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What 20 owners told NHTSA about the 2025 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 (20)Electrical system (6)Engine (5)Engine & cooling (3)Transmission & drivetrain (3)Fuel system (2)Speed control (2)Airbags (1)Body & structure (1)Brakes (1)Driver assistance (1)

5 of 20 complaints match · Engine · clear filters

May 24, 2026Engine

I bought this vehicle in mid April 2026 with 9,500 miles. It has the 1.5L Ecoboost engine. I drove the car for 3,000 miles and noticed the coolant was at ‘minimum’ and wondered why a car with so few miles is using coolant. I took the car to my dealer and they confirmed coolant intrusion into the engine due to a bad head gasket. The vehicle is now at the dealer waiting on either a new head gasket or other more intensive repairs due to internal damage. I wanted to flag this because the engine is the 3rd version of this engine but the same issues as previous versions. The repair is under warranty.

NHTSA ODI 11739774

Mar 5, 2026Transmission & drivetrainEngineFuel system

The engine continues to have a burning smell or rotten egg smell at high speeds, the car continues to hesitate when taking off from a red light like it is going to shut off and then jumps forward, and the engine continues to lag as does the battery or power when turning on the vehicle most mornings. I have brought the car in several times to the dealership and due to there being no codes showing, they will not diagnose it further and as soon as I get the vehicle back, the same issues and problems happen over and over again. I have had 4 service appointments now with no resolutions. I feel as though this car is a lemon and worry that it will continue to become more unsafe from ongoing engine, powertrain, and mechanical issues that cannot be fixed or diagnosed.

NHTSA ODI 11722376

Feb 18, 2026Electrical systemEngineFuel system

Electrical/Motor~ Yes, Myself, [XXX] daughter and others safety is at risk from stalling in a busy intersection. yes, its happened multiple times. The dealerships says its not throwing a code and have nothing to go off of. No, the manufacturer hasnt checked it. the RPM went up and down. No other lights on the dash. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11718857

Sep 3, 2025Engine

Car experienced intermittent check-engine light accompanied by "lugging" and inability to accelerate quickly, especially when driving uphill. I felt this was safety related because highway driving in heavy traffic often calls for the ability to accelerate suddenly to merge or to avoid other cars. Dealer finally diagnosed the problem as caused by all four ignition coils being defective.

NHTSA ODI 11684816

Aug 8, 2025Transmission & drivetrainEngine

2025 Escape Safety Recalls* Instrument panel replacement Recall incomplete Replace instrument panel cluster Recall incomplete 2025 escape - inverted camera image Recall incomplete Block heater element replacement Recall incomplete Cylinder head replacement Recall incomplete Cylinder head inspectionreplacement Recall incomplete INVESTOR REPORTING cylinder head replacement recall. As this is a power train and engine part. RECOMMENDED that this recall broadcast for ALL OWNERS AND drivers of this type to STOP DRIVING immediately. While it can cause engine failure in high MPH instances and is a safety hazard for national highways and road ways. Please BROADCAST.....

NHTSA ODI 11679475

Working with the data? Download all 20 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 18, 2026

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 2025 Ford Escape Gas verdict →