Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Limited data: fewer than 30 complaints, so shares and indexes are unstable.
Complaints filed between 2025-06-27 and 2026-09-02. Median delay from incident to filing: 8 days.
Analysis
The previous model year (2024) drew 32.2 complaints per year, more than this one.
The most common problem area is Engine (33.3% of complaints), followed by Electrical (29.6%) and Interior & equipment (14.8%). Engine complaints are 1.5 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. Within Engine reports, owners most often mention “engine cooling”, “engine engine”, “diagnosed”, “light” and “power”. No report describes a crash, fire, injury or death.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 14 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was the second year (63% of incidents). In the last 12 months 23 new complaints were filed, versus 4 in the 12 months before — the pace is rising.
NHTSA lists 10 safety recalls for this model year. 67% of the complaints fall in component areas that a recall addresses.
Safety recalls (10)
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE (EGR VALVE) Campaign 26V122000 · 2026-03-03
Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Ranger, Lincoln Nautilus, Mustang, Maverick, Explorer, Escape, Lincoln Corsair, Bronco Sport, and Bronco vehicles. The exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve may fail, resulting in an unexpected loss of drive power.
Risk: An unexpected loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the EGR valves, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 31, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S10. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on March 4, 2026.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY Campaign 26V091000 · 2026-02-17
Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2022-2026 Ford Escape and 2023-2026 Lincoln Corsair plug-in hybrid vehicles. A manufacturing defect in one or more of the high voltage battery cells may result in an internal short circuit and battery failure.
Risk: Battery failure can cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash. Battery failure can also increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will update the battery energy control module (BECM) and hybrid powertrain control module (HPCM) software, free of charge. Owners are advised to only use "Auto EV" mode and will be instructed by mail to limit the maximum charge of the battery until the remedy has been completed. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, and instructions to limit the maximum charge of the battery were mailed February 26, 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 25SC4. This recall expands previous recall numbers 24V954 and 25V489. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on February 18, 2026.
SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER:RETRACTOR Campaign 25V862000 · 2025-12-12
Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Corsair and Escape vehicles. The seat belt retractors for the left and right rear passenger seats may not be securely fastened.
Risk: An improperly secured seat belt retractor may not restrain an occupant as intended, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and secure, or replace the seat belt retractor bolts, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 26, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25C68. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on December 15, 2025.
STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS Campaign 25V829000 · 2025-12-01
Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Escape and 2025 Escape vehicles. The liftgate hinge covers may not be properly secured and detach from the vehicle.
Risk: A detached liftgate hinge cover can create a distraction or a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and reinstall, or replace any missing liftgate hinge covers as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 3, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SD6. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on December 3, 2025.
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) Campaign 25V787000 · 2025-11-14
Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Maverick and Escape vehicles. The cover for the electric brake booster's ECU may cause the printed circuit board to overheat and result in a loss of vehicle stability control systems (anti-lock braking, electronic stability control, and traction control) or a loss of brake power assist.
Risk: Loss of vehicle stability control or brake power assist can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the electric brake booster, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on November 28, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SC6. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on November 17, 2025.
ENGINE Campaign 25V372000 · 2025-06-03
Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Escape, and 2025 Bronco Sport vehicles. The cylinder head may have been improperly manufactured, which can cause the ball plugs to fail, resulting in an oil leak.
Risk: An oil leak can result in loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, an oil leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components, can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the cylinder head assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 8, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S61.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM Campaign 25V343000 · 2025-05-23
Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Lincoln Nautilus, 2023-2025 Escape, 2023 Lincoln Corsair, 2025 Lincoln Corsair, Maverick, and Bronco Sport vehicles equipped with a 1.5L or 2.0L MPC engine and an engine block heater. The engine block heater may overheat when the vehicle is parked with the block heater plugged in.
Risk: An overheated engine block heater can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the block heater element and inspect the electrical cord, replacing it if necessary, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded blanking plug coupled, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Owner notification letters were mailed June 9, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S52.
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA Campaign 25V161000 · 2025-03-14
Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Escape vehicles. The rearview camera may incorrectly display an inverted image when the vehicle is in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk: An inverted rearview camera image will not accurately display what is behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25C08.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL Campaign 25V049000 · 2025-01-31
Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Bronco Sport, Escape, and Lincoln Corsair vehicles. The Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC) may not illuminate at startup or while driving. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 101, "Control and Displays" and 102, "Transmission shift lever sequence, starter interlock, and transmission braking effect" as well as FMVSS numbers 126, 108, 135, 138, 208, and 305.
Risk: An instrument panel display that fails to show critical safety information, such as the speedometer or warning lights, increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the instrument panel cluster, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 17, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25C02.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL Campaign 24V850000 · 2024-11-08
Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Escape vehicles. The passenger side instrument panel cover may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can cause the air bag not to deploy as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: During air bag deployment, the air bag cover may break and project fragments into the vehicle, or the air bag may deploy improperly, increasing the risk of occupant injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the passenger side instrument panel cover, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on February 18, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24C38.
How to check whether your car has an open recall ›
Frequently asked questions
How many complaints were filed for the 2025 Ford Escape?
27 complaints were filed with NHTSA for the 2025 Ford Escape, or about 16.1 per year on the road.
What is the most common problem reported for the 2025 Ford Escape?
The most common category is Engine, accounting for 33.3% of complaints.
Does the 2025 Ford Escape have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 10 safety recall(s) for this model year.
Is the 2025 Ford Escape still generating complaints?
In the last 12 months 23 new complaints were filed, versus 4 in the 12 months before — the pace is rising.
How does the 2025 Ford Escape compare with similar vehicles?
NHTSA has received 27 owner complaints about the 2025 Ford Escape, or 16.1 per year on the road — far fewer complaints than typical for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 0.38, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 85 model-year 2025 vehicles we track, it ranks #30 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Ford models its rate is 70% lower; against other Compact SUVs it is 74% lower.