2021 Ford Escape brake problems

SERVICE BRAKES

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA complaint #11749333 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

I am filing this safety complaint on behalf of myself and my wife, [XXX] , the primary driver of our 2021 Ford Escape PHEV, with active under Recall 25SC4 (no remedy available). The vehicle has experienced 8+ sudden complete shutdowns during normal driving since February 2026, always during EV-to-hybrid mode transition, always without prior warning. The only warning is a brief sound like air escaping immediately before shutdown. At shutdown: engine cuts completely, steering wheel locks rigid and cannot be turned, brake pedal locks hard and cannot be depressed, gear selector locks in Drive and cannot be changed. The driver has zero ability to steer, brake, or move the vehicle. Must activate hazards and wait 1-5 minutes for restart while immobilized in an active traffic lane. Incidents occurred: (1) February 2026: multiple times, dealer retained vehicle 5 days, found nothing. (2) Early April 2026: multiple times, including one witnessed by a police officer who directed traffic around immobilized vehicle. Dealer kept 3 days, blamed the original Ford-supplied charger. Replacement did not fix defect. (3) May 1, 2026: 4 times in one day with my wife only in the car, including on the Dolphin [XXX] near Miami Int [XXX] 3:30PM Friday rush hour, with our [XXX] child in the vehicle on thr [XXX] r occasions. Ford's own recall documentation states steering and braking remain functional during shutdown. This is directly contradicted by our firsthand experience. Both are completely inoperable. Dealer on second attempt blamed original Ford-supplied charger — replacement did not resolve defect. This vehicle is subject to active class action [XXX] et al. v. Ford Motor Company (Case XXX). Formal warranty demand letter sent to Ford Motor Company via certified mail under Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act simultaneously with this complaint. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11735408 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

PARKING BRAKE:ELECTRICAL:SWITCH

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 to 70 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light and the charging system service light were illuminated. The message "Vehicle Turning Off to Save Power” was displayed. In addition, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine while the vehicle was slowing down. The contact stated that the parking brake push button failed to function as intended. The contact was unable to coast to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to Auto Zone, where the battery was checked, and the battery passed the test. The tow truck driver had difficulty attempting to tow the vehicle. The vehicle failed to restart, and the auto brake turned on independently. After a while, the vehicle was towed to the contact's mother's residence. The vehicle was later towed to the dealer. The vehicle remained at the dealer pending the results of the diagnostic test. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue; however, no assistance was offered. The vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V467000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). The contact was the second owner of the vehicle and had not received the recall notification. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000.

NHTSA complaint #11702261 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

When putting the car in reverse the brakes make an awful Screaming noise. It sounds like they are not releasing. Then when you go in drive and want to stop it doesn't want to. It is not all the time but more so then not.

NHTSA complaint #11698748 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while shifted into reverse and depressing the brake pedal and attempting to slow down, there was an abnormal sound coming from the rear wheels. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with asbestos in the brake fuse. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure progressed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unavailable.

NHTSA complaint #11687406 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

1 Brakes are making noise all times when in slow motion the brake paddle depressed ether is moving forward or reversing the repairs did not fix the problem. 1. Left Taillight show the when the vehicle is expose to water from rain or washed, evaporation and condensation will occur creating a film of running down inside of the assembled taillight and will last for days sometimes. That also cause the dimming of the light from the brakes and from turning light. As driver I am concerned that the dimming of the light can become a safety issue when in transit for diminishing of visibility for other drivers behind of this vehicle.

NHTSA complaint #11679885 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that when the brake pedal was depressed, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The contact stated that there was a delay prior to the vehicle stopping. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with rear braking system failure. The contact was informed that the rear braking system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000.

NHTSA complaint #11674471 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

I have had a problem with a loud moaning noise from the brakes when placing the car in reverse. I have reported this and had my car into the Ford dealer on the following occasions: December 28, 2022, November 24, 2023, March 5, 2024, June 6, 2024 and October 16, 2024 The dealer is Tasca Ford at 900 Central Park Ave in Yonkers, N.Y 914-377-8100. I was advised that SSM 52515 was issued by Ford but that they have no solution for this problem. I also see TSB23-2308 referenced on my service receipts. I cannot believe that Ford has no solution for this problem that they have known about for at least two years. I have escalated this to Ford Corporate on November 19, 2024 and have received no response from their main office.

NHTSA complaint #11634055 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated while reversing, there was a loud screeching sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who performed an unstated service on the vehicle, but the failure persisted. No further information was available. The manufacturer was contacted but no assistance was provided. The contact was informed of an Extended Service Warranty however, the vehicle was not included. The failure mileage was 1,500.

