1435 Total complaints
19 Crash reports
3 Fire reports
22 Injury reports
Quick answer: The 2020 Ford Escape has 1435 consumer-submitted complaints in our database. The most common complaint categories are structure, unknown or other, power train. Enriched records show 19 crash reports, 3 fire reports, and 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.

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.

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?

Enriched complaint indicators from official bulk records.

19 Crash
3 Fire
22 Injury
0 Fatality
30 Towed
9 Medical attention

Mileage at failure is available on 305 complaints ; average reported mileage is 45,215 miles.

Most common incident states: NY (5), CA (4), IL (4), PA (4), GA (3), IN (2), KS (2), MO (2).

What are the most common 2020 Ford Escape complaint categories?

1,435 total complaints on record

Latest complaints

Showing 151-175 of 1435 complaints.

Date Component Summary Severity Mileage
Oct 2025 ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 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!
Incident: Oct 2025
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Oct 2025 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 unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while decelerating and coming to a stop, the engine sputtered before the vehicle came to a complete stop. The failure had not occurred while the fuel tank was filled with premium fuel. There were no warning lights illuminated. The dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
Incident: Jun 2025
Crash: No Fire: No 30,000
Oct 2025 UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM My vehicle has had a recall for awhile and I have been unable to drive because it has a fuel injector recall and no parts have been made and they don’t know when they’re going to be made. I feel that if they can’t make the parts that they need to give me another vehicle so that I am able to drive to work or appointments instead of having to get rides, I have contacted my Ford dealership locally and they still have no idea when parts are going to be made
Incident: Aug 2025
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Oct 2025 FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V467000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The contact had called a local dealer 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 manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Incident: Jul 2025
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Oct 2025 SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE I went for a diagnostic test for AWD module failures, and when auto zone did the test ABS came back as failed and this was in July of 2025.
Incident: Jul 2025
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Oct 2025 FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to the intended destination and parked the vehicle, but was concerned about restarting the vehicle. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V467000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); and the contact related the failure to the recall. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 52,741.
Incident: Oct 2025
Crash: No Fire: No 52,741
Oct 2025 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 not contacted. 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.
Incident: Aug 2025
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Oct 2025 STRUCTURE The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of Customer Satisfaction Program number: 23B56. However, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the driver’s side door made an abnormal sound while opening or closing. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the door was removed and inspected. The contact was informed that the welds had failed, and the door needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The door was ordered. The contact stated that since the removal of the door, the window failed to roll down as needed; however, the sound persisted. The door failed to open all the way. 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 59,000.
Incident: Apr 2025
Crash: No Fire: No 59,000
Oct 2025 UNKNOWN OR OTHER In July 2025 recall #25V467 was issued on my vehicle. The safety risk of this recall is that at any point fuel can accumulate near the engine or exhaust components and ignite resulting in an under-hood fire “increasing the risk of injury”. It has been over 3 months now and no remedy yet. Since that recall came out, I am scared for my safety and the safety of my children and anyone else who rides in my vehicle because I never know if/when a fire may start. I rely on my vehicle and so do my kids to get to and from places. I am a single mother with no options to drive a different vehicle until a remedy comes out. In addition to being scared, I feel helpless whenever I drive my vehicle and pray each time that I arrive safely to my destination.
Incident: Jul 2025
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Oct 2025 POWER TRAIN the transmission experienced total failure. Ford repair claimed that the failure was due to the torque converter caused the failure. the car experience issues with not shifting into a higher gear at highway speeds and failure to go into neutral when going from forward to reverse.
Incident: Sep 2025
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Oct 2025 VISIBILITY Was opening the sunroof cover and one side of the tracks came off. It will not close all the way now.
Incident: Aug 2025
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Oct 2025 POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER UnknownOn my dash my AWD fault warning has showed up followed by hill assist not available and traction control not available. I have looked for in formation online about it and it seems that it’s a recurring issue with 2020 Ford Escape and many others. I’ve seen that there was a customer satisfaction effective on April 9,2021 through April 30, 2022 but I have just gotten this car last year and dealer states that I am responsible for fixing a manufacturing issue. I’m not sure where my car was manufactured but my car is affected. I have about 83,600 miles and don’t seem to understand why I have to pay since in the customer satisfaction program it states that the module needs to be replaced before sale and customers that have already purchased the vehicle should have it replaced no charge to them. I’ve only just gotten this car last year February 2024 and not sure if the owner before got the notice or not but I have not received a notice stating anything about the AWD system malfunctioning. It is definitely a safety risk if I was to be driving in a snow or ice storm and my traction control stopped working; without the AWD the car is harder to accelerate and control sometimes. I haven't gotten if fixed since they want me to pay for something that they failed to make sure was working correctly. I can't afford to fix it since money is already tight but it is my only way of transportation. I have some photos of the lights/warnings and I have a document of the customer satisfaction Program from 2021.
Incident: Sep 2025
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Oct 2025 VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM My car hesitates when driving forward from a stop and the rpm's jump up and down. It almost stalls when going up a steep hill. I have to leave it running when filling it up or it is very hard to start and sometimes will stall after starting. Check engine light is on and tire sensor light is on. The sound system doesn't work. Have read online about a lot of people having the same problems with their car.
