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 · Oct 3, 2023
Unknown Or Other
Driver side door has started to make a popping sound when opening and closing. It appears this is coming from inside the door at the door limiter. I am fearing this part could potentially fully break and become unfunctional causing door to pop open and cause potential injury to myself or other drivers on the roadways. Researc…
Read full complaint
Driver side door has started to make a popping sound when opening and closing. It appears this is coming from inside the door at the door limiter. I am fearing this part could potentially fully break and become unfunctional causing door to pop open and cause potential injury to myself or other drivers on the roadways. Research has shown this is a consistent problem with this year and model vehicle.
NHTSA ODI #11548105
Mileage unknown · Oct 3, 2023
Structure
The driver door spot welds for the support arm broke. The door would not close. The dealer said it is not covered by Ford. I called Ford customer satisfaction. Case CAS45401361. Have an appointment for October 9th. Can you help?
NHTSA ODI #11548104
Mileage unknown · Oct 2, 2023
Unknown Or Other
When hill assist is in use at the end of the hill accelerates and kicks . You have to keep decent distance from other vehicles or you will hit them
NHTSA ODI #11547650
Mileage unknown · Sep 30, 2023
Unknown Or Other
My ford has been in no accidents or anything. One day the door started creaking. Making a CHUNK noise. After a few days of use there was a loud crack and you can see the weld spots have fallen out and the door no longer sits flush. It's the door, it won't close properly that seems like a safety risk. The door is literally f…
Read full complaint
My ford has been in no accidents or anything. One day the door started creaking. Making a CHUNK noise. After a few days of use there was a loud crack and you can see the weld spots have fallen out and the door no longer sits flush. It's the door, it won't close properly that seems like a safety risk. The door is literally falling off. Ford inspected and told me the price to fix would be 4500 bucks. No warnings.
NHTSA ODI #11547496
Mileage unknown · Sep 28, 2023
Structure
The drivers side front door developed a loud clunking sound upon opening and closing. My car sees somewhat higher mileage than typical and my mileage is at 79K miles currently. Upon inspecting the issue, I determined that the door closing indent mechanism that stops the door from swinging open all the way was jumping around and …
Read full complaint
The drivers side front door developed a loud clunking sound upon opening and closing. My car sees somewhat higher mileage than typical and my mileage is at 79K miles currently. Upon inspecting the issue, I determined that the door closing indent mechanism that stops the door from swinging open all the way was jumping around and making the loud thunking noise. Upon further looking I noticed all the spot welds were ripped out of the door body. Those welds hold a bracket on the inside of the door that holds the closing mechanism. I did a bit of online research and determined there was a service bulletin from Ford on this issue. I call the service rep I was working with on another issue and left a message about the door and the service bulletin number and asked for a call back. No Call back received. Meanwhile I have to drive my vehicle so I have been driving it. Opening the door causes loud thumping noises and ocassionally the window will no longer operate. I was going to live with it as didnt really think it was a safety issue. But the other day I stopped quickly on a downhill letft leaning slope and asTher I went to get out the weight of the door pulled me out of the car and I feel next to the car. The car started to roll forward and then slammed into park before the car ran over me. e is a failsafe on my car (hybrid with rotary shift know on console) that disengages the car from drive to park when you open the door. It did work but the 1ish second delay nearly allowed the car to run over me. Fortnunaely I was not injured except for a few bruises from the fall. Ford should make repairs to this car for driver safety issues. From what I read, the repair involves replacing the entire door and can cost thousands of dollars after bumper to bumper warranty is done. It is an obvious manufacturing issue and seems to be developing on many cars as their mileage, and therefore the number of cycles of door opening and closing taking place. Doors flying open should not happen.
NHTSA ODI #11547107
Mileage unknown · Sep 28, 2023
Service Brakes
Ford escape brakes have been a continuous issue after purchasing car 3 years ago. Brakes would make loud screeching noise when reversing car slowly. The problem seemed to get worse after it rained or the car gets wet. I’ve taken the car into the Ford dealer 3x for the same issue and they cannot seem to recreate the noise. Dealer…
Read full complaint
Ford escape brakes have been a continuous issue after purchasing car 3 years ago. Brakes would make loud screeching noise when reversing car slowly. The problem seemed to get worse after it rained or the car gets wet. I’ve taken the car into the Ford dealer 3x for the same issue and they cannot seem to recreate the noise. Dealer has said the brake pads look fine. Recently, when applying brakes the car isn’t slowing down but still moving forward. After about 10seconds of “skipping” forward the car will stop.
NHTSA ODI #11547037
Mileage unknown · Sep 26, 2023
Structure
Front left door (driver side door) load popping noise and window wont go down.
NHTSA ODI #11546579
Mileage unknown · Sep 20, 2023
Structure
Driver side door check broke off the door. Spot welds failed. Door is very difficult to close Ford has put out SSM50150 message but no recall has been authorized that I am aware of. Online research shows this has happened to many others who have this same model year. Most stated the entire door needs to be replaced at a cost of…
Read full complaint
Driver side door check broke off the door. Spot welds failed. Door is very difficult to close Ford has put out SSM50150 message but no recall has been authorized that I am aware of. Online research shows this has happened to many others who have this same model year. Most stated the entire door needs to be replaced at a cost of $2500-$2600. I heard a slight popping sound when opening this door at first and now the door check has broken away from the door. Picture of the failed spot welds attached.
NHTSA ODI #11545562
Mileage unknown · Sep 18, 2023
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 contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufact…
Read full complaint
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 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 #11545143
Mileage unknown · Sep 16, 2023
Electrical SystemEngineSteering
Vehicle lost power steering and acceleration in the middle of a busy intersection
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.
2020 Ford Escape Hybrid Problems, Complaints & Recalls | Skip That Year
Illustration