NHTSA complaint #11633170 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

I bought this car in August 2024. There wasn’t a problem, until I backed up. There is this moaning sound. It happens most of the time. This was supposed to be a certified used car. I took it to the dealership and they duplicated the sound I was talking about. Then they tell me they can’t fix it until they hear from Ford. Should be a fix 4th qtr 2024. I saw on Ford website there is a fix and I told them. They said they can’t do anything about it until ford tells them. They knew this was a problem. Most forums have a lot of ford escape owners are having the same problem. I just want it fixed. There is a TSB out for it, but the dealership won’t do anything. I feel like I am being given the run around.

NHTSA complaint #11626037 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

When going in reverse the breaks squeal. I have reported this in the past but was told "the noise was normal in this car." I have worked on cars for years and i don't by that. The noise is coming from rear wheels. The router on the left rear has not worn normally. there are groves worn in it. The amount of break dust on the left front wheel is not normal. I realize this happens normally, but this is above and beyond what I would call normal. It could indicate a problem with the break distribution valve. Thank you in advance for your help with this problem.

NHTSA complaint #11617840 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated while reversing, there was an abnormal screeching sound coming from the brakes. The contact stated that whenever it rained, there was water accumulating in the taillights. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the calipers and pads needed to be replaced. Additionally, the contact was informed that the lights needed to be replaced. The brake pads were replaced, but the failure recurred. The dealer informed the contact that the failure persisted. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case and extended the warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 5,000.

NHTSA complaint #11612832 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

Brake recall still not resolved. Going on 3 years since caliper issues with brake lining and ford refuses to fix the issue. I have been to the dealership twice. The recall is “repaired” but no changes. Horrible screeching sound when reversing and it is affecting my rotors.

NHTSA complaint #11606368 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

Almost every single time I back up my brakes make an awful noise. I've had the brakes looked at and nothing is wrong with them, I have read numerous articles about other people having this same issue with their 2021 Ford Escapes. Others have brought this to Ford's attention, and they always get told "that's normal". I should not have to hear my brakes screaming for no reason at 7am when leaving work, it is embarrassing and honestly irritating speaking that I would expect my vehicle to have no issues when ford talks to highly about the "quality" of their vehicles.

NHTSA complaint #11587006 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

My check engine light has come on four (4) seperate times, after being serviced three (3) times. All of which have been by a ford certified dealership. My rear brakes were making noise the week the new car was purchased. I notified to associate who sold me the car from a ford certified dealer and he made up an invalid excuse. I’ve had my car serviced 3 times for the service alert and within 2 weeks of it being serviced and the issues being fixed, it starts again resulting in my service light coming on. I’ve notified ford via mail and email and haven’t heard back. The issue is showing as a power train issue and says “AWD Fault”

NHTSA complaint #11556766 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated while reversing, the vehicle vibrated and made an abnormal sound. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where an updated brake kit was installed on the vehicle. Additionally, the dealer scuffed up the brake pads; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 8,000.

NHTSA complaint #11552970 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated while reserving, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle after depressing the brake pedal. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the brake pads to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but continued to experience the failure. The contact took the vehicle back to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the brake pads to be replaced a second time. The vehicle was repaired but continued to experience the failure. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100.

NHTSA complaint #11538671 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

2021 escape purchased on 10/12/21. By the end of October my vehicle began stalling while driving. The transmission was unable to change gears when the vehicle was accelerating or decelerating. While making a right turn my vehicle almost stalled out in front of the oncoming traffic but at the last minute the car accelerated. Next the vehicle started jerking when placed in reverse. When put in reverse a loud grinding sound and jolting / jumping would occur. The jolt and noise sounded and felt like someone had rear ended the vehicle the moment it was placed in reverse. On 11/6/21 while sitting in traffic I smelled something burning and it seemed to be coming from under my hood. Once I arrived to my destination I opened my hood and looked for any signs of a fire /burning but didn’t notice anything unusual. No warnings were displayed on my vehicle so I brushed it off. Finally on 11/18/21 at 2,965 miles my vehicles powertrain failed. After starting my vehicle and putting it in reverse a loud grinding sound and jump occurred. Once in drive the vehicle began to jerk and had difficulty accelerating. By the time I exited the parking lot a power train failure notice was displayed. Ford replaced the transmission and everything was obviously under warranty. The Ford Pass service record stated the following services were performed: transmission, clutch, axel, other. It is my understanding the entire transmission was replaced. These issues were and still are very concerning given the fact a brand new car experienced power train failure after 2,965 miles. 6/15/23: brakes are ridiculously loud when braking in reverse, brakes make grinding/ scrubbing sound, black break dust on back rims, oh and a new recall for possible fuel injector crack. Rather than addressing the actual fuel injector problem Ford will install a drainage tube to divert fuel away from the engine (*if/ when the fuel injector cracks) and add engenie software to alert drivers when fuel rail pressure has dropped.

