What 222 owners told NHTSA about the 2022 Ford Escape Gas

The entire transmission had to be replaced. The water pump also. Currently it continues to have issues with the check engine light coming on, the code it says is the fuel sensors.

NHTSA ODI 11747559

Transmission shudders and hesitates during low-speed operation, typically around 10-15 mph. Condition occurs repeatedly during normal driving and feels like slipping or delayed engagement. Transmission fluid was replaced, but the problem persists. No warning lights or messages have appeared. The issue may reduce driver confidence and affect acceleration when entering traffic or crossing intersections. Problem is reproducible and appears to be worsening over time. Vehicle available for inspection.

NHTSA ODI 11747565

I press on the gas pedal and the car won't move. I will be at a stop sign and I'll remove my foot from the break, step on the gas and the car stalls it won't really go. I almost have to floor it to get it to move. Has happened multiple times.

NHTSA ODI 11744396

Shortly after purchasing my 2022 Ford Escape, I began experiencing hesitation during acceleration, loss of power, RPM fluctuations, loud howling and whining noises, grinding noises, exhaust-related rattling, coolant bubbling, and a strong sulfur/rotten egg odor. The problems were reported repeatedly to the selling dealer and Ford service departments. Despite multiple complaints, I was repeatedly told nothing was wrong with the vehicle. The vehicle continued to deteriorate and now struggles to accelerate and produces extremely loud noises during operation. The condition creates a safety concern because the vehicle does not respond normally when accelerating and may not be able to maintain speed safely in traffic. I also discovered an open safety recall involving a potentially cracked fuel injector that could allow fuel or fuel vapor to accumulate on the engine and create a fire risk. The recall remains incomplete because a remedy is not currently available. The vehicle has been inspected by dealership service departments and an independent transmission specialist. The problems have been ongoing since shortly after purchase and continue to worsen.

NHTSA ODI 11743915

Check engine light on with Powertrain Malfunction / REduced Power notification on myford pass app. Scanned with OBD scanner and it has code P0929

NHTSA ODI 11739144

This hasn't caused an accident or stranded me yet, but Ford won't do anything to help me avoid danger in the faulty vehicle they sold. There have been several recalls on my 2022 Ford Escape PHEV over the past year or so, including safety recalls. The number of recalls, requiring me to take the time to deal with scheduling, drop off/pickup the car, and being unable to use the car when it is in the shop for the recall rectifications seems excessive. Worse yet, they have safety related recalls from 2025 that still do not have a fix. I do not feel safe in my car. I went through the company's lemon recall process and they refused to repurchase the vehicle. People should expect a basic level of quality and definitely safety when buying a car. I will never buy another Ford and would never recommend that anyone else do so. This company no longer represents quality and they don't even care to try.

NHTSA ODI 11734128

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission slipped out of gear while attempting to accelerate. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 126,000.

NHTSA ODI 11727291

I have had issues with my car since the day that I bought it. First, my car squealed every time that I backed up. I took it to my local Ford dealership 3 or 4 times without this ever being fixed. This then progressed to my brakes squealing anytime they’re used. I barely have 25,000 miles on my car. Additionally, I have had numerous occasions where my car will get stuck and not shift, not accelerate which is extremely scary when merging into traffic, the RPM’s will jump between 3,000 and 5,000 and stay there while I cannot accelerate or shift. The vehicle has had episodes of shaking while I am driving, and now there is a grinding sound when driving for unknown reasons. My car has also sounded like there is a hole in the exhaust, although there isn’t. I’m not sure what’s causing the noise. Now I have come to find out that there are two active recalls on my car; one for the PCM control module (NHTSA Recall Number: 25V-467, Ford Recall Number: 24S55), and the SYNC/ display software update (NHTSA Recall Number: 26V-123, Ford Recall Number: 25S06) which is a lesser concern. I called the dealer that I bought my car from and they can’t service my car for the PCM control module via an appointment until 4/24/26 (over a month from now when I don’t feel safe driving my vehicle). They said that I can drop my car off before 4/24 for about a week, but that they can’t provide a loaner. I can’t be without a vehicle. Per Ford there are not parts for a permanent remedy anyway, and this is only a temporary fix as it is, which I don’t have confidence in. That’s ridiculous because the recall came out 7/2025. It’s been almost a year. They also told me that the SYNC software update is only a customer satisfaction, not a recall, so they won’t fix it, which is incorrect. I called Ford customer satisfaction and was also denied a loaner car. The only option that I was given was the possibility of a buyback program, which didn’t sound promising. I’m stuck in a car that I don’t feel safe in.

NHTSA ODI 11723424

A car started jerking erratically. I put it in, drive or reverse. And the light on the transmission selector would just blink on and off and it would not go in gear when it did finally go in gear. It would not shift out of fourth gear. We'll erratic transmission would not shift cars behind me had to hit their brakes. Because my vehicle would not move very dangerous. I took the vehicle in the Ford. They said it needs a transmission. I've got 65000 miles on this vehicle. It's 5000 miles past a warranty. Warning light did come on. My vehicle is now at an independent transmission shop and they say, I need a new transmission. I don't have the money to fix this. And Ford is wrong if we're not correcting it i will have the documents today. We're ford, it would only give me a small $7000 trade in allowance. Because it needed a transmission. I will be receiving the paperwork from Ford and the paperwork from the transmission shop that has my vehicle. Thank you.

NHTSA ODI 11707474

Will not shift into park. Code is P068A on reader. When it started not going into park, it started shifting really hard between 1st and 2nd gear. When came to a stop, tried to put the vehicle in park and it automatically put the parking brake on. When the shop looked up recalls, they told me Ford had issued a recall that may be related but put a 70,000 mile or 7 year limit on it. My vehicle meets the year limit but is over the mileage so Ford said they would not cover it.

NHTSA ODI 11705466

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving 55-60 MPH, the transmission experienced hard shifts and hesitated while shifting into the intended gear. The contact stated that upon depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle decelerated while the RPMs became elevated. The contact stated that the vehicle jerked while shifting into the intended gear and lost motive power. The power train warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road until the power train warning light turned off. The contact resumed driving; however, the failure recurred, causing the contact to pull over to the side of the road several times. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle later, the vehicle made an abnormal grinding sound and failed to respond upon depressing the accelerator pedal. An independent mechanic diagnosed the vehicle at the residence. The mechanic determined that the transmission was slipping and might need to be replaced. The contact was referred to the dealer for assistance. Several unknown dealers were contacted and provided estimates for the transmission replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.

NHTSA ODI 11683185

While I was driving 65 mph I changed lanes and pressed the gas pedal to accelerate when the vehicle suddenly lost power and shifted to neutral. The check engine light came on. I was able to move the vehicle off the road avoiding an accident and turned the vehicle off for a few moments. I then restarted the vehicle and exited the highway at the next exit. The error code was checked with the check engine light on and it was P068A. The car was parked for the evening and the next day the check engine light was no longer on the dashboard upon restart. Scheduling the vehicle to be checked for issues.

NHTSA ODI 11682720

The transmission will not select the gear. The selector in the engine bay will not select the gear. The local dealership in Cullman diagnosed it as the entire transmission and disclosed to us that they do not run diagnostics for specific parts, they replace the entire transmission at a cost of $9500.

NHTSA ODI 11656934

First problem I have with my 2022 Ford escape was the purge valve not sealing within the emissions system. Caused the check engine light to come on and struggle to start up after pumping gas. Ford dealer fixed it. Check engine light is still on, now it is saying that an O2 sensor is the cause of my check engine light. All of this is within the power train system of the 2022 Ford escape which is causing the vehicle to read that it cannot pass and will fail an emissions test if it were to undergo one.

NHTSA ODI 11649155

Transmission got stuck in 6th gear doing 80 miles per hour on the highway. Was unable to upshift or downshift. Had to switch driving modes for vehicle to begin downshifting. Also experienced getting stuck in certain gears and very rough shifting in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd gear. No warning lights were presebt and according ti the dealer no codes were present on the transmission either. Components that failed included the torque converter, valve body, and clutch. Dealer confirmed that the transmission was having problems and rebuilt it under warranty at 48,000 miles. However I came in a 30,000 miles for recommended service as I was getting rough shifting and requested a flush and was told it was lifetime fluid for the 8 speed transmissions. At 48,000 it got stuck and almost caused accidents hence this report. Ally protect processed the insurance claim for what Ford refused to cover, only a small cost incurred on my part for the rental. Can provide more information as needed.

NHTSA ODI 11645695

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon arriving at her destination, the vehicle failed to shift into park(P). The message "Powertrain Fault" was displayed. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The “Service Powertrain” warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Manufacturer Safety Recall: 23S27. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 81,000.

