Complaint volume
1435 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
1435 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2020 Ford Escape, grouped by component category.
1435 Total complaints
19 Crash reports
3 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, 3 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 305 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 45,215 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
3 Fire
22 Injury
0 Fatality
30 Towed
9 Medical attention
What are the most common 2020 Ford Escape complaint categories?
STRUCTURE 503
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 187
POWER TRAIN 110
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 80
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 38
STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 34
ENGINE 30
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES 26
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 18
VISIBILITY/WIPER 18
1,435 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2024 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the AWD (All Wheel Drive) fault warning light and several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed AWD module. The contact was informed that the AWD module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was currently being repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 57,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 57,000 |
| Oct 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | I have a vista panoramic sun roof. There is a plastic decorative piece that covers the area between the normal sunroof and the expanded sunroof... That is only held in place with dbl sided tape. that piece came undone and I tried to open the shade and it apparently got caught on this decorative piece. and broke the hade mechanism. This is a completely stupid way of attching the decorative piece and when it loosens can cause major problems with the shade....and ford wants over 2000 dollars to fix it..... I have researched this and notice it happens to alot of these models with this roof shade design....ford needs to recall this design and be willing to fix these problems free of charge.... This is not a owner malfunction but a design flaw. customers should not have to pay to fix it. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2024 | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon depression of the brake pedal while in reverse(R), there was an abnormal squealing sound coming from the brake pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where an unknown application was applied to the brake pads which stopped the noise; however, the contact stated that the failure recently returned. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided the contact with a case number. The contact was also referred to NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 30,000 |
| Oct 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | AWD module failed at 20000 miles | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | -Front drivers side door started making a noise when opening and closing and within a week of using it as normal it would not close. -Structural integrity of the door is compromised -Yes - reproduced and confirmed by a Ford dealer that the door needs to be replaced and that the cracks are "excessive" -No - vehicle or component has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representative or others -No - there were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. Started [XXX] - door was not used for 8 days as car was out of the country. Once the car back in the U.S. started using the door on 9.8.24 and failed to close on [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2024 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,BACK OVER PREVENTION,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | I'm getting warnings all of a sudden that the Pre Collision Assist, Advance Trac and AWD are either not available or have a fault and need service. There were some other warnings which I don't recall as when driving I wanted to keep my eyes on the road as much as possible. Right now, it is not showing those. I have lost all safety features like backup sensors, forward sensors, lane wandering and blind spot warning. I have lost convenience features such as cruise control and parking assist. Mileage is 29,726. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE | Dashboard message indicates the left front door is open although the door is properly closed and locked. I'm still able to lock and unlock the door using the lock switch on the inside door panel while sitting in the driver's seat. I can also lock and unlock the door using my key fob. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2024 | SEAT BELTS | The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated while parked when he buckled the seat belt, the seat belt warning light remained illuminated. The failure occurred on the front driver's side seat belt. The vehicle was driven to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the seat belt buckle needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate mileage was 70,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 70,000 |
