What 325 owners told NHTSA about the 2021 Ford Escape Gas

My car was at only 55,000 miles, there was a weird shuddering and my RPMs were very jumpy. It almost felt like my car was going to stall out. I took it in to the ford dealership and I had to get my Torque Converter replaced. I had no dash lights on or any other problems. I got it replaced, but my car still feels shaky while at low speeds. Apparently it’s a very common problem in this car.

NHTSA ODI 11750142

This vehicle has had transmission slipping issues since I bought it. I had the PCM flashed and reset but it still jerks and slips out of gear ALL the time. The car actually stalled on me while turning through an intersection. This almost cause me to be t boned via a car crash. The transmission has already been replaced and still malfunctions. When it stalled there were no lights and the car would not go into neutral unless you pulled the emergency latch for it. This is a HUGE safety issue and from what I read a lot of people are having the exact same problem. Ford is just giving me the run around and my local dealer literally acted like he didn't know what I was talking about when I mention the new service bullentin. This transmission has clearly been an issue since the vehicle was new according to service records. The fact that ford isn't reaching out to people is nuts to me. They are also saying it may be over miles for the work to be covered. I really don't understand that as the transmission was replaced with only about 75000 miles on it. That's not normal. They are not honoring any work on an item they built poorly.

NHTSA ODI 11747792

Rear passenger window failed two different times, we have gotten it fixed. Now today the rear driver window will not go up or move.

NHTSA ODI 11743812

Passenger rear window would not go up, we got it fixed. We also have a second 2021 ford escape with the same problem.

NHTSA ODI 11743814

following up on Nov 20,2025 Manufacturer Recall Number25SC4 NHTSA Recall Number25V789 Recall StatusRecall Incomplete, remedy not yet available This recall has been out for 7 months - no remedy yet. We are not able to use our PHEV to the extgent is was designed.

NHTSA ODI 11743440

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

My windshield wipers aren’t working properly and it causes me to not be able to see while driving which cause me to hit a curb and damage my front fender and my trunk makes a nose when I drive like it wants to pop open my car flashes warnings and then no sign of issues

NHTSA ODI 11741312

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape PHEV. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V789 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available.  The dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA ODI 11740898

Hello I am so sick of the recall on the high voltage battery. When I first got in in april of last year it had 126 miles on it and was told by [XXX] at the time and ford Auffenburg used cars that it had no recalls at all. Low and behold months later after charging the plug in portion found out there was a recall and I couldn't plug it in which was the reason I bought it. So I had no choice mostly it was sitting until I had to travel for funeral services not local to me. Then there was a fix for the recall only to find out its a software patch they don't replace the battery knowing there is a defect in the high voltage battery confirmed. So now the same issue just new number there is a second recall on it again and not to plug it in. Since then it has 138800 on it now. because I have to get some where but I stay local. At this point I just want a buy back I am tired of dealing with it and now there are two more recalls concerning a wiper motor and something to do with sync screen update. I can't afford to have them contstantly diagnose this issue. I am tired of trying to deal with auffenburg in general on these issues I had to get them to program the computer just to do emmisions in illinois. All I want it a buy back so I can pick something else. The first recall was 24S79 Now its 25SC4/25V789 This car has been nothing but recall on the high voltage battery. It's a bad safety issue and really want to get rid of it. Thee have been a few times taking it down the street I lost power in hybrid normal running mode. It's just scary I had no control in the wheel INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11737353

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V789000 (Electrical System) and 26V123000 (Back Over Prevention) and 26V117000 (Visibility) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer confirmed that the remedy parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA ODI 11736386

I am filing this safety complaint on behalf of myself and my wife, [XXX] , the primary driver of our 2021 Ford Escape PHEV, with active under Recall 25SC4 (no remedy available). The vehicle has experienced 8+ sudden complete shutdowns during normal driving since February 2026, always during EV-to-hybrid mode transition, always without prior warning. The only warning is a brief sound like air escaping immediately before shutdown. At shutdown: engine cuts completely, steering wheel locks rigid and cannot be turned, brake pedal locks hard and cannot be depressed, gear selector locks in Drive and cannot be changed. The driver has zero ability to steer, brake, or move the vehicle. Must activate hazards and wait 1-5 minutes for restart while immobilized in an active traffic lane. Incidents occurred: (1) February 2026: multiple times, dealer retained vehicle 5 days, found nothing. (2) Early April 2026: multiple times, including one witnessed by a police officer who directed traffic around immobilized vehicle. Dealer kept 3 days, blamed the original Ford-supplied charger. Replacement did not fix defect. (3) May 1, 2026: 4 times in one day with my wife only in the car, including on the Dolphin [XXX] near Miami Int [XXX] 3:30PM Friday rush hour, with our [XXX] child in the vehicle on thr [XXX] r occasions. Ford's own recall documentation states steering and braking remain functional during shutdown. This is directly contradicted by our firsthand experience. Both are completely inoperable. Dealer on second attempt blamed original Ford-supplied charger — replacement did not resolve defect. This vehicle is subject to active class action [XXX] et al. v. Ford Motor Company (Case XXX). Formal warranty demand letter sent to Ford Motor Company via certified mail under Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act simultaneously with this complaint. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11735408

Vehicle headlights constantly dimming in and out, replaced alternator and battery, problem still persisted if not worse than before. Vehicle constantly struggles to accelerate once at running temperature, high revs and doesn't accelerate at all, vehicle experienced complete power loss after approaching red light, vehicle restarted but showed severe signs of power deficiency

NHTSA ODI 11734480

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V789000 (Electrical System), 25V829000 (Structure), 26V123000 (Back Over Prevention) and 26V117000 (Visibility); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA ODI 11733357

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle shut off and lost electrical power. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the high voltage battery had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the recall repair for NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V789000 (Electrical System); was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000.

