Page 31 of 33 · complaints 1,501–1,550 of 1,619

2020 Ford Escape complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2020 record →

Structure › Body › Door
Filed Sep 13, 202251,663 milesTX

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated when she opened the driver’s side door, the door made an abnormal sound as if the door was going to detach. The contact stated that she was then unable to lower the driver’s side window. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and the contact was informed that the driver’s side door assembly and door check arm needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the repair would be at her own expense. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the repair would be at her own expense. The contact was then referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 51,663.

Latches/Locks/Linkages › Doors › Latch
Filed Sep 7, 202258,850 milesVA

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon opening the front driver's side door, the door emitted abnormal popping sounds and would not open completely. The contact also noticed that the front driver's side door hinge had loosened. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the front driver's side door needed to be replaced. The dealer also informed the contact that it was a known failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist as the vehicle had exceeded the 36,000-mileage warranty coverage. The failure mileage was approximately 58,850.

Structure › Body
Filed Aug 22, 2022MN

Bought this brand new in April of 2021. Original owner. My problem is with the drivers side door. Every time I open it it makes a popping sound. No accidents or incidents. Seems like something is seriously wrong with the middle component. Now I have to barely open it just to squeeze through as I'm worried that it'll fall off. What's the deal? Overpriced vehicle . Many other problems but this one takes the cake 86000 highway miles mainly commute. But this isn't about the engine it's about the quality. Also vibration coming from the transmission, poor carpeting that receded right after I bought it, connectivity issues with my phone, and is a very uncomfortable drive. Ford has officially lost business.

Fuel/Propulsion System
Filed Aug 19, 2022CA

Lo que pasa es que se prende la luz del check engine por unas horas y se apaga pero la falla siguen en el vehículo y el código que marca cuando lo cheque P04F0 es una válvula de emisión evaporisantes en una FORD ESCAPE 2020, si tiene la falla por que se apago el check engine cuantos automóviles estén pasando por lo mismo y estén contaminado el medio ambiente gracias( Ford me va a cambiar la válvula que esta cubierta por garantía)

Other/I Am Not Sure
Filed Aug 17, 2022NY

The car seat is stuck in the most elevated front facing position when we were rotating the seat. It is stuck over the seat belt path so the car seat cannot be safety used or removed from the vehicle. The car seat is stuck in the seatbelt. I have reached out to the manufacturer and their “tips” to fix the issue are not working. This car seat was purchased in 2021 and used for an 18m old who cannot legally front face especially not at the incline the seat is stuck at. Looking across social media this is a common complaint The contact had the child seat removed by the local fire department since they were unable to do it themselves.

Structure › Body
Filed Aug 16, 2022OK

Driver side door will not open from the inside and window will not go up or down. Also, doesn't seem to be locking properly. Took vehicle to the dealership and they said there is no recall on this issue and it needs to be taken to a Bodyshop to be corrected. This vehicle is a daily driver with very low milage. It hasn't been involved in any accidents or vandalism so insurance will not cover the fix and no recall. This need to be addressed ASAP.

Structure › Body
Filed Aug 9, 2022PA

1 - The spot weld in the door broke. Which is not allowing the window to go down which is also not allowing the car doors to lock. 2 - What if in an accident the window can not go down and that is my only option? What if we cant lock the door going through cities and stopping at lights? Secruiting of doors not locking is a issue. What if door does not hold and falls off? 3 - Yes to Ford Garage in the area 4 - Zero other issues. Like everyone else is reporting the same issue. Im not the only one. NHTSA is even putting a notice out about it. Why is this not covered by Ford? What other issues are wrong with the car if a spot weld broke? Faulty mechanics being used to build a car.

Unknown or Other
Filed Aug 8, 2022NC

The door makes a cranky noise that makes it hard to open and close. The windows are also possibly going down now. the dealership is not trying to take responsible.

Structure › Body
Filed Aug 6, 2022MI

For no apparent reason, driver side door malfunctioned in mid-July 2022. Could not open all the way and power window struggled. Now door creaks and power window stuck in open position. Crest Ford dealer in Warren, MI claimed high winds or over extension. There was no high winds nor over extension. This is a manufacturer's defect. Crest Ford dealer stated I would be responsible for new door -- over $1,000. If I don't repair they are deducting the problem from my trade-in value.