| Oct 2024 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | I was trying to crack my panoramic sunroof to move some air and the sunroof shade jumped its track and sagged down into my back window view while driving. It blocked my field of view and would not retract. Once I was safely able to pull to the side of the road and after several attempts I was able to somewhat close the cover and lift it out of my field of view. Now it’s just flapping in the wind. I looked up this issue and it seems that the many others are having this problem as well. For a car that is 4 years old with a sunroof that I have maybe used 5 times this seems like there might be a problem with the integrity of the clips that hold the shade in place. Apparently, ford is making a killing off of the repair ($2k-4k) which is highway robbery for a car that many of us already paid an arm and a leg for and are still in the early stages of paying on. This was not a wear and tear issue….this was a failure of a part with weak integrity. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2024 | POWER TRAIN,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Got an Advanced Trac warning on my dashboard. Lost my AWD traction control forward collision assist. Took it to my service station. They did a diagnostic testing and told me it could be a power train problem and may be covered under warranty and recommended that I take it to the Ford dealership because this appears to be a common problem with Ford Escapes. They also told me that my shocks are starting to leak which is also a common problem with Ford Escapes. Took my car to the Ford dealership along with the receipt from my service station and they also did a diagnostic there. Told me the problem was my AWD module and that it wasn’t under warranty and would cost $800.00 plus to repair. I sent them multiple complaints from the NHTSA with the same problem . Told them to do the repair because I felt unsafe driving my car. Asked who I could complain to because this is a recurring problem and they directed me to Ford customer service . They were no help at all and were unable to direct me to anyone else for help. Told me to file a complaint with the NHTSA. I am filing this complaint because I am wondering how many people have to pay out of pocket for problems that appear to be a Ford product problem before they either voluntarily acknowledge the problem or are forced to do a recall. I have not had the shocks replaced yet because that will be another $600.00 plus bill. I have lost all confidence in my car and Ford. I am retiring soon and this car would be paid off by then but now I may have to get rid of this car and buy another one and have a car payment in retirement. Extremely unhappy with Ford and will never buy another Ford. This is unfair to anyone who buys a product and experiences common problems that the manufacturer chooses to not recognize and fix! Ford needs to step up and acknowledge the problems and pay for the repair! | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2024 | STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,WHEELS | I brought my vehicle into its manufacturer service center after noticing several issues. The vehicle was not maneuvering as smoothly as it used to and when it hit bumps I would feel a slight loss of control. This is extremely dangerous, especially in the coming winter months where it snows heavily where I live in the midwest. I also hear like a cracking sound underneath the vehicle. I saw several service light illuminate to include: AWD Fault Service Required, Hill Start Not Available, and Pre Collision Assist Not Available. I brought in my vehicle into the Ford Service Center and they advised me that I needed to replace the AWD module and that this has been a common trend among the Ford Escape vehicles. I conducted research online and observed that several people have also had complaints about the same if not similar issues with the same year, make, and model of my vehicle. I strongly believe that this issue should be addressed in recall, especially given the numerous amounts of complaints and known issues. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2024 | POWER TRAIN | There is a Powetrain Malfunction, loss of Hill Start Assist , AWD failure, Loss of Precollision Assist, loss of traction control, causing notifications to "Service Immediately" This has been confirmed by Ford to be an AWD module failure and requires costly replacement. Multiple Ford dealers have been unable to accommodate timely appointments to correct this issue. This issue affects the ability to drive the vehicle safely. The vehicle had no known issues prior to the dash lights and system messages appearing. The problem and notifications appeared suddenly while driving down the highway, noticeably jolting while the vehicle was in movement. This issue makes the vehicle unable to navigate up inclined roadways. The loss of traction control affects the steering control of the vehicle, especially in roadways experiencing non ideal weather conditions. After these things occurred, the engine started to experience a misfire, most likely due from having to work harder to navigate up Inclined roadways. This vehicle is actively at the dealer for these repairs, pending invoice. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2024 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, the messages "Hill Start Assist Not Available", "Pre-Collision Assist Not Available", "Service Advance-trac" and "Service All Wheel Drive" remained displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the All-Wheel Drive module was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 12,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 12,000 |
| Oct 2024 | POWER TRAIN,LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | One day my all wheel drive, pre-collision emergency braking, lane departure warnings, cruise control, lane assist, and hill start assist stopped working. I could no longer use any of these functions. There was no accident, fire, or any other damage that occurred to my vehicle to cause this malfunction. It just stopped working. I was alerted by error messages on my dash that all wheel drive and pre collision assist were not functional. I scheduled an appointment with the dealership. When I took my car in for inspection at the dealership, they found that the all wheel drive module was defective, directly impacting the functionality of the powertrain, and needed replaced immediately. They confirmed that this module was not working. Without this function, I could not use all wheel drive in icy, snowy, or rainy weather, thus impacting the safety of the vehicle for myself and my 8month old daughter who I drive daily. This also prevented collision emergency braking and lane departure warning features from functioning, which are important for preventing dangerous accidents. Even though my car is still covered under the powertrain warranty, and this defect affects the function of the powertrain, they do not consider it covered under warranty. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2024 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the " Power train malfunction and reduced power" and the "4-WD Power Train Fault" messages were displayed on the instrument panel; the power train fault warning light was illuminated. The contact researched and was made aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V330000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the contact was informed that the Hybrid Powertrain Control Module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 54,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 54,000 |
