2020
New 2021
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Ford Escape Change Vehicle

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The popular Ford Escape has been fully redesigned for the 2020 model year. It has been massaged and morphed into a curvier model that looks more like a raised hatchback and less than a utilitarian box, as SUVs become alternatives to traditional sedans. The Escape also got new powertrains, more elaborate interior technology and standard advanced safety features.
Alerts
There are 6 recalls on this vehicle. Learn More.
2020
New 2021
Used 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001

Ford Escape

Reliability

Reliability indicates how models have performed in the past, providing the basis for predicting how the vehicles will hold up in the year ahead. These charts provide the most comprehensive reliability information available to consumers. Based on information received from our latest subscriber survey, our reliability history charts give you a rundown on how used vehicles are holding up in 17 potential trouble spots, ranging from the engine, transmission, and brakes to power equipment and the electrical system.

Overall Reliability
Most Common Trouble Spots
Common Trouble Spot
Common Trouble Spot
See all 2020 Potential Trouble Spots
The 2020 Ford Escape has been recalled 6 times by NHTSA. View Recalls
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Overall Reliability Verdict
NA
NA
NA
POTENTIAL TROUBLE SPOTS
Engine Major
NA
NA
NA
Engine Minor
NA
NA
NA
Engine Cooling
NA
NA
NA
Transmission Major
NA
NA
NA
Transmission Minor
NA
NA
NA
Drive System
NA
NA
NA
Fuel System
NA
NA
NA
Electric System
NA
NA
NA
Climate System
NA
NA
NA
Suspension
NA
NA
NA
Brakes
NA
NA
NA
Exhaust
NA
NA
NA
Paint/Trim
NA
NA
NA
Body Integrity
NA
NA
NA
Body Hardware
NA
NA
NA
Power Equipment
NA
NA
NA
In-car Electronics
NA
NA
NA
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Reliability indicates how models have performed in the past, providing the basis for predicting how the vehicles will hold up in the year ahead. These charts provide the most comprehensive reliability information available to consumers. Based on information received from our latest subscriber survey for about 329,000 vehicles, our reliability history charts give you a rundown on how 2000 through 2020 vehicles are holding up in 17 potential trouble spots, ranging from the engine, transmission, and brakes to power equipment and the electrical system. NA indicates that we did not receive a large enough sample size to provide data for a specific year. An X indicates that the vehicle was not manufactured for a specific year.

Learn more about car Reliability.

Owner Reported Trouble Spots

The Reliability score is based on our latest subscriber survey of 2020 Ford Escape owners. The owner comments describe problems respondents experienced with this vehicle.

In-car Electronics

CD or DVD players, radio, speakers, GPS, communication system (e.g., OnStar), display screen freezes or goes blank, phone pairing (e.g. Bluetooth), voice control commands, steering wheel controls, portable music device interface (e.g., iPod/MP3 player), backup or other camera/sensors.

What Owners Say

Android Auto

"I have a OnePlus 6T from T-Mobile running the official Android 10 release. Since updating to Android 10, Android Auto is broken. It freezes and does not respond to touch and frequently does not respond to voice commands. Not sure if this is phone related or car related."

Anonymous, NJ (2020 Ford Escape Hybrid Titanium 2.5-L 4 Cyl hybrid)
Apple CarPlay

"Just like in my previous car, Apple Carplay has trouble playing nice with the infotainment system when I have my personal phone and company phone both in the car. I typically listen to books from my personal iphone plugged into to Apple CarPlay. Which is fine until I get a call on my company phone, which is answered through blue tooth. Sometimes it is hard to answer with the steering wheel controls. Sometimes if I answer before turning off or down the book, then I can't turnoff the book while talking on the other phone."

Anonymous, (2020 Ford Escape Hybrid Titanium 2.5-L 4 Cyl hybrid)

"Apple CarPlay will not stay connected to the Sync 3 system. All attempts to get this problem fixed have failed."

