2025 Ford Escape: Too new to judge

1. Engine29% · 9 complaints
2. Electrical32% · 10 complaints
3. Driver assistance16% · 5 complaints
4. Fuel and propulsion10% · 3 complaints
5. Powertrain10% · 3 complaints
6. Steering6% · 2 complaints
7. Speed control6% · 2 complaints
8. Body and structure6% · 2 complaints
9. Air bags3% · 1 complaints
10. Brakes3% · 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.

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

• 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

  Equipment: electrical: engine block heater · Electrical system

  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

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

  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 93 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:

• TSB 26-2449 · October 2026This bulletin supersedes 26-2428.
• TSB 26-2442 · October 2026This bulletin supersedes 26-2297.
• SYNC-26.2.9.3 F-150,Escap · October 2026Quality improvements include: -Enhanced Android Auto and Car Play connectivity
• SSM 55221 · October 2026For 20222026 vehicles equipped with a 8F35 transmission, a revision to the Road Testing Vehicle procedure has been made in the WSM, Section 307-01 > Diagnosis and Testing.
• SSM 55211 · October 20262023-2026 Escape and 2025-2026 Bronco Sport vehicles equipped with a 1.5L EcoBoost engine may require removal of the turbocharger wastegate control actuator linkage for various reasons.
• TSB 26-2428 · September 2026This bulletin supersedes 25-2326.
• TCU-26.2.12.2.2 Mach E, F · September 2026Quality improvements include: -Addresses a bug that may cause updates to fail
• ECG-26.2.12.3 Bronco,Esca · September 2026Quality improvements include: -ePrivacy enhancements

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 25 months, short of the five years we need to rate it. Owners have filed 31 complaints with NHTSA so far. That's 0.5× the rate other Escape years drew in their first 25 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 (29%), the electrical system (32%) and driver-assistance features and cameras (16%). 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.