IllustrationThe fuel door actuator malfunctioned, rendering the emergency release ineffective. This necessitated a replacement at 30,000 miles or four years from the manufacturing date. We believe that an inoperable fuel door presents a significant safety concern.
2021 Ford Escape Hybrid
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2021 Ford Escape Hybrid do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 68.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Escape Hybrid years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
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: 21 of 122 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.
- Engine. Review the 36 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Structure. Review the 32 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
2 crash reports2 fire reports2 injury reports
Electrical System complaints
22 reportsWhile driving the vehicle it lost power and all the check lights came on. Had to have it towed to a dealership where they stated it needed a new motor and new high voltage battery. The car has only 116000 miles on it. There should be a total recall for this type of vehicle if I would have been at a higher speed I would have inju…
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While driving the vehicle it lost power and all the check lights came on. Had to have it towed to a dealership where they stated it needed a new motor and new high voltage battery. The car has only 116000 miles on it. There should be a total recall for this type of vehicle if I would have been at a higher speed I would have injured myself or others. This car is riddled with problems and has over 19 recalls as of date.
While vehicle is set on cruise control , set at 70 MPH , ( or set to any other speed) , anytime the speed limit changes to 80 MPH (or other change) Car accelerates and cruise control is set to 100 MPH . It also accelerates and resets to 90 -100 MPH at random . It is frightening and dangerous to have my car randomly accelerate.…
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While vehicle is set on cruise control , set at 70 MPH , ( or set to any other speed) , anytime the speed limit changes to 80 MPH (or other change) Car accelerates and cruise control is set to 100 MPH . It also accelerates and resets to 90 -100 MPH at random . It is frightening and dangerous to have my car randomly accelerate. I have attempted to pass a vehicle, when my car randomly accelerates to 100 MPH . This is very dangerous and can happen at any random time . The lane assist is also dangerous when car can not see lines separating lanes . I have had my car jerk the wheel when I was detoured through construction. I am very concerned with my car accelerating. Not only does it leave me vulnerable to receiving a speeding ticket , it also increases the likelihood of hitting an object or having an accident.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was being Emissions tested, the contact was informed that the OBD Port was inoperable, and the emissions test could to be performed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed OBD Port. The contact was informed that the O…
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The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was being Emissions tested, the contact was informed that the OBD Port was inoperable, and the emissions test could to be performed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed OBD Port. The contact was informed that the OBD Port needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under an unknown recall or warranty. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed, and the case was denied. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 36,702.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact was informed at a State Inspection that the gateway module had failed and needed to be replaced to complete the State Inspection. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the gateway module was updated. The contact related the failure to Ford Campaign Number: 22N15. The manufact…
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The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact was informed at a State Inspection that the gateway module had failed and needed to be replaced to complete the State Inspection. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the gateway module was updated. The contact related the failure to Ford Campaign Number: 22N15. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but denied reimbursement for the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 14,300. A complaint was filed with the manufacturer as well as the NHTSA.
I was leaving work and my 2021 Ford Escape hybrid started but then a triangle warning light came on, a "stop safely now" warning appeared and the car shut off. There were no problems prior to this event. I had the vehicle towed to a Ford dealership in February where they replaced the 12v battery and the machine needed to diagnos…
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I was leaving work and my 2021 Ford Escape hybrid started but then a triangle warning light came on, a "stop safely now" warning appeared and the car shut off. There were no problems prior to this event. I had the vehicle towed to a Ford dealership in February where they replaced the 12v battery and the machine needed to diagnose the electrical issue was down. Yesterday I finally got news that it was firing code P0DE6 and the hybrid battery needs replaced as well. There have been several recalls related to hybrid batteries with these same warning indicators, however my car's VIN was not included in the recall. Could the recall be extended to include other vehicles that this is happening to? It seems as if there are many more out there than what the recall covered and it's a much bigger issue than Ford may realize. People's cars could just shut down in the middle of the road with little to no warning.
The contact owns 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the rear passenger’s side window failed to operate as designed and was stuck in the open position and failed to close. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who repaired the vehicle. No further information was available. The contact stated that the failure recently r…
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The contact owns 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the rear passenger’s side window failed to operate as designed and was stuck in the open position and failed to close. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who repaired the vehicle. No further information was available. The contact stated that the failure recently reoccurred with the rear driver’s side window. Additionally, the instrument cluster malfunctioned, and the contact was unable to view the speedometer and fuel gauge. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the high-voltage battery had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the dealer reset the check engine…
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The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the high-voltage battery had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the dealer reset the check engine warning light. The contact stated that the following day after the reset, the check engine warning light illuminated a second time. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V869000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 129,000.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact was informed at a State Inspection that the gateway module had failed and needed to be replaced to complete the State Inspection. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the module smart data link was replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact related the failure to Ford C…
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The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact was informed at a State Inspection that the gateway module had failed and needed to be replaced to complete the State Inspection. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the module smart data link was replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact related the failure to Ford Campaign Number: 22N15. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but denied reimbursement for the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 46,000.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was inspected, it failed the emissions inspection. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that the communication module was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failur…
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The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was inspected, it failed the emissions inspection. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that the communication module was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact became aware of customer satisfaction 22n15 as a probable cause for the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 46,000.
Official recalls
122V109000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:hard Parts Internal/mechanical
Feb 24, 2022
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 Escape Hybrid vehicles. The engine crankshaft may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in engine damage.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Engine damage can cause a vehicle stall or fire, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the crankshaft and replace the engine, as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed March 2, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 21, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S10.
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
2PE23013 · 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.