2019 Ford ESCAPE problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
581 owner complaints analyzed
3 distinct recall campaigns
64,460 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2019 model year. Data snapshot: . 226 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Engine is the most frequently named component, appearing in 305 of 581 complaints (52.5%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Transmission and shifting | 87 | 15.0% |
| Engine operation | 42 | 7.2% |
| Braking behavior | 26 | 4.5% |
| Steering behavior | 19 | 3.3% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 15 | 2.6% |
| Fuel system concerns | 12 | 2.1% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Engine | 305 |
| Power Train | 120 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 89 |
| Unknown Or Other | 41 |
| Electrical System | 36 |
| Steering | 16 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 15 |
| Air Bags | 11 |
Engine: 305; Power Train: 120; Engine And Engine Cooling: 89; Unknown Or Other: 41; Electrical System: 36; Steering: 16; Fuel/Propulsion System: 15; Air Bags: 11
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 52 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 26 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 63 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 46 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 35 |
| 150,000 and above | 4 |
Under 25,000: 52; 25,000 to 49,999: 26; 50,000 to 74,999: 63; 75,000 to 99,999: 46; 100,000 to 149,999: 35; 150,000 and above: 4
50,000 to 74,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (63). 355 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 19 |
| 2020 | 29 |
| 2021 | 23 |
| 2022 | 43 |
| 2023 | 54 |
| 2024 | 135 |
| 2025 | 180 |
| 2026 | 98 |
2019: 19; 2020: 29; 2021: 23; 2022: 43; 2023: 54; 2024: 135; 2025: 180; 2026: 98
Pattern summary
Engine leads the component reports. Transmission and shifting appears in 87 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 42 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 26 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 11194073 · 2019-04-05 (April 5, 2019)
VEHICLE SHUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING. STEPS TO REPRODUCE ISSUE: KEYFOB IS INSIDE VEHICLE IN DRIVERS COAT POCKET, MOBILE PHONE IS INTERMITTENTLY CONNECTED TO VEHICLE VIA USB CORD, VEHICLE IS ON, ENGINE RUNNING, START/STOP IS ON, VEHICLE IS DRIVING THEN STOPS AT A STOPLIGHT, START/STOP ENGAGES AND IDLES ENGINE FOR AT LEAST 15 SECONDS. WHEN FOOT BRAKE IS RELEASED VEHICLE SHUTS OFF, INSTRUMENT CLUSTER, RADIO, INFOTAINMENT, ETC TURN OFF. TO RESTART VEHICLE TRANSMISSION MUST BE PLACED IN NEUTRAL OR PARK AND VEHICLE ON/OFF BUTTON PRESSED. VEHICLE RESTARTS,…
Owner-reported narrative. 1,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11194073 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11232426 · 2019-07-16 (July 16, 2019)
AT 10,000 MILES MY ESCAPE TRANSMISSION BEGAN SLIPPING. IT TAKES FOREVER FOR IT TO SHIFT BUT NO TRANSMISSION LIGHT COMES ON. MY GAS MILEAGE HAS ALSO GONE WAY DOWN AS A RESULT OF THIS. FORD CLAIMS IT'S FINE. BUT IT DOES IT OFTEN. ALSO WHEN THE ENGINE STOP IS ENGAGED AT STOP LIGHTS, IT DOESN'T ALWAYS START BACK UP AND I HAVE TO PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND RESTART THE VEHICLE.
