FaultScore

2020 Ford Escape Hybrid other reported problems

62 of the 367 complaints about the 2020 Ford Escape Hybrid are about the other systems — 17% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 1,566 miles.

B

62

Complaints

0

Crashes

1

Fires

0

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Unknown OR Other 62 100.0%

Other & Unspecified across every Ford Escape Hybrid year

2008 13 14.1%
2020 62 67.4%
2021 17 18.5%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

Huntington Park, CA

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I went to [XXX] for the weekend, and on Sunday XXX I just left a restaurant and my car was parked on the street. As I left I was driving down a one way public street. I thought I hit a parked car to my right because I heard a noise that sounding like I hit something. I looked in the mirror and saw I was far from the parked cars and kept going. I went about a mile more and parked, and when I got out of the vehicle my friend/passenger said what happened to your car? and the passenger side top cover of my tailgate was missing. I told him I had a safety recall with ford and they fixed it earlier this year, but when looked at the remaining clip, it was just a square piece of Velcro showing. Cover was gone. It was there in the morning when we left the hotel and put our luggage in the rear liftgate cargo hold. Note; The day prior I was driving 2 and a half miles from [XXX] to [XXX] on the XXX. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11757901 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Augusta, GA

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The panoramic sunroof cover, it is available for inspection upon request my safety was jeopardized while driving my car at the time, the problem has not been reproduced, but it has been confirmed by dealer the Ford dealer told me that it would cost me $2000 plus a $200 labor fee to get it repaired and I did tell him that I had looked on a site and saw that this happened happened to a lot of Ford escape buyers. There weren’t any warnings as I was driving, and I pushed the button to open up the sunroof. The cover just flapped and went all the way back as I was driving and came off of the track and the black plastic part that’s in the middle fell down and I could never get that to stick back up again. I first noticed when I would have my sunroof slanted. I never would open it all the way, but just slanted. I would hear a rattling noise so I would close it and I opened my sunroof all the way up twice and the third time when I decided to open it all the way up while I was driving that’s when the whole thing just fell, fell the middle black part and the cover while I was driving and it scared the daylights out of me while I was driving on the road.

NHTSA complaint #11747278 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Crown Point, IN

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I recently found out through a Ford dealer that there was a recall on the door on my Ford escape. I never received anything in the mail. I had the issue fixed by my local mechanic and he used Ford parts. I would like A reimbursement.

NHTSA complaint #11648987 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Clearwater, FL

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The sunroof cover came down and blocked my rear visibility. It took a few attempts to get the cover back up because I need to see what is behind me for safety purposes. Then, when I was sesrching online for the solution, I realized a lot of people with 2020 - 2022 Ford Escapes were also having issues with the sunroof cover. It is quite dangerous for it to fall.

NHTSA complaint #11639520 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

La Habra, CA

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The car has a panoramic roof with automatic open/close sunshade that cover the interior of the glass. I was opening the sunshade to open the moon roof and the shade all of the suden came down and did not roll as intended and my visibility while I was driving was gone for a second until my wife helped out quickly so we do not crash. The problem is common for this car in the ford forums online and the dealerships are not concerend or applying any responsbility of the problem and the safety of it. there was no message or warning but it put myself and my family in danger. I went and got it inspected by the dealership but they did not take responsibilty.

NHTSA complaint #11630667 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Xenia, OH

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Gear selector knob silver plating is flaking off and leaving sharp edges.the edges are sharp enough to cut your fingers

NHTSA complaint #11628274 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Houston, TX

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Whenever I shut off my 2020 Ford Escape Hybrid or when I am about to turn it on, a message appears on the touchscreen that says: "System off to save battery, please turn ignition off or start engine." I have replaced the battery but I get the same error message. When I took the car to Firestone, they performed a Diagnostic which did not indicate that there was anything wrong with the battery. When I spoke to a Hybrid Battery Specialist, he told me that the error message was for my "12 volt battery. It is a fairly common problem with your Escape. The Ford dealership may have a fix for it. It is possible that you just need to replace the 12 volt battery." My local Ford Dealership did not have a fix for it. Since this is a fairly common problem with the Ford Escape, I think a recall should be issued to have Ford rectify the issue.

NHTSA complaint #11617837 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Vacaville, CA

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Sunroof internal protective part lost its adhesion and fell while driving. Sunroof fabric came loose causing the sunroof to malfunction potentially causing more damage if you try to use it.

NHTSA complaint #11617450 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Granger, IN

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Liftgate latch does not work and trunk no longer opens after 55,000 miles. This is one fewer choice to exit the car in an emergency.