NHTSA complaint #11527147 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

I bought my 2021 Ford Escape in June 2021 new. Shortly after I bought it, I started to hear a really loud screeching sound, very similar to a train coming to a screeching halt, whenever I reversed my car. I brought it into an Illinois ford dealership and they said nothing was wrong with it. Shortly thereafter, I received a notice in the mail about a warranty for the back brakes. Thinking that I solved my issue, I brought my car into a different dealership in Michigan and had them fix the brake pads. To my dismay and frustration, the brakes still made the terrible sound. I asked the folks why it was still making that sound and they said it was normal. A car backing up should never make that sound. Not only is it terrible sounding but it seems like a major safety concern. The Michigan dealership said that the brakes can make a squealing noise anytime their is condensation on the brake pads, mainly due to the fact that the brakes/brake pads have some sort of metal material in them. I decided to move up the food chain and call the corporate ford office but they couldn’t help me either. Which brought me to filing a formal complaint and seeing what you all can do to help me out. There are several folks out their on the internet that are having the same loud squealing noise as me and are being told it is “nothing wrong.” But a normal car SHOULD NOT BE making those sounds. Please let me know if you can assist.

NHTSA complaint #11525510 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

since I have owned this SUV the break has been bad I have taken it in with no help from ford now the weld on my drive side door has broken away from the frame. ford has told me that there nothing they can do about it, and I have to pay for the repairs. i have had the car for 2 1/2 years and i have read on line that this has happen to a lot of people

NHTSA complaint #11522699 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

Bought my 2021 Ford Escape a year ago, since a month after purchase, grinding noises Only when backing up, rain or shine or cold or hot. Getting worse within this year. Brought in 3-4 times, every time mechanic said nothing was wrong it was normal for this type of vehicle. Brought a few months ago to a different (not dealership) mechanic something Not right and needs fixing asap. Also noted crack and leaking from suspension! Dealership not willing to help, if my kids and I get into an accident because of this and a death or major injury shall occur , this will never be the end.! This has to stop! Treat cars like family please, because mine are in it.

NHTSA complaint #11515688 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V922000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) and 22V859000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was made aware of the issues. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA complaint #11515435 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

The braking system is extremely choppy and sensitive and even after having the car almost a year I have been unable to master it. I have a plug in feature for my insurance purposes and it goes off 7-10 times that I break because of the sensitivity of the brakes. I’ve owned many vehicles and I’ve never had issues such as these to the extent I’ve told others I would NOT recommend this car to anyone! The steering is also very sensitive so much so that I fear one emergency shift would easily send the car out of control of rolling.

NHTSA complaint #11513590 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the rear brakes were not releasing as designed. There was an abnormal groaning sound detected while reversing. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed and it was determined that the calipers needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure was approximately 17,000.

NHTSA complaint #11510939 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

There was a brake recall on my vehicle last year. Which was supposedly repaired. I was still having issues with the brakes so I took it to the dealership for a secondary repair. They flat out told me it would not fix the problem and goes is working on it. But according to their records. The recall has been fixed. And it has not been. I have attempted repairs through the dealership twice. And my brakes are still not working properly.

NHTSA complaint #11510403 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated while reversing and depressing the brake pedal, the brakes made an abnormally loud sound. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer three times. The dealer replaced the rear and front brake caliper bushings; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that the failure mostly occurred while reversing the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist. The failure mileage was approximately 16,000.

NHTSA complaint #11509526 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated while reversing out of a parking garage and depressing the brake pedal, the brakes made an abnormal grinding sound. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V922000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic), and the vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall repair. However, the failure reoccurred 3 months later. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where unknown repairs were completed; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the brake pads needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 18,000.

NHTSA complaint #11505878 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

When braking in reverse, especially in the mornings, there's a horrible grinding noise. It acts as if it doesn't want to stop. Have contacted the dealership multiple times and they claim they've addressed the recall issue but it just continues. They've gotten to the point that they won't return my calls to address the issue.

NHTSA complaint #11503117 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

2 current recall problems with vehicle. Brake recall has been an issue since November 2021. The brakes were supposedly fixed. Then there came a horrific squealing noise when vehicle in reverse. And driving. Also when braking when vehicle in motion. Horrible grinding sound. Contacted dealer. Said back order on parts to fix squealing. Apparent issues with bushing. Per the dealership. Has been going on for months. Still have no been contacted for repair. There is no solution regarding the November 2022 recall about the fuel injector. There is currently 7 very serious recalls involving this vehicle. I’m afraid to drive my vehicle. But continue to pay for a death trap.

NHTSA complaint #11500718 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

The contact leased a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated while reversing and depressing the brake pedal, the brakes emitted an abnormal squealing sound. The contact stated that the failure mainly occurred while reversing. Additionally, a message indicating that the Forward Collision Avoidance camera had failed and needed to be repaired was displayed. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 48,971.

NHTSA complaint #11499495 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.