UsedScore

2023 Ford Escape: Too new to judge

The 2023 Ford Escape has been on the road for 47 months, short of the five years we need to rate it. Owners have filed 132 complaints with NHTSA so far. That's 0.8× the rate other Escape years drew in their first 47 months, per vehicle sold.

The biggest problem area, counting serious complaints more, is the electrical system (45% of complaints, median 14,000 miles).

Complaint index
0.8×
partial: first 47 months
Rank
Not ranked
rated after five years
Complaints
132
in 47 months so far
Recalls
13
campaigns
4th generation, 2020–today · Updated September 24, 2026 · How we rate
2023 Ford Escape base model (facelift)

Photo: 2023 Ford Escape base model (facelift) · Kevauto, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Problem areas

Ranked by severity-weighted complaints · share · median miles
  1. Electrical45% · 60 complaints · median 14,000 miles
  2. Engine27% · 35 complaints · median 5,000 miles
  3. Powertrain17% · 22 complaints · median 24,000 miles
  4. Driver assistance16% · 21 complaints · median 13,000 miles
  5. Speed control6% · 8 complaints
  6. Fuel and propulsion6% · 8 complaints
  7. Brakes3% · 4 complaints
  8. Body and structure4% · 5 complaints
  9. Seats and belts3% · 4 complaints
  10. Visibility2% · 3 complaints

Bars rank problem areas by complaints weighted for severity (crashes, fires, injuries and deaths count more). A complaint can name more than one area. Mileage is reported on about half of complaints.

What owners describe

Electrical

Owners of the 2023 Ford Escape frequently describe battery and electrical issues, including no-start events after the car enters a deep sleep or low-power mode, and instrument cluster or infotainment blackouts. Several mention manufacturer recalls related to the electrical or high-voltage battery system with parts they say were slow to arrive.

Warning signs:
Many report warning messages about battery saver or deep sleep mode, dimmed dome lights, blank or blacked-out instrument clusters and infotainment screens, and various dashboard warning lights before the failure.
What shops did:
Dealers have replaced 12-volt batteries, performed software or module updates, cleared codes, or in some cases could not find or repair the cause, with a few owners referencing recall parts that were not yet available.
Mileage:
most between 10,000 and 25,000 miles, among 16 complaints that give it

“This vehicle is on the shop having it's 3rd 12 volt battery (4th overall if you count the factory battery) installed since I bought it in July 2023.”

“the screen go black and I was no longer able to see how fast the car was going, the engine temperature, or how much fuel I had”

Engine

Owners of this Escape describe engines that overheat, stall, or lose power, sometimes going into limp mode or catching fire, frequently linked to coolant, head, or turbo issues. Repairs often involve lengthy dealer visits, part replacements, or extended waits for backordered components.

Warning signs:
Many report warning chimes, coolant-over-temperature or check-engine alerts, burning smells, unusual noises, or sudden loss of power before the failure.
What shops did:
Dealers often replaced or rebuilt cylinder heads, turbochargers, or engines, though some owners say the issue could not be duplicated or parts were on backorder for months.
Mileage:
most between 5,000 and 5,000 miles, among 5 complaints that give it

“After accelerating my engine coolant overheat warning light goes off and i can't accelerate any further until light goes off.”

Powertrain

Owners of this Escape describe transmission and powertrain problems ranging from hesitation and warning lights to complete transmission failure, sometimes with metal debris found inside. Repairs often involve lengthy diagnostic visits and full transmission replacement or rebuild, with some owners reporting recurring issues afterward.

Warning signs:
Owners report powertrain warning lights, wrench icons, low coolant or overheat messages, hesitation, hard downshifts, loud bangs, and vehicles entering limp mode before failure.
What shops did:
Dealers often diagnosed transmission or engine damage and replaced or rebuilt the transmission, though some could not duplicate the problem or lacked parts.
Mileage:
most between 5,000 and 40,000 miles, among 6 complaints that give it

“vehicle started shifting violently making loud bang”

“diagnosed that there were metal shavings in the transmission”

Summaries are written with AI from the owner complaints shown on NHTSA's site and checked against them; quotes are word for word.

Recalls (13)

Check a VIN on NHTSA ›
  • NHTSA 26V091000February 202625,237 vehicles

    Electrical system: propulsion system: traction battery

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2022-2026 Ford Escape and 2023-2026 Lincoln Corsair plug-in hybrid vehicles. A manufacturing defect in one or more of the high voltage battery cells may result in an internal short circuit and battery failure.

    Risk: 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.

    Fix: Dealers will update the battery energy control module (BECM) and hybrid powertrain control module (HPCM) software, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 25V789000November 202520,558 vehicles

    Electrical system: propulsion system: traction battery

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2024 Ford Escape and 2021-2024 Lincoln Corsair plug-in hybrid vehicles. A manufacturing defect in one or more of the high voltage battery cells may result in an internal short circuit and battery failure.

    Risk: 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.

    Fix: Dealers will update the battery energy control module (BECM) and hybrid powertrain control module (HPCM), free of charge.

