2021 Ford Escape complaints

The car has indicated that it was getting hot, vehicle had tossed out some smoke, which raised our concerns due to the recall and there being no remedy.

The retractable panoramic sunroof cover snapped out of it's clips while I was driving and the shade fell over my head. After reading about this online, numerous consumers have had this exact problem.

My car was inspected two times at the dealership for the door welds possibly cracking. The second time (a year ago) they said that I would need the entire door replaced. When I’m entering and exiting the vehicle the door shuts on me. I also live in a high wind area. The window will not go up or down without the door being open. Every time I call the dealership they forward me to their service manager ‘Jonathan’ and he never answers not returns my calls. I had been dealing with this issue for nearly three years or longer. I’m scared my door is going to fall off while I’m driving.

SUN ROOF SCREEN STOPED RETRACTING PROPERLY CAUSES THE CLOTH TO BUNCH UP AND AT TIMES DISTRACT THE VIEW WHEN LOOKING IN REAR VIEW MIRROR06

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V467000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The contact called a local dealer who completed the engine control software update; however, the contact asked about the fuel injector and was informed that the part was not yet available. The contact also called the manufacturer and was informed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to respond while in reverse(R). In addition, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. In addition, the contact received recall notification NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V467000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however ,the parts to do the recall repair were not available. The contact stated that the recall fire risk was significantly scary and made the vehicle unsafe to drive. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 81,881.

My fuel lid will not close causing a check engine light. My vehicle has less than 25k miles but outside of the 3 year limit for the warranty.

There’s an open recall for the fuel injectors for my vehicle. I am currently unable to drive my vehicle because I can not fuel my vehicle. Each time it is fuel the engine light comes on and the vehicle either doesn’t drive or shakes violently and refuses to go. The vehicle isn’t able to pass state inspection as well. My safety is impacted by the vehicle randomly not going/stalling and not able to keep fueled.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact received a manufacturer recall in August 2025 for NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V467000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The contact had been calling the local dealer for updates on when parts would be available for the recall repair and was informed that there were no updates available from the manufacturer. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

The shade on the moonroof came off track and would hang down obscuring rear view from mirror. Vehicle taken to Ford dealer for repair. After $1600 repair, three days later the shade would not close completely and returned to Ford dealer. Still waiting on repair.

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

My vehicle only has 36,000 miles on it and I just had to spend $789 to have the rear shocks replaced!! I also purchased the extended warranty plan and this repair wasn't covered. Very disappointing especially with such low mileage.

A plastic trim piece in the sunroof fell onto the shade. when the shade was opened it caused the shade to be disconnected from the open/close mechanism and roll back onto its spring loaded roller. the dealer quoted $1800 to fix it. not cover by ford or endurance warranty

This vehicle! It eats so much gas. Something is wrong. It makes a weird noise and puts itself into modes of sports, ice/snow, eco, slippery all by itself while I am driving. My RPMs will change and car makes a different sound and it is in a different driving mode without being put in it by me. It puts itself in auto mode and shuts off at red lights and starts back up when I put on the gas and this is not a hybrid.

My Ford Escape has an open recall on the fuel injectors. I took my car in once because there was a smell of fumes when using my a/c. When I mentioned the fuel injectors to the dealership, they said they would look at it. The dealership said they couldn't get the smell, but once they popped the hood, they could smell the gas. They fixed them then. Now there is a recall on the recall on the fuel injectors. My car has the smell of fumes again. I think the fumes are making me sick, I can't even use my a/c or heater some days. I can't be driving around with the fumes for my sake or my 2-year old daughter. It can't be safe for her to be in my car.

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

The Sunroof Shade curtain will not roll away when I try to open the roof shade. It crumbles up at the back or just doesn't roll up with the track. I have read several online Ford forums and a lot of people have been complaining about this issue. Could someone please look into this and see if this is a manufacturing problem, thank you.

2021 Ford Escape. In January 2025 the turbo system failed and was replaced by a Ford dealer for about $5,903.85. Around five months later the transmission required repairs for a valve body issue, totaling roughly $3,000 in August. Two months after that repair, Firestone advised that the entire transmission now needs replacement. Each time the problem appeared, the vehicle showed violent slippage while upshifting and downshifting. When coming to a stop, the car would shake violently, slip forward several inches while my foot was still on the brake, and sometimes hesitate or lose power. Recently the vehicle will stop responding to acceleration, then suddenly surge forward without warning. These repeated transmission failures have created serious safety risks and appear consistent with ongoing problems involving the Ford 8F35 transmission used in the 2021 Escape.

NHTSA Recall 25V467 was issued in July 2025. It has been over 3 months of constant fear for under-hood fire from possible fuel injector crack. My family's safety has been at risk long enough, this needs a permanent fix please!

My engine has been misfiring since I purchased my vehicle from a Ford Dealership in Mooresville, NC. At least, I think it is misfiring. My vehicle did not pass an emissions test and I had it inspected at a Ford Dealership in Statesville, NC. They told me I have a transmission fluid leak. I went to a transmission specialist, and we stood under my car while he showed me that the transmission is not leaking in any way. This when I learned of the fuel injection recall. He wants to help in discerning what the problem actually is, but I need to address the recall issue first. I have to do something, as I need my car for my Uber side job, but I'm being told that I have no option. Please, help. I'll provide any additional information that you may need. Thank you.

Lots of owners on Facebook page 2020/2021 ford escape discussions talk about our transmissions fluttering when driving straight you can see rpm’s going from one to under one back in a straight road some have had the transitions go out. I took mine to ford at 111000 miles and was told I need to pay $500 to change fluid did that and still doing it they said everything was fine but I should look into a extended warranty because they have had a lot of issues with the transition (was told that by auto nation ford in Corpus Christi tx? We all even have issues with Rear differential going out

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V467000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part for the recall repair was not available. The contact had received the recall notification in August; however, parts were still not available. In addition, the contact stated that a friend had the same model vehicle, and the vehicle was already repaired under the recall. The dealer was not contacted about the unrepaired recall. The manufacturer was not contacted. The contact had not experienced a failure.

VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. REMEDY IS NOT AVAILABLE, AND A FIRE CAN START UNDER THE HOOD. I HAVE A CAR THAT I BOUGHT THAT I CANNOT DRIVE WITHOUT THE ANXIETY OF A FIRE. FORD WILL NOT BUYBACK MY VEHICLE, AND THEY ARE IN BREACH OF THEIR WARRANTY.

I’ve visited both Ourisman Ford of Manassas, VA and Ted Britt Ford of Chantilly, VA regarding this issue and asked when a fix is expected. At both dealerships, I was informed that this is not classified as a recall but rather part of Ford’s Customer Satisfaction Program. However, when I provided the service representative with the official letter from Ford, they were unable to locate either the Manufacturer Recall Number 25S76 or the NHTSA Recall Number 25V467 in their system. I’ve also explained that my vehicle—a 2021 model with fewer than 25,000 miles—is experiencing poor fuel economy, ranging between 23–29 MPG. Additionally, I’ve noticed a troubling performance issue: when accelerating from a complete stop, the car sometimes hesitates, then suddenly lurches forward, occasionally causing the tires to squeal.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V467000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V467000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V467000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that after an oil change at Firestone, the vehicle failed to operate as intended. The contact stated that the vehicle vibrated abnormally. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, no cause for the failure was found. The failure persisted. While driving at 15 MPH, the vehicle vibrated abnormally. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, who refused to repair the vehicle, stating that the vehicle had already been repaired. The contact's son noticed that a cover was missing under the steering wheel, and an unknown part was fractured. The dealer denied any wrongdoing. The contact spoke with an employee who spoke Spanish and translated to the contact that an unknown part was damaged in the transmission. The dealer denied causing the issue. The contact stated that the dealer refused to repair the vehicle. The failure recurred, and the contact parked the vehicle. The vehicle was no longer driven due to safety concerns. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

Driver door, door check arm popping and hardly opens and closes won’t allow driver window to roll down all the way

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V467000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

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

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V467000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the parts were unavailable to perform the recall repair. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the fault code PS04 was retrieved. The contact was unsure of the diagnostic result; however, the vehicle was repaired. The check engine warning light was reset, but the failure reoccurred. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer several times due to the failure. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated off and on every month. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

On 8/18/2025, the transmission on my vehicle failed. I was only going about 35 mph when the entire vehicle went into chaos. Prior to this, no lights were on that indicated that I had a major problem. My car shut down in the middle of a busy road and I was able to get it to roll to a nearby parking lot. I have seen hundreds of people complain online and on forums about 2020-2021 Ford Eacapes having transmission issues. I had my vehicle towed to the dealership and they were able to confirm that it was the transmission. The powertrain warranty is covering the repair, but I have to pay about $1000 out of pocket. Ford needs to be made aware of their faulty transmissions. I have never, in my life, purchased a vehicle brand new (0 miles) and had to make such a repair before my vehicle even has 100K miles on it. I am highly disappointed and I regret buying it. Luckily, I was the only one in the car when it shut down because it could have been really bad. Cars were swerving around me and I was extremely afraid.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V467000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the parts were unavailable. The contact stated that because of the previous failure with the vehicle, the contact was concerned about the unrepaired recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the concern. The contact had not experienced a failure.

