2020 Ford Escape complaints

I brought my vehicle into its manufacturer service center after noticing several issues. The vehicle was not maneuvering as smoothly as it used to and when it hit bumps I would feel a slight loss of control. This is extremely dangerous, especially in the coming winter months where it snows heavily where I live in the midwest. I also hear like a cracking sound underneath the vehicle. I saw several service light illuminate to include: AWD Fault Service Required, Hill Start Not Available, and Pre Collision Assist Not Available. I brought in my vehicle into the Ford Service Center and they advised me that I needed to replace the AWD module and that this has been a common trend among the Ford Escape vehicles. I conducted research online and observed that several people have also had complaints about the same if not similar issues with the same year, make, and model of my vehicle. I strongly believe that this issue should be addressed in recall, especially given the numerous amounts of complaints and known issues.

There is a Powetrain Malfunction, loss of Hill Start Assist , AWD failure, Loss of Precollision Assist, loss of traction control, causing notifications to "Service Immediately" This has been confirmed by Ford to be an AWD module failure and requires costly replacement. Multiple Ford dealers have been unable to accommodate timely appointments to correct this issue. This issue affects the ability to drive the vehicle safely. The vehicle had no known issues prior to the dash lights and system messages appearing. The problem and notifications appeared suddenly while driving down the highway, noticeably jolting while the vehicle was in movement. This issue makes the vehicle unable to navigate up inclined roadways. The loss of traction control affects the steering control of the vehicle, especially in roadways experiencing non ideal weather conditions. After these things occurred, the engine started to experience a misfire, most likely due from having to work harder to navigate up Inclined roadways. This vehicle is actively at the dealer for these repairs, pending invoice.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, the messages "Hill Start Assist Not Available", "Pre-Collision Assist Not Available", "Service Advance-trac" and "Service All Wheel Drive" remained displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the All-Wheel Drive module was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 12,000.

One day my all wheel drive, pre-collision emergency braking, lane departure warnings, cruise control, lane assist, and hill start assist stopped working. I could no longer use any of these functions. There was no accident, fire, or any other damage that occurred to my vehicle to cause this malfunction. It just stopped working. I was alerted by error messages on my dash that all wheel drive and pre collision assist were not functional. I scheduled an appointment with the dealership. When I took my car in for inspection at the dealership, they found that the all wheel drive module was defective, directly impacting the functionality of the powertrain, and needed replaced immediately. They confirmed that this module was not working. Without this function, I could not use all wheel drive in icy, snowy, or rainy weather, thus impacting the safety of the vehicle for myself and my 8month old daughter who I drive daily. This also prevented collision emergency braking and lane departure warning features from functioning, which are important for preventing dangerous accidents. Even though my car is still covered under the powertrain warranty, and this defect affects the function of the powertrain, they do not consider it covered under warranty.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the " Power train malfunction and reduced power" and the "4-WD Power Train Fault" messages were displayed on the instrument panel; the power train fault warning light was illuminated. The contact researched and was made aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V330000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the contact was informed that the Hybrid Powertrain Control Module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 54,000.

See attached document for complaint.

My AWD module stopped working for no reason WHILE DRIVING! My car’s dashboard lit up like a Christmas tree stating for me to pull over safely, AWD fault service required, Hill start failure, pre-collision failure, and the stability and traction control failure light was on as well. My car was towed to my local Ford dealership. I researched what in the world could be going on with my car. I typed in the exact warnings displayed by my car and MULTIPLE articles about the AWD module failing for countless other 2020 Ford Escape cars! I also saw there was a RECALL on this module back in 12/2021-04/2022. They are saying my car is not apart of that recall though??? How when my car’s AWD module FAILED JUST LIKE THE RECALL STATED! This is happening/happened to hundreds of other 2020 Escape owners! This recall should be EXTENDED to every owner of the 2020 Escape experiencing AWD failure! This is a HUGE SAFETY RISK! Your car literally just stops working while driving. I got extremely lucky that I was already pulling into a gas station when this happened to me. I can’t imagine what could’ve happened if I were driving on the interstate when this occurred, which is EXACTLY what I was going to be doing after fueling up!

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the back-over prevention camera screen was blue and there was a beeping sound coming from the camera. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V575000 (Visibility, Back Over Prevention). There was a DTC trouble code sent to the manufacturer regarding the backover prevention camera. The contact called the local dealer and was informed to schedule an appointment. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, opened a case, and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 26,000.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the front driver’s side window failed to roll down while depressing the window switch. The contact stated that the failure was a recurring failure and was previously repaired at the dealer. The contact stated that a while afterward, the rear passenger’s side window failed to roll down while depressing the window switch. The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer and remained for the repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 18,600.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle became difficult to control. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed and it was determined that the electronic power steering control module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after a severe rainstorm, the contact noticed that there was a strong odor inside the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the car wash, and upon removing the floor mats, the contact became aware that the floor mats were significantly wet, and there was mold and mildew on the floor mats and on the carpet. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the vehicle was dried out and the seats were taken out. The dealer then performed a water entry test and determined that water was entering through the seam in the rear of the vehicle. 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 approximately 30,000.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact was informed that the VIN was included in Ford Customer Service Program Number: 23B56 (Warranty - Front Door check arm weld). There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that there was no prior failure experienced with any of the doors. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed. The dealer stated that the front driver’s side door needed to be replaced; however, the door was not available due to the programming part being limited and not available. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle needed to remain with the dealer until the part was available because the vehicle could present a risk to the driver. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer denied the contact a loaner vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 29,131.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated while reversing, the brake pedal was depressed and there was an abnormally loud squealing sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer on several occasions, but the cause of the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.

Door making a hoping noise window won't go down. Unwelded part of the door

The front driver door was making loud popping sounds and the hinge fell off the door!!

WHEN THE SUN/MOON ROOF WAS OPENED A METAL PIECE HOLDING IT TOGETHER FELL OFF.IT WEIGHS A COUPLE POUNDS AND CAN COME FORWARD AND HIT SOMEONE, DRIVER INCLUDED.. IT WAS HELD ON BY DOUBLE SIDED TAPE. WE CHECKED YOU TUBE AND SAW OTHERS FROM 2020 TO 2023 ARE ALSO HAVING THIS HAPPEN IT CANNOT BE REPAIRED BY THE OWNER. FORD SAID IT CAN BE FIXED FOR $1300-1500.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the vehicle was vibrating and shaking abnormally. The contact pulled over to the side of the roadway and turned off and restarted the vehicle and the shaking ceased. The contact stated that the failure had become a persistent failure. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the vehicle had experienced an All-Wheel drive (AWD) failure; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 46,000.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that during inclement weather, moisture would enter the vehicle through the liftgate. Due to the failure, there was water pouring out of the vehicle upon opening the liftgate. The failure persisted and the contact stated that moisture had started to accumulate inside the spare tire wheel compartment leading to mold developing inside the vehicle. Additionally, rust had started to form around the liftgate latch due to the moisture failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was transferred to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

The vehicle is a 2020 Ford Escape SE with 53,000 miles. Recently, The message screen began flashing messages AMD OFF, Hill Start OFF, Collision Warning OFF. Based on social media, this appears to be a common problem with the 2020 Escapes. According the Escape owners, dealers first check software and if not the issue a electronic module is replaced at a cost of up to $1100. Some of the failures reported were on vehicles with 20,000 miles or less. Aside from cost , there is a safety concern that module overheating may cause engine fires. The vehicles should be recalled for this concern.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact was informed by a Ford mechanic that the front driver’s side window could possibly shatter while rolled down. The contact was informed that the door needed to be replaced; however, the replacement door remained on backorder. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle was taken to the dealer. The contact was informed that the engine valve was defective and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with AWD module failure. The contact was informed that the AWD module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact researched and discovered the Customer Satisfaction Program: 21B19; however, the contact was informed that the VIN was not associated with the program. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 51,000.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was jerking. The contact stated that the failure occurred increasingly while driving from a complete stop. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the torque converter and the main control assembly needed to be replaced. 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 approximately 87,000.

