What 94 owners told NHTSA about the 2023 Ford Escape

[Recurring No-Start Issue with Multiple Warning Alerts – Safety Concern] I am reporting a recurring vehicle issue involving failure to start, which I believe may pose a safety risk. The issue has occurred five times: August 11, 2023 April 12, 2025 June 13, 2025 December 12, 2025 April 1, 2026 During these incidents, the vehicle failed to start and displayed multiple warning messages on the dashboard. On some occasions, the vehicle only started after several hours. The vehicle becomes completely inoperable when this issue occurs. After the third occurrence, I brought the vehicle to an authorized service center. However, the issue was not resolved and has continued to occur. This repeated failure raises serious concerns about vehicle reliability and safety, as the vehicle may become inoperable without warning. I have attached documentation, including repair records and photos of the dashboard warnings. I am submitting this report so that this issue can be properly investigated.

NHTSA ODI 11739002

1.engine failed and my infotainment system turned off 2.i feel like I was scared because I didnt know if I was going to come back on 3. No 4. No

NHTSA ODI 11738223

I am reporting a recurring safety issue involving sudden loss of power while driving in my 2023 Ford Escape. The vehicle has experienced multiple incidents where, while accelerating or pulling into traffic, it suddenly loses power, hesitates, or fails to respond to the accelerator. In some cases, the RPM drops unexpectedly, and the vehicle will not move or respond for several seconds. After this delay, the vehicle may jerk or surge forward suddenly. This creates a dangerous situation, especially when entering busy roads or intersections, as it puts me at risk of being struck by oncoming traffic. This issue has occurred multiple times and has been brought to the dealership on several occasions. The vehicle has undergone multiple repair attempts, including major engine-related repairs such as cylinder head and cooling system work, as well as a fuel system component replacement. Despite these efforts, the problem persists. On multiple visits, the dealership has stated they were unable to duplicate the issue, even though the condition continues to occur during normal driving. The vehicle has been out of service for an extended number of days due to these ongoing issues. This defect is intermittent but poses a serious safety hazard due to the unpredictable loss of power and delayed acceleration. I am concerned about the risk of an accident or injury if this issue is not properly identified and corrected. I am requesting that this issue be investigated, as it appears to be a recurring defect that may affect other vehicles of the same make and model

NHTSA ODI 11727319

Vehicles coolant emptied out causing vehicle to overheat and smoke from under engine.

NHTSA ODI 11726171

My vehicle has stalled several times in the last couple of months. I go to accelerate and the vehicle suddenly stops out of no where. This has almost caused me to get into an accident. I see there have been several recalls on ford escapes and this issue should be looked into for my 2023 escape.

NHTSA ODI 11724490

My 2023 Ford Escape acts like it is about to stall out once I hit the gas from a stop. It has happened multiple times. After idling for 10 minutes when I go to take off it will shift so hard that it pushes you forward in your seat. It has not been taken to a dealership yet since no light comes on and it doesn’t happen all the time. It has put my safety at risk since I was turning on the highway and it took 10-15 seconds to get up to speed.

NHTSA ODI 11722362

The engine shut off and immediately turned on

NHTSA ODI 11721791

Symptoms appeared in January 2026. Check engine light is on-HAD P0301 & P0316. Ran misfire monitor & Relative compression and cylinder 1 is the issue with 70 PSI. Performed cylinder head leak down test- exhaust valve leaking replace cylinder head assembly. Problem confirmed and diagnosed by Ford dealership. The safety issue associated with the car are: sudden jerking or hesitation, loss of acceleration when merging or crossing traffic, unpredictable throttle response, sudden loss of power. Symptoms appeared in September 2025. In October 2025, the car required a turbo repair, which cost a total of $1,600. The safety issue associated with the car are: air-fuel balance, engine misfires, complete stall, loss of power. This was diagnosed by certified repair show. Similar recalls have been made to other Ford Escape cars and I believe my VIN number should be included.