NHTSA complaint #11612501 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Abbeville, GA

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

After the car was sitting in a parking lot without shade, unable to shift car out of park. Driver in seat, doors shut, seatbelt on--all normal circumstances; ready to drive. Brake pressed, rotary shifter stuck in P. No warnings or lights on dash Brake lights illuminated when pedal pushed. Temp on dash reads 103 degrees. After sitting with the car running for 30 minutes with AC on; attempted to shift as normal--shifter knob works. Have not called service center yet; plan to report as earliest convenience.

NHTSA complaint #11604263 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Rancho Cordova, CA

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The round gear nob will not release out of PARK. It happens when it is 105°+. The car starts. Then I put my foot on the break and try to turn round gear shift nob from PARK to REVERSE and the nob will not move. Break lights work. All doors closed. Seatbelt on. I've been sitting in my car for about the last 25 minutes and using the air conditioner to try to cool down the console, dash and the gear shift knob and everything's nice and cold but I still cannot get the knob to turn. I have also turned off and restarted the engine about three times and still I am stuck here in a parking lot and the car's not going anywhere. This happened a year ago and I brought it into the a Sacramento Ford dealership but because it didn't get hot during their working hours they were not able to replicate the problem. So here I am again and it's after Ford hours and I normally get service at Folsom Lake Ford in California but how am I going to get them to replicate the issue and they say they can't replicate the same problem then how can I get this fixed. Meanwhile I'm stranded in a not so safe area with a lot of homeless people around that are having violent issues.

NHTSA complaint #11604381 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Bedford, TX

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The car battery keeps being drained by modules staying active, this has affected my car so far twice in a year. This poses a safety issue as the car can get stuck and is inoperative. Ford has 2 service bulletins to repair the issue to reprogram the ABS module and PCM, they are SSM 49574 and SSM 49990. However Ford will not cover these repairs under extended warranty and although the issue initially occurred while under the 3yr/30k warranty but they didn’t have the service bulletins out at that time. This needs to be listed as recall issue as many people on Ford forum have complained about this issue for 2020 Ford Escape hybrids

NHTSA complaint #11590653 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Allen Park, MI

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Bracket for right check arm, defective weld spots

NHTSA complaint #11589444 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Burbank, CA

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Unresolved under hood fire recall

NHTSA complaint #11583418 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Green Valley, AZ

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Passenger side window has come loose and closes poorly with a loud klunking sound.

NHTSA complaint #11574881 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Newark, IL

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The door check arm welds on my passenger door have failed and my drivers side door is starting to fail. This is rendering my vehicle front doors unusable. In the event of an accident, being able to open the doors properly seems like it is a HUGE safety issue.

NHTSA complaint #11574987 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Greenwood, IN

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

My car had been having no issues and working as expected. I left to depart for my destination and my driver's door made a terrible grinding noise and didn't open smoothly. There was resistance. I am able to drive the vehicle without issue, but I cannot open the driver's door all the way. My local Ford Dealership won't repair the door, citing that I need to wait for the recall from Ford. I'd like to have a fully functional door on the vehicle I purchased.

NHTSA complaint #11574418 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Eustis, FL

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

hi, I don't feel secure anymore driving this car with this fire recall, what can I do? Nobody want to buy that car with this failure. Best Regards [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11573407 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Poolesville, MD

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

On 2/19/2024 i exited my vehicle and heard a popping noise. At that time I couldn't figure out where the noise came from. After existing the vehicle I attempted to close the door, unfortunately the door would not close property. It was clicking and the entire door wouldn't align properly without closing. when opening the door it also opens and hangs. Also the window does not roll more that 25% down and stops. Do if impact on either side, or a fire in the vehicle would prevent someone to escape I went to the internet and started researching the issue. I found many same model and year vehicles have the same issue. The issue is the 3 spot welds that hold the door fail and at the time of failure break the control arm that connects the door.

NHTSA complaint #11573420 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Little Rock, AR

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Ford Escape 2020 Hybrid 51,000 miles. Left front door pops and makes crunching noise when opened. The window does not go down now. just saw that repairs will be handled under customer satisfaction program. Door 'hinge' just started making noises. If FORD doesn't follow thru I will send another complaint.

NHTSA complaint #11571959 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Roswell, GA

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The spot welds in the left front door at the check arm attachment points in the door assembly broke. It is available for inspection upon request. My safety is put at risk because the door check arm is broken and the window won’t roll down as a result. The door has nothing to stop it from closing or opening, and if I were to require my window to roll down in the event of an accident my safety is jeopardized. This issue was confirmed at my dealership and they even provided me with a Ford memo SSM 51553 that acknowledges this problem. No one besides the dealership has inspected it yet. There were no warning lamps or messages. The issue started when the door suddenly made a loud popping noise when opened or closed, along with some resistance doing so. Then without warning the noise stopped, but now the door flings open and closed without any catching and my window will only roll down about 3 inches before stalling out. The first popping noise started three days ago, then it stopped and the door became non functioning yesterday. Dealership acknowledged this is a known issue, but Ford refuses to cover it.