Structure › Body
Filed Aug 5, 2022IL

Welds on the driver side door check mechanism broke. Unable to fully open door or use driver window. Vehicle was not in an accident and was for personal use only. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with NHTSA. The failure mileage was 37,152 and is less than 3 years old.

Lane Departure › Blind Spot Detection
Filed Jul 16, 2022TN

Passenger mirror blind spot indicator randomly comes on. Just purchased, so I have not taken the vehicle to the Ford dealership. The driver side functions properly.

Fuel/Propulsion System
Filed Jul 14, 2022GA

The purge valve went out

Unknown or OtherCrash
Filed Jul 13, 2022MI

I was stopped at a red light with my foot on the brake. The vehicle unexpectedly accelerated and crashed into the vehicle in front of me. Collision assistance did not activate, and there was no audible warning. The vehicle accelerated with such force that both cars were damaged. A police report was obtained. no one was injured. Damage to the vehicle includes a broken grill, broken head lamp, bent hood and broken brackets under the hood. The car is currently at Serra Bodyshop Center in Rochester, Michigan. The vehicle was serviced on 6/15/22 at Elder Ford in Romeo. oil change, rotate tires, check alignment and multipoint inspection.

FirerelatedFire
Filed Jul 9, 2022MI

On July 3, 2022 I drove my wife's 2020 Ford Escape 4 DR SEL AWD from Ann Arbor, MI to Jackson, MI. I parked the car, with all for windows down, under a tree in the shade close to 726 N East Ave in Jackson, MI. After approximately 45 minutes after my arrival, I was alerted by a neighbor screaming "Is this your car? There is smoke coming from the windows." I ran to the street to see huge orange flames coming from all four windows. Our car apparently had caught on fire after I had shut the car off. Based on a policeman's opinion the components that had malfunctioned were located behind the dash, primarily the electrica wiring/components. The safety of my wife, myself, and any other individual riding in the car were potentially jeopardized due to the random onset of the fire; should I have been driving I potentially could've suffered burns; should I've parked the car next to a house or another car fire damage to those objects would have resulted. There has been no confirmation by the dealer of this type of fire in similar models. Ford Motor Company is conducting an investigation presently. There was no indication of malfunction at the time I exited the vehicle.

Unknown or Other
Filed Jun 28, 2022NY

The car continually has delayed acceleration. It revs and drives 2.5 mph for several seconds before it lurches into gear. It's extremely unsafe and I'm concerned about it happening on the highway. Ford is refusing to take an appointment with me to assess the safety of the vehicle until 2-3 months out (won't even put my name on a waitlist) and will not offer a loaner vehicle in the interim. The car has 15,000 miles on it and is under warranty.

Structure › Body
Filed Jun 28, 2022MO

My vehicle is has the issues mentioned in NHTSA id#10201603. This is an issue where the spot welds have broken on the front left door check arm. Also the issue with the spot welds is causing issues with using my Drivers side window. My vehicle was taken to an authorized Ford Dealership. Was advised by the service department to seek advice from the body shop due to the welds being broken. Attached you will see the invoice I was charged for having my vehicle looked at. Representative from the body shop said my vehicle is the second Escape that has been brought in with the same issue. Provide rep the above mentioned NHTSA number and he said currently it is a service bulletin not a recall. Currently he is waiting to see what the next step will be in order to get my issued resolved. Called Ford to get there assistance with this and they advised me to reach out to NHTSA in regards to this issue. These issues started within the past couple weeks and I have owned the car since December of 2020.

Structure › Body › Door › Hinge and Attachments
Filed Jun 6, 202225,000 milesNY

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the front driver’s side door failed to open after several attempts. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the front driver’s side window failed to operate as needed. The contact called the local dealer and was referred to an authorized Ford body shop for assistance. The contact was informed that several door hinges had fractured inside the front driver’s side door causing the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was referred to the NHTSA for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000.

Power Train › Automatic Transmission › Control Module › Software
Filed Jun 3, 20224,800 milesSC

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH, the transmission shifted earlier than designed to shift and the vehicle started shaking abnormally. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 4,800.

