2019 Ford Escape
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 588 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 18th highest complaint count among 26 Escape model years with reports.
Of the 2019 reports, 24 involved a crash and 3 involved a fire. 28 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Equipment, electrical, engine block heaterJan 15, 2026
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Focus, 2013-2019 Escape, and 2015-2016 MKC vehicles equipped with a 2.0L engine. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.
An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed March 6, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S01. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on January 16, 2026.
Campaign 26V011000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, automatic transmission, gear position indication (prndl)Jun 10, 2022
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2019 Escape, 2013-2018 C-Max, 2013-2016 Fusion, 2013-2021 Transit Connect, and 2015-2018 Edge vehicles. The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach.
A damaged or missing bushing may prevent the vehicle from shifting into the intended gear, and cause the vehicle to move in an unexpected direction. Additionally, the vehicle may roll after the driver selects the 'Park' position. Either scenario increases the risk of a crash or injury.
Dealers will replace the under hood shift bushing and add a protective cap over the shift cable bushing, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters, informing owners of the safety risk, were mailed July 1, 2022. Remedy parts are expected to be available in 4th Quarter 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed October 27, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S43.
Campaign 22V413000 on NHTSA.gov
TiresMar 10, 2021
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 F-150, 2018-2020 F-250, F-350, and 2019 Escape vehicles equipped with Continental tires. On the affected vehicles, it is possible that one or more tires were cured for too long during tire production.
Over cured tires may develop a break in the sidewall, resulting in sudden air loss or belt edge separation which could lead to tread/belt loss. Either condition can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tires, and replace them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on March 27, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S10.
Campaign 21V155000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: engine
384 reports, newest first. Show all
Power train, Engine, Aug 20, 2023
My engine has randomly shut off in the middle of driving. I have taken it to the dealership to be serviced two times. The first time they thought they fixed the issue. But it didn’t work. The second time they couldn’t find anything wrong. Our safety is 100% at risk as it happens in the middle of driving. I have a one and two year old who have been in the car every time it has happened. We have luckily been able to get off the highway each time, but I drive across a 25 minute bridge twice a day to work and back home with my children..across water! My service light has only come on the time they were able to fix something, which again did not fix the problem. But I do get the same message each time on my dashboard that says auto start stop needs to be restarted manually.
Engine, Aug 19, 2023
The car started having shifting problems. An hour later, we got an error message in our display saying "transmission failure" and to stop immediately. We stopped and called to be towed. Luckily we were not on highway. Should we have been in a heavy traffic, we could have gotten into a situation, where the car wouldn't be steerable while driving. The repair shop told us first that the flywheel was gone. A week later they told us, that the transmission must be replaced too. It looks like we will be without our car for months.
Engine and engine cooling, Aug 16, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after attempting to start the vehicle, several unknown warning lights illuminated; however, the engine failed to turn over. The contact stated that the vehicle was jumpstarted, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, a message displayed on the instrument panel “Engine overheated - Pull Over”. The contact pulled off the road and turned off the vehicle to allow the engine to cool down. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated, and the crank shaft sensor light illuminated and turned off. Additionally, the contact stated that on numerous occasions while driving over 45 MPH, she turned on the air conditioning system and the coolant temperature warning light illuminated, and the vehicle started to overheat. The contact pulled off the road and allowed the engine to cool down. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that cylinder #3 had misfired and that the engine block was cracked, and coolant had leaked into the engine block and the engine block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 91,000.
Engine, Aug 11, 2023
The vehicle was running then a warning stated stop safety. It started slowing down on its own with vehicles behind me. Luckily I was able to get to safety with out and accident. This started in May. The temperature control went to hot. It was taken to Ford and a diagnostic was performed. It had fault codesP0217, I P0302, P0303, P0316, and P1285. l found out that it is a coolant leak problem and it will overheat. I need a motor or another vehicle. I was told I will continue to have issues with this vehicle with that problem Since May, the vehicle had to be towed two times and it is still the same issues.
Engine, Aug 2, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light had been illuminated intermittently. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the engine to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 53,000.
Engine, Jul 28, 2023
This vehicle has the 1.5L turbo engine and 64,xxx miles on it. Recently there has been large amounts of smoke come out of the exhaust after the car sits for several hours at