Incident: Sep 2025
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Oct 2025 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,TIRES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the local dealer for an unstated recall repair. Upon retrieval of the vehicle, the pre-collision, driver assist, and cross traffic systems were inoperable. The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer, where the modules were updated, but the failure persisted. The tire pressure fault message was displayed, and the rear bumper sensors were inside the vehicle. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact about diagnostic testing, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 65,188.
Incident: Oct 2025
Crash: No Fire: No 65,188
Oct 2025 FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM Catalyst converter just brock while driving. The muffler shop repair said that a lot of other car owner have the same problem, even the dealer salesperson tolls me that they can't keep up with part in stock.
Incident: Oct 2025
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Oct 2025 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 unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate while driving at various speeds or from being idle, the vehicle hesitated before accelerating as if the vehicle was about to stall or lose power. The vehicle also jerked while in park. The dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 44,000.
Incident: Jul 2025
Crash: No Fire: No 44,000
Oct 2025 UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER shade over sun roof folded up and dropped down. blocks the rear view can't see anything behind out back. folded up won't go back in keeps falling.
Incident: Jul 2025
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Oct 2025 ENGINE My 2020 Ford Escape's 2.0 ecoboost engine suffered a catastrophic head gasket failure at only 83 thousand miles. This occurred on 10/9/2025 and was confirmed via Ford dealership (Crossroads Ford- Ravena, NY) on 10/13/2025. Prior to 10/9, there were no warning signs or known mechanical issues. The failure happened out of nowhere. In discussing the failure with the Ford service advisor, it was explained that Escape models prior to 2020 have this failure commonly reported, leading to class action lawsuits/coverage from Ford. I am reporting my occurrence so it can be documented in hopes of Ford being held accountable in the future. Such poor product quality can not only endanger the lives of customers but also cause great economic impact to customers and their families.
Incident: Oct 2025
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Oct 2025 FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while cold-starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. The contact stated that after shifting to drive(D) and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated and vibrated abnormally. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that after refueling the vehicle, the vehicle hesitated and vibrated while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed, and determined that there was a failure in the exhaust system. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V467000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the manufacturer and a dealer were contacted, and the contact was informed that the part for 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 failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
Incident: Jul 2025
Crash: No Fire: No 120,000
Oct 2025 POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM When the interior of the car gets hot, the gear select dial will not rotate out of park. This has occurred on 5 separate occasions. Eventually the interior of the car cools down enough to shift, but that can take anywhere from minutes to hours, leaving the vehicle and its passengers stranded until the selector shifts. This same problem has been reported by several others on the Ford Escape forum.
Incident: Sep 2025
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Oct 2025 STEERING,POWER TRAIN,WHEELS Upon starting our vehicle, we received several warning lights relating to collision control and that the AWD system had failed. This happened on a Saturday so we had to wait until Monday to bring the car in to the dealer for service. The service department told us that the diagnostic testing indicated that the AWD module and the PTU actuator motor needed to be replaced. Our vehicle is under six years and under 29,000 miles, along with being garage kept and having regular maintenance.
Incident: Oct 2025
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Oct 2025 STEERING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER Out of nowhere, my vehicle had an AWD module failure. This has led to several other subsystems being triggered and warning lights going off. It also disables AWD. After consulting with a vendor, it appears that this is a problem that happens regularly with this vehicle around 55,000 miles. It is not a cheap fix, and results in a vehicle not being able to drive in AWD. This is a safety concern in inclement weather, as the vehicle clearly has a shoddy component that is designed to fail early in a vehicle‘s life. It is also my understanding that Ford has now discontinued this vehicle, and I bet that this is one of the reasons for it. Please issue a recall immediately so that Ford has to pay for its own mistakes and not the customer.
Incident: Sep 2025
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Oct 2025 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 2020 Ford Escape Sunroof Shade Repair In my case, the curtain sags, obscuring the rear view. This is a design flaw that Ford should correct. The sunroof shade fails to operate correctly. It becomes detached, jammed, or cannot slide properly. Many owners have reported the same issue online, including in discussions such as this one: Reddit discussion]. This poses a potential safety issue if the glass or shade breaks or obstructs visibility.”
Incident: Aug 2025
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Oct 2025 ENGINE "engine stalls on the road after refueling the vehicle", some sort of evap issue, the purge valve leaks and pours so much vapor to cylinder with overwhelming fuel vapors, system can't handle too much fuel at once and shuts down. this happens every time when I refuel, so I started to park the car and leave it to idle every time after refueling, and even so it's rough idle. If I notice this pattern, this issue with the car for a while! I can't think of a scenario where someone on a highway middle of the night, hits the road after refueling, and if it stalls! rough idling is okay, but stalling on the road is a safety issue! please note, there is no CEL so far!
Incident: Sep 2025
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Oct 2025 STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER In my Ford 2020 Escape Hybrid Titanium AWD car, Sunroof shade got misaligned and not closing anymore, resulting in more heat flowing into the car creating impacts inside. Also, as per others comments and online forums, there is a chance that this shade would fall on the passengers during the drive if not taken care quickly, resulting in injuries in adults and deaths in infants. Reached to a Ford dealership to fix this issue and its costing me close to $3000. As its a design flaw from Ford, I request Ford to do a fix for free of charge or recall and fix it for their customers and address their safety concerns immediately. Appreciate your looking into this matter.
Incident: Oct 2025
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown

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