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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
2,297 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2020 Ford Escape electrical problems

electrical problem

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2020 Ford Escape Owner Comments (Page 4 of 5)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #39

Mar 182023

Escape

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

vehicle has problems awd off service advance trac precollision assist not available hill star assist not available and the powertrain mall function reduces power and i have a problem with the rear subwoofer which was obtained by the does and the problem continues. The vehicle has been in the ford for two weeks and they have not been able to solve it. I just bought it with 14,000 miles and it has all these problems and he could not enjoy the car, it is a lemon car

- Miami Beach , FL, USA

problem #38

Mar 222023

Escape

  • miles
faulty spot welds on the drivers door checklink bracket failed and are preventing the door from closing correctly, and now the window wont roll all of the way down. not sure what else is broken inside of the door.

- Woodstown, NJ, USA

problem #37

Mar 112023

Escape

  • miles
Vehicle has gone stone dead on two occasions with no electrical response of any kind. Physical key was required to unlock. First was 11/21/22 at 9,733 miles. Vehicle spent 10 or so days in the shop while problem was traced and some warranty work was done. Second was 3/11/23 with same symptoms. Dead first thing in the morning. Mileage was 12,470. Based on first experience, purchased a robust charger and brought the car to 100 charge and problem solved for the short term. Online forums mention this as a common problem for this and the 2021 Escape hybrids. Fix seems to be getting a larger AGM battery which, with its greater capacity and faster charging capacity can better handle the parasites in the electrical system. In the runup to both 'deaths' the vehicle's computers began shutting down accessories such as remote start, handle touch unlocking, etc. All I ask is a replacement of the 12 volt battery with the larger 70aH AGM battery (Ford part BAGM48H6760). My wife and I have one car. She has a disability. I purchased this car to give her easier entrance and exit. It never occurred to me that it would not start reliably.

- Mount Vernon, WA, USA

problem #36

Feb 262023

Escape

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Vehicle enters deep sleep mode within minutes of parking and won-??t start again until it is jump started. This software problem has left me stranded three times.

- Longmont, CO, USA

problem #35

Dec 012022

Escape

  • miles
The driver door frame has a fracture spot weld on the inside of the door, causing the window to fail to move up or down as needed. The failure caused the door to make a lot of grinding and cranking sound while being opened out wide. I took the vehicle to the dealer who diagnosed that the door either needed to be replaced or just the inner portion of the door needed to be repaired. Ford would not cover the cost of repair. Manufacturer is aware of the problem and has released a TSB about the issue Manufacturer Communication Number:?SSM 50150 NHTSA?ID Number: 10201603

- Watertown, MA, USA

problem #34

Feb 012023

Escape

  • miles
Reoccurring simultaneous failures of safety systems "Cross Traffic System Fault ", "Blind Spot System Fault", complete climate panel failure (defroster, heater, ventilation, ...), accompanying failures of power windows, power seats and most recently the ability to open the rear hatch of the SUV. Warnings about intermitent "Drive Mode Not Available". All of the above can occur suddenly when driving or at starting. Windows fog suddenly.

- Kingwood, TX, USA

problem #33

Aug 012022

Escape

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Driver door check arm attachment point (black door hinge) snapped from manufactured spot weld to frame of door. Ford Dealer stated my Escape was the 3rd one that month with the same problem. Mechanic said the hinge was not welded properly at the bottom spot weld by manufacturer and that I should call Ford and NHTSA to see why my 2020 Ford Espace S 1.5 AWD isn't covered under the Recall ID # 10201603 as it is a Ford Escape between 2020 and 2021. SSM 50150 recall notice

- Albuquerque, NM, USA

problem #32

Nov 262022

Escape

  • miles
This has happened a few times sporadically since I have owned the vehicle in 2020. As I am driving it will alert me to stop safely now. The car will loose power and not allow me to go past 15 mph. The screen will go blank and the ac will not throw cool air. This is concerning because since the car looses power, it is dangerous if I am at a fast speed. Once I pull over, sometimes I cannot turn off the car. And if I do turn it off, I cannot turn it back on for a few minutes.

- Hialeah, FL, USA

problem #31

Oct 182022

Escape

  • miles
I get the message to Stop Safely Now and then car turns off in the road. Will not turn back on. Also get messages for Deep Sleep Mode and Low Voltage. I do not feel that it is safe for the car to stop in the road and not be able to move. It has been to a dealership now this is the 3rd time for the issue. The light first appeared in November 2021. It was taken in for service then, again on Oct 18 2022 and now on Oct 26 2022.

- Algonac, MI, USA

problem #30

Jun 072022

Escape 4-cyl

  • miles
On June7th I was driving home in my 2020 hybrid escape when the motor quit and the car came to a stop, then smoke started coming out from under the hood, I opened the hood and flames shot out at the back side of the motor on the passenger side, oil was leaking on to the road and on fire, I called the fire department, when they got there all the fire finally went out as the oil burned up. I had the car towed that day to Purchase ford in Mayfield KY. where it is still at. At first I was told this would be a warranty covered job, the car had 37500 miles, the power train and motor are good for 60,000 miles. It was apparent this would take a long time to fix, and I told Ford I did not want the car back as it would be depleted in value with a history of a fire, In July I got a recall 22V484 for the very reason my car caught on fire. Come to find out the motor failed and thru a rod and a hole in the block let the oil leak out and catch on fire. I asked for a loaner but they did not have one, I rented a car and Ford finally paid for most of it but I'm still out $500, I have returned the rental car. I have made five months of payment on this car without having it. At first Ford said they would do a buy back, then they emailed me saying this was denied due to KY. guidelines? I also asked for another car of equal value and that will not happen. Finally Ford told me to accept the repairs on my car and take it back or they were closing my case. My case # is [XXX], my contact was customer service rep. [XXX]. The car has a value of about $25000 if it had not caught on fire. I feel Ford should reimburse me for my payments or give me another car of equal value or make up the difference I will lose if I take the car back. I also think they should provide me a loaner while my car is being fixed. Thank You [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Hickory, KY, USA

