Jun 10, 2026Electrical systemBody & structureEngineFire
On XXX I was driving my 2021 Ford Escape for 10 minutes before I stopped at Sheetz gas station on [XXX]. I ran into the building to withdraw cash from the ATM leaving my fiance and dog in the car while it sat idle. Upon exiting the building about 30 seconds to a minute later, I witnessed smoke coming up from the hood of my car. My fiance and Dog quickly evacuated the car as we saw flames emerging. I ran inside to get assistance from the workers and they brought out fire extinguishers. The attempt to extinguish the flames was unsuccessful and the front of the car quickly went up. Police and fire department were called and they showed up about 10 minutes later to handle the situation. Reports from the officer, fire department and the Sheetz assistant were taken. I do not have access to those. My car insurance is covering the cost of the vehicle and a 7 day car rental. They are not covering the loss of both mine and my fiance's cell phones. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA ODI 11743124
May 15, 2026EngineFuel systemVisibility & wipersCrash
Windows and engines
NHTSA ODI 11738184
Oct 22, 2024Electrical systemEngineFire
I see no recalls for 2021 Ford Escape SEL AWD 2.0L. Vehicle was parked next to house under carport all day and owner smelled smoke. Looked out house window and seen front of vehicle on fire and catching house on fire. The fire department put it out but the vehicle was a total lose and house has significant damage and is unlivable until repairs can be made. There were no indications this was going to happen. These models need to have a recall.
NHTSA ODI 11621350
Oct 17, 2024EngineFire
While accelerating at a stop light I heard a thud in the hood of my car and then it started to smoke so I pulled off the road and turned off vehicle but the car caught fire and the entire front end burned.
NHTSA ODI 11620311
Jan 12, 2022EngineFuel systemFire
While driving on the interstate a fire started under the hood and shortly after smoke entered the driver cabin. Luckily I was able to pull over and get out of the vehicle before the fire reached the driver cabin. It is going to be investigated by a company hired by AAA, the appraiser from the insurance company was not able to find a cause due to the fire damage being too bad. The first warning message was engine coolant overtemperature and a couple of others followed.
NHTSA ODI 11447232
Jul 19, 2021EngineFire
The contact’s daughter owned a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at an unknown speed, the coolant warning light illuminated. As the contact's daughter began to pull over, she began to lose control of the vehicle as a black smoke started coming from the engine. The vehicle caught on fire once the contact's daughter had exited the vehicle. The fire department arrived at the scene and was able to extinguish the fire. A fire report was filed. There was no injury reported. Due to the failure, the vehicle was initially towed to a tow yard however, the current location of the vehicle was unknown. The contact's daughter notified the dealer of the failure and a week later and she was informed that an investigation would be started. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was destroyed. The failure mileage was unknown.
NHTSA ODI 11425426