NHTSA ODI 11720710

I drive a 2023 Ford escape active, 8F35 transmission, with 111,114 miles on it. I purchased my car in July 2025 from truauto of Ladson SC with 93,000 miles on it. Had a transmission complete failure in December 2025 (5 months after buying). Ford dealership in Valdosta Georgia (where I lived) was no help in trying to get it fixed and it sat on there lot for a months or so, because it was undriveable. I got it towed back to SC to get it fixed by a local transmission shop and it is being halted due to a current planetary lawsuit with these cars for parts. I have now been without a car for 2-3 months and have forked over $6,000+ to get this car fixed. I was not told about any known transmission issues when I bought this car (verbally or written) from Truauto, nor was I contacted about any recall from Ford and I was denied a Remanufactured transmission at the dealership that I went to to get the car fixed. I am out of warranty but that still doesn’t explain a transmission failure in a close to brand new car regardless of miles. I have already paid the $5400 or so for the repair at the local shop and it has yet to be fixed due to lack of availability of parts.

NHTSA ODI 11718102

Purchased brand new 11/2023, immediately started with electrical problems 01/2024, also would put car in reverse and car would cut off, was dropped off at service but never given a reason for the issue or a repair. 01/2025 car had acceleration issues, dropped off at service and was given a rental and given car back with no explanation. 6/2025 car went into limp mode and was towed to service where they found shards of metal throughout motor, replaced motor and then started having problems with cab filling with exhaust, was told they had no rental available and could continue to drive the car with my baby in it, then told was just a gasket needed to be replaced, car had same issue immediately, returned back to service where the turbo then needed to be replaced as well as catalytic converter gasket, after repair, called numerous times complaining that car would shift very hard and wouldn’t accelerate while driving or pulling out on an intersection or from a stop light, was told valve body needed to be replaced, then check engine light came on immediately after pickup, returned car and purge valve needed to be replaced, after pickup issue of car not accelerating continued, was told no issue found, car acceleration issues has became worse and now have been told soonest available appointment and rental is 02/12/2026.

NHTSA ODI 11714441

Recall Action Soon Issue Since 03-14-2025 Drivers side seat buckle replacement For More Information Telematics Generated Issue Recall Action Soon Issue Since 11-08-2024 Inspect front door check-arm reinforcement spot welds For More Information

NHTSA ODI 11674799

For the last 2 weeks After accelerating my engine coolant overheat warning light goes off and i can't accelerate any further until light goes off. Also ford mechanic states there is metal shavings in the coolant that might be causing engine to overheat on top of the sensor issue.

NHTSA ODI 11669577

The contact owns a 2023 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine and the front driver’s side tire. In addition, the instrument panel was occasionally turned off independently. Additionally, during rainy weather driving the brakes were making abnormal sounds. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were occasionally illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer on several occasions and was diagnosed; however, the failure could not be replicated. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer, Mullinax Ford of Kissimmee (1810 E Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy, Kissimmee, FL 34744); for a second opinion; however, the failure could not be replicated. The vehicle was also taken to a third local dealer, Tropical Ford (9900 S Orange Blossom Trl, Orlando, FL 32837); but the cause of the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that an unknown material might have intruded into the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 5,000.

NHTSA ODI 11626254

I was driving home to Aspen, CO from Denver. I was about 44 miles from my home, on the other side of an 11,000 ft mountain pass. As I was passing another vehicle, the car died. The dashboard light said "engine coolant over temperature". The car died as I was pulling back into the right lane. The person behind me swerved around me. I had to have the car towed to a dealer that is 2 1/2 hours from my home. It's been sitting at the Ford Dealership in Salida, CO for 9 days. They keep telling me they will get it in to diagnose the problem but every day it's the same story and they do nothing. After doing online research, that make, model and year vehicle engine issue has been reported by many owners. There was no warning about this issue. It simply died while driving on the highway.