problem #29

Aug 282022

Escape

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Windows operating intermittently. Repeatedly the dashboard flashes "Cross Traffic System Fault", "Blind Spot System Fault", "Blind Spot Left/Right Sensor Fault" occasionally "Cannot Access Memory While Driving". The lower center display panel on the instrument panel goes completely BLACK, and one cannot operate the defroster or air conditioner. The problem occurs intermittently, but when it starts it is more or less continuous for long periods of time. Ford (DeMontrond Ford) has now worked on the problem at least seven times, but safety issues do not stay fixed. Date below is when most recent series of issues occurred.

- Kingwood, TX, USA

problem #28

Jun 272022

Escape

  • miles
The car continually has delayed acceleration. It revs and drives 2.5 mph for several seconds before it lurches into gear. It's extremely unsafe and I'm concerned about it happening on the highway. Ford is refusing to take an appointment with me to assess the safety of the vehicle until 2-3 months out (won't even put my name on a waitlist) and will not offer a loaner vehicle in the interim. The car has 15,000 miles on it and is under warranty.

- Garden City, NY, USA

problem #27

May 092022

Escape

  • 53,000 miles
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the key fob would not unlock the door. The contact attempted to manually start the vehicle however, there was no electrical power and the engine was not cranking. The contact jump started the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The contact drove the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the connectors between the battery, the Power Train Control Module (PCM), and the battery needed to be replaced. The dealer stated that the battery connectors were wet due to severe weather in the area prior to the failure. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 53,000.

- Norman, OK, USA

problem #26

Jan 082022

Escape

  • miles
the auto start stop engine feature stops functioning intermittently no set pattern it randomly doesn't work. Never know if the engine will shut down when its supposed to or not

- Ballston Spa, NY, USA

problem #25

Mar 122022

Escape

  • miles
2020 Ford Escape Titanium Hybrid - Battery does not start. Occurrence: twice at 15K and 21K. Total mileage on vehicle: 21K. Turning the ignition key of the Escape Hybrid, the electric motor is supposed to be activated. The electric motor, in turn, starts the gasoline engine. At this point, there is total failure.

- Ft. Myers, FL, USA

problem #24

Nov 232021

Escape

  • 17,000 miles
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon entering a drive-thru line at a slow speed, the home screen went blank as the "network configuration error" warning message illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact then stated that the vehicle then shut off and could not be restarted after multiple attempts. The contact was unable to place the vehicle into neutral and had the vehicle towed to a dealer where it remained in their possession. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 17,000.

- Westminster, CO, USA

problem #23

Sep 112021

Escape

  • miles
My car, at the time was a moving vehicle at a NYC parkway intersection. malfunctioned. Dashboard, navigation radio went black. Navigation panel shows vehicle network communications error. car stopped moving.gear can shift. hazard light or hatch can turn one. Once dealer restarted the car, system generated notification listed powertrain to restraint control and four wheel drive failures. But phone still kept connecting to car on Bluetooth. This caused me to have to keep dialing back to 911, AAA, Ford roadside and dealer service because call receiver kept thinking the call was not connecting So they would disconnect the call. hill assist and pre-collision failure reporter in 3/21. Sync failure was reported to sync support and ignored. I was told CRM was down and call back later. Apple product and level 3 had update its software to address it. It is one thing an old car stalls. We have police, roadside and Good Samaritan to help a single woman to pull off the toad. It is abominable that safety features malfunction. It is even more horrid when the paid Ford roadside assist-??s response at two calls was -??call911-?? when I asked them to walk me through recovery protocol. When I called my dealer service (queens Ford 7 miles away from incident location), I was told to look for backup key slot, when I could not locate it at the described location, I asked for manual page number, I was told to call roadside or sales department to express my dissatisfaction) I found the manual page. The location identified does not provide a place to insert key. It took almost two hours before Ford contacted me about tow. If NHTSA does not look into this there is no justice. My 2020 escape was purchased in sept 2020 with extended warranty. It has only 9000 mi one it. Dealer offered a loaner. But kept me waiting because -??it was too busy-??. I refused to sign loaner gsreemtn, they threaten to report car stolen. Auto generated report still says car is healthy

- Brookyln, NY, USA

problem #22

Aug 272021

Escape

  • miles
When using the ac water drains down whirring harness down to floor near gas petal

- Abingdon, IL, USA

problem #21

Aug 182021

Escape

  • miles
The Stop Safety Now light came on. Car stopped in a traffic lane. I attempted restart without success. I could also not get the transmission out of park while waiting for tow truck. I was then unable to restart the engine while the visual displays continued working. After about 20 minutes everything powered down and I was then able to restart. Very glad no traffic hit me.

- Palo Alto, CA, USA

problem #20

Jul 282021

Escape

  • miles
After 2020 Ford Escape Titanium Hybrid did not start, it was towed to a Ford dealer. They diagnosed battery failure and put in a new one. When we drove away from the dealer, the car was disabled within one mile. They now say it wasn't the battery, it was the battery converter which I understand to be the equivalent to the alternator in non-hybrids. The vehicle is under new car warranty. My wife was fortunate she was in the right lane and could pull onto the shoulder with minimal steering control. Some alerts on Ford Plus app: "Powertrain Malfunction/Reduced Power." Also "Charge System Fault." And "Malfunction Indicator Lamp -- Regulatory."

- Silver Spring, MD, USA

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