Power Train
Filed May 21, 2022MI

Driving on freeway at 70 when cruise went off and car slowed down “power train malfunction,detecting erratic signals from timing sensor” came on tried to get speed back up could get to about 67 and exited 1st ramp. Stopped in parking lot called dealer. They said it would be fine after turned off an back on. “Wrench repair light went off service light stayed on. After time both lights were off and drove home safely. Next time I drove was fine until drive home didn’t take freeway but busy road with 55 mph limit.started. Losing power again then when stopped at light stalled. It took eight tries to restart and slow acceleration finally got to speed but was hesitating . Took to dealer next morning said was probably reset on gear code. After he said that may not the be problem but drive and see. At first stop had only very slow speed, rpm we’re high but only going about 3 mph. I had to cross a busy 55 mph road and was so scared it would stall again. Got home safely dealer cannot get back in for 5 days. I drive 70 or on 55 mph roads usually with at least 1 or 2 children the youngest 5 months. I am too afraid of driving this car again incase it looses power or stalls and someone isn’t paying attention. Also when these cars stall and you are in traffic you can’t just put in neutral and push out of the way. You feel like a sitting just waiting to get squashed. This problem is very dangerous for driver passenger and other cars. Please help.

Unknown or OtherCrash
Filed May 20, 2022TX

The vehicle has a safety system called hill assist start and auto hold braking. When activated the driver can take their foot off the brake pedal when fully stopped and the car should stay stopped until the accelerator is engaged. The first incident occurred about 5 months ago. I had started the vehicle and put it in drive. A warning then appeared on the dashboard saying hill assist start fault and then immediately switched to auto hold fault and the car started moving on its own. After stopping the car and resetting the transmission the fault message went away and the car held in place. About 2 weeks later this same fault happened but I was unable to stop the car in time before hitting a pole on the left front quarter panel. This caused a large dent. I was able to take a picture of the fault message on the dashboard. I had to take the car in for another issue and told the service advisor about the auto hold faults. The dealer ran a diagnostic and found no issues. The issue did continue after this visit. About 2 months ago the fault occurred when the car was next to a wall and the front left side was heavily damaged when it hit the wall. I was able to take another picture of the fault message. At the same time, we had issues with getting the car into reverse on the transmission dial Returned to the dealership and informed them of the continued issues. I also opened a case with Ford over the issue. The dealer again ran a diagnostic, drove the car but could not reproduce any of

Unknown or Other
Filed May 17, 2022KY

My wife sliced her finger open using the up/down button to raise/ lower the driver window. The silver metal part of the button is very sharp. The passenger side is the same way. Our local dealer said he has noticed that on some models. I see there is no recall on this item but it should be.

Latches/Locks/Linkages › Doors › Latch
Filed Apr 28, 202246,000 milesCT

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the front driver’s side door latch had malfunctioned and the door swung open when unlocked. Additionally, the front driver’s side window was stuck in the closed position and could no longer be lowered. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 46,000.

Exterior Lighting
Filed Apr 24, 2022NV

HEADLIGHTS ARE PLASTIC AND THEY ARE DISCOLORED ON THE INSIDE. I HAD ONE REPLACED 1 YEAR AGO AT "SURPRISE FORD" IN SURPRISE ARIZONA, BUT BOTH ARE DISCOLORED OR FOGGED UP. WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT THE LIGHTING IS GREATLY DIMINISHED. THE HEADLIGHT HAVE BEEN THIS WAY SINCE I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE.

Service Brakes
Filed Apr 22, 202223,000 milesMI

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated while reversing at approximately 3 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer to be diagnosed; however, the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 23,000.

Electrical System
Filed Apr 16, 2022NY

The auto start stop engine feature stops functioning intermittently no set pattern it randomly doesn't work. Never know if the engine will shut down when its supposed to or not

Latches/Locks/Linkages › Doors › Latch
Filed Apr 14, 2022100,599 milesMO

The contact's company owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the driver's side front door latch was fractured, causing the door to not close properly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed that the driver's side front door latch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with NHTSA. The failure mileage was 100,599.

Latches/Locks/Linkages › Doors › Latch
Filed Apr 14, 202271,542 milesMO

The contact's company owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the driver's side front door latch was fractured, causing the door to not close properly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed that the driver's side front door latch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with NHTSA. The failure mileage was 71,542.

Structure › Body
Filed Mar 23, 2022TX

Left Front Door will not open all the way. Only opens 1/4, and window only goes down half way.