NHTSA ODI 11609703

I've had this thing less than 6 months, I've already had the engine rebuilt with 34 parts a month and a half in and the drivers side rear door handle replaced during this time because it would not open from the outside and only the inside despite being unlocked. All of this occurred at the beginning of May 2024 and it sat for 3 months due to the engine being basically rebuilt with most parts being on backorder. Today the same door is having the same issue, only this time the same exact door won't open neither from the inside or outside, which is a huge safety hazard in my eyes if I got into an accident and had passengers in the backseat. I do have video proof of this too.

NHTSA ODI 11607852

Upon reaching 60 mph my vehicle displayed overheating messages and cut power to the motor. Vehicle was towed into Ford service on 4/4/24 and remains in the shop. Been told it needs a new top end of the motor with no eta on parts. I was approximately one mile from my home when the incident occurred.

NHTSA ODI 11585467

The car warned of overheating and messaged to service immediately...

NHTSA ODI 11582873

Within a block of my wife pulling out of our apartment complex onto a 55mph highway to travel to work in the morning, the vehicle had several lights on the cluster illuminate and indicated that it was overheating and went into limp mode. She was able to move to the shoulder and call me. The amount of traffic on this highway and the speed in which she lost power made this a very unsafe event. The check engine light had come on and the vehicle indicated maximum engine temperature, service engine soon light illuminated as well as powertrain fault. The vehicle was towed to the selling Ford Dealer and the condition was confirmed and the vehicle still indicated high temp even after sitting overnight. It was diagnosed from a service bulletin as having a faulty head that had manufacturing debris in it which was released into the coolant system and blocked the coolant temperature sensor. Warranty covered parts have been ordered with some being on Backorder. The vehicle is still in the shop awaiting parts and we have been provided a loaner. We have only owned the vehicle three months and 1500 miles when this occurred. Ford declined a buyback request on the vehicle and offered no remedy except warranty repair.

NHTSA ODI 11582667

On 1/29/24, I drove around town to run errands and on my second stop, I tried starting the car and it would not start, but it went into "accessory mode". I received SEVERAL warnings: Pedestrian Sounder, Memory Recall Failure, Front Collision Sensors, Tractions Control, Check Engine Light, etc. It also stated it would sound an alarm if we tried turning it on again. I sat there for 10 mins and tried turning it on after getting in and out of the car, looking underneath to see if oil or gas was leaking, which nothing was leaking. I kept trying to start the vehicle with no success, still getting the warnings. My spouse arrived after 15 mins and when she opened the hood and wiggled some cables around, we were able to start the car up and it was like it went through a factory reset as the memory for the driver seat went really close to the steering wheel. We called roadside assistance thinking we need to get this towed to a dealership but cancelled it after seeing it would start and my spouse driving it around the grocery parking lot carefully. When we got it to the dealership, it wasn't having those issues and they couldn't do much for it. On 2/10/24, the check engine light came on. We took it to the dealership on 2/12/24 and they told us the PCM malfunctioned. They did a software update on the PCM, which the dealership said has fixed the problem for now. Just worried this is going to happen again and will happen when I'm in a place where maybe my spouse can't come or we are traveling long distance. Prior to this incident, the dash (MPH, Gas level, Oil level, Engine Temp) of the vehicle, which is entirely digital, flickers like there is a short in the wiring somewhere. It doesn't happen every time we drive it, just sometimes (maybe 35% of the time). This was happening shortly after purchasing the vehicle in July 2023. I have a feeling that something relating to the electrical components, battery, chip/software/firmware in the Ford Escape needs to be replaced entirely.

