Complaint volume
302 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
2021 Ford Escape Complaints
302 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2021 Ford Escape, grouped by component category.
302 Total complaints
9 Crash reports
8 Fire reports
5 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, fuel system, gasoline. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 9 crash reports, 8 fire reports, 5 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 69 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 38,675 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, fuel system, gasoline?
- 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 2021 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.
2021 Ford Escape
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2021 Ford Escape complaints?
9 Crash
8 Fire
5 Injury
0 Fatality
12 Towed
2 Medical attention
What are the most common 2021 Ford Escape complaint categories?
STRUCTURE 73
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 33
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 25
SERVICE BRAKES 23
POWER TRAIN 17
ENGINE 13
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 9
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 9
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 7
ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 6
302 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2025 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,POWER TRAIN | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | 40,000 |
| Sep 2025 | STRUCTURE | Driver door, door check arm popping and hardly opens and closes won’t allow driver window to roll down all the way | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2025 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2025 | SERVICE BRAKES | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2025 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | 70,000 |
| Sep 2025 | POWER TRAIN | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2025 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 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 | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2025 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2025 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING,SERVICE BRAKES | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2025 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2025 | BACK OVER PREVENTION | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | 65,000 |
| Aug 2025 | VISIBILITY | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | 58,395 |
| Jul 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | 45,160 |
| Jul 2025 | STRUCTURE | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2025 | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | 25,000 |
| Jul 2025 | STRUCTURE | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | 21,000 |
| Jul 2025 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | The shade for the panoramic sunroof malfunctioned. The shade will not roll up properly causing the shade to sag and block rear visibility. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,ENGINE | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 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! | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | STRUCTURE | The door check bracket is broken | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2025 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 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. | Crash: No Fire: Yes Injuries: 1 Towed Medical attention | 80,000 |
| May 2025 | STRUCTURE | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | 22,000 |