← New search

2019 Ford Escape

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2019 Ford Escape do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 996.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

227 reports with mileage · 358 unknown

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 307 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 125 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 92 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

24 crash reports3 fire reports20 injury reports

Exterior Lighting complaints

13 reports
Clear category filter
Mileage unknown · Dec 22, 2025
Exterior Lighting

To Whom It May Concern, I am submitting this complaint to report a design defect affecting serviceability and safety on my 2019 Ford Escape. On this vehicle, replacement of a standard headlight bulb requires removal of the fender assembly in order to access the headlight housing. This design transforms a routine, safety-critic…

Read full complaint

To Whom It May Concern, I am submitting this complaint to report a design defect affecting serviceability and safety on my 2019 Ford Escape. On this vehicle, replacement of a standard headlight bulb requires removal of the fender assembly in order to access the headlight housing. This design transforms a routine, safety-critical maintenance item into an excessively complex and costly repair. I have had to replace a headlight twice within the past two years. The most recent replacement cost approximately $800, with the majority of the cost attributable to labor required solely because of the vehicle’s design, not due to damage or abnormal conditions. The headlight bulb itself represents only a small portion of the total cost. Headlights are a required safety component that must be replaced periodically. A design that makes replacement prohibitively expensive discourages timely maintenance and may result in vehicles being operated with failed lighting, creating a potential safety risk. I believe this represents a failure to design for serviceability and places an unreasonable maintenance burden on consumers for a basic safety function. I respectfully request that NHTSA review this design as a potential defect. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

NHTSA ODI #11706470

Mileage unknown · Dec 16, 2025
Electrical SystemEngineExterior LightingCrash

he freeway I notified future ford of concord and I was told I would receive a call back but as I recall I didn’t receive a call back. The car started acting as if nothing was wrong about a week or so later then two days ago December 13,2025 first my head lights went out and a message saying there’s a bulb outage or electrical is…

Read full complaint

he freeway I notified future ford of concord and I was told I would receive a call back but as I recall I didn’t receive a call back. The car started acting as if nothing was wrong about a week or so later then two days ago December 13,2025 first my head lights went out and a message saying there’s a bulb outage or electrical issue appeared and also the hill assist unavailable warning light appeared , following the 911 calling assistance is unavailable as well, and I also noticed my radio is no longer producing sound so I believe the engine ( block , head gasket etc) component also electrical system, sync 3 system has also failed or malfunctioned. During the second occurrence I was driving as I was before which led to The safety of my children, my husband and myself put at risk being it was night time and I could no longer see the road the car acted as if it was turning off and slowing down.. yes there was warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem during the failures, and they first appeared at the exact time of the failures . Also below are photos captured from the ford vehicle app alerting me about issues for the car

NHTSA ODI #11705433

Mileage unknown · Mar 30, 2025
Exterior Lighting

Simply put, the headlights repeatedly blow out with no apparent reason found. Bulbs have been changed multiple times personally and by professionals -- both headlights went out nearly simultaneously in September of 2024 and I replaced the bulbs myself, assuming it was a fluke or the bulbs had simply aged out. At the beginning of…

Read full complaint

Simply put, the headlights repeatedly blow out with no apparent reason found. Bulbs have been changed multiple times personally and by professionals -- both headlights went out nearly simultaneously in September of 2024 and I replaced the bulbs myself, assuming it was a fluke or the bulbs had simply aged out. At the beginning of March, 2025, the passenger-side bulb went out again and I brought it to my dealership to get checked out. They couldn't find anything wrong, and I had them replace the bulb again. Now, for the third time since I bought the vehicle in April or May of 2024, I have to replace the passenger-side bulb again. I'm returning to the dealership to see if there's anything else to look for, but a quick internet search shows that there are lots of others experiencing this same problem without any kind of solution in sight. This is obviously not normal.

