2019 Ford Escape complaints

Simply put, the headlights repeatedly blow out with no apparent reason found. Bulbs have been changed multiple times personally and by professionals -- both headlights went out nearly simultaneously in September of 2024 and I replaced the bulbs myself, assuming it was a fluke or the bulbs had simply aged out. At the beginning of March, 2025, the passenger-side bulb went out again and I brought it to my dealership to get checked out. They couldn't find anything wrong, and I had them replace the bulb again. Now, for the third time since I bought the vehicle in April or May of 2024, I have to replace the passenger-side bulb again. I'm returning to the dealership to see if there's anything else to look for, but a quick internet search shows that there are lots of others experiencing this same problem without any kind of solution in sight. This is obviously not normal.

On April 30th had an oil change performed on my vehicle at the Ford service center on Tuesday. Shortly after, I began experiencing issues with the car struggling to start. By Thursday, my check engine light came on, I took it back in, left it at Ford, they were going to look at it on May 6th did not hear back until May 7th, revealed coolant mixing with the engine oil, indicating an internal engine issue. I had my car towed to Expert Transmission, and they revealed. Upon further inspection, the following diagnostic trouble codes were stored in the ECM: P0217 – Engine Overheating P0302 – Cylinder 2 Misfire P0316 – Misfire Detected at Startup P06E9 – Fuel Injector Control Performance P1026 – Fuel Injection System Malfunction Additionally, during repairs, my fuel injectors were found to be clogged with debris, requiring replacement along with the engine. Given that these issues arose immediately after the oil change.

I finally was able to get my Ford Escape into a Ford dealership to be inspected and they confirmed that I will need an entire engine replacement because coolant is leaking into cylinder 3. This is exactly the same engine Ford recalled on the 1.5 but not on the 2.0 yet and my Escape is a 2.0. When I spoke to the Ford Company I was given a case number and told it would take several weeks for Ford to send me a letter to see if they will assist in the repair or not. As a [XXX] this is our only vehicle and I'm honestly at a loss as to what I will do without a car for several weeks. My safety and the safety of my children are at risk because if I do try to drive the car until I hear from Ford it stalls in the lower gears leaving us at risk of being hit if I pull out and the Escape doesn't engage fast enough. We are also in danger because if I am not daily putting anti-freeze into the car Ford states that the engine might catch fire. Yes, the vehicle was inspected by Pierre Ford yesterday, Monday, March 24, 2025. I have had an engine light on for a few months and have had to start adding anti-freeze on a regular basis but it was about 2 weeks ago when I had a warning pop up on the digital dash stating, "Engine Fault Service Now". INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle made an abnormal sound. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine. The mechanic related the failure to an unknown recall and referred the contact to the dealer for the recall repair. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the related recall. The dealer informed the contact that upon test-driving the vehicle, there was smoke coming out from an undisclosed location. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was being repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000.

Powertrain failure for 2019 Ford Escape. Car was not accelerating correctly in main highway traffic. The car was diagnosed by Holman Ford in Sicklerville, NJ. Torque converter clutch broke down and transferred the metallic material into the transmission causing damage leading to failure. No warning signs/messages/ or symptoms. This has been confirmed to be a re-occurring issue for Ford Escape owners.

I purchased this car used at a local non-Ford dealership. The car had 50,000 miles on it when purchased. At 51,400 miles, a loud clicking sound could be heard coming from the engine. I took the car to the Ford dealership and they told me the engine needed to be replaced due to a finding lots of small pieces of metal in the oil filter and in other areas after removing the timing chain cover and doing an inspection. They determined I was 1 month out of warranty and stated the new engine would cost $14,000. "Big" Ford, after several months of back and forth, agreed to pay for 50% of the cost. Ford told me that if the engine were to completely "seize" it could have resulted in a major accident on the road. AFTER having the new engine installed, at 54,000 miles there was a burning smell entering the cabin through the vents. I took the vehicle back to the Ford dealership and they told me the valve cover gasket was leaking and needed to be replaced. They said it would not be part of the original warranty of the new engine and I needed to pay $1000 for the repair. After strongly pushing back and calling several other dealerships, the local dealer agreed to do the repair under warranty. I have zero faith in Ford due to this experience.

