2020 Ford Escape complaints

The sunshade of the panoramic sunroof came loose a year ago and has continued to sag lower from the glass and closer to our heads over time. When opened, the shade hangs completely blocking the back window and hangs into the back seat. I have been told the clips may need to be replaced, but have not received a definite diagnosis.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Edge. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked and occupied and attempting close the driver’s side door, the door failed to lock securely. The contact also stated that the driver’s side window failed to work as intended. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: SSM 50150 (Cracked or Broken Spot Welds in The Left Front Door at The Check Arm Attachment Points in The Door Assembly). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 42,000.

4WD module was failing. It affected hill braking, AWD and collision alert and other components. These messages popped up on my driver screen repeatedly. Safety was compromised in winter driving in snow with no AWD. Also, safety impaired with no collision assist available and all the other safety features related to the module . I took it in for repair eventually and dealer confirmed error(s) and replaced the AWD module. I got error messages for at least 2 months before I took it in. The car had less than 30000 miles and was only 4 years old when this started. It was repaired in December 2024.

While driving my 2020 Ford Escape, the internal guard plate located between the panoramic sunroof and the moonroof suddenly detached. It fell onto the retractable sunroof shade, jamming it and making it completely inoperable. As a result, the sunroof shade can no longer open or close, and the roof does not fully seal shut. This creates a serious safety concern — the falling piece could have injured a passenger if seated underneath, and the inability to close the roof allows in weather, debris, and noise, which can impair driver concentration and visibility. We took the car to a Ford dealership, and they quoted us over $2,000 to fix and replace the affected parts. This is outrageous, especially considering the failure appears to be a design or manufacturing defect — not the result of any misuse. Additionally, there are countless online forums full of Ford Escape owners reporting the exact same issue, especially with 2020 and newer models. This suggests a widespread problem that is affecting many of us, not an isolated case. Ford should be held accountable, and this issue deserves immediate investigation for a possible safety recall.

Dislodged Door Check NHTSA Action #PE23013 All 6 rivets broke off when the wind caught the door. The door was uncontrolled by opening it and would fly open and stress the hinges. The door check fell into the door therefore I couldn't open my window. I had a body shop repair the problem for $1476.12. I was unaware of the service bulletin. There was no recall. It was not inspected by authorities. No warning lamps were available for this problem. I did have my Ford dealership inspect it after the repair on May 21, 2025

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start immediately and required several attempts before starting. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the vehicle returned to normal functionality; however, the vehicle drove rough. The check engine warning light and the maintenance warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the contact was informed that the fuel injectors and high-pressure fuel pump had failed. The contact stated that the fuel injectors were replaced. The vehicle was pending a diagnostic test by the dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V165000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). The failure mileage was approximately 41,000.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. In addition, the vehicle failed to accelerate above 30 MPH. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed high-voltage battery. The contact was informed that the high-voltage battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the battery was the original high-voltage battery. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under warranty or recall. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while shifting into reverse, the vehicle drove forward instead of reversing. During the most recent failure, after starting the vehicle, the contact shifted the vehicle into park, and the vehicle collided with the contact's home. No warning lights illuminated. No air bags deployed. No injuries were sustained, and no medical attention was provided. A Police report was not filed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the valve body was binding internally, and sticking shift valves assembly had failed. The vehicle was repaired under warranty. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for further assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 33,704.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the message "restraint indicator lamp” was displayed. The contact’s daughter retracted the seat belt and reinserted the seat belt, but the message remained illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. On another occasion while the vehicle was started, the rear passenger’s side window button was depressed, and the window fell inside the door. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was determined that several clips and the window regulator needed to be replaced. The front driver’s side window was previously repaired under a Customer Satisfaction Program. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 22,260.

1) AWD module failed, 2) The failure of this module resulted in the deactivation of the Advance Track, Hill Start, and pre collison detection systems. 3)Dealer inspected and ran a diagnostics which into the problems listed above. 4)Manufacturer has inspected it. 5)The warnings and systems failure happen when the module failed.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle unexpectedly decelerated to 20 MPH, and failed to accelerate as needed. There was an unknown warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the dealer had previously replaced the fuel pump twice, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not yet diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.

The shade on the moonroof dislodged making it difficult to see out of my rear window.