NHTSA ODI 11571481

Engine does not start or crank. It is available for inspection upon request. Pregnant wife and child were left stranded in the cold until I could pick them up. Problem has occurred on three separate occasions: 6/29/23 - No DTCs generated, Ford dealership did not do any work 9/22/23 - No DTCs again, but Ford dealership replaced a module and cleared other codes 1/29/24 - No DTCs. Dealership cleared other codes and informed of Ford SSM 52179 2023 Escape/Corsair - Intermittent No Crank/No Start Condition With Various Lost Communication DTCs Stored In Various Modules And Multiple Illuminated Warning Indicators Displayed In The IPC - Built On Or Before 07-Sep-2023. Dealership explained other customers have had complaints and Ford has no solution and is telling dealerships to return the vehicles to customers. Vehicle has not been inspected by any other party, including manufacturer, other than the dealership. There are messages for "Service AdvanceTrac" and "Park brake limited function, Service required" in the instrument panel each of the three occurrences.

NHTSA ODI 11569144

The contact owns a 2023 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at 55 MPH he smelled a burning odor. The vehicle was pulled into a parking lot where the hood was lifted and the odor emanated strongly from the engine compartment. Additionally, he noticed sparking, and then flames erupted. The vehicle was towed to an unknown repair center. The fire department distinguished the fire. A police report was not filed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 7,400.

NHTSA ODI 11564593

New 2023 Ford Escape purchased Dec 15, 2023. While accelerating onto expressway- get an error flashing "Engine Coolant Over temperature - service vehicle soon"

NHTSA ODI 11563415

Shortly after purchasing this, my daughter was driving it and the check engine light came on and it said it was overheating. The dealer was contacted and it was taken in for repairs. We got it back and was told that it was a broken wire in the wiring harness and they ordered a new harness but had fixed the wire so it should be good to go. 2 weeks later it did the same thing and actually went into limp mode. This time they said it was the sensor in the cylinder head and they ordered a replacement. Fast forward 3 1/2 months and it's still at the dealers. They are now telling us the cylinder needs to be replaced and the parts are on backorder. While we have been waiting they gave us a 2023 Bronco Sport with the same 1.5 liter 3 cylinder and that hasn't given any issues. When the loaner hit 5000 miles we had to return it to the dealer for a different vehicle. They gave us a 2023 Escape with the same 1.5 liter 3 cylinder and only 800 miles in it. The 2nd day my daughter drove it, it did the same thing as the one she originally purchased did. We have now been told by the service department that they have several doing the same thing and they are replacing the heads on each one when they get them. Our Escape is now on the Lemon Law Buyback and the dealer won't even give us the time of day. The dealer told my daughter she needed to stop the Lemon Law Buyback process and then they would talk to her about trading it in for a different vehicle. The issue is, she is upside down on the loan and the only way she can finish the Lemon Law buyback is to come up with close to $5000 to get out from under the vehicle and the dealer says there is no way that they can/will roll that into a different loan. Upon looking at the Forums many of these vehicles are having the same issue. Ford really needs to step up and take care of this ASAP. It isn't safe being stranded along the road.

NHTSA ODI 11554794

3 times, either merging on the highway or full throttle, vehicle screams overheat warning with wrench light for a couple of seconds and disappears. No limp mode or smoke at all. And coolant level is at MAX. No clue is this some sort of glitch or engine failure? Vehicles drives amazing and power is great. Maybe it’s a software glitch?

NHTSA ODI 11552516

Vehicle has a 1.5L dragon 3 cylinder. When passing vehicles, on 3 occasions it throws codes that says that the engine has an engine overheated issue, service asap, and goes into a limp mode which does not give you any time to get to safety before your speed is dropped below 55 mph. It will not go out of limp mode until you completely shut off the vehicle and wait 5 or so minutes and turn it back on. Even after it stays in a limp mode capacity and does not easily get back up to highway speeds. The certified dealership service department has had my brand new vehicle 7 weeks with no resolution. Car was bought with 16 miles on the odometer, on August 25th, 2023, at 650 ish miles on September 6th it happened the 1st time. The 2nd time was on September 14th, 3rd time September 15th, 4th time was, September 29th. 3 times on a 4 lane highway, 1st time on a 2 lane country highway.

NHTSA ODI 11551709