Owner-reported narrative. 10,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11232426 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11228943 · 2019-07-02 (July 2, 2019)
WHILE DRIVING A LOCAL INTERSTATE BETWEEN 60 AND 70 MPH, OUR NEWLY PURCHASED (3,000 MILES) 2019 FORD ESCAPE SEL SPORT COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN WITHOUT WARNING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. LUCKILY, MY WIFE WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE NEAREST EXIT AND PULL OFF THE ROAD WHILE TRAFFIC WAS WHIZZING BY US AT BREAKNECK SPEED. TURNS OUT THAT PART OF THE WIRING HARNESS HAD EITHER LOOSENED ON ITS OWN OR WAS NEVER PROPERLY SECURED FROM THE FACTORY. SO, THE SERPENTINE BELT MANAGED TO CLIP THIS WIRING HARNESS WHICH, IN TURN, PULLED THE HARNESS FROM ITS SOCKET WHILE STARTING T…
Owner-reported narrative. 3,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11228943 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11217753 · 2019-06-04 (June 4, 2019)
FORD DEALER CHECKED MY BRAKES AFTER 11000 MILES AND WAS TOLD MY REAR BREAKS WERE BAD AND IT WAS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR AFTER 10000 MILES THEN I WAS TOLD THAT'S COMMON WITH THE ESCAPES THE BREAKS DON'T LAST! I FEEL THE BRACES SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRENTY
Owner-reported narrative. 11,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11217753 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11319033 · 2020-03-23 (March 23, 2020)
DRIVING 70+MPH ON FREEWAY AND THE ACC WENT OUT WITH AN ALERT. CONTINUED DRIVING AND THE LANEKEEP ASSIST HAD AN ERROR AND CEASED WORKING, FOLLOWED BY AN ERROR FOR COLLISION AVOIDANCE. SHORTLY AFTER THE SPEEDOMETER AND ODOMETER WENT TO 0 AND SEVERAL OTHER ERRORS FOR ABS, ESC, AND OTHERS WENT OFF. THIS FELT LIKE THE SCENE FROM APOLLO 13 WHERE EVERYTHING WAS GOING WRONG AT ONCE. I NOTICED THE POWER STEERING WAS NOT WORKING AND IT WAS MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TO TURN THE WHEEL AS I PULLED INTO THE FORD DEALER. THERE WAS STEAM/SMOKE COMING FROM MY FR…
Owner-reported narrative. 14,100 miles reported. Look up ODI 11319033 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11323928 · 2020-05-08 (May 8, 2020)
ONLY HAD THIS CAR LESS THAN 30 DAYS MILEAGE WAS 29,476 ON 4/13/20. MILEAGE WHEN IN SHOP IS 29,944 SO DROVE 468 MILES. BEEN HEARING LOUD THUDS OR CLUNKING NOISE FROM REAR OF VEHICLE FOR A FEW DAYS. TOOK IT BACK TO WHERE I BOUGHT IT THEY LOOKED AT AND DUPLICATED THE NOISE SEVERAL TIMES IN THEIR SHOP, SAID IT WAS MOST LIKELY SOMETHING IN THE TRANSMISSION. TOOK THE CAR TO FORD AND AT FIRST THE SERVICE WRITER WAS IN DENIAL BUT THE TECHS MADE HIM A BELIEVER....THE TRANSMISSION HAS PROBLEM WITH THE VALVE BODY THEY THINK. THEY TOOK THE TRANSMISSION O…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11323928 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11306570 · 2020-02-02 (February 2, 2020)
WE WERE DRIVING ON A 3 LANE HIGHWAY AT NIGHT, STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. SUDDENLY, THE CAR WENT COMPLETELY DEAD - NO LIGHTS OR POWER. CARS DRIVING AT BETWEEN 40-50 MPH WERE COMING UP BEHIND US, BUT COULD NOT SEE US BECAUSE WE COULD NOT EVEN GET HAZARD LIGHTS ON. WE WERE LOCKED IN - THE DOORS WOULD NOT OPEN!! AFTER SEVERAL NEAR MISSES, WE WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE A STRANGER STOP AND HE WAS ABLE TO ALERT ONCOMING CARS SO WE WOULD NOT GET HIT. ENDS UP THAT THE NEGATIVE TERMINAL OF THE BATTERY WAS VERY LOOSE AS WELL AS THE SURROUNDING FASTENERS …
Owner-reported narrative. 1,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 11306570 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11209894 · 2019-05-24 (May 24, 2019)
WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE AT APPROXIMATELY 70MPH ON THE INTERSTATE I NOTICED THAT ALL INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTING, GAUGES, AND DISPLAY SCREENS WENT OUT. THE GAUGE NEEDLES RETURNED TO THEIR 'HOME' POSITIONS. THERE WAS AN ERROR MESSAGE ON THE MAIN TOUCH SCREEN THAT SAID: NETWORK COMMUNICATION FAILURE. WORRIED, I TOOK THE NEXT AVAILABLE EXIT AND FOUND A PARKING LOT TO INVESTIGATE. I IMMEDIATELY TRIED TO SHUT THE ENGINE OFF, FIGURING THAT IF I COMPLETELY SHUT THE CAR DOWN THE SYSTEM WOULD SOMEHOW CORRECT ITSELF AFTER A 'REBOOT' OF THE THE PCM AND B…
Owner-reported narrative. 3,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11209894 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11315322 · 2020-03-03 (March 3, 2020)
2019 FORD ESCAPE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO ISSUE WITH GAS TANK. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER ADVISED THERE WAS NO FIX FOR THE ISSUE. *JS
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11315322 at NHTSA ↗