NHTSA ODI 11633364

Very strong smell of gas in my car , affecting me badly , got sick and threw up and took car in , and ford changed my catalyst convertor among other things , no lights lit up for anything , the smell that was there is why I took it in and they kept the car until fixed and picked up , now I don’t feel safe , I have a 2022 ford escape 34000 miles and have had multiple serious recalls and very unsure of this car !

NHTSA ODI 11632660

April 2024 - While driving to work, I stopped at a stop sign. When I went to turn, the car went into neutral. I had to turn the car off and restart before I could change the gears. I took it to the dealer who stated they could not get the vehicle to replicate what happened and to keep eye on it. November 22, 2024 on my way home as I was exiting off the highway, the vehicle starting lunging then shifted into neutral on its own. I was able to stop and put it back into drive. When I tried to drive, it went back into neutral and started lunging forward. I could not get it back into drive but was able to go in neutral 5 mph and made it home. Once in the driveway, I tried to backup and it would not reverse. I turned off the vehicle and restarted it several times and was able to back up then drove straight to the dealer. They did a diagnostic and said the transmission needed replaced. This should not happen on a 2 year old vehicle. I noticed on your website 9 recalls for 2022 Ford Escapes. The only recall I received was for the doors. I took my vehicle in to have those fixed and those have been on backorder since April. My driver's side has only 1 hinge holding it on. I pray it doesn't fall off while driving.

NHTSA ODI 11629080

Powertrain malfunction/ reduce power. My safety was fine, it just gave me really bad anxiety when the the gears shift shifted on its own. The problem was finally fixed it started literally less than five days after I bought my car and I bought my car brand new it took the dealership almost 2 years to believe me on what was wrong with it then of course I try to get blamed when I showed them proof on my phone that it was popping up a different times in the last two years. Yes Yes it started 3/27/22 - 2/01/24 Now I feel like I’m having problems with my brakes sometimes I feel like I gotta press on my heart to get them to stop and then it’s like my car is delaying when it’s stopping. Yet I checked to see if my car had any new recalls and nothing’s coming up. The powertrain malfunction didn’t even come up as a recall yet I had Ford fix it.

NHTSA ODI 11628011

I was driving down the interstate and came up on a wreck. When traffic started to move again my transmission wouldnt engage. The active cruise had quit working about 10 minutes prior.

NHTSA ODI 11620027

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle briefly hesitated and was sluggish before returning to normal functionality. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 20,000.

NHTSA ODI 11602379

I have a 2022 ford escape ecoboost I was going the freeway so put it on faster drive , push button it started to go then at maybe about 35 mph it jerked us all back and fourth my car gear went from drive to neutral and car lost power on the freeway ! I had my [XXX] nephew with me and my [XXX] old mom who was jerked back and forth ! Thank god for seatbelts ! I don’t know what to do called ford and have to take care in to see what could have caused this problem ! I hate the dealership I go to !and need to find a place that’s honest about what’s happening ! Had to pull over and try to come off freeway . I live in ca , u dont get a police report unless there is a major accident or major hurt , cops don’t come for these kind of things . And it just happened again for the 2nd time , 1st time it happened about 1 year into owning the car , I thought maybe I did something wrong ! But now I know I didn’t , told ford before but nothing was done about it INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11589733

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle started losing power. The contact stated that a notification from the Ford mobile app indicated that there was a power train malfunction, reduction in power, Four-wheel Drive fault, and advised to contact an authorized dealer. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and drive to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by a dealer or an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 23,000.

NHTSA ODI 11578404

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under an unknown recall; however, the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle violently lunged forward. Additionally, the contact stated that while the brake pedal was depressed, the vehicle violently jerked. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 5,503.

NHTSA ODI 11527378

I had recalls and problems since I first got the Car SUV Ford escape 2022 I never had so many issues Within 1 month I had to go back from some issues they had to fix see attached documents I SUV stalled on Virginia route 28 Luckly it was on the exit lane that I was able to stop and restart my engine I reported this to Ford dealership they supposedly fixed it but I am scared since I feel the problems are going to cost me in the long run I asked the dealership for an exchange they denied me I feel this is not fair I don't need a barely 1 year old SUV ford to have more problems on year 2 and 3 please help

NHTSA ODI 11525298