Complaint volume
1479 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.
Complaint records
2020 Ford Escape Complaints
1479 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2020 Ford Escape, grouped by component category.
1479 Total complaints
19 Crash reports
4 Fire reports
22 Injury reports
Complaint data reflects consumer-submitted reports. A complaint is not proof
of a defect, recall, or manufacturer fault. Enriched severity fields come
from official bulk records when the complaint can be matched by ODI number.
Buyer interpretation
How to use these complaints before buying
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
Pattern to inspect
The most common categories are structure, unknown or other, power train. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 19 crash reports, 4 fire reports, 22 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 310 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 45,573 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to structure, unknown or other, power train?
- Can I see recent maintenance and repair records?
- Has the vehicle ever been towed, involved in a crash, or repaired for the same issue twice?
- Can we also check the recall record for this 2020 Ford Escape?
Used-car checklist
Use these complaints before the test drive.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
2020 Ford Escape
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2020 Ford Escape complaints?
19 Crash
4 Fire
22 Injury
0 Fatality
31 Towed
9 Medical attention
What are the most common 2020 Ford Escape complaint categories?
STRUCTURE 505
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 195
POWER TRAIN 124
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 84
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 38
STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 34
ENGINE 30
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES 26
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 19
VISIBILITY/WIPER 19
1,479 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2026 | POWER TRAIN,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | I have taken my vehicle to 2 different ford Dealership one tell me that this wasn't for my car and immediately it shows up that I need a fuel injection second one Jim Norton charges me for the lights on my car to get a diagnostics when the recalls and I should never been charged and then the light comes on the next day for the wrench and the engine I've taken my car three times for the recalls and never had to get fixed my engine sounds like crap now it barely runs and it's because of the recall that are not getting fixed | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2026 | POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | Transmission needs to be replaced at 70k miles. In reading other user's stories online and hearing from mechanic, I was told to make a report here in reference to Ford's internal memo (SSM 54939). It would be nice for NHTSA to urge Ford to replace/fix transmissions on the 1.5L Dragon engines on the Escape 2020, etc. Too many widespread safety concerns/issues with a defective engine that they know about yet failed to act. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2026 | POWER TRAIN | I noticed the Powertrain slipping after 583 miles. Took to ford which ford recalibrated the software. Powertrain continued to slip during shift change. Noticed ford dealership in norco. Another recalibration. This continued until my transmission flush at 60,000. Took my ford escape at 95,000 for the same thing, then I was told I needed and new transmission, which would cost $4600. All of this back and forth, at a dealership i didn't buy the car from. Why wasn't it recommended to me at my 60,000 mile why my car was under warranty. Fast forward to now. Stopped driving my car at 109,000 miles. Had it parked for over 3 months. Went back to ford in norco was told transmission would cost me $8600!!! Found a auto shop that bought the transmission from norco ford and was charged $5600. What a headache. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2026 | POWER TRAIN | Complete transmission failure under normal driving at about 50,000 miles. Cost about $7500 to completely rebuild the transmission since Ford has none available within the next 6 months, probably because so many of them are failing early. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2026 | POWER TRAIN,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | I bought my car 2 years ago I heard about a recall so I had check turns back if you don't inject your powertrain and they can't fix it feel injector because they don't have the part apparently but it goes to the powertrain I've had to check three times the last time the light came on the very next day the wrench and the engine now it's saying something by my Cadillac converter and it open fuel line that won't close due to this problem they made me pay $27 just to take the codes off didn't do anything to my car let me drive this car off the lot the very next day the lights come back on I know these are recalls and they're very dangerous for me to drive I'm a mother and a wife and I am not trying to die driving his vehicle I took it if they're three times there has got to be something done they need to give me a vehicle or I've already filed a report with you guys on June 16th 2026 | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2026 | POWER TRAIN | My low mileage 2020 Ford Escape has rear differential shuddering, grinding, and bumping during low speed turns. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2026 | STRUCTURE | I opened my passenger door & it made a terrible noise like it’s falling off the hinges. Door feels like I shouldn’t open it all the way or it may get stuck or just fall off | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2026 | POWER TRAIN | I have a 2020 Ford Escape SE That I am having a lot of issues with the transmission. I looked to see what kind of recall is for on it and I'll see there is a lot of complaints related to the transmission and when I called Ford they said mine was not included with the recalls on the transmission although my transmission is also jerking, hard shifting, along with a shuddering, loud clunking when you shift and to reverse or drive, Also my park break has been kicking on by itself and it's done it to me while sitting in traffic, decrease in acceleration (it about got me hit on the highway) as the car could not get gas It would drop dramatically from 70 down to nothing almost on interstate I-75 highway. Also I've had a burning smell coming from the engine. My car is now at the transmission shop and they are trying to figure out what's going on with it I've had it to AutoZone for them to put it on their tester and a lot of transmission codes came up and one of them so happen to bend the clutch solenoid which could be caused by leaking fluids! I called Ford the corporate office that and they said well you're 20 20 Ford Escape It's not the one in the recalls or the will with the transmission issues but yet it is doing the exact same thing as the other ones that are listed!! It has just a little over 100,000 mi on it The car's not driven hard whatsoever. I was not giving much warning about the transmission The little wrench thing came on flashing and then suddenly these things start happening while on the highway, but then did not stay on! I had to drive my car 45 mi at speed about 30 to get it home.. I do use my car once in a while to drive Lyft which now I'm without being able to make some extra money for groceries and whatnot because of this car! Also the one of the recalls that is on this car pertains to the transmission updates and according to Ford they don't have the tool to update it but yet this update could affect the functioning of the transmission.. I was at ris | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2026 | STRUCTURE | LIFTGATE APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN REMOVED AND REPLACED. THERE IS A GAP DIFFERENCE FROM THE LEFT REAR TO THE RIGHT REAR ON LIFTGATE. THERE IS ALSO RUST APPEARING ON THE BOLTS. CONDENSATION TUBE HAS DETACHED UNDER THE LIFTGATE. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE MALL OF GEORGIA FORD SERVICE DEPARTMENT ON COMMERCE DRIVE IN BUFORD GEORGIA. THEY WERE NOT WILLING TO HELP AND STATED IT MAY NEED TO GO TO THEIR BODY SH0P. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2026 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | Electrical issues: Media screen blacks out/glitches including speakers. Gear switch "Dial" will move on its own and park itself. Switching from "Drive to Park". "Transmission not in park" on dash , Lights on dash for engine 4x | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2026 | POWER TRAIN | The vehicle jerks forward when driving at slower speeds, around 10-25 miles per hour. I have especially noticed this on the highway when there is moderate to heavy traffic as I am consistently driving at slower speeds. The vehicle was checked by the original dealer I bought it from as well as a Ford dealership, but neither could replicate the problem. However, I have driven with multiple people who have agreed that the issue is happening, and I have read on many, many online forums and Facebook groups that others are having the same problem. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Hello, I recently purchased this vehicle used. Within the past two weeks I’ve had some concerns. The hood latching mechanism is not reliable. If you try to open the hood it has been not opening completely and gets stuck. If you keep pulling the opening lever it barely works to open and or close the hood. Today the hood would not close completely and the whole lever stopped working, becoming jammed. Driving 20mph with the hood closed as much as it would the hood still flew open while driving. Immediately I pulled over and it opened to the point of me being about to close it completely. I am not touching it now due to the unreliability and concern of issues that can lead to an accident if hood was able to reopen. I believe it is a very serious safety concern. The vehicle has been inspected prior to this happening and passed. Online says that this error can happen. The dash has been lighting up with notifications regarding the hood being open, even when the hood appears closed. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2026 | POWER TRAIN | Clutch inside transmission failed while driving. Started lurching and I was able to pull into a parking lot. Towed to service station where it was confirmed. Warning sign came on after attempting to drive the car to service station. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | One of two current recalls for this vehicle has no "remedy" or no "parts". Its a major recall and could honestly do some incredibly serious damage if it was to catch fire. Those of use that have a family, this is absolutely not safe to be driving. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,WHEELS,ENGINE | Transmission issues, jerking, stuttering, jumping, rmp jumping, horse power acting up, pulsating | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2026 | VISIBILITY | The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact discovered that part on the moon roof had detached, preventing the moon roof from closing properly. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the dealer stated that the top panel of the moon roof needed to be removed; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 50,000 |
| Jun 2026 | POWER TRAIN | Transmission shuddering, slipping and or hesitating. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The transmission was replaced 2 weeks before I bought it from a ford dealership and 3 yrs later it already needs a new one. I did a voluntary repo because I didn’t have the money to fix it. I also replaced the purge valve twice | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | POWER TRAIN | Power train fault, AWD OFF, Colision assist off | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | POWER TRAIN | Severe Transmission Shiudder and hesitation when shifting, Ford has had this problem For 6 plus years with theese escapes and still has no fix | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | POWER TRAIN | Vehicle: 2020 Ford Escape Issue: Transmission / Torque Converter My 2020 Ford Escape has ongoing transmission problems, including slipping, shuddering, delayed shifting, and sudden loss of power. The vehicle hesitates when accelerating and sometimes fails to engage properly, creating unsafe situations in traffic. These issues appear related to the torque converter and are happening more often over time. This behavior makes the vehicle unreliable and dangerous to drive. I request that NHTSA investigate transmission and torque converter defects in the 2020 Ford Escape | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | The contact owns a 2020 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 local dealer was contacted. 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Nothing has happen as of yet. However, over the past two years I have replaced the passenger vent window twice, because the chrome piece has started to separate from the window. The chrome piece and vent window are one piece. If I have not noticed it, this metal piece could have fallen off on the roadway caused an accident or even worse. This is the same recall that was placed on the Ford Explorer and some F Series PU for the same issue. I don't understand why the Escape's were not part of the recall. At a cost of $1500 - $2500 to have this vent windows replaces is expensive. This vehicle needs to be added to the national recall. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | Vehicle went into low power or limp mode unexpectedly on interstate highway. Vehicle suddenly and unexpectedly slowed and was unable to maintain highway speed | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | I'm using my door as normal, The door catch breaks off. My door sounds like it's going to fall off and my window is inoperable. I figure out there is a hinge recall. I take it to the dealer the dealer tells me it's going to be about a month to get the door in. The dealer has my car for 31 days The door was not complete. They tell me they can't get the part in time that they want me to take the vehicle. I told them I don't feel comfortable taking the vehicle if the window is inoperable. They then went on to explain how the window is operable which it is in fact inoperable still. They also told me after I picked up the vehicle it would be about a week for the door. I still have heard nothing. I have no answers on when exactly my door will be fixed. I also have no answers on when the injector will be fixed. I also have no answers on when the recall on the screen will be fixed. They had my vehicle when these recalls came out. I'm not exactly sure why they couldn't fix it while they still had the vehicle in their possession. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |