Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 67 of 288 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
Structure. Review the 105 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Engine. Review the 64 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electrical System. Review the 42 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
1 crash reports1 fire reports5 injury reports
What owners actually said
288 reports
Mileage unknown · Jan 29, 2024
Engine
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V380000 (Engine) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manu…
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The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V380000 (Engine) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not 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. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
NHTSA ODI #11568512
Mileage unknown · Jan 29, 2024
Structure
Initially driver side door began sluggishly opening proceeding to a grinding open which and finally incomplete opening. Power window has also become inoperable. Dealer charged $400 to look at what is obviously a known problem and said needed a brand new door and quoted $3,000+ (10% of a new car!) Refused service and a mechanic …
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Initially driver side door began sluggishly opening proceeding to a grinding open which and finally incomplete opening. Power window has also become inoperable. Dealer charged $400 to look at what is obviously a known problem and said needed a brand new door and quoted $3,000+ (10% of a new car!) Refused service and a mechanic explained the situation regarding the welding failure and said he "opted" to not attempt to re-install the door check, meaning the door now will fly wide open if not perfectly controlled (which will obviously result in damage to hinge system. We found our car with several hilarious flyers printed (attached below) showing the full awareness of the issue.Our escape is a fully loaded Titanium model and issue began developing at about 49,000 miles. Car has never been in a crash of any kind and has 50,000 miles the VAST majority being 300 mile round trips on the highway for work.
NHTSA ODI #11568397
Mileage unknown · Jan 26, 2024
Unknown Or Other
The driver's side door has been making creaking and popping sounds for over a year and most recently the driver's side door window only goes down half way. Took the vehicle to the Ford dealership where the car was purchased and informed them of the problem and the SSM 50150 for 2020-2021 Escapes. After inspecting the interior …
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The driver's side door has been making creaking and popping sounds for over a year and most recently the driver's side door window only goes down half way. Took the vehicle to the Ford dealership where the car was purchased and informed them of the problem and the SSM 50150 for 2020-2021 Escapes. After inspecting the interior of the door, they found that the check arm had detached and that what was causing the noise and the window to not be able to lower. The vehicle has 29,347 and was purchased in May 2020. They said the vehicle is out of warranty on the date (not mileage) and would not be covered although it's apparent the failure was occurring over several months.
NHTSA ODI #11568122
28,000 miles · Jan 26, 2024
Structure
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the passenger’s side door check spot welds had failed, and the door would not properly open or close. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who determined that the door needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the fa…
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The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the passenger’s side door check spot welds had failed, and the door would not properly open or close. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who determined that the door needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 28,000.
NHTSA ODI #11568077
Mileage unknown · Jan 25, 2024
Structure
Ford Escape’s Door Hinges are Defective: Our 2020 Ford Escape driver door hinges had to be repaired by a non-Ford dealer body shop as the car was out of warranty. The Columbus, Georgia Ford dealer diagnosed the problem as being defective door hinges but they do not do body work. The door's rivets popped out and the hinges made…
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Ford Escape’s Door Hinges are Defective: Our 2020 Ford Escape driver door hinges had to be repaired by a non-Ford dealer body shop as the car was out of warranty. The Columbus, Georgia Ford dealer diagnosed the problem as being defective door hinges but they do not do body work. The door's rivets popped out and the hinges made grinding and popping sounds when opened or closed. There were no warning lamps or messages about the failure before it occurred. We would appreciate it if the NHTSA would issue a formal recall for this defect so we could be reimbursed for what we paid. Thank you very much.
NHTSA ODI #11567864
36,000 miles · Jan 24, 2024
Power TrainInjury
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the shifter selector assembly had sharp edges. There were sharp edges on the side of the dial. The contact sustained injuries to her fingers, but medical attention was not provided. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, wh…
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The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the shifter selector assembly had sharp edges. There were sharp edges on the side of the dial. The contact sustained injuries to her fingers, but medical attention was not provided. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the shifter selector assembly knob needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000.
NHTSA ODI #11567574
100,000 miles · Jan 24, 2024
Structure
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the front driver’s side door failed to open or close as needed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was discovered that the spot weld inside the door was defective, and the contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the fai…
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The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the front driver’s side door failed to open or close as needed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was discovered that the spot weld inside the door was defective, and the contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
NHTSA ODI #11567443
Mileage unknown · Jan 23, 2024
Structure
The driver side door began making loud creaking sounds and would not close properly. The power window would not go down all the way. I was terrified that the door would come open when I was driving and it did once! The Ford dealer said it is a known issue with faulty welding, but there is no recall. I had to pay $1,250 for the r…
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The driver side door began making loud creaking sounds and would not close properly. The power window would not go down all the way. I was terrified that the door would come open when I was driving and it did once! The Ford dealer said it is a known issue with faulty welding, but there is no recall. I had to pay $1,250 for the repair and I was without my vehicle for a week!
NHTSA ODI #11567350
33,420 miles · Jan 22, 2024
Structure
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the front driver’s side door failed to open or close as needed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was discovered that the spot weld inside the door was defective, and the door needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure a…
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The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the front driver’s side door failed to open or close as needed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was discovered that the spot weld inside the door was defective, and the door needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 33,420.
NHTSA ODI #11567082
Mileage unknown · Jan 22, 2024
Engine
We received an IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL in June of last year (2023). The engine could fail, spewing oil with imminent fire danger. The "fix" was estimated to be available by October 2023. We have kept in contact with our Ford service manager, where we purchased the car & they still do not have any word about how to fix this or w…
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We received an IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL in June of last year (2023). The engine could fail, spewing oil with imminent fire danger. The "fix" was estimated to be available by October 2023. We have kept in contact with our Ford service manager, where we purchased the car & they still do not have any word about how to fix this or what parts to use. The last Ford recall for this car was a haphazard fix of drilling holes to let oil drain safely!? We are very concerned about driving our car with this possible break down & fire & this is our only vehicle. Please help us come to a satisfactory resolution for this safety problem. Safety Recall Notice 23S27/NHTSA Recall 23V380. Thank You!
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2022-2024 Maverick Hybrid and 2020 Escape Hybrid vehicles. The Hybrid Powertrain Control Module (HPCM) software may cause the vehicle to shift into neutral unexpectedly, causing a loss of drive power.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will update the HPCM software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 12, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S33. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning January 15, 2026. This is an expansion of Recalls 24V330 (24S33) and 25V133 (25S16).
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
2
PE23013 · Failed Door Check Arm Attachment Point
Opened Jul 7, 2023 · Closed Jan 24, 2024
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Structure:body:door ; Structure:body:door:hinge And Attachments
On July 7, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE23-013 to investigate instances of check arm bracket failure in the front doors in model year (MY) 2020-2021 Ford Escape vehicles. At the time of opening, ODI received 118 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) alleging this failure. To date, ODI has received 593 VOQs alleging this failure, with a variety of reported failure conditions. The most common reported failure condition was reduced door functionality (e.g. door was more difficult to open or close) and the least common was inadvertent door opening. Other reported failure conditions include inability to latch and inability to open. Three VOQs reported injuries, one of which requiring medical attention. ODI conducted a consumer survey which yielded an additional 44 injuries (although the VOQs did not indicate any injury), none of which requiring medical attention. All these injuries were bumps/bruises from the door closing on occupants’ arms and legs while entering and exiting the vehicle. The function of the check arm system is to provide hold-open assist at specific angles and to assist with door closing energy. It does not provide vertical support of the door and is independent of the latching mechanism. This failure is progressive and detectable by vehicle occupants. Consumers commonly report hearing a popping or snapping noise when opening and closing the door. This noise is caused by some of the welds between the bracket and door structure failing and detaching. There may also be visible damage present to the welds in the door structure. Continued use of the door may result in all welds separating and the bracket fully detaching from the door structure, which could lead to increased resistance in closing and opening the door, restrained window operation, and the door freely rotating when open. ODI inspected 3 consumer vehicles in the field, and 2 test vehicles at Ford’s testing facility. The test vehicles were retrofitted with the failed component. ODI observed an increased door closing resistance, however, was unable to reproduce an inadvertent open while parked or driving, or a failure to latch or open condition. Testing also verified this failure did not affect the door ajar warning system. This system provides an audible and visual warning in the event a door did not achieve primary latch position. Ford has provided details on a one-time-repair customer satisfaction program (23B56), stating that they will provide customers with a letter, currently targeted for March 2024, to bring their vehicle to a Ford dealership for a proactive repair. Dealers will inspect the door check arm welds for damage and will either provide a rivet plate to reinforce the existing door check arm or will provide a replacement door, depending on the level of damage present. Customers will be eligible for reimbursement if they previously paid to repair this issue. In view of the high detectability of failure, low potential hazard to drivers, and Ford’s customer satisfaction program to provide a proactive repair, this Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The Agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Structure:body:door
On July 7, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE23-013 to investigate instances of check arm bracket failure in the front doors in model year (MY) 2020-2021 Ford Escape vehicles. At the time of opening, ODI received 118 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) alleging this failure. To date, ODI has received 593 VOQs alleging this failure, with a variety of reported failure conditions. The most common reported failure condition was reduced door functionality (e.g. door was more difficult to open or close) and the least common was inadvertent door opening. Other reported failure conditions include inability to latch and inability to open. Three VOQs reported injuries, one of which requiring medical attention. ODI conducted a consumer survey which yielded an additional 44 injuries (although the VOQs did not indicate any injury), none of which requiring medical attention. All these injuries were bumps/bruises from the door closing on occupants’ arms and legs while entering and exiting the vehicle. The function of the check arm system is to provide hold-open assist at specific angles and to assist with door closing energy. It does not provide vertical support of the door and is independent of the latching mechanism. This failure is progressive and detectable by vehicle occupants. Consumers commonly report hearing a popping or snapping noise when opening and closing the door. This noise is caused by some of the welds between the bracket and door structure failing and detaching. There may also be visible damage present to the welds in the door structure. Continued use of the door may result in all welds separating and the bracket fully detaching from the door structure, which could lead to increased resistance in closing and opening the door, restrained window operation, and the door freely rotating when open. ODI inspected 3 consumer vehicles in the field, and 2 test vehicles at Ford’s testing facility. The test vehicles were retrofitted with the failed component. ODI observed an increased door closing resistance, however, was unable to reproduce an inadvertent open while parked or driving, or a failure to latch or open condition. Testing also verified this failure did not affect the door ajar warning system. This system provides an audible and visual warning in the event a door did not achieve primary latch position. Ford has provided details on a one-time-repair customer satisfaction program (23B56), stating that they will provide customers with a letter, currently targeted for March 2024, to bring their vehicle to a Ford dealership for a proactive repair. Dealers will inspect the door check arm welds for damage and will either provide a rivet plate to reinforce the existing door check arm or will provide a replacement door, depending on the level of damage present. Customers will be eligible for reimbursement if they previously paid to repair this issue. In view of the high detectability of failure, low potential hazard to drivers, and Ford’s customer satisfaction program to provide a proactive repair, this Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The Agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
Structure:body:door:hinge And Attachments
On July 7, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE23-013 to investigate instances of check arm bracket failure in the front doors in model year (MY) 2020-2021 Ford Escape vehicles. At the time of opening, ODI received 118 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) alleging this failure. To date, ODI has received 593 VOQs alleging this failure, with a variety of reported failure conditions. The most common reported failure condition was reduced door functionality (e.g. door was more difficult to open or close) and the least common was inadvertent door opening. Other reported failure conditions include inability to latch and inability to open. Three VOQs reported injuries, one of which requiring medical attention. ODI conducted a consumer survey which yielded an additional 44 injuries (although the VOQs did not indicate any injury), none of which requiring medical attention. All these injuries were bumps/bruises from the door closing on occupants’ arms and legs while entering and exiting the vehicle. The function of the check arm system is to provide hold-open assist at specific angles and to assist with door closing energy. It does not provide vertical support of the door and is independent of the latching mechanism. This failure is progressive and detectable by vehicle occupants. Consumers commonly report hearing a popping or snapping noise when opening and closing the door. This noise is caused by some of the welds between the bracket and door structure failing and detaching. There may also be visible damage present to the welds in the door structure. Continued use of the door may result in all welds separating and the bracket fully detaching from the door structure, which could lead to increased resistance in closing and opening the door, restrained window operation, and the door freely rotating when open. ODI inspected 3 consumer vehicles in the field, and 2 test vehicles at Ford’s testing facility. The test vehicles were retrofitted with the failed component. ODI observed an increased door closing resistance, however, was unable to reproduce an inadvertent open while parked or driving, or a failure to latch or open condition. Testing also verified this failure did not affect the door ajar warning system. This system provides an audible and visual warning in the event a door did not achieve primary latch position. Ford has provided details on a one-time-repair customer satisfaction program (23B56), stating that they will provide customers with a letter, currently targeted for March 2024, to bring their vehicle to a Ford dealership for a proactive repair. Dealers will inspect the door check arm welds for damage and will either provide a rivet plate to reinforce the existing door check arm or will provide a replacement door, depending on the level of damage present. Customers will be eligible for reimbursement if they previously paid to repair this issue. In view of the high detectability of failure, low potential hazard to drivers, and Ford’s customer satisfaction program to provide a proactive repair, this Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The Agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
DP22005 · Pedestrian Alert Sounds
Opened Jan 27, 2023 · Closed Aug 7, 2023
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System:propulsion System
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.
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