  • NHTSA 25V372000June 2025404 vehicles

    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.

    Risk: 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.

    Fix: Dealers will replace the cylinder head assembly as necessary, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 25V343000May 20256,781 vehicles

    Electrical system · Equipment: electrical: engine block heater

    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.

    Risk: An overheated engine block heater can increase the risk of a fire.

    Fix: Dealers will replace the block heater element and inspect the electrical cord, replacing it if necessary, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 25V345000May 20251,809 vehicles

    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.

    Risk: An engine compartment fire increases the risk of injury.

    Fix: 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.

  • NHTSA 25V315000May 20251,076,138 vehicles

    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.

    Risk: A frozen or missing rearview camera image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Fix: The accessory protocol interface module (APIM) software will be updated by a dealer or through an over-the-air update, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 24V954000December 202420,484 vehicles

    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.

    Risk: 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.

    Fix: Owners are advised not to charge battery till the remedy has been completed.

  • NHTSA 24V852000November 202427,678 vehicles

    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."

    Risk: 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.

    Fix: Ford will mail owners the warning labels, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 24V634000August 202424 vehicles

    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.

    Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.

    Fix: Dealers will install new fuel injector O-rings and O-ring support discs, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 24V440000June 2024209 vehicles

    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.

    Risk: 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.

    Fix: Dealers will adjust the angle of the radar module, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 23V506000July 202338,695 vehicles

    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."

    Risk: An inoperable instrument panel cannot show critical safety information, such as the speedometer or warning lights, which may increase the risk of a crash.

    Fix: Dealers will replace the module or instrument panel as necessary, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 23V380000May 2023125,322 vehicles

    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.

    Risk: An engine compartment fire increases the risk of injury.

    Fix: 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.

  • NHTSA 22V859000November 2022521,746 vehicles

    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.

    Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components, can increase the risk of a fire.

    Fix: Dealers will update the engine control software to include fuel injector leak detection and install a drain tube, free of charge.

A recall only helps if the repair was done. Enter the vehicle's 17-character VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup before you buy.

Service bulletins

Ford sent NHTSA 200 service bulletins and other notices to dealers covering the 2023 Escape. These are repair instructions, not recalls. Warranty extensions and bulletins about its top problem areas:

  • SSM 55142 · September 2026Some 2023-2025 Escape vehicles built on or before 16-Sep-2024 equipped with 1.5L EcoBoost engine may exhibit an "Engine Coolant Over-Temperature" warning message displayed in the IPC and an…
  • 26N15 · August 2026Customer Satisfaction Program 26N15 Certain 2020-2026 Model Year Escape and 2021-2026 Model Year Corsair Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) – High Voltage Battery Replacement
  • 25M03 · August 2026Customer Satisfaction Program 25M03 Certain 2020-2025 Model Year Escape, 2021-2025 Model Year Corsair and 2022- 2025 Model Year Maverick Vehicles equipped with a 2.5L Hybrid or Plug-In Hybrid engine…
  • SSM 55031 · July 2026Some 2021-2026 Ford/Lincoln vehicles may exhibit various symptoms including but not limited to the auto start/stop system not operating as intended with a "Check Charging System" message in the…
  • TSB 26-2328 · July 2026This bulletin supersedes 26-2194.
  • GSM-26.P0929 Escape · July 2026Quality improvements include: -Updates the gear shift lock diagnostic logic to prevent false wrench lights
  • TSB 26-2297 · June 2026Some of the vehicles listed in the model statement above equipped with SYNC4 may experience a blank center display screen or black center display after welcome animation.
  • SSM 54939 · June 2026Some 2020-2026 Corsair/Escape, 2021-2026 Bronco Sport, and 2022-2026 Maverick vehicles equipped with an 8F35 transmission may exhibit a shudder condition, most noticeable at speeds below 60 mph (100…

All 2023 Escape bulletins on NHTSA ›

Questions owners ask

Is the 2023 Ford Escape reliable?
The 2023 Ford Escape has been on the road for 47 months, short of the five years we need to rate it. Owners have filed 132 complaints with NHTSA so far. That's 0.8× the rate other Escape years drew in their first 47 months, per vehicle sold. Ratings compare Escape years with each other using complaints filed with NHTSA; they don't measure every problem owners have.
What are the most common 2023 Escape problems?
Owners' complaints most often involve the electrical system (45%), the engine (27%) and the powertrain (transmission and drivetrain) (17%). A complaint can name more than one area.
Has the 2023 Ford Escape been recalled?
Yes. NHTSA lists 13 recall campaigns for the 2023 Ford Escape, the most recent in February 2026 (electrical system). Enter the vehicle's VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to see whether the repairs were done.

Sources

Owner complaints, recalls and manufacturer communications from NHTSA's public data files, as of September 24, 2026. Complaints are counted once each, over the model year's first 60 months on the road. UsedScore is not affiliated with NHTSA or Ford. The 2023 Ford Escape on NHTSA.gov · How we rate