There was a safety recall on my car for the door hinges. I ended up getting a new door that had to be painted. The shop has had to repaint it 6 times due to faulty work. Also was denied getting to.go.to another repair shop

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V165000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) and 25V467000 (Fuel System, Gasoline), and requested to be removed from the recall distribution list. The local dealer and manufacturer were contacted.

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

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the sunroof plastic cover detached and struck the driver's hat. There was no reported injury. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was determined that the sunroof assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The manufacturer instructed the contact to keep the receipt for any potential recall and reimbursement. The failure mileage was approximately 58,395.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V467000 (Fuel System, Gasoline), and the vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where the engine control software update was performed as an interim recall repair. The contact received another recall notification for the same recall, and the notification stated that the recall remedy was not yet available. The manufacturer was informed of the issue and informed the contact that another notification would be mailed once the remedy was available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the back over prevention camera image remained on the screen before the screen went black. There was no warning light illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted, and the vehicle was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated upon taking the vehicle for the State Inspection, the contact was informed that the gateway module of the vehicle was not communicating, preventing the inspection from being performed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the gateway module needed to be reprogrammed. The contact was informed that a fee would be charged for repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to Ford Campaign Number: 22N15 (Gateway Module Reprogramming for Inspection and Maintenance (I/M) Testing); however, the manufacturer informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under the campaign. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 45,160.

Driver door check bracket is making loud crunching sound and making door difficult to open and close. This is cause for concern about integrity of door and ability to use vehicle. Not been inspected yet.

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

Drivers door popping noise when opening and closing the door, not closing properly, window not being able to roll up and down. Vehicle was brought to dealership for inspection and the problem was confirmed that there is arm bracket failure in the front door. No warning lights come on and no injury has occurred but car is not being driven for safety reasons at this time. We never received a letter about the one time repair and until the problem happened had no idea about this. We are on a list with local dealership and have been waiting for Ford to get parts and approve repair. We have no idea how many people are in front of us on this list.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the fuel tank gauge decreased from 1/4th to empty almost immediately. The contact arrived at a gas station and discovered that the fuel tank was not empty. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the fuel gauge sending unit. The contact was informed that the fuel tank needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 21,000. The VIN was not available.

The shade for the panoramic sunroof malfunctioned. The shade will not roll up properly causing the shade to sag and block rear visibility.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message "Service Engine Soon" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that an unknown valve needed to be replaced. The unknown valve failure was related to the fuel intake. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed with the same valve failure. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed with the same failure and the vehicle was repaired again; however, the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.

The sunshade rolled in after the cross bar of the panoramic sunroom fell on the sunshade. My dealer is quoting me $1500 to repair the sunshade and no other mechanics will even touch it. My car is a 2021 Ford Escape SEL. Its is a very gently used car and it is terrible that this is happening. It has impacted me financially in a big way and am struggling to find a way to pay for it. I have only had my car for 1 year. Please make Ford do a recall so others do not have to go through this too. Thank you!

The door check bracket is broken

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while making a right turn at approximately 10 MPH, a fuel odor had begun to leak into the interior cabin before the engine caught on fire. The A/C was activated during the time of the failure. No warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that while attempting to extinguish the fire, she fell on her stomach while pregnant, causing a miscarriage for which medical attention was sought. A police report was not filed. A Fire report was filed. The origin of the fire was unknown. The contact stated that a nearby school bus provided a fire extinguisher for the contact to extinguish the fire. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle's engine was replaced a the local dealer prior to the fire however soon noticed the vehicle was still not operating as normal. The dealer was notified but declined to provide a loaner vehicle. The vehicle was towed to a local residential address after the fire, where it remains on a driveway. The origin of the fire was unknown. The contact mentioned that, due to costs the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired for the fire failure. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V859000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) and NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V187000 (Fuel System, Gasoline however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

The contact called for a customer who owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while opening and closing the front driver’s side door, there was a loud banging and clucking sound coming from the door. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the bolts on the door arm mounted onto the door assembly had fractured and detached. The contact was informed that the door assembly might need to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 22,000.