Driver door issue. Loud popping when opening and closing door.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH in the rain, the front windshield wipers failed to operate as needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the windshield wiper motors had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 22V142000 (Visibility); however, the VIN was not included in either recall. The vehicle was scheduled for the repair and parts were ordered. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and opened a case. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

Sunroof on the vehicle has not been used in awhile and is rarely used. Started with a vacation attempted to open it and heard a very unpleasant sound. Promptly shut it didn't think much about it as we were out of state. Over next week or so started to hear a rattling from right hind area, then sounded like something was sliding. On the way to work actually heard something above me from under the shade, felt up and felt a large peice of glass or heavy metal part. Immediately brought to the dealership. On investigation a few pieces had broken causing a panel to come loose, it's still currently at the dealer being fixed but if I hadn't had the sun shade that peice would have hurt. I could just have a lemon car but if this is a faulty parts do not want anyone else to get hurt. As of now they are having to completely rebuild the sunroof.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the chrome on the gear shifter had started to peel, creating sharp edges on the shifter knob. The contact stated that while attempting to move the gear shifter, the contact sustained minor cuts to the fingers from the peeling gear shifter. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the traction control, AWD, Forward Collision Assist, and several other warning lights were illuminated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was informed that there was a recall for other model vehicles for a similar failure; however, the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed with a defective purge valve assembly. The contact had the part replaced; however, the check engine warning light became illuminated again. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.

The panoramic sunroof shade separates from the track and sags down to the back seat, blocking the view from the rearview mirror. This happens while driving.

Inside driver door rivets broke preventing door closing and latch is flopping inside door

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while reversing, the rearview camera image was distorted. An unknown dealer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that a diagnostic testing fee would be charged for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at approximately 40 MPH, the message "Low Tire Pressure Fault" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the TPMS sensor needed to be replaced. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V635000(Electrical System, Tires); however, the dealer informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided the same information. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 41,000.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in the garage, there was oil leaking from the vehicle. The contact stated that while stopped at a stop light, the vehicle stalled. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that after an oil change was performed, the mechanic informed the contact that the oil that was drained was like mud. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and confirmed there was no warranty coverage on the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000.

Two issues. 1: transmission shakes, shudders, and loses power intermittently at shift points. 2: check arm spot welds broke loose at the door. Safety issue. Ford has a service bulletin for this SM 51553 And SM 50150

Rear lift gate or hatch fully opens then immediately and swiftly drops back down to about halfway. This has caused minor injuries by striking me as I approached the rear compartment and the hatch came back down unexpectedly. I have tried all the DIY fixes that I found online. None of them have helped.

Door check Bracket Getting Stuck and Don't Close

Missing parts and bad connection of the catalyst

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact attempted to shift gear, and the vehicle jerked abnormally. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was opened. The contact was also referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 131,000.

Rotary style gear shift does not go into gear on hot days. Gear shift is stuck in park and will not rotate to drive or another gear, leaving motorist stranded.

Sunroof/Sunshade - Plastic trim piece approximately 28"x5" in between the Sunroof and Shade across the middle is held in by double face tape. Tape weakens and piece falls down potentially striking a rear passenger. In addition it can get caught in the shade fabric dislodging it and falling potentially obstructing the drivers rear view. Mine has been repaired once by Ford already but has failed again. Estimated cost is approximately $2000 plus labor. This is a known defect by the Ford Motor Company and they claim it out of warranty. Basic internet search revealed it is a common problem for more that one years models.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware of an abnormal odor on the interior of the vehicle. The contact stated that the odor was entering the interior of the vehicle through the vents. The contact stated the abnormal odor had a sweet smell. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. In addition, the contact stated the transmission was slipping. The contact was informed that a software update needed to be performed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 43,000.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after refueling the vehicle, the vehicle failed to immediately restart. The contact stated that upon depressing the accelerator pedal continuously, the vehicle started. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was making an abnormal knocking sound. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the contact was informed that the fuel was not reaching the engine. The mechanic determined that an unknown part needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a related recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

May 2025 The following fault codes illuminated on vehicle start up. * AWD FAULT SERVICE REQUIRED * Hill Start Assist Not Available * Service Advance Trac * Pre-collision Assist Not Available. Wrench light illuminated on dash board. AWD and safety features disabled intermittently. OBD Codes: - C0090:18-6C Power Transfer Unit Actuator - Circuit Current Below Threshold - C0095:18-64 Rear Diff Unit Actuator ‘A’ - Circuit Current Below Threshold - C00A2:01-6C Drive-in Control Module Power Transfer Unit Control Circuit Driver. - C00A3:01-6C Driveline Control Module Rear Diff Unit ‘A’ Control Circuit Driver - P0562:00-AF - System Voltage Low on AWD Module. Appears to be AWD module failure.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the message "Vehicle Shutting Down - Place Vehicle in Neutral to Restart" was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that the failure had occurred several times in one day. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. In addition, the contact stated that upon further investigation, the contact noticed on the Ford App that a message "Powertrain Malfunction - Reduced Power" was displayed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

2020 ford escape in 2023 transmission started slipping amd stuttering around 60,000 miles on it. Ford service said nothing wrong. Problem persisted and now at 103,000 miles they admit need a whole new transmission. Service bulletin released in 2022 did not fix the issue and now that warranty is out they want the customer to replace it. The car is unsafe as you can't count on acceleration as the transmission slips going up inclines and oftent times when accelerating to pass or turn into traffic. Additionally a new class action lawsuit seems to state all of the same issues I have had and am having. Ford knows about the issue and refuses to recall the transmission or help monetarily with the repairs.

