2025 Ford Escape: Too new to judge

1. Engine31% · 9 complaints
2. Electrical31% · 9 complaints
3. Fuel and propulsion10% · 3 complaints
4. Powertrain10% · 3 complaints
5. Driver assistance10% · 3 complaints
6. Speed control7% · 2 complaints
7. Body and structure7% · 2 complaints
8. Air bags3% · 1 complaints
9. Brakes3% · 1 complaints
10. Steering3% · 1 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.

• NHTSA 26V122000March 202647,804 vehicles

  Engine and engine cooling: exhaust system: emission control: gas recirculation valve (EGR VALVE)

  Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Ranger, Lincoln Nautilus, Mustang, Maverick, Explorer, Escape, Lincoln Corsair, Bronco Sport, and Bronco vehicles. The exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve may fail, resulting in an unexpected loss of drive power.

  Risk: An unexpected loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.

  Fix: Dealers will replace the EGR valves, free of charge.

• 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 25V862000December 2025780 vehicles

  Seat belts: rear/other: retractor

  Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Corsair and Escape vehicles. The seat belt retractors for the left and right rear passenger seats may not be securely fastened.

  Risk: An improperly secured seat belt retractor may not restrain an occupant as intended, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.

  Fix: Dealers will inspect and secure, or replace the seat belt retractor bolts, as necessary, free of charge.

• NHTSA 25V829000December 2025108,762 vehicles

  Structure: body: hatchback/liftgate: hinge and attachments

  Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Escape and 2025 Escape vehicles. The liftgate hinge covers may not be properly secured and detach from the vehicle.

  Risk: A detached liftgate hinge cover can create a distraction or a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.

  Fix: Dealers will inspect and reinstall, or replace any missing liftgate hinge covers as necessary, free of charge.

• NHTSA 25V787000November 20252 vehicles

  Electronic stability control (ESC) · Service brakes, hydraulic: power assist

  Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Maverick and Escape vehicles. The cover for the electric brake booster's ECU may cause the printed circuit board to overheat and result in a loss of vehicle stability control systems (anti-lock braking, electronic stability control, and traction control) or a loss of brake power assist.

  Risk: Loss of vehicle stability control or brake power assist can increase the risk of a crash.

  Fix: Dealers will replace the electric brake booster, 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 25V161000March 20254,721 vehicles

  Back over prevention: sensing system: camera

  Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Escape vehicles. The rearview camera may incorrectly display an inverted image when the vehicle is in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."

  Risk: An inverted rearview camera image will not accurately display what is behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.

  Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge.

• NHTSA 25V049000January 2025298 vehicles

  Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel

  Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Bronco Sport, Escape, and Lincoln Corsair vehicles. The Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC) may not illuminate at startup or while driving. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 101, "Control and Displays" and 102, "Transmission shift lever sequence, starter interlock, and transmission braking effect" as well as FMVSS numbers 126, 108, 135, 138, 208, and 305.

  Risk: An instrument panel display that fails to show critical safety information, such as the speedometer or warning lights, increases the risk of a crash.

  Fix: Dealers will replace the instrument panel cluster, free of charge.

• NHTSA 24V850000November 202415 vehicles

  Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel · Air bags: frontal

  Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Escape vehicles. The passenger side instrument panel cover may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can cause the air bag not to deploy as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

  Risk: During air bag deployment, the air bag cover may break and project fragments into the vehicle, or the air bag may deploy improperly, increasing the risk of occupant injury.

  Fix: Dealers will replace the passenger side instrument panel cover, 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.

Ford sent NHTSA 83 service bulletins and other notices to dealers covering the 2025 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…
• 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 54943 · June 2026Some 2025-2026 Escape vehicles equipped with an 8-inch IPC display (minor feature code HCAAN), may exhibit a fuel gauge showing the tank is filled to the 8th mark below full when the fuel tank is…
• SSM 54918 · June 2026Some of the following vehicles: 2025-2026 Mustang Mach-E vehicles built on or before 27-Jan-2026 2025-2026 Maverick/Bronco Sport vehicles built on or before 20-Jan-2026 2024-2026 Nautilus vehicles…

All 2025 Escape bulletins on NHTSA ›

Questions owners ask

Is the 2025 Ford Escape reliable?

The 2025 Ford Escape has been on the road for 23 months, short of the five years we need to rate it. Owners have filed 29 complaints with NHTSA so far. That's 0.5× the rate other Escape years drew in their first 23 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 2025 Escape problems?

Owners' complaints most often involve the engine (31%), the electrical system (31%) and the fuel or propulsion system (10%). A complaint can name more than one area.

Has the 2025 Ford Escape been recalled?

Yes. NHTSA lists 10 recall campaigns for the 2025 Ford Escape, the most recent in March 2026 (engine and engine cooling). Enter the vehicle's VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to see whether the repairs were done.