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while parked and attempting to start the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the contact became aware of white smoke coming from the exhaust. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion inside cylinder #4. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to call the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: 19-2172 (Coolant In Cylinders, White Exhaust Smoke); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was 49,547.

The car has a non-repairable engine failure of the 2nd cylinder of the 4 cylinder engine as diagnosed by the ford dealer. The car has low miles, 49,047 and is 4 months out of its 5 year power train warranty. Contacted Ford customer care, they recommended I file a complaint with the NHTSA and offered no assistance.

Engine light came on but did not stay on. Vehicle ran rough on and off. Took to dealer and am told coolant is leaking into the cylinders and a new engine is needed. Opened a case with Ford and they won't cover it in full. Car has 54,000 miles on it and we have had it 6 years and 3 months (purchased new).

My 2019 Ford Escape Eco Boost Titanium vehicle is currently loosing antifreeze at an alarming rate. I had the error codes read and I have four. The first, P0303, states cylinder #3 is misfiring. The second, P0141, says the heater in 02 sensor is taking too long to warm up. The third, P0016, states the camshaft position A correlates to bank 1 and finally, P04DB, says the crankcase ventilation system in the vehicle is disconnected. From what I have read online the system that is failing is that there is an engine coolant leak. I am fine providing the car for inspection upon request. The safety of myself and my family is at risk because should I not keep the coolant filled and full Ford states that the vehicle engine may overheat, catch fire, damage the pistons, and possible misfires while driving. I reported the issue to Ford via their social media link X (twitter) on March 16, 2025 but I will also be calling the Ford contact phone number tomorrow, March 17. I hope to have the vehicle or component inspected by the manufacturer soon but based on the complaints online I am one of many having this failure on my vehicle. My engine warning light came on about 2 months ago but when I had it read for error codes at that time it only stated the code, P0141, the heater in 02 sensor is taking too long to warm up. At that time I called Ford service to see how I could get it repaired and was told that even though I had previously had the error codes read they would start by charging me $25

I drove this car off the lot with only 16k miles...by 28k miles...it required a new engine due to the known defect of coolant being leaked into the engine from the ceramic cylinders. 2 months later the car needed an alternator. I've been back and forth to the dealership and the costs are mounting. Just recently they wanted $1,500 for another repair. The car is unreliable and I still have over $16k left to pay on it. There are countless of other consumers online complaining about the same issues I am experiencing as well as a Class Action Law Suit against Ford in California for these ecoboost engines that I don't qualify for because I'm in Illinois. I just really need help with this matter because it's not getting better.

We were told that there was a recall on the coolant system and contacted the Ford Dealership and was told that the recall had expired back in 2022. I purchased the vehicle in 2023. A week ago the engine light came on and we took the vehicle to Auto Zone for a code check and was told that the coolant system was faulty. We had the vehicle towed to the Ford Dealership in Crestview Fl and they have told us that the motor is blown due to a issue with the coolant system.

I have a cracked engine block, causing coolant to leak into cylinder. This is an extremely common problem with Ford Escapes in this range of years. Ford refuses to do anything about this, and we as consumers are extremely unhappy. We are requesting that Ford provide a fix for this.

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle independently started reversing. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000.

Was driving car is 2019 and has 84802 miles and no issues and all of a sudden power train issue came on and car would barely drive. The dealer was rude and zero help and so was ford number. There are 96 complaints of the same thing that should fall under the campaign 22v413000. I had on my ford app that I was part of the csp but the dealer said I was not and would do nothing for me and now look I have the exact issue and now no one wants to take care of it and it is not a cheap repair. FORD should have to refund me this money ASAP!!!! Or do something because how do I know I won’t have more issues after I get this fixed. I bought this car brand new and also took it to dealer to get all oil changes and etc to make sure things were handled and they were not. Will not ever go back to that dealer. And not sure I will ever buy a ford again because of how I have been treated so far.

After the vehicle has been running and stopped at a traffic light or an intersection, whether the auto-start is on or off, as you pull out into traffic the engine shuts off. No error code to the computer that Ford could find, it just stops. This is a life and death situation as oncoming traffic are approaching. In order to get it started again, you have to put the vehicle in park and push the stop/start button.

The transmission is damaged beyond repair at 90 thousand miles. This vehicle is always serviced at Ford truck city in Buda Texas. We are very very disappointed with the quality and service from FORD. This vehicle is at the same dealership been serviced in Buda Texas at the cost of $ $8,400 dollars. We have no choice but to get a loan to paid for. I am helping my granddaughter paid for, si she can go to college and work. This is very very difficult for us. HELP !!

There is something wrong with either the bcm, headlight assembly, or headlight wiring harnesses. My low beam headlight bulbs only last about 6 months and then they go bad. I have tried using OEM bulbs, sylanvia bulbs, and led bulbs and have the same result = replacing within 6 months! This causes a severe safety issue as I lose visibility from a headlight. This issue is well documented all over the Internet and no one has been able to find any answers, except for a couple people being able to just use OEM bulbs and replace yearly.

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to shift gear as needed. The vehicle was taken for maintenance to the dealer and the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that on another occasion, the vehicle failed to shift gear. The check engine warning light illuminated with a knocking sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer and diagnosed with gearbox failure. The vehicle was repaired for the most recent failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 96,167.

Cracked Flex plate/flywheel repaired under warranty less than two years ago. Flex plate/flywheel again loose and/or cracked requiring hours of labor to replace and out of pocket expenses.

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving from a complete stop at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated to respond upon depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times, and the dealer replaced the transmission and the turbo; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to Advance Auto, where it was diagnosed with camshaft failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.

My truck burst into flames in the middle of the night while we were sleeping. Started under the hood. We have cameras and luckily it woke me up bc it almost caught my house on fire.

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH with cruise control activated, the engine started to overheat. The contact pulled over to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with head gasket failure. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the head gasket had failed, causing the engine to fail. The dealer determined that the short block needed to be replaced with an improved part. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided due to the mileage. The failure mileage was approximately 111,000.

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the accelerator pedal failed to respond. The vehicle was stalling and jerking. There were no warning lights illuminated. An independent mechanic arrived at the residence to diagnose the vehicle. The vehicle was diagnosed with CVT transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired because the vehicle was not under recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that if a warning light became illuminated, assistance would be provided with the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000.

Coolant leakage into cylinders and a broken timing belt upon attempting to start and drive the vehicle 10 feet, resulting in the entire engine being considered broken, needing replacement.

The engine failed (melted piston) such that I had a sudden lose of power while driving down the expressway. This resulted in my vehicle speed going from 70 MPH to 30 MPH. This resulted in my having to get to the shoulder of the road as quickly as possible to get out of the way of traffic. The vehicle was driven to the dealer (i.e. limp home mode). DTC's P0304 and P0302 were present. The dealer diagnosed the failure of the engine due to a melted piston. This resulted in the vehicle needing a complete engine replacement. I sold the vehicle as is to a scrap yard. The vehicle was running normally and there were no warnings of any kind leading up to the incident.

*Error "High Engine Temperature Stop Safely" Known issue - available for inspection *Engine may blow up *not yet *not yet *Yes - see above

My car will not drive. Power train light came on out of no where o was less than a mile from home and car keep going from 40 rpm to 5 rpm and would move hardly at all and then speed up. Car makes noise after turn it off like the csp. I have been told the CSP is not valid for me and this is going to be a very expensive repair up to $15,000. Can not believe Ford is not being held accountable for this

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the vehicle lost automotive power and almost shut off. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The contact stated that later while driving approximately 20 MPH, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that there was coolant inside the engine and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 107,000.

I have a 2019 Ford Escape Ecoboost, and the engine had to be replaced at 64,000 miles due to an issue with 2017-2019 Ford Escapes, which Ford did not recall. What happens is the engine sucks all of the antifreeze out of its compartment and dumps it onto the engine block, ruining the engine. It's ridiculous that Ford did not recall this issue, as it is terribly costly to replace an engine on a vehicle. What's even more ridiculous is having to replace an engine with so few miles and paying out of pocket when you're still paying for the vehicle. Some have reported having to have their engine replaced at 15,000 on these same vehicles. Ford needs to be held accountable, if not sued over this issue. And, the dealerships are not nice when they have to fix the problem. Worst and most costly experience with a vehicle ever!

