery this car is only 3 years old I shouldn’t have these kind of issues

NHTSA ODI 11565462

Dec 11, 2023Electrical systemEngineFuel system

P2418 Electrical fault has occurred with the evap emission vapor blocking valve circuit and its associated wiring.

NHTSA ODI 11559459

Nov 13, 2023Electrical systemBrakesEngine

The car stops while I’m driving isn’t the first time almost got hit couldn’t turn the wheel or press breaks engine light kept coming on and so does the battery

NHTSA ODI 11554863

Nov 5, 2023EngineFuel system

Car died while driving down road due to a defect in the emissions system. Took to garage to tell me it's the evap system. Common issue with the 1.5 ltr engines and not under warranty. Revise to cover it even though it's connected to emissions system under a 80,000 mile warranty. Well over 100+ complaints online

NHTSA ODI 11553690

Oct 25, 2023Speed controlEngine

Check engine light came on Friday and 24 hours later started making a whirring sound lost power on the highway started smoking and smelled like it was going to catch fire. Was impeding traffic and almost caused an accident. Had it towed to Ford dealership where a diagnostic test was run. They determined that it was engine failure and Ecoboost failure. Coolant was leaking into cylinders 2&3. They claim the code fired on September 9. They asked if I had taken it anywhere to clear the code. I most definitely did not. Ford Motor Company is unwilling to make this right and have quoted me almost $9000 to fix this issue. Certain makes and models of 2020 Ford Escape have had engine recalls. This is clearly a malfunction on their part.

NHTSA ODI 11551924

Oct 19, 2023Engine

All my warning lights came on my vehicle. Before I could get to service department, the car was making a weird sound underneath me. I knew something was wrong. I had it towed to dealer. They say my TURBO is out. The car is still in shop waiting on part, but the service man said the same make and model also is having TURBO issues. Just wanting to see if this is a common thing in this car. A recall would be great.

NHTSA ODI 11550801

Oct 2, 2023Engine

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the contact heard an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. There were also fumes entering inside the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the vehicle had experienced an emissions failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 104,000.

NHTSA ODI 11547782

Sep 25, 2023Transmission & drivetrainEngine

The contact's wife owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message "Maintenance 2" was displayed. The contact stated that he saw white smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe. Additionally, the contact stated that the message "Transmission Not in Park" was displayed. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was an oil leak, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.

NHTSA ODI 11546341

Aug 28, 2023Engine

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that an unknown fluid would leak from above both the brake and accelerator pedal which made both pedals slippery upon depression. The contact stated that while approaching a stop sign, the contact's foot slipped off the brake pedal as the vehicle nearly drifted into oncoming traffic. The dealer(dealer unknown) was notified of the failure and an appointment was made for an inspection. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ODI 11541093

Aug 14, 2023Engine

The shifting mechanism failed with just 13,000 miles; the vehicle is barely 3 years old. This appears to be a manufacturing defect and I incurred costs in repair. The manufacturer denied responsibility.

NHTSA ODI 11538413

Jul 16, 2023Engine

Service engine soon light is on due to the injector problem that has been recalled, but has not been fixed yet, because the dealer has not received the parts yet. Service engine soon light is also throwing a code for the catylitic converter and it’s causing the vehicle to run and shift poorly and getting worse fuel economy because of this issue. I have always bought Fords and I’m very dissatisfied with the problems I’ve encountered since I’ve purchased this vehicle. I think these issues need to be addressed and fixed ASAP, because this could potentially lead to a fire under the hood or underneath. Toni Ann

NHTSA ODI 11532568

Apr 30, 2023Engine

Car drove with no key for 16 miles down the highway. Two keys were confirmed that they were at our house and not in the vehicle. Spouse realized no key was present after going to Target and trying to start the vehicle to return home. The key was initially about 25 feet away in our laundry room (away from garage). Failure of push-start button initially.

NHTSA ODI 11519654

Apr 15, 2023EngineFuel system

I received a Safety recall notice in February 2023. I immediately called to schedule an appointment to have the work done. Upon driving to the dealership, I was told that they needed to order the part from Ford Co. and it would take a month to receive the part. I again called the dealership after 5 weeks had passed, and again they told me that Ford is not making the part available, when the Recall notice clearly states that it has. The dealership cannot give me any time frame that this part would be available, Ford Co. has not answered my email or phone requests. Can you assist me in this, I am driving a vehicle that could catch on fire.