Internal malfunction in all wheel drive module AWD Fault Service Maintenance required

While driving car at highway speeds and RPMs at or below 2500 and either driving uphill or into a strong headwind car seems to get a flat spot in acceleration and does not downshift to compensate. Powertrain malfunction light illuminates and vehicle enters reduced power mode. After turning off ignition and waiting a few minutes the light clears and car drives normally until the next time. Rarely does a DTC pop up on code reader to identify issue. Has happened multiple times and been in mechanic and dealer at least 4 times with no resolution.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact became aware that the driver’s side front door had detached, and the hinge on the door was inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the door had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000.

Received customer satisfaction bulletin 23B56. Door reinforcement can crack and door pulls away from car Salinas Valley Ford had my car for 6 weeks. Claims they have no ETA on door arrival Won’t pay for rental car any longer. Wants me to drive unsafe car until they get new door whenever that may be This is a safety issue. I can hardly get in or out of car. They know it’s a bad door otherwise they would not have ordered a new door and would have just replaced the welds Can this agency help

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon visual inspection of the engine compartment, he observed that the coolant reservoir was abnormally low, though it had recently been serviced. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to diagnose a failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 59,000.

Heard load popping sound opening door. Driver side door stop spot welds broke. Door stop broken and door swings freely out; window can't roll down.

The entire advanced track system quit working. Sometimes if you turn the vehicle off and on a bunch of times it will work until you turn off the vehicle.

My car is making a severely loud noise when I start it up, and sometimes when I’m driving or stop driving. When I try to accelerate sometimes, it feels like nothing is happening and then all of a sudden my car will pickup fast and jump RPMs. When going slowly through parking lots it will kind of putter through and jerk. I took it to does to get diagnosed and they said that it’s the flapper in the exhaust that prevents all cylinders from running at the same time. I was going research before they told me what it was and I saw other people have had this problem as well. The car is only 4 years old with 34,000 miles on it. My bumper to bumper warranty ended at 3 years or 36,000 miles and they’re saying it’s not covered under warranty and the whole muffler/exhaust system needs to be replaced for $1200. I believe this is a safety issue with the way the car drives on the expressway and not being able to accelerate and merge properly along with the fact that the exhaust effects the performance of the engine which feels like it’s going to give out at any moment.

The front door check-arm spot welds failed on the driver's side.

Casting of the turbocharger failed, leaking coolant into the wastegate and exhaust. the turbo coolant passages cracked. I thought I blew a head gasket at first. Pulled plugs and changed oil, all looked good. Cooling system held pressure. No warnings except a small coolant leak over months and months. not even on the ground. Large white smoke clouds coming out of the exhaust.

The car has AWD FAULT along with multiple safety fault pre collision assist ,power steering stops working. Going down the road. Ford has been zero help taken car in multiple times charged 100’s off dollars only for issues to return

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle unexpectedly downshifted with the transmission warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 34,000. The VIN was not available.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The AWD module failed after 35000 miles. Dealership said it needed to be replaced. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The failure shut off my collision assist, traction control, AWD, and hill assist. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Unknown, it seems to be a fairly common issue with 2020 Ford Escapes from what I've seen online. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Just the dealership Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Unknown, I had warnings on my dash stating AWD fault service required and soon after began reporting the other errors.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the engine temperature gauge indicated that the engine had overheated. While inspecting under the hood the contact discovered that the coolant reservoir was empty. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the engine coolant had leaked into cylinders #1 and #4, causing severe damage to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 85,000.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and making a right turn, the vehicle failed to exceed 18 MPH. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced the fuel pump, fuel rail, and the battery; however, the failure reoccurred. Additionally, while operating the vehicle, the ABS and traction control warning lights illuminated. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 12,000.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that on several occasions after shifting into reverse, the vehicle erroneously drove forward. The contact stated that on another occasion while driving at highway speeds, the vehicle erroneously shifted into neutral. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in for routine maintenance, it was discovered that there was hydraulic fluid leaking from the rear shock absorbers. The shock absorbers were replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 60,000.

This is a safety issue that can occur without warning and a repeated failure, Ford repairs were not effective. The trim piece that goes in between the big and small parts of the glass on the sunroof keeps falling off and has caused over $500 in repairs because it jammed and broke the $15 rail clips that are not covered under the warranty. The cover is the width of the roof and is a cosmetic cap that is insufficiently attached with six double sided sticky squares that do not withstand heat/cold variations. This failure is not related to abuse or wear and tear. It is a cap that once it fails can fall on the driver or passenger if the roof is open or it will jam the sunroof cover and destroy the $15 guide clips attaching the cover to parallel rails. This failure occured at around 30,000 before it was repaired at 32,000 miles in May 2024 and has failed again in July 2024. This is a design failure that is not covered under warranty and owners are subject to expensive repairs for a known and predictable failure due to the insufficient attachment method for something that should never have to be removed.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the "All Wheel Drive" warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who determined that the rear differential was faulty and needed be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V011000 (Power Train). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 41,000.

2020 Has a 8f35 transmission with the same torque converter issues and low speed shudder under 35 same as bulletin 21-2081... ford edge with same transmission ford recommended replacement at 90000 miles didn't offer to even attempt to work on it. No warning lights are on

Vehicle has 14,000 miles on it. Was taken to Ford garage after the AWD light came on. They placed the AWD module on the vehicle and then ran diagnostics again and it still pulled the errors. They determined that the ABS system is bad and also needs replaced. He provided me with a notice that was sent to Ford/Lincoln dealers -Customer Satisfaction Program 20B5 which was for vehicles manufactured in 2020 where the dealers were to replace the electronic break booster. My vehicle was manufactured in 2019, but has the same problem as this recall and unfortunately was not part of the dates where Ford would fix the issue.

On the door, the brace to control the stability of the door has broken off on the inside of the door. This is very annoying that this is not considered a recall as this is something that can only be fix by replacing the entire door. That is not a convenient amount of money to just spend.

I have a 2020 Ford Escape that was not included in the recall 20C19/20V575, however my vehicle has been having the issue. Ford dealerships and the Ford customer support were not helpful and said they couldn't fix the issue since my specific vehicle was not included in the recall, even though my vehicle is having the same issue. They directed me to file a complaint here in order to be added to the recall.

Back door of my ,2020 Ford Escape SE, is stuck closed! Won't open at all with key fob or buttons on driver side or button on back door. Multiple times before it got stuck closed, the door wouldn't latch properly and bounce open randomly over bumps in the road!

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a popping sound coming from the front door on the driver's side. The contact stated that the door failed to close completely as intended. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or local dealer. The contact related the failure with an unknown recall; however, the vehicle was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 31,000.

The AWD module failed after 22,000 miles. This affects the awd and many other options not to work. Trac control, Hill assist, Awd etc. Dealership wont cover due to 3 years. Dealership is fixing with $1160 out of pocket to me. This part is a known issue with Ford and many other complaints have been made.

AWD fault at 58,000 miles. AWD module has to be replaced at approximately $750. Power train/drivetrain warranty good for 60,000 miles. Was informed at the dealership that it wasn’t covered under the power train/drivetrain warranty. I have read several complaints from owners having the same issue. Ford needs to offer a recall and reimburse all funds.

The Passenger door Check assembly is making alot of noise. I see there is a problem with the weld of the bracket to the door which could cause the door to fall off the vehicle

Driver door hinge welds are broken. Door will not open or close correctly.