NHTSA ODI #11651545

Mileage unknown · Feb 25, 2025
Exterior Lighting

There is something wrong with either the bcm, headlight assembly, or headlight wiring harnesses. My low beam headlight bulbs only last about 6 months and then they go bad. I have tried using OEM bulbs, sylanvia bulbs, and led bulbs and have the same result = replacing within 6 months! This causes a severe safety issue as I lose …

Read full complaint

There is something wrong with either the bcm, headlight assembly, or headlight wiring harnesses. My low beam headlight bulbs only last about 6 months and then they go bad. I have tried using OEM bulbs, sylanvia bulbs, and led bulbs and have the same result = replacing within 6 months! This causes a severe safety issue as I lose visibility from a headlight. This issue is well documented all over the Internet and no one has been able to find any answers, except for a couple people being able to just use OEM bulbs and replace yearly.

NHTSA ODI #11644705

Mileage unknown · Dec 11, 2024
Exterior Lighting

I have a 2019 Ford escape. I’ve replaced the lightbulbs on both sides several times. The housing has burned out several times not just the bulbs. Twice they have burned out at the same time. The 2019 and the 2017 have the same light fixtures. The 2017 headlights were recalled. I contend that my car should be covered under the re…

Read full complaint

I have a 2019 Ford escape. I’ve replaced the lightbulbs on both sides several times. The housing has burned out several times not just the bulbs. Twice they have burned out at the same time. The 2019 and the 2017 have the same light fixtures. The 2017 headlights were recalled. I contend that my car should be covered under the recall. I’ve called two local Ford dealers both are familiar with my problem and have told me there’s recall “yet”.

NHTSA ODI #11630141

70,000 miles · Jul 19, 2024
Exterior Lighting

The contact's brother owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH at night, the headlights became inoperable. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the headlight module failed to operate as needed and the contact was forced to drive to the residence without headlights. The contact h…

Read full complaint

The contact's brother owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH at night, the headlights became inoperable. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the headlight module failed to operate as needed and the contact was forced to drive to the residence without headlights. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer on three separate occasions to be repaired. On the first visit, the dealer replaced the battery and the headlight bulbs. The second visit, the dealer replaced the BCM (Body Control Module) and two other light bulbs that were not initially replaced. On the third visit, the headlight switch was replaced. Despite each repair, the headlight failure persisted. The contact was recently informed by the dealer that the wiring harness needed to be replaced; however, the dealer could not guarantee that the repair would fix the headlight failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ODI #11603337

108,965 miles · Mar 2, 2024
Exterior Lighting

Low beam headlight bulbs keep burning out, literally replacing bulbs at least once a year

NHTSA ODI #11575046

Mileage unknown · Nov 30, 2022
Electrical SystemExterior Lighting

Vehicle has 32K miles on it and both low beam headlight bulbs failed at the exact same time. My daughter had just left her house and as soon as she got away from street lights she realized this. The odd part is that the in-dash indicators showed everything working normally with NO FAULTS, so we assumed it was an electrical issue…

Read full complaint

Vehicle has 32K miles on it and both low beam headlight bulbs failed at the exact same time. My daughter had just left her house and as soon as she got away from street lights she realized this. The odd part is that the in-dash indicators showed everything working normally with NO FAULTS, so we assumed it was an electrical issue. We got it to a Ford dealer (she has an extended warranty), and they "fixed a connection that had corroded, causing both bulbs to fail." NOT covered under warranty, $250 to replace two bulbs and clean sockets. There are numerous Ford forums with the same complaints. Just felt that you folks should be made aware...

NHTSA ODI #11495542

Mileage unknown · Mar 26, 2022
Exterior Lighting

2019 Ford Escape SEL. Left and right front headlamps simultaneously stopped working during nighttime freeway driving. Dangerous safety issue. Dashboard headlamp green symbol continued to display headlamps were functioning properly. There was no warning symbol. Vehicle electrical issue was repaired at dealership at no charge. I a…

Read full complaint

2019 Ford Escape SEL. Left and right front headlamps simultaneously stopped working during nighttime freeway driving. Dangerous safety issue. Dashboard headlamp green symbol continued to display headlamps were functioning properly. There was no warning symbol. Vehicle electrical issue was repaired at dealership at no charge. I am aware of an identical problem occurring on a similar 2019 Ford Escape SEL. My belief is the headlamp failure is not a random issue and is a serious safety defect that has not been addressed by Ford Motor Company.

