2021 Ford Escape problems and recalls
Owners have filed 338 complaints on the 2021 Ford Escape, and NHTSA has issued 19 recalls. The most cited component is the Structure (92 complaints).
338
Complaints
19
Recalls
9
Crash reports
9
Fire reports
5
Injuries
43.6
Severity index
Severity index 43.6 Low. The index weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints. How it is calculated.
Ranked 75 of 92 by severity index among 2021 vehicles with at least 40 complaints, highest first. 18% of those vehicles scored lower. Full 2021 ranking.
Components cited in complaints
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| STRUCTURE | 92 | 27.2% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 59 | 17.5% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 49 | 14.5% |
| FUEL SYSTEM | 44 | 13.0% |
| GASOLINE | 44 | 13.0% |
| POWER TRAIN | 41 | 12.1% |
| ENGINE | 41 | 12.1% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 33 | 9.8% |
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 8 |
| 2022 | 34 |
| 2023 | 79 |
| 2024 | 56 |
| 2025 | 70 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 91 |
Filings in 2023 to 2025 ran 4.9x those in 2021 to 2022 (205 against 42).
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21V869000 | 10/11/2021 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling one 2021 Escape vehicle equipped with a 2.5L hybrid powertrain. The high voltage battery may fail, resulting in a sudden loss of drive power. |
| 21V625000 | 10/08/2021 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP:CONTROL/DRIVE MODULE | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 Escape, Lincoln Corsair, and 2021-2022 Bronco Sport vehicles. The fuel delivery module may leak inside the fuel tank, causing low fuel pressure which could result in an engine stall. |
| 21V922000 | 23/11/2021 | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Bronco Sport and Escape vehicles. The rear brake linings may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can affect braking performance. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle |
| 22V149000 | 11/03/2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2022 Corsair and 2021-2022 Escape vehicles equipped with a 2.5L Hybrid powertrain. The high voltage battery may fail, resulting in a sudden loss of drive power. |
| 22V191000 | 25/03/2022 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OIL/LUBRICATION | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Escape and 2021-2022 Bronco Sport vehicles equipped with 1.5L engines. The engine oil separator housing may crack and develop an oil leak. |
| 22V484000 | 07/07/2022 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Escape, 2021-2022 Lincoln Corsair, and 2022 Maverick 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 |
| 22V859000 | 18/11/2022 | 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. |
| 23V380000 | 26/05/2023 | 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 nea |
| 24V330000 | 10/05/2024 | POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM) | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2022-2024 Maverick, 2020-2022 Escape, and 2021-2022 Lincoln Corsair vehicles. The Hybrid Powertrain Control Module (HPCM) software may cause the vehicle to shift into neutral unexpectedly, causing a loss of drive power. |
| 24V852000 | 08/11/2024 | 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 |
| 24V954000 | 20/12/2024 | 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. |
| 25V165000 | 14/03/2025 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Escape and 2021-2023 Bronco Sport vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall numbers 22V-859 or 24V-187. A fuel injector may crack and leak fuel inside the engine compartment. |
| 25V345000 | 23/05/2025 | 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 relea |
| 25V442000 | 27/06/2025 | BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2022 Transit Connect, 2019-2020 MKZ, MKX, Edge, Continental, F-150, Nautilus, Fusion, 2019-2023 Ranger, Mustang, 2020-2021 EcoSport, Expedition, Navigator, 2020-2022 Escape, F-250 SD, Corsair, 2020-2023 Aviator, Transit, 2020-2 |
| 25V467000 | 11/07/2025 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Bronco Sport and 2020-2022 Escape vehicles equipped with 1.5L engines. A fuel injector may crack and leak fuel inside the engine compartment. |
| 25V685000 | 10/10/2025 | EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:ENGINE BLOCK HEATER | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Lincoln MKC, 2016-2023 Explorer, 2019-2020 Fusion, 2019-2024 Ranger, 2020-2022 Lincoln Corsair, Escape, 2021-2024 Bronco, Bronco Sport, and 2022-2024 Maverick vehicles. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolan |
| 25V829000 | 01/12/2025 | 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. |
| 26V117000 | 03/03/2026 | VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Explorer, Escape, Lincoln Aviator, and Lincoln Corsair vehicles. The windshield wiper motor may fail and prevent the windshield wipers from operating properly. |
| 26V123000 | 03/03/2026 | BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Escape, Lincoln Corsair, 2020-2024 Lincoln Aviator, and Explorer vehicles. The image on the center display may flip or invert, resulting in an incorrectly displayed rearview image when the vehicle is placed in reverse. As s |
Other Ford Escape model years
Severity index for every other model year on file. Compare all 13 years side by side.
- 2012sev 62.3
- 2013sev 43.3
- 2014sev 62.2
- 2015sev 46.3
- 2016sev 34.7
- 2017sev 27.3
- 2018sev 22.9
- 2019sev 58.7
- 2020sev 24.0
- 2022sev 56.4
- 2023sev 48.7
- 2024sev 96.0
Source. NHTSA public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-09-07. Complaints are unverified consumer reports. Totals vary with units sold and years on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.