NHTSA ODI 11729031

The entire dashboard/infotainment interface will lose power suddenly. The car will struggle to start, and have an emissions or evap code, and there's a smell from the engine sometimes, that leaks into the cabin, which the cabin has bad thermoregulation, and cold air seeps in QUICK. Also I've driven on the highway and have had all the steering and power stop all at once! The headlights also keep getting popped or burnt out.

NHTSA ODI 11721605

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated upon taking the vehicle for the State Inspection, the contact was informed that the gateway module of the vehicle was not communicating, preventing the inspection from being performed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the gateway module needed to be reprogrammed. The contact was informed that a fee would be charged for repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to Ford Campaign Number: 22N15 (Gateway Module Reprogramming for Inspection and Maintenance (I/M) Testing); however, the manufacturer informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under the campaign. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 45,160.

NHTSA ODI 11676268

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the fuel tank gauge decreased from 1/4th to empty almost immediately. The contact arrived at a gas station and discovered that the fuel tank was not empty. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the fuel gauge sending unit. The contact was informed that the fuel tank needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 21,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ODI 11672258

Vehicle will completely cut off when stopped at lights sometimes. And I have to turn off vehicle and restart it to get vehicle going again.

NHTSA ODI 11657127

I was driving my 2021 Ford Escape, that I have not yet owned for four years, that I purchased brand new from a Ford dealership. I was driving to work just as I do on a typical morning at interstate speeds, when suddenly, the car refused to upshift, slipping gears. The car became jerky. I tried to accelerate back up to speed. The car was not moving and the RPM reading shot into the red. I see a large vehicle approaching me, and I begin to feel terror that I could become the victim of a car crash, due to a faulty Ford transmission! This moment was psychologically damaging, as I feared for my life. Eventually, the car regained speed slowly and I continued on my way. Then, at stoplights, the car continued to jerk and shift gears. Once I reached my destination, the car slammed into park, throwing me toward the steering wheel. My husband towed my car home. It has been taken to a local dealership where I received a quote for a new transmission and an oil leak repair, totaling over $11,000. This car at trade-in value is worth a similar amount. The transmission fluid was tested and found to be burnt and containing traces of metal in the fluid. The dealership has been helpful in diagnosing the repair. But from Ford, this low-standard is unacceptable. I could have been killed, injured, and caused harm to others due to this faulty transmission. I have reason to believe based on a class action lawsuit that took place in March of 2024, Ford knowingly placed faulty parts and transmissions into Ford Escape models that were produced from 2009-2021. I have called Ford corporate. They offered little to no empathy, offering a small amount of assistance, which was highly disappointing.

NHTSA ODI 11648095

There is an open recall that is unrepaired on the door but my problem is same as thousands of customers reporting a fuel issue to Ford. I spoke to Ford and the case manager agreed that it's so many customers calling on the Ford Escape fuel consumption issue and there should be a recall issued to fix whatever is causing it. My car had 13,000 miles on it used and I just made my second car payment. I began that week noticing something is not right. I hear a ticking at times in the engine, My MPG number on dashboard is rapidly flipping between random numbers from 99.9 MPG, down to 10 MPG and then 75 MPG and then 6 MPG and ect. I filled up and should have had 249 miles till empty and I got 147 miles before filling up again. Ford has recalls on 2021 Ford escapes for high pressured fuel injectors but only a customer satisfaction on my VIN. Now Ford said a code that alerts them my heating element is throwing a code, my USB charging ports are now throwing a code and stopped working. This is not normal. Why is this 2021 not recalled to replace injectors or whatever is the problem but other 2021 escapes are. Recall this before it breaks down and people owe like 20,000 left and no car. Thank you so much for your time and consideration. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11645889

1. The Sunroof/Moonroof overhead fabric lining fell off the tracks when moving back, yes. 2. My safety was put at risk from the lining falling off the tracks and nearly completely covering my eyes and face while driving, which also puts the safety of others at risk. 3. I have heard numerous people and Ford Technicians noting that this is a common issue of the sunroof/moonroofs with other similar models. 4. It was completely inspected before financing at a dealership. 5. No prior symptoms or lights, I just tried to use my moonroof while driving on the highway a week ago and was nearly blinded

NHTSA ODI 11641126

I have had multiple issues with the powertrain warning light illuminating. The first time it was decided to be low/dirty oil. This occurred about a month after purchasing the vehicle in 2021 with about 4000 miles. The second time it occurred about 6 months later. The dealer could not find a code nor replicate the issue. We thought I had bought bad gas. A year later it came on again, Ford dealership again couldn’t replicate the issue. Finally it came on and stayed on and throttle position sensor was replaced in July 2022. Light came on again in November 2024. Auto parts store and dealership could not find a code. This time I had no coolant. Added coolant and it has not come back on again.

NHTSA ODI 11631320

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

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon having the A/C unit serviced, the service technician shocked and burned himself on the wiring harness. The contact was informed that the vehicle was unsafe to drive due to the issue. The contact was informed that the wiring harness needed to be replaced; however, the part was on backorder. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired and remained with the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 39,000.

NHTSA ODI 11610817

Left Driver door making popping sound when opening or closing due to spot welds failing. Left Driver door has no catch when opening until door is completely open. Left Driver door electronics affected due to spot welds failing this includes window up/down function and locking/unlocking. Claim filed with Ford customer concern and spoke to dealer. Ford wants $2600.00 to repair and will contribute $900.00 because vehicle is out of warranty.

NHTSA ODI 11541206