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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.

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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

What owners actually said

585 reports
Mileage unknown · Feb 12, 2025
EngineUnknown Or Other

Coolant leakage into cylinders and a broken timing belt upon attempting to start and drive the vehicle 10 feet, resulting in the entire engine being considered broken, needing replacement.

NHTSA ODI #11642305

Mileage unknown · Feb 11, 2025
Engine

The engine failed (melted piston) such that I had a sudden lose of power while driving down the expressway. This resulted in my vehicle speed going from 70 MPH to 30 MPH. This resulted in my having to get to the shoulder of the road as quickly as possible to get out of the way of traffic. The vehicle was driven to the dealer (i.…

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The engine failed (melted piston) such that I had a sudden lose of power while driving down the expressway. This resulted in my vehicle speed going from 70 MPH to 30 MPH. This resulted in my having to get to the shoulder of the road as quickly as possible to get out of the way of traffic. The vehicle was driven to the dealer (i.e. limp home mode). DTC's P0304 and P0302 were present. The dealer diagnosed the failure of the engine due to a melted piston. This resulted in the vehicle needing a complete engine replacement. I sold the vehicle as is to a scrap yard. The vehicle was running normally and there were no warnings of any kind leading up to the incident.

NHTSA ODI #11642051

Mileage unknown · Feb 10, 2025
Engine

*Error "High Engine Temperature Stop Safely" Known issue - available for inspection *Engine may blow up *not yet *not yet *Yes - see above

NHTSA ODI #11641819

Mileage unknown · Feb 9, 2025
EnginePower Train

My car will not drive. Power train light came on out of no where o was less than a mile from home and car keep going from 40 rpm to 5 rpm and would move hardly at all and then speed up. Car makes noise after turn it off like the csp. I have been told the CSP is not valid for me and this is going to be a very expensive repair…

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My car will not drive. Power train light came on out of no where o was less than a mile from home and car keep going from 40 rpm to 5 rpm and would move hardly at all and then speed up. Car makes noise after turn it off like the csp. I have been told the CSP is not valid for me and this is going to be a very expensive repair up to $15,000. Can not believe Ford is not being held accountable for this

NHTSA ODI #11641603

107,000 miles · Feb 7, 2025
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the vehicle lost automotive power and almost shut off. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The contact stated that later while driving approximately 20 MPH, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The …

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The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the vehicle lost automotive power and almost shut off. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The contact stated that later while driving approximately 20 MPH, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that there was coolant inside the engine and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 107,000.

NHTSA ODI #11641361

Mileage unknown · Feb 4, 2025
Engine

I have a 2019 Ford Escape Ecoboost, and the engine had to be replaced at 64,000 miles due to an issue with 2017-2019 Ford Escapes, which Ford did not recall. What happens is the engine sucks all of the antifreeze out of its compartment and dumps it onto the engine block, ruining the engine. It's ridiculous that Ford did not reca…

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I have a 2019 Ford Escape Ecoboost, and the engine had to be replaced at 64,000 miles due to an issue with 2017-2019 Ford Escapes, which Ford did not recall. What happens is the engine sucks all of the antifreeze out of its compartment and dumps it onto the engine block, ruining the engine. It's ridiculous that Ford did not recall this issue, as it is terribly costly to replace an engine on a vehicle. What's even more ridiculous is having to replace an engine with so few miles and paying out of pocket when you're still paying for the vehicle. Some have reported having to have their engine replaced at 15,000 on these same vehicles. Ford needs to be held accountable, if not sued over this issue. And, the dealerships are not nice when they have to fix the problem. Worst and most costly experience with a vehicle ever!

NHTSA ODI #11640711

Mileage unknown · Feb 2, 2025
Engine

I brought my car into Ford while under warranty because I was having problems. It was told to me that I needed an engine so ford didn’t contact my warranty company & decided to pay out of there pocket for a short block. The new engine & short block was supposedly put in. Months later I experienced the same problem & brought it b…

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I brought my car into Ford while under warranty because I was having problems. It was told to me that I needed an engine so ford didn’t contact my warranty company & decided to pay out of there pocket for a short block. The new engine & short block was supposedly put in. Months later I experienced the same problem & brought it back to Ford. Ford told me they don’t have to fix it being that my extended warranty doesn’t cover it.

NHTSA ODI #11640181

114,000 miles · Jan 29, 2025
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion into the engine, causing the engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed …

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The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion into the engine, causing the engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 114,000.

NHTSA ODI #11639385

59,000 miles · Jan 27, 2025
Air BagsCrashInjury

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at 15 MPH through a yellow light on an off-ramp, another vehicle crossed the intersection at high speeds and crashed into the entire front of the vehicle. The air bags did not deploy upon impact however the other vehicle’s air bags did dep…

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The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at 15 MPH through a yellow light on an off-ramp, another vehicle crossed the intersection at high speeds and crashed into the entire front of the vehicle. The air bags did not deploy upon impact however the other vehicle’s air bags did deploy. It was mentioned that the contact's husband was exempt from wearing a seat belt. The contact’s husband was taken by ambulance to the hospital where he was treated for pain in his neck, his head impact, and back as well as soreness throughout his entire body. The contact's daughter was taken to the hospital by a fellow motorist since her service dog was not permitted on the ambulance and was treated for bruising to her right arm and hip. The other driver suffered no injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent tow yard where it remained in their possession. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance; they referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000.

NHTSA ODI #11638783

Mileage unknown · Jan 24, 2025
Unknown Or Other

I purchased the vehicle from the dealership when it had just 5 miles on it. Soon after, I started hearing a popping noise every time the car shifted, as well as when making turns. After taking it back to the dealership, they discovered that there were missing spot welds in the center frame on the passenger side, specifically i…

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I purchased the vehicle from the dealership when it had just 5 miles on it. Soon after, I started hearing a popping noise every time the car shifted, as well as when making turns. After taking it back to the dealership, they discovered that there were missing spot welds in the center frame on the passenger side, specifically in the area between the front door and the back door.

NHTSA ODI #11638443

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