| Sep 2024 | SERVICE BRAKES | See attached document for complaint. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2024 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | My AWD module stopped working for no reason WHILE DRIVING! My car’s dashboard lit up like a Christmas tree stating for me to pull over safely, AWD fault service required, Hill start failure, pre-collision failure, and the stability and traction control failure light was on as well. My car was towed to my local Ford dealership. I researched what in the world could be going on with my car. I typed in the exact warnings displayed by my car and MULTIPLE articles about the AWD module failing for countless other 2020 Ford Escape cars! I also saw there was a RECALL on this module back in 12/2021-04/2022. They are saying my car is not apart of that recall though??? How when my car’s AWD module FAILED JUST LIKE THE RECALL STATED! This is happening/happened to hundreds of other 2020 Escape owners! This recall should be EXTENDED to every owner of the 2020 Escape experiencing AWD failure! This is a HUGE SAFETY RISK! Your car literally just stops working while driving. I got extremely lucky that I was already pulling into a gas station when this happened to me. I can’t imagine what could’ve happened if I were driving on the interstate when this occurred, which is EXACTLY what I was going to be doing after fueling up! | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2024 | VISIBILITY,BACK OVER PREVENTION | The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the back-over prevention camera screen was blue and there was a beeping sound coming from the camera. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V575000 (Visibility, Back Over Prevention). There was a DTC trouble code sent to the manufacturer regarding the backover prevention camera. The contact called the local dealer and was informed to schedule an appointment. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, opened a case, and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 26,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 26,000 |
| Sep 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the front driver’s side window failed to roll down while depressing the window switch. The contact stated that the failure was a recurring failure and was previously repaired at the dealer. The contact stated that a while afterward, the rear passenger’s side window failed to roll down while depressing the window switch. The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer and remained for the repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 18,600. | Crash: No Fire: No | 18,600 |
| Sep 2024 | STEERING | The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle became difficult to control. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed and it was determined that the electronic power steering control module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000. | Crash: No Fire: No Towed | 50,000 |
| Sep 2024 | STRUCTURE | The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after a severe rainstorm, the contact noticed that there was a strong odor inside the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the car wash, and upon removing the floor mats, the contact became aware that the floor mats were significantly wet, and there was mold and mildew on the floor mats and on the carpet. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the vehicle was dried out and the seats were taken out. The dealer then performed a water entry test and determined that water was entering through the seam in the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 30,000 |
| Sep 2024 | STRUCTURE | The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact was informed that the VIN was included in Ford Customer Service Program Number: 23B56 (Warranty - Front Door check arm weld). There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that there was no prior failure experienced with any of the doors. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed. The dealer stated that the front driver’s side door needed to be replaced; however, the door was not available due to the programming part being limited and not available. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle needed to remain with the dealer until the part was available because the vehicle could present a risk to the driver. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer denied the contact a loaner vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 29,131. | Crash: No Fire: No | 29,131 |
| Sep 2024 | STRUCTURE | Door making a hoping noise window won't go down. Unwelded part of the door | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2024 | SERVICE BRAKES | The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated while reversing, the brake pedal was depressed and there was an abnormally loud squealing sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer on several occasions, but the cause of the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 30,000 |
| Sep 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | WHEN THE SUN/MOON ROOF WAS OPENED A METAL PIECE HOLDING IT TOGETHER FELL OFF.IT WEIGHS A COUPLE POUNDS AND CAN COME FORWARD AND HIT SOMEONE, DRIVER INCLUDED.. IT WAS HELD ON BY DOUBLE SIDED TAPE. WE CHECKED YOU TUBE AND SAW OTHERS FROM 2020 TO 2023 ARE ALSO HAVING THIS HAPPEN IT CANNOT BE REPAIRED BY THE OWNER. FORD SAID IT CAN BE FIXED FOR $1300-1500. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |