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NHTSA recalls, safety ratings, and consumer complaints for the 2023 Ford Escape.
| Overall Rating | |
| Frontal Crash | |
| Side Crash | |
| Rollover |
| Overall Rating | |
| Frontal Crash |
Component: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Escape and 2021-2023 Bronco Sport vehicles equipped with 1.5L engines. A fuel injector may crack and leak fuel inside the engine compartment.
Consequence: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components, can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will update the engine control software to include fuel injector leak detection and install a drain tube, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed January 9, 2023. Remedy parts are expected to be available in 1st Quarter of 2023. Owner notification letters were mailed February 28, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S73. This recall includes all vehicles previously recalled under 22V-191. Vehicles previously remedied under 22V-191 will need to have the new remedy performed.
Component: ENGINE
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Escape, 2022-2023 Maverick, and 2021-2023 Corsair vehicles equipped with 2.5L HEV or PHEV engines. In the event of an engine failure, engine oil and fuel vapor may be released into the engine compartment and accumulate near ignition sources such as hot engine or exhaust components, possibly resulting in an engine compartment fire.
Consequence: An engine compartment fire increases the risk of injury.
Remedy: Owners are advised to park and shut off the engine as quickly as possible if they hear unexpected engine noises, notice a reduction in vehicle power, or see smoke. Dealers will replace the engine long-block in 2023 Escape and Corsair vehicles. For the other vehicles, dealers will update the powertrain control module software. If a connecting rod bearing failure is detected, dealers will replace the engine long-block. All inspections and repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on June 14, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23S27. This recall expands and replaces recall number 22V-484. Vehicles previously repaired under 22V-484 will need to have the new remedy completed. Vehicles previously repaired under 22V-484 will need to have the new remedy completed.
The left rear liftgate hinge cover flew off in the car wash during the drying cycle. The same thing has happened to my 2020 Escape and that vehicle is covered under a recall but this 2023 Escape is not. I feel it should be because it has the same issue for the same part.
The contact owns a 2023 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V789000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); 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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
I am reporting a recurring safety issue involving sudden loss of power while driving in my 2023 Ford Escape. The vehicle has experienced multiple incidents where, while accelerating or pulling into traffic, it suddenly loses power, hesitates, or fails to respond to the accelerator. In some cases, the RPM drops unexpectedly, and the vehicle will not move or respond for several seconds. After this delay, the vehicle may jerk or surge forward suddenly. This creates a dangerous situation, especially when entering busy roads or intersections, as it puts me at risk of being struck by oncoming traffic. This issue has occurred multiple times and has been brought to the dealership on several occasions. The vehicle has undergone multiple repair attempts, including major engine-related repairs such as cylinder head and cooling system work, as well as a fuel system component replacement. Despite these efforts, the problem persists. On multiple visits, the dealership has stated they were unable to duplicate the issue, even though the condition continues to occur during normal driving. The vehicle has been out of service for an extended number of days due to these ongoing issues. This defect is intermittent but poses a serious safety hazard due to the unpredictable loss of power and delayed acceleration. I am concerned about the risk of an accident or injury if this issue is not properly identified and corrected. I am requesting that this issue be investigated, as it appears to be a recurring defect that may affect other vehicles of the same make and model
The 2023 Ford Escape has 11 NHTSA recalls and 81 consumer complaints on file. It received an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars in NHTSA crash testing. The high number of complaints suggests potential reliability concerns — review the complaint details above before purchasing. For the most detailed information about a specific vehicle, decode its VIN using our free decoder above.
Enter a specific VIN to get the full report — specs, recalls, safety ratings, complaints, investigations, and technical service bulletins.
| Side Crash |
| Rollover |
Component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2023 Escape, Super Duty F-250, Super Duty F-350, Super Duty F-450, and Super Duty F-550 vehicles equipped with a digital instrument panel cluster. The module may have been improperly soldered, preventing the instrument panel from illuminating. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 101, "Control and Displays."
Consequence: An inoperable instrument panel cannot show critical safety information, such as the speedometer or warning lights, which may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the module or instrument panel as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on November 4, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23C25.
Component: FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Escape two-wheel drive vehicles equipped with adaptive cruise control. The cruise control radar module was misaligned during production.
Consequence: Misalignment of the radar module can result in the Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) misclassifying an overhead object as an object in the vehicle's path, causing the vehicle to unexpectedly slow and/or stop. Other safety systems that depend on the radar model (Pre-Collision Assist, Forward Collision Warning, and Auto Emergency Braking) could have diminished or lost function. These conditions increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will adjust the angle of the radar module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 3, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S39.
Component: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:INJECTORS
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2023 Lincoln Corsair, 2023-2024 Escape, 2024 Mustang, and 2025 Explorer vehicles. The fuel injectors may have been assembled without O-ring support discs, which can result in a fuel leak.
Consequence: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will install new fuel injector O-rings and O-ring support discs, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on October 7, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S54.
Component: EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2025 Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, 2020-2024 Escape, Lincoln Corsair, 2018-2024 F-150, Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The air bag warning label may be missing from the dashboard. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirement Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Consequence: Without a label that shows the proper restraint usage guidelines, the occupants may have an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Remedy: Ford will mail owners the warning labels, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 19, 2024. Owners may call Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24C39.
Component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY:MANAGEMENT SYSTEM/ENERGY CONTROL MODULE (BMS/BECM)
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2024 Ford Escape, and 2021-2024 Lincoln Corsair vehicles. A manufacturing defect in one or more of the high voltage battery cells may result in an internal short circuit and battery failure.
Consequence: Battery failure can cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash. Battery failure can also increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to charge battery till the remedy has been completed. Dealers will perform a battery energy control module (BECM) software update, and replace the high voltage battery pack, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 30, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S79.
Component: BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Bronco, F-150, 2021-2024 Edge, 2022-2025 Escape, F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, F-600, 2022-2024 Expedition, 2022-2025 Transit, 2021-2023 Mach-E, 2024 Ranger, Mustang, 2021-2023 Lincoln Nautilus, 2022-2024 Navigator, and 2023-2024 Corsair vehicles. A software error may cause the rearview camera image to delay, freeze, or not display when the vehicle is in reverse.
Consequence: A frozen or missing rearview camera image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: The accessory protocol interface module (APIM) software will be updated by a dealer or through an over-the-air update, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model and model years. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on June 26, 2025. Additional letters will be mailed once the final remedy is available on each phase. Owner notification letters were sent on October 8, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S49.
Component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Lincoln Nautilus, 2023-2025 Escape, 2023 Lincoln Corsair, 2025 Lincoln Corsair, Maverick, and Bronco Sport vehicles equipped with a 1.5L or 2.0L MPC engine and an engine block heater. The engine block heater may overheat when the vehicle is parked with the block heater plugged in.
Consequence: An overheated engine block heater can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the block heater element and inspect the electrical cord, replacing it if necessary, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded blanking plug coupled, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed June 11, 2025. A second notice will be sent once the final remedy is available. The parts are anticipated to be available April 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S52.
Component: ENGINE
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Escape, 2021-2023 Corsair, and 2022-2023 Maverick vehicles equipped with 2.5L HEV or PHEV engines that were repaired incorrectly under recall 23V380. In the event of an engine failure, engine oil and fuel vapor may be released into the engine compartment and accumulate near ignition sources such as hot engine or exhaust components, possibly resulting in an engine compartment fire.
Consequence: An engine compartment fire increases the risk of injury.
Remedy: Owners are advised to park and shut off the engine as quickly as possible if they hear unexpected engine noises, notice a reduction in vehicle power, or see smoke. Dealers will update the powertrain control module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 27, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S54.
Component: ENGINE
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Escape, and 2025 Bronco Sport vehicles. The cylinder head may have been improperly manufactured, which can cause the ball plugs to fail, resulting in an oil leak.
Consequence: An oil leak can result in loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, an oil leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components, can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the cylinder head assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 8, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S61.
Vehicles coolant emptied out causing vehicle to overheat and smoke from under engine.
Reporting Long term safety defect and manufacturer behavior. There was no single incident. This is an ongoing safety defect related to multiple battery recalls that now limit my vehicle to 80% charging (in the past, no plug in charging), now going on nearly three years. My Ford Escape PHEV has been subject to limited charging due to these multiple recalls, and I am concerned Ford may close the recall with a software‑only fix that cannot truly validate battery safety, especially if modeled on limited and not real world charging. I have complied with all of Ford's requests which came at my expense and caused increased fuel usage and a diminished efficiency of my car. Now I need assurance that when a "fix" is determined that it will indeed be a permanent fix that is safe at 100% charge. This is a potentially crucial safety issue and thermal consequences with my grand daughters sitting above the battery is of the greatest concern.
My vehicle has stalled several times in the last couple of months. I go to accelerate and the vehicle suddenly stops out of no where. This has almost caused me to get into an accident. I see there have been several recalls on ford escapes and this issue should be looked into for my 2023 escape.
My 2023 Ford Escape acts like it is about to stall out once I hit the gas from a stop. It has happened multiple times. After idling for 10 minutes when I go to take off it will shift so hard that it pushes you forward in your seat. It has not been taken to a dealership yet since no light comes on and it doesn’t happen all the time. It has put my safety at risk since I was turning on the highway and it took 10-15 seconds to get up to speed.
The engine shut off and immediately turned on
Symptoms appeared in January 2026. Check engine light is on-HAD P0301 & P0316. Ran misfire monitor & Relative compression and cylinder 1 is the issue with 70 PSI. Performed cylinder head leak down test- exhaust valve leaking replace cylinder head assembly. Problem confirmed and diagnosed by Ford dealership. The safety issue associated with the car are: sudden jerking or hesitation, loss of acceleration when merging or crossing traffic, unpredictable throttle response, sudden loss of power. Symptoms appeared in September 2025. In October 2025, the car required a turbo repair, which cost a total of $1,600. The safety issue associated with the car are: air-fuel balance, engine misfires, complete stall, loss of power. This was diagnosed by certified repair show. Similar recalls have been made to other Ford Escape cars and I believe my VIN number should be included.
I have had many issues with this vehicle. Most concerning is that the other night while driving down the road at night, my car blacked out and I had no lights inside or headlights outside while driving in the dark. My back hatch button only works when it wants to. My screen freezes every once in awhile and also makes horrible noises very frequently. I’ve had one case of my screen freezing on a longer drive with my seat warmer on and the seats getting too hot and burning me. My safety features shut off all the time. My cruise control wouldn’t work at all on a 4 hour drive last month. When I get my oil changed they tell me under my hood is way louder than it should be for a vehicle this old. The dealership did a factory reset hoping it would help but I’ve already had issues with the hatch door not working appropriately, the sound coming from my screen, and notifications that my safety features have been shut off.
My ford escape has an ongoing safety issue where the instrument cluster shuts off while driving and the dealership has not been able to fix it.
I drive a 2023 Ford escape active, 8F35 transmission, with 111,114 miles on it. I purchased my car in July 2025 from truauto of Ladson SC with 93,000 miles on it. Had a transmission complete failure in December 2025 (5 months after buying). Ford dealership in Valdosta Georgia (where I lived) was no help in trying to get it fixed and it sat on there lot for a months or so, because it was undriveable. I got it towed back to SC to get it fixed by a local transmission shop and it is being halted due to a current planetary lawsuit with these cars for parts. I have now been without a car for 2-3 months and have forked over $6,000+ to get this car fixed. I was not told about any known transmission issues when I bought this car (verbally or written) from Truauto, nor was I contacted about any recall from Ford and I was denied a Remanufactured transmission at the dealership that I went to to get the car fixed. I am out of warranty but that still doesn’t explain a transmission failure in a close to brand new car regardless of miles. I have already paid the $5400 or so for the repair at the local shop and it has yet to be fixed due to lack of availability of parts.
The contact owns a 2023 Ford Escape. The contact stated that on several occasions, while stopped, while the accelerator was depressed, the vehicle hesitated while accelerating. The contact was almost rear-ended several times when the failure occurred. The contact stated that whenever the vehicle idled for longer than five minutes, the vehicle also hesitated while accelerating. The vehicle was taken to a dealer; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 3,000.
The transmission failed at 70,000 miles. The research the transmission shop did indicated the main bearing fails in these because they are made of cheap metal. The transmission just stopped pulling with little warning. It started with a jerking and then quit pulling. Within a few feet. There was not any slipping of the transmission before hand.
Purchased brand new 11/2023, immediately started with electrical problems 01/2024, also would put car in reverse and car would cut off, was dropped off at service but never given a reason for the issue or a repair. 01/2025 car had acceleration issues, dropped off at service and was given a rental and given car back with no explanation. 6/2025 car went into limp mode and was towed to service where they found shards of metal throughout motor, replaced motor and then started having problems with cab filling with exhaust, was told they had no rental available and could continue to drive the car with my baby in it, then told was just a gasket needed to be replaced, car had same issue immediately, returned back to service where the turbo then needed to be replaced as well as catalytic converter gasket, after repair, called numerous times complaining that car would shift very hard and wouldn’t accelerate while driving or pulling out on an intersection or from a stop light, was told valve body needed to be replaced, then check engine light came on immediately after pickup, returned car and purge valve needed to be replaced, after pickup issue of car not accelerating continued, was told no issue found, car acceleration issues has became worse and now have been told soonest available appointment and rental is 02/12/2026.
Showing 15 of 81 complaints