NHTSA ODI 11517208

Apr 2, 2023EngineFuel system

I have been contacted by Ford that parts to fix the Safety Recall Notice 22S73/NHTSA 22V859 are available at Ford dealers since the letter, dated February 2023. I have called several times to a few Ford dealers and they state that they have not received parts from Ford for that recall. I want to alert the NHTSA that Ford is NOT following through on their responsibility to repair my affected vehicle and are not being honest about their ability to have the affected vehicles repaired! What is the problem? Why are they taking so long to get parts in and lying about the availability of parts when they contact their customers? Please put the proverbial "foot in their butt" since they seem to have no other incentive to make things right! I called dealers as recently as March 31, 2023 and was told still no parts for the repair!!!

NHTSA ODI 11515042

Mar 22, 2023Fuel systemTransmission & drivetrainEngine

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate above 10 MPH. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where an unknown repair was completed; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated to respond while driving and depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, one of the rear seat belts was fractured. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V859000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. 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 failure mileage was approximately 19,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11513172

Mar 9, 2023Engine

3.09.2023 I received a 2nd recall notice letter from Ford last week that the parts are now available and to contact my dealer to schedule an appt. I just contacted my dealer, and was told that the parts are extremely constrained from Ford TO the dealers, with them stating they are only getting 2-3 repair kits per week. I was placed on a list, and apparently am number 65 in the waiting queue and it may be 4-6 months before I get a call back. While my car is operating fine, I find it extremely deceiving that customers would be contacted saying the parts are available, when they clearly are not. I doubt you can do anything, but did want to report this as it certainly can impact the statistical chance of my vehicle being impacted by this recall. Regards,

NHTSA ODI 11511047

Mar 7, 2023Engine

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of an unknown NHTSA Campaign Number related to the Enginehowever, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was/was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was/was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA ODI 11510673

Mar 6, 2023Latches & locksEngine

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that she heard a cracking sound in the front driver’s side door. The contact then stated that the front driver’s side window failed to operate as designed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that an unknown front driver’s side door latch assembly part needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The contact was advised to call the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 74,000.

NHTSA ODI 11510359

Mar 2, 2023Speed controlEngine

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after coming to a stop at a traffic light or stop sign, when the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle nearly stalled. The vehicle then lunged forward at an excessive speed. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was at first intermittent but became more frequent. The contact had driven the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000.

NHTSA ODI 11509858

Feb 10, 2023Fuel systemEngine

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that on separate occasions while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle intermittently hesitated and stalled. The contact stated that on multiple occasions he was able to restart the vehicle. The service engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that while the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that on another occasion he smelled a burning odor throughout the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine control software needed to be updated along with unknown repairs. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that he became aware that the VIN was included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V859000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) from the Low Jack App. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that parts would be available within two years. The contact was advised to call the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 63,000.

NHTSA ODI 11506653

Jan 2, 2023Engine

11-30-22, Was driving home from Escanaba, MI to Hastings, MI on an extremely windy and snowy day. When I was about 5 miles north of Clare, MI southbound on US 127, cruise control on 71mph when my car started bucking, loosing power and flashing engine light. I was unable to maintain safe highway speed, I pulled to the shoulder and put on emergency flashers. With the cold and blowing snow, I did not want to be stopped on the side of the highway. I was able to maintain a 40-45mph on the shoulder and make it to a gas station parking lot in Clare, MI. I called AAA for towing service. Being out of town and not knowing the problem, the suggested towing to Auto-Lab in Mount Pleasant, MI. Auto-Lab could not look at the car until the next day. They called and reported a cylinder failure on the engine. They gave me 3 option of repair. Tear apart the engine, inspect and maybe repair, install a new OEM engine or install a used 7,500 mile engine. I opted for the used engine.

NHTSA ODI 11499789

Dec 21, 2022Body & structureEngine

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the driver's side front door failed to close. No warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, there was an abnormal odor detected while starting the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 30,416.

NHTSA ODI 11498377

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How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2020 Ford Escape Gas verdict →