I brought my car into Ford while under warranty because I was having problems. It was told to me that I needed an engine so ford didn’t contact my warranty company & decided to pay out of there pocket for a short block. The new engine & short block was supposedly put in. Months later I experienced the same problem & brought it back to Ford. Ford told me they don’t have to fix it being that my extended warranty doesn’t cover it.

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion into the engine, causing the engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 114,000.

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at 15 MPH through a yellow light on an off-ramp, another vehicle crossed the intersection at high speeds and crashed into the entire front of the vehicle. The air bags did not deploy upon impact however the other vehicle’s air bags did deploy. It was mentioned that the contact's husband was exempt from wearing a seat belt. The contact’s husband was taken by ambulance to the hospital where he was treated for pain in his neck, his head impact, and back as well as soreness throughout his entire body. The contact's daughter was taken to the hospital by a fellow motorist since her service dog was not permitted on the ambulance and was treated for bruising to her right arm and hip. The other driver suffered no injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent tow yard where it remained in their possession. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance; they referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000.

The engine in this vehicle has a known design flaw (see Ford Customer Satisfaction Programs 19B37/21N12) that causes the cylinder head gasket to fail at a location that allows coolant to enter the cylinder. Coolant contains chemicals like ethylene glycol or propylene glycol. While not easily flammable at room temperature, coolant can catch fire if it reaches its autoignition temperature, which can happen when exposed to the extreme heat and pressure inside an engine cylinder during combustion. The gasket failure also exposes the coolant passages within the cylinder head to these extreme temperatures and allows exhaust gases to enter through the failure location. Additionally, the coolant leak will also cause the engine to run at a higher temperature and the increased heat can further elevate the fire risk. Ford admits to this issue and will replace the engine in affected vehicles through Customer Satisfaction Program 21N12, however this program conveniently expired in November 2022, before most owners were made aware of the issue. This extremely dangerous defect does not become less dangerous with the passage of time and there should be no time limit on this repair. Either a class action lawsuit or action by the NHTSA will be required to force Ford to make these repairs. My own vehicle has been parked and not driven for well over a year due to this issue. It was replaced with a Chevrolet Traverse and I refuse to sell the defective Ford Escape to an unsuspecting buyer who woul

I purchased the vehicle from the dealership when it had just 5 miles on it. Soon after, I started hearing a popping noise every time the car shifted, as well as when making turns. After taking it back to the dealership, they discovered that there were missing spot welds in the center frame on the passenger side, specifically in the area between the front door and the back door.

See attached document for complaint.

So its the worst case, there is coolant in multiple cylinders that is why that plug is seized. that coolant leaking in there causes corrosion and essentially welds that plug in place. so i need an engine.

The 2019 Ford Escape (purchased new in December 2018) was taken to the Nick Mayer Ford (Mayfield Heights, Ohio where it was purchased) service department in August/September 2024 for a computer diagnostic analysis for a previous warranty recall/repair problems regarding short block replacement for coolant intrusion that was not performed/corrected several years prior in 2021 when only the turbocharger was replaced. The problem was excessive smoke being emitted at engine start back in 2021 when the only turbocharger was replaced and the problem reappeared in August 2024. Nick Mayer Ford had the vehicle for two weeks in August/September 2024 and provided neither a computer diagnostic analysis report nor repair of the previous recall/repair issues (2021) including no explanation/resolution of the problem. Currently, due to the previous undiagnosed/unresolved problems, the engine failed at 70,000 miles in December 2024 and the long engine block has to be replaced. The engine warning lamp was on at the time of engine failure. We are still paying on a car loan for the vehicle. References: 1. Ford Help Desk Assistance Claim Case# [XXX] on 12/5/2024 filed with Tanya E. for short block replacement for coolant intrusion. 2. Ohio Attorney General Matter Number [XXX] on 12/6/2024 filed with Ross. 3. Ohio Attorney General Consumer Complaint# [XXX] filed online on 1/3/2025.

Coolant is leaking into engine, engine is needing a complete replacement

Rough run condition when cold. coolant reservoir almost empty. Block test failed for hydrocarbons in the cooling system indicating a failed cylinder head to block gasket ror cracked head.P0302 misfire for cylinder 2 Issues have been addressed in Customer Satisfaction Program 21N12 happened about a week ago in Jan 2025 then the check engine light came on within the week. vehicle odometer is at 82700

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The stated that upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle made an abnormally loud sound. The contact stated that the failure had increased significantly. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to Auto Zone, where it was diagnosed and determined that there was a misfire in cylinder #2. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine was making an abnormally loud knocking sound due to coolant intrusion into the engine. The mechanic determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that a fee would be charged for diagnostic testing. The dealer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 126,000.

Flex plate cracked/ broke at 65K miles. common problem with this engine. Ford not covering this repair and there is a Campaign #22N12 that covers this repair on several other vehicles with the same engine but the escape not included?

Ford 2.0L Turbo Ecoboost engine coolant infusion issue. The problem is a known issue (TSB 22-2229 for 2.0L). Vehicle is now at the dealership where is was diagnosed after taking in the vehicle for a Check Engine light.

Vehicle is my wife’s car. Vehicle lost acceleration during rapid acceleration attempts (freeway on-ramps, etc.). Threw engine light with P0087 code (Low fuel rail pressure). Brought to local dealer to diagnose and was told the diverter valve failed, which caused the water pump to leak and then caused transmission to overheat. The total quote for repairs was over $8,900. None of this made sense. Did a static pressure test for over 45 minutes on coolant system and never lost pressure. That told me the water pump wasn’t leaking. Decided to replace high pressure fuel pump and upon replacing found that the spring on the pump had wore down and punched a hole in the tappet that goes to the camshaft. Replaced high pressure pump, tappet, and fuel manifold from the pump. Pump ($245), fuel manifold ($20), tappet ($10). When purchasing the tappet from the local ford dealer parts store, the employee stated that “they have people come in all the time for these tappets”. After replacing the components, the car runs fine with no issues. I returned to dealer with components and they failed to acknowledge the mid diagnoses of the vehicle and asked that I bring it back in to verify the problem was fixed before refunding the diagnostic fee ($195). Initially I agreed, but after careful consideration I decided not to due to concerns from the initial diagnoses. See attached pictures. Pictures are of new components and old components.

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate from being stopped at a stop sign, the engine revved; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the repair was not covered under recall or warranty. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 107,972.

Dashboard message "power steering assist failure - service required" appeared when vehicle was started. It worked fine the day before. We drove it to a local car repair place which advised they did not know what caused the problem and recommended we take it to Ford dealer. We drove it about 30 miles to the Ford dealer, with difficulty since there was no power steering. The dealer says it needs new steering gear (rack and pinion). The cost is about $3000.

TIRE SIZE: 235/50 R18 I was driving on the highway at approx 65 miles per hour in the far left lane when I heard a loud POP and then my car started driving weird. No warning lights came on in my vehicle prior to. I pulled over as soon as I safely could and when I stopped and got out. I realized it was my passenger rear tire that exploded. I called AAA and they put on my spare. The next day I was able to get my vehicle to an NTB. The associate there told me that my front passenger wheel also had side wall damage and that’s likely what caused my passenger tire to pop. He commented that my tread was really good on all my tires so it wasn’t the cause. Because it was two tires that needed changing I was recommended to change all four tires for safety reasons.

I haven't had an issue YET but my mother has the same exact vehicle and Ford's well known issue with the coolant leaking and destroying the engine has happened to her. She is now out $8500 for an issue that they KNOW about and should be recalling and fixing. I am submitting a complaint because I am sure I am next.

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken a dealer where it was diagnosed that coolant was leaking into cylinder #2, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The contact related the failure to the Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12 (GTDI Engine – Short Block Replacement After Coolant Intrusion). The failure mileage was 124,000.

I was driving on my way home then all of a sudden my car wasn’t moving when I was pressing on the gas pedal. At first I thought maybe the energy brake was on but after checking that wasn’t the problem. My car just wasn’t moving when I hit the gas. I was stranded in traffic for a bit until I decided to turn off the engine and turn it back on. I was able to park it somewhere but the problem hasn’t been resolved and it doesn’t make sense for my car which I bought new in 2019 to be having transmission problems.