NHTSA ODI #11458438

Mileage unknown · Mar 26, 2022
Exterior Lighting

2019 Ford Escape SEL. Left and right front headlamps simultaneously stopped working during nighttime driving. Dangerous safety issue. Dashboard headlamp green symbol continued to display headlamps were functioning properly. There was no warning symbol. Vehicle electrical issue was repaired at dealership at no charge. I am …

Read full complaint

2019 Ford Escape SEL. Left and right front headlamps simultaneously stopped working during nighttime driving. Dangerous safety issue. Dashboard headlamp green symbol continued to display headlamps were functioning properly. There was no warning symbol. Vehicle electrical issue was repaired at dealership at no charge. I am aware of an identical problem occurring on a similar 2019 Ford Escape SEL. My belief is the headlamp failure is not a random issue and is a serious safety defect that has not been addressed by Ford Motor Company.

NHTSA ODI #11458437

Official recalls

3

26V011000 · Equipment:electrical:engine Block Heater

Jan 15, 2026

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Focus, 2013-2019 Escape, and 2015-2016 MKC vehicles equipped with a 2.0L engine. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed March 6, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S01. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on January 16, 2026.

22V413000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission:gear Position Indication (prndl); Power Train:shift Linkage/cable/rod

Jun 10, 2022

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2019 Escape, 2013-2018 C-Max, 2013-2016 Fusion, 2013-2021 Transit Connect, and 2015-2018 Edge vehicles. The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A damaged or missing bushing may prevent the vehicle from shifting into the intended gear, and cause the vehicle to move in an unexpected direction. Additionally, the vehicle may roll after the driver selects the 'Park' position. Either scenario increases the risk of a crash or injury.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the under hood shift bushing and add a protective cap over the shift cable bushing, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters, informing owners of the safety risk, were mailed July 1, 2022. Remedy parts are expected to be available in 4th Quarter 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed October 27, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S43.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Power Train:shift Linkage/cable/rod

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2019 Escape, 2013-2018 C-Max, 2013-2016 Fusion, 2013-2021 Transit Connect, and 2015-2018 Edge vehicles. The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach.

Consequence: A damaged or missing bushing may prevent the vehicle from shifting into the intended gear, and cause the vehicle to move in an unexpected direction. Additionally, the vehicle may roll after the driver selects the 'Park' position. Either scenario increases the risk of a crash or injury.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the under hood shift bushing and add a protective cap over the shift cable bushing, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters, informing owners of the safety risk, were mailed July 1, 2022. Remedy parts are expected to be available in 4th Quarter 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed October 27, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S43.

Power Train:automatic Transmission:gear Position Indication (prndl)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2019 Escape, 2013-2018 C-Max, 2013-2016 Fusion, 2013-2021 Transit Connect, and 2015-2018 Edge vehicles. The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach.

Consequence: A damaged or missing bushing may prevent the vehicle from shifting into the intended gear, and cause the vehicle to move in an unexpected direction. Additionally, the vehicle may roll after the driver selects the 'Park' position. Either scenario increases the risk of a crash or injury.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the under hood shift bushing and add a protective cap over the shift cable bushing, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters, informing owners of the safety risk, were mailed July 1, 2022. Remedy parts are expected to be available in 4th Quarter 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed October 27, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S43.

21V155000 · Tires

Mar 10, 2021

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 F-150, 2018-2020 F-250, F-350, and 2019 Escape vehicles equipped with Continental tires. On the affected vehicles, it is possible that one or more tires were cured for too long during tire production.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Over cured tires may develop a break in the sidewall, resulting in sudden air loss or belt edge separation which could lead to tread/belt loss. Either condition can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tires, and replace them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on March 27, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S10.

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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.

Go deeper into Ford Escape problems