The front camera/ adaptive cruise control, pre collision assist, seems to have spontanteoulsy cut out while driving- a large bump in the road seems to have shook less the coaxial cable connections for the front camera in this car. This caused a fast and immediate deceleration that almost got me rear ended by the truck that was behind me. the car is at the dealership for a faulty cable/ IPMA module. this seems to be a very common issue for these cars. there were no messages PRIOR to the failure but the messages i am getting now are the front camera fault, and pre collision assist is no longer working. Adaptive cruise and even regular cruise control are no longer working either. additionally, i am getting a system off to save battery message, even though i just installed a new battery. This faulty camera/ connection to the camera seems to be creating a parasitic draw. This car is not even 5 years old and only has 40,000 miles. Cruise control and pre collsion are massive safety features that are no longer functioning.

Start vehicle an error start popping up, I have to cook OK to clear them. Lots of features that are not available, including hill assist, awd, cruise control. AWD module failure Is it available for inspection upon request? Yes How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Yes awd and pre-collision assist are not available. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Yes several errors start cycling through allowing the driver to click OK. Hill Start assist not available Pre-collision assist, not available Service advance trac AWD fault service required See Manual

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the gear shifter was stuck in park(P). The contact stated that the failure occurred while the temperature was hot. The contact stated after parking the vehicle, the gear shifter remained stuck in park(P). The contact waited for 30 minutes before the gear shifter was able to be shifted to the desired gear. The vehicle was taken to several independent mechanics and to the local dealer; however, no cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.

Drivers side front door hinge welds broken

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the RPM increased, and the check engine and power train warning lights illuminated. In addition, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the failure had occurred several times. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000.

On hot days the gear shift gets stuck in park. The car interior has to cool down before the shifter will turn in to gear.

While driving my 2020 Ford Escape Hybrid, I heard a rattling noise. I was having a hard time figuring out where it was coming from. Then I heard it again and noticed it was coming from above the sunshade for the sunroof. My sunshade is always closed. When I went to open the sunshade, the sunshade hit the spacer that had fallen off and the sunshade popped off the clips and recoiled into the back roller. The spacer is only held on by 4 pieces of double-sided sticky tape. This is a manufacture defect. This has been a known issue to Ford dealerships. They want $2,700. to fix my car for a sunshade that got knocked off by a spacer that was installed with 4 pieces of double-sided sticky tape. Ford should take responsibility for this and do recalls to fix or repair this problem. Most people will never know about this problem until after it happens and Ford already knows its a problem. Someone should hold them accountable for all the customers that are paying over a $1000. because a 0.15 part failure.

See attached document for complaint.

The contact’s daughter owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving on several occasions at various speeds, she observed abnormal sounds coming from the engine compartment before the vehicle lost power. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it a diagnosed that the turbo was inoperable and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the check engine warning light illuminated approximately 10 days later. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that a gasket needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but a week later, the check engine warning light illuminated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 90,181.

Got the car with many problems . Last recent problems purge cvavle, leak in emission, air make loud sounds . Now it’s my door was making popping noises when closing or opening, now the door doesn’t shut at all. No incident happen, just happen by itself

The door weld just broke.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the "All Wheel Drive fault - Service Required", "Hill start not available", and "Pre-Collision assist not available" messages were displayed. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that an undisclosed module needed to be updated and the battery replaced. The vehicle was repaired out-of-pocket; however, the "All Wheel Drive fault - Service Required" message was displayed again. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to an unidentified recall; however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.

From the day I purchased the car, it has not been able to connect to the Commonwealth of MA's inspection computer system. Ford and the inspection garages i've taken this to said it was a known problem and waived the inspection until Ford remedied their software to make it work. Ford now has a fix, applied via a software update, that remedies the problem but says my car is not part of the list of covered vehicles even though they acknowledge it suffers from the same problem. Ford sent a letter out on Dec 12, 2023 entitled "Customer Satisfaction Program 22N15" which states that they will repair the problem at no cost to the original, or subsequent owners of the car. I've asked Ford to acknowledge that my car should have been included in that program and they refuse to do so, instead, asking me to contact the NTSB. The only way I can have my car inspected now is to use a 'hack' recommended to me by a sympathetic Ford dealership which is to have them turn my car off for an hour after I arrive and then do the inspection. This is clearly a workaround and I want Ford to apply the software fix to my car.

The vehicle has 27,500 miles on it. Based on what the dealership repair group mentioned, there is an issue with Pa. Purge valve. The part # is #FO LX6Z-9D289-SH TUBE ASY - FUEL VAPO. Since the car has such a low mileage, this repair should be covered under the warrantee.

AWD module failed at 20,000 miles

I was driving to work like normal this morning when an error message popped up that stated my All Wheel Drive had been turned off. It then gave another error message stating my hill parking assist had been turned off, and my cruise control is no longer functioning. Due to this I feel unsafe driving. This has happened to many other friends and family members that have owned this vehicle.