Anonymous, NY (2020 Ford Escape Hybrid Titanium 2.5-L 4 Cyl hybrid)
Backup or other camera/sensors

"Screen is fuzzy/blurry. Intermittent"

Anonymous, (2020 Ford Escape Hybrid SE 2.5-L 4 Cyl hybrid)

"Backup camera looks broken and display is darkened, discolored, flickers. The backup sensor (that beeps) no longer works either."

Anonymous, CA (2020 Ford Escape Hybrid SE Unsure)

"Goes off and on. Sometimes it works perfectly, but often the image is distorted"

Anonymous, (2020 Ford Escape Hybrid SE Unsure)

"Backup camera intermittently goes black. Troubleshot by dealer to bad camera. Waiting for parts."

Anonymous, (2020 Ford Escape Titanium 2.0-L 4 Cyl turbo)

"Within a month of purchase the screen in the infotainment center would sometimes go black with green horizontal lines. This seemed to happen with the back up camera, but would then persist. I took it to dealer who ordered and installed new parts. I'm not sure what exactly was replaced beyond the camera."

Anonymous, (2020 Ford Escape Hybrid Titanium 2.5-L 4 Cyl hybrid)

"Camera would become unusable intermittently. After 3 times at dealer they replaced the camera."

Anonymous, (2020 Ford Escape Hybrid Titanium 2.5-L 4 Cyl hybrid)

"Intermittent failure and poor image quality - seemed like a bad connection"

Anonymous, (2020 Ford Escape Hybrid Titanium 2.5-L 4 Cyl hybrid)

"Fails to function with increasing regularity. Currently works maybe 30% of the time."

Anonymous, (2020 Ford Escape SE 1.5-L 3 Cyl turbo)

"Backup camera frequently becomes unusable on the display - screen becomes garbled. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. Ford is unable to replace or fix."

Anonymous, (2020 Ford Escape SE 1.5-L 3 Cyl turbo)

"Frequent failure daily"

Anonymous, (2020 Ford Escape SEL 1.5-L 3 Cyl turbo)

"The rear camera/sensing system is supposed to let you know when a stationary or mobile object or person is close to very close when backing up. It does for objects, not PEOPLE."

Anonymous, OR (2020 Ford Escape SEL 2.0-L 4 Cyl turbo)
In-dash navigation system (GPS)

"At about 350 miles GPS could no longer determine location. Dealer reset electronics. Problem has not reoccurred."

Anonymous, TX (2020 Ford Escape Hybrid Titanium 2.5-L 4 Cyl hybrid)
Phone pairing (e.g., Bluetooth)

"At about 1200 miles, phone not detected by car info system. Deleted phone and repaired to car. Problem has not reoccurred."

Anonymous, TX (2020 Ford Escape Hybrid Titanium 2.5-L 4 Cyl hybrid)
Speakers

"Paid for Titanium radio/speaker package. Sound from speakers is only fair and one is poor. Have yet to bring it in for service."

Anonymous, NJ (2020 Ford Escape Titanium 2.0-L 4 Cyl turbo)
Steering wheel controls

"symbols too small and too confusing"

Anonymous, IN (2020 Ford Escape Hybrid Titanium 2.5-L 4 Cyl hybrid)
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Transmission Minor

Gear selector or linkage, leaks, transmission computer, transmission sensor or solenoid, clutch adjustment, rough shifting, slipping transmission.

What Owners Say

Rough shifting

"New 8 speed automatic hunts for gears at lower speeds, hesitates to upshift and sometimes roughly downshifts"

Anonymous, (2020 Ford Escape Titanium 2.0-L 4 Cyl turbo)
Slipping transmission

"the transmission hesitates,and doesn't down shift properly"

Anonymous, (2020 Ford Escape SEL 2.0-L 4 Cyl turbo)
Transmission sensor or solenoid

"Trans vibrates at 35-47. Motor spins when changing forward gears .Trans make grinding noise. When putting it forward gear trans clunks."

Anonymous, (2020 Ford Escape Titanium 2.0-L 4 Cyl turbo)

Transmission Major

Transmission rebuild or replacement, torque converter, clutch replacement.

What Owners Say

Transmission rebuild or replacement

"Trans not fixed yet. Due to bad trans can not drive , Ford out of replace trans."