Structure › Body
Filed Mar 16, 2022NH

In the early summer of 2021, I started to hear a snapping noise in the driver’s door. I thought it might be the hinge, but it appeared to be coming from the middle of the door. It got continually worse. When I put the window down it would come back up and catch my arm and then go back down. Eventually I was only opening the door a short distance so it would not snap. It made it very difficult to get in and out. So, for over 3 months I squeezed in and out of the car. I am concerned about the other 3 doors. In early September I contacted the dealer and was to take it on September 7th. But the door became worse suddenly and I could barely get out and at one point I was stuck in the car. I called the dealer immediately and asked to bring it to them that day. After some hesitation and my explaining if I was trapped in the car during an accident, they would be hearing from me. She said to bring it over immediately. The service manager, after inspecting the door, came out and asked me if I had been in an accident! I suggested he look at the car and check it thoroughly. It was obvious I had not been in an accident. He stated they had never seen anything like that before. They were taking pictures and I stated I wanted my own pictures. When I went into the shop and viewed the door, I was upset to find that all the welds on the bracket that holds the door check had failed. The bracket was down inside the door panel. Because it was catching it was making the snapping sound. When the win

Structure › Body › Door
Filed Feb 28, 2022MO

Heard a popping sound and when opened the door it will not close. The tack welding broke off the door causing it not to close. Not under warranty.

Unknown or Other
Filed Feb 10, 2022TX

DOOR WELDS BROKEN AT DOOR Check ARM MOUNTING POINT. NEEDS REPLACE DOOR.

Service Brakes
Filed Feb 9, 20222,800 milesIL

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon the depression of the brake pedal, an abnormal grinding noise would intermittently emit from the vehicle without warning. The contact also stated that the vehicle would intermittently hesitate upon depression of the accelerator pedal also with no warning. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer for repairs on two separate occasions; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 2,800. The consumer stated the vehicle pauses when accelerating, brakes squeak while driving, fluid leakage, carpet damage. Also, consumer hit a pothole and tires were totally destroyed .

Structure › Body › Door › Hinge and Attachments
Filed Feb 2, 2022MA

My driver side front door started making this popping noise when I opened or closed the door and then within a week the black arm bracket/spot weld broke off the door. There is no damage to the door to cause this issue. It just happened randomly and the vehicle is under two years old. This shouldn’t be happening. I don’t feel safe driving this vehicle as I cannot even open it all the way for fear it will fall off or further damage whatever is going on inside the door. It’s affecting my window as well. It doesn’t roll down due to this hinge being broken. I do not know if it has affected any other safety features on the door.

Visibility/Wiper
Filed Jan 30, 2022NH

Front windshield failed sporadically under mild thermal shock. Outside temperature was in the range of 10°F and inside cabin had been warming up for about 30 minutes. Heat was not set to defroster. While stopped at an intersection, the windshield suddenly cracked across about 70% bottom edge emanating from a wiper contact point. Vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Has not been reproduced. I’ve received anecdotes that this exact same break type and location has occurred under very similar circumstances in other Ford Escapes.

Unknown or Other
Filed Jan 25, 2022MI

The vehicle started, but the dashboard was black and the wheels were locked. The radio, heat, etc. were working. I could put it into drive and reverse, but the wheels would not move. The salesman I bought the car from drove out and loosened, then tightened the battery cables. He said that it would re-boot the computer. Either that worked OR the 20 minute wait time that I've been reading about worked. Before this problem occurred, there were a few times that I got a message on my middle screen, (Navigation, etc) saying "System Off To Save Battery...Please turn ignition off and start engine" The dealership could not find a problem other than a low voltage issue with the battery. The service advisor told me they had the battery on a testing device for a "really long time" and the low voltage issue never resolved. The service advisor also told me that I need to drive the car more and to watch for error lights in the cluster. About a month later, after running some errands , I turned the car off and a mild thud noise came from the engine area. I knew the vehicle did not shut down properly. When I came out from one of my errands and started my vehicle, a message came up on the middle screen, (n Navigation, etc.) It read " System Off To Save Battery....Please turn ignition off and start engine" There is also a burning smell when I drive the car now, this is new. From what I've read on this site there is no doubt in my mind that this particular make and model of the Ford Escape has s

Service BrakesCrash
Filed Jan 12, 2022MI

2020 FORD ESCAPE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO DEFECTIVE BRAKES. THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE DEPRESSING THE BREAK IN PARKING LOT, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO COME TO A STOP. THE VEHICLE STRUCK A POLE AND A CAR BEFORE STOPPING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE.

Unknown or Other
Filed Dec 26, 2021ME

Driving down the road the car kicked off an error that said vehicle network communication error. We lost all lights, all controls, and started loosing power to the engine. The car died when we stopped it. It would not allow us to shut the head lights off so we did this manually. The car doesn’t respond in any way for anything

Lane Departure › Blind Spot Detection
Filed Dec 9, 2021IL

Blind spot light goes off while driving with no car next to me

Air BagsCrash1 injured
Filed Dec 9, 2021CA

I was involved in a collision with a pick-up truck in Gallup, NM on 12/3/21. We hit the truck mid-section. Front of my Escape was pretty much destroyed. Our airbags did NOT deploy. Mine and my husbands safety was at risk due to the failure of the airbags to deploy in the crash. Vehicle is at the Ford Dealer in Gallup, NM waiting for State Farm to determine the next steps. I had no prior warnings or indications that the airbags were not functional.

Unknown or Other
Filed Dec 6, 20214,000 milesIL

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated while reversing there was an abnormal noise detected. The contact stated that the brakes were sticking. The brake warning light was illuminated. The contact called the local dealer and an appointment was scheduled however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 4,000.

Electrical System
Filed Nov 24, 202117,000 milesCO

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon entering a drive-thru line at a slow speed, the home screen went blank as the "network configuration error" warning message illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact then stated that the vehicle then shut off and could not be restarted after multiple attempts. The contact was unable to place the vehicle into neutral and had the vehicle towed to a dealer where it remained in their possession. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 17,000.

Parking Brake
Filed Nov 19, 2021AZ

Parking brake came on by itself when parking on a dolly

Lane Departure › Blind Spot Detection
Filed Nov 2, 2021IL

Blind spot monitor going off with no car next to me

Structure › Body › Door › Hinge and Attachments
Filed Oct 21, 2021WI

The driver's side door hinge/arm broke and now swings wide open. I'm worried that the door will fly open while driving and don't think this should be happening on a 1 year old vehicle.

Lane Departure › Blind Spot Detection
Filed Oct 7, 2021IL

Light turns on when there is no car next to me. Took it in to Ford. They ran diagnostic but where not able to find an issue and returned the car. It is still turning on when there is no car next to me

Unknown or Other
Filed Oct 7, 2021IL

Shaking when driving under 40 mph from when I got the car. They have not been able to fix. Causes a distraction

Latches/Locks/Linkages
Filed Oct 5, 202118,000 milesNY

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while reversing and turning the steering wheel, the vehicle would make grinding noises. Additionally, the front driver’s side door latch had detached, and there was an electrical failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed that the failure was related to the vehicle being involved in a rear-end collision, where the liftgate was damaged and replaced by an auto body shop. The dealer informed the contact that the frame was bent from the collision and the warranty was voided so they could not assist in repairing the door latch. The dealer did perform an alignment. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and sent the contact a gift card but did not provide any assistance. Paid Drained and Flush rear end assembly and Refill. The failure mileage was approximately 18,000.

Structure › Body1 injured
Filed Sep 27, 2021NH

The liftgate has a mind of its own. It closes without warning and crashes on my head! I can't load anything without holding one hand over my head to catch the door as it closes unexpectedly on my head. Even a shadow causes the liftgate to close - if a child or an animal walks by. If you turn off the automatic liftgate feature you manually have to lift the gate and close it. It is very heavy to lift and close and not practical. It is way too sensitive and needs to be addressed before someone is seriously hurt.

Unknown or Other
Filed Sep 6, 2021CA

Groaning noise from engine compartment when accelerating

Unknown or Other
Filed Sep 5, 2021NH

Wrench light came on less than 1 week after purchase. Car was bogging down terribly. Took it to shop they said it was no big deal. Told me to drive it until they could get appointment. Next day it completely shut off on hwy. Air bag malfunction as well.

Reading these

NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Full record for the 2020 Ford Escape → · Every Escape year → · How the figures are calculated →