NHTSA complaint #11569440 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Wichita, KS

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Door stop check broke in cold weather. No wide swinging of door and no weight on door has occurred. Dealership is stating entire door needs to be replaced and paint matched. Charges are estimated between $2500-$3100.

NHTSA complaint #11568827 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Manhattan Beach, CA

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The driver's side door has been making creaking and popping sounds for over a year and most recently the driver's side door window only goes down half way. Took the vehicle to the Ford dealership where the car was purchased and informed them of the problem and the SSM 50150 for 2020-2021 Escapes. After inspecting the interior of the door, they found that the check arm had detached and that what was causing the noise and the window to not be able to lower. The vehicle has 29,347 and was purchased in May 2020. They said the vehicle is out of warranty on the date (not mileage) and would not be covered although it's apparent the failure was occurring over several months.

NHTSA complaint #11568122 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Citrus Springs, FL

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Yesterday when I opened my driver side door there was a grinding/popping noise. I looked on-line and saw that it is the door check defect on the 2020 and 2021 escapes that is an issue with the welding. I called the dealership today and they said because it is over the milage for the warranty that it will not be covered. Ford issued a Technical Service Bulletin TSB-SSM 50150 but there is not a recall and there are several class action lawsuits regarding the issues. I was told to file a report with your agency.

NHTSA complaint #11564613 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Natick, MA

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

While driving the car on a busy fast-flowing road the message "Stop Safely Now" appeared on the dashboard. The car lost power and could only be driven at 20 mph and would not speed up. I pulled over and when I stopped but did not power off, the car would not start moving again. After turning the car off for five minutes it drove again properly with no issue. This is the second time this has happened in two months.

NHTSA complaint #11562689 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Garden Grove, CA

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Drivers side door spot welds for the door check bracket broke off the door having me to unable to close the door as I was out Christmas shopping at the Mall. I had to drive back home where I could park the car in a safe location and figure out what happened. Upon inspecting the drivers side door and watching videos of the same issue that other Ford Escape drivers have experienced I used a 6" wheel grinder to cut of the door check bracket in order to be able to close the door. It was dark at this time other wise I would have taken the door panel out and removed the complete bracket and door check. Ford is aware of this situation and has no recall on this. Not buying anymore Ford Products!

NHTSA complaint #11560938 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Arizona City, AZ

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

2020 Ford escape with 37k miles The drivers door started making horrible noises. And became difficult to close properly. All of the spot welds that hold the limiting arm bracket in place have broken and now the arm hangs loose. Window will only roll down part way. This all started 4 weeks ago! I know there is already an NTHSA investigation into this issue. I want to help push it forward to force ford to issue a recall and develop a solution to this defect that is clearly caused by poor manufacturing processes.

NHTSA complaint #11554596 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Independence, OH

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

My vehicle is exhibiting the issues described in SSM 50150. The driver's side door spot welds have failed on my 2020 Ford Escape hybrid. The issue began as a creaking sound as I opened and closed my driver's side front door. The door was also stiff and difficult to operate. 2 days later the door became even more difficult to open and close. A day after that the door welds failed. After the weld failure the door moved freely except the door catch would jam due to it floating. To allow proper door operation of the door the catch had to be unbolted at the body. After the failure I noticed the door panel around the area of the welds is pushed outward and no longer flush with the door along the edges. Also, since the issue began, the window strains whenever I try to raise and lower it and the window cannot be lowered all the way. My assumption is that the catch is tied to the window track. The window track and door catch appear to be associated with the broken welds. I brought the matter to the Ford dealership's attention, citing SSM 50150. They advised me that the vehicle was out of warranty, that the repair was not part of any mandatory recall and that the estimated repair cost was $2,083.14. They noted the possibility of Ford contributing a couple hundred dollars to defray the repair costs.

NHTSA complaint #11553203 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Houtzdale, PA

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

My door sounds like it is going to fall off. It is making a very loud popping noise when I open it the whole way.

NHTSA complaint #11552806 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Fort Worth, TX

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Driver’s Door Check Bracket is being stressed. It sounds like it is breaking. Situation has one on very quickly this past week.

NHTSA complaint #11550113 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 2020 Ford Escape Hybrid problems

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