Anonymous, (2020 Ford Escape Titanium 2.0-L 4 Cyl turbo)

"I drove this brand new Escape for about a week and a half before the problem developed. While accelerating from a stop, the car would stutter and surge. At a static speed, it would still surge 100-200 rpm every few seconds. They started by replacing the valve body, at the recommendation of Ford Engineering. That made the problem worse. They then decided to install a whole new transmission, which was ordered weeks ago. Still waiting for the transmission to arrive at the dealership. After 53 days in the shop, the problem is still not solved. Very frustrating."

Anonymous, (2020 Ford Escape S 1.5-L 3 Cyl turbo)

Body Integrity

Squeaks, rattles, wind noises, loose or cracked seals and/or weather-stripping, air and water leaks.

What Owners Say

Squeaks or rattles

"Squeak in upper left area of the dash. Dealer asked that I wait till warmer weather to see if this resolved itself. This has not occurred yet and am waiting till a little later to return to the dealer for further analysis. Current Covid-19 stay at home is also a factor."

Anonymous, AR (2020 Ford Escape Titanium 2.0-L 4 Cyl turbo)

"This vehicle rattles like crazy. It's the worst I've ever owned in this area. Kills the driving experience."

Anonymous, (2020 Ford Escape SE 1.5-L 3 Cyl turbo)

Climate System

Blower (fan) motor, A/C compressor, condenser, evaporator, heater system, automatic climate control, refrigerant leakage, electrical failure.

What Owners Say

Heater system

"The seats get hot and have to be turned off because it turns on automatic every time the car starts up and i find the heater does not throw enough heat"

Anonymous, MA (2020 Ford Escape Unsure Unsure)

Body Hardware

Power or manual windows, locks and latches, tailgate, hatch or trunk, doors or sliding doors, mirrors, seat controls, safety belts, sunroof, convertible top.

What Owners Say

Sunroof

"sun shade gets stuck. plastic cover came off, I think due to heat."

Anonymous, (2020 Ford Escape Hybrid Titanium 2.5-L 4 Cyl hybrid)

Paint/Trim

Paint (fading, chalking, cracking, or peeling), loose interior and exterior trim or moldings, rust.

What Owners Say

Loose interior trim or moldings

"A pillar trim on passenger side is completely loose and nearly dangling since new."

Anonymous, (2020 Ford Escape Hybrid Titanium 2.5-L 4 Cyl hybrid)

Suspension

Shocks or struts, ball joints, tie rods, wheel bearings, alignment, steering linkage (includes rack and pinion), power steering (pumps and hoses, leaks), wheel balance, springs or torsion bars, bushings, electronic or air suspension.

Engine Cooling

Radiator, cooling fan, antifreeze leaks, water pump, thermostat, overheating.

Brakes

Antilock system (ABS), parking brake, master cylinder, calipers, rotors, pulsation or vibration, squeaking, brake failure or wear.

Drive System

Driveshaft or axle, CV joint, differential, transfer case, 4WD/AWD components, driveline vibration, traction control, electronic stability control (ESC), electrical failure.

Exhaust

Muffler, pipes, catalytic converter, exhaust manifold, leaks.

Engine Major

Engine rebuild or replacement, cylinder head, head gasket, turbo or supercharger, timing chain or timing belt.

Engine Minor

Accessory belts and pulleys, engine computer, engine mounts, engine knock or ping, oil leaks.

Power Equipment

Cruise control, clock, warning lights, body control module, keyless entry, wiper motor or washer, tire pressure monitor, interior or exterior lights, horn, gauges, 12V power plug, remote engine start, alarm or security system

Fuel System

Check engine light, sensors (includes O2 or oxygen sensor), emission control devices (includes EGR), engine computer, engine computer, fuel cap, fuel gauge/sender, fuel injection system, fuel pump, fuel leaks, stalling or hesitation.

Electric System

Alternator, starter, hybrid battery and related systems, regular battery, battery cables, engine harness, coil, ignition switch, electronic ignition, distributor or rotor failure, spark plugs and wires failure.

Compare 2020 Models

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Recalls
PROVIDED BY
POWER TRAIN
Jan 15, 2021
If the rear drive unit seizes, there may be a loss of drive and/or a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Read Recall Details
Summary:
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Edge, 2020 Lincoln Nautilus and Ford Escape and 2021 Lincoln Corsair and Ford Bronco Sport vehicles. An inadequate amount of lubricant in the rear drive unit may cause seizure of the rear drive axle.
What should you do:
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will check the rear drive unit lubricant level. Axles found to have lubricant at the minimum level will be filled to the full level. Axles found to be below the minimum lubricant fill level will be replaced, free of charge. This recall began March 12, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S02.
For more information:
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 21V011000
Potential Number of Units Affected: 147
Hide Recall Details
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, TIRES
Oct 15, 2020
Low tire pressure may lead to poor vehicle handling and a possible loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of crash.
Read Recall Details
Summary:
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Escape vehicles equipped with a key-start ignition system. The Body Control Module (BCM) intermittently may not pick up the signal from the rear Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) sensors or the Remote Key Fob. In the event of a low tire pressure condition, the TPMS system may not provide an adequate warning.
What should you do:
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the BCM, free of charge. Owners are advised that two key fobs are required for the repair to be completed. The recall began December 1, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S59.
For more information:
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 20V635000
Potential Number of Units Affected: 689
Hide Recall Details
VISIBILITY
Sep 23, 2020
Reduced rearward visibility can increase the risk of a crash.
Read Recall Details
Summary:
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Ford F-150, F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, Explorer, Mustang, Transit, Expedition, Escape, Ranger and Edge, and Lincoln Nautilus and Corsair vehicles. Due to a poor electrical connection, the rearview camera may intermittently display a blank or distorted image. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
What should you do:
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rearview camera, free of charge. The recall began November 17, 2020. Remedy became available on February 1, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20C19.
For more information:
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 20V575000
Potential Number of Units Affected: 620246
Hide Recall Details
POWER TRAIN
Sep 10, 2020
Missing or loose bolts on the start stop accumulator endcap could result in a transmission fluid leak and may progress to a loss of transmission function. A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of fire.
Read Recall Details
Summary:
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Edge, Transit Connect and Lincoln MKX and 2020 Escape and Lincoln Corsair vehicles. The start/stop accumulator endcap may have missing or loose bolts.
What should you do:
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the start/stop accumulator, free of charge. The recall began September 23, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S49.
For more information:
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 20V550000
Potential Number of Units Affected: 97
Hide Recall Details
AIR BAGS
Jul 17, 2020
In the event of a crash, if the diffuser detaches from the inflator during air bag deployment, the curtain air bag may not inflate properly, increasing the risk of injury.
Read Recall Details
Summary:
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Escape and Transit vehicles. The affected vehicles may have an improperly crimped diffuser in the side curtain air bags which may result in the diffuser detaching from the inflator in the event of an air bag deployment.
What should you do:
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the side curtain air bag modules, free of charge. An interim letter notifying owners of the safety risk was mailed August 3, 2020. The recall began January 11, 2021. Owners may contact Ford's customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S35.
For more information:
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 20V415000
Potential Number of Units Affected: 68
Hide Recall Details
SEATS
Aug 28, 2019
A seat back with an improperly assembled recliner mechanism may have reduced strength and may not adequately restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Read Recall Details
Summary:
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 F-150 and 2019-2020 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty pickup trucks, and 2018-2019 Ford Explorer, 2019-2020 Expedition, and 2020 Escape vehicles equipped with driver and/or passenger's manual front seat back recliner mechanisms. Also included are certain 2020 Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles equipped with rear outboard seats and manual seat back recliner mechanisms. The recliner mechanisms may be missing the third pawl required for seat back strength, resulting in a loose seat back. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 202, "Head Restraints" and 207, "Seating Systems."
What should you do:
Ford will notify owners, and Ford and Lincoln dealers will inspect the seat structure and replace them, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 21, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19C07.
For more information:
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 19V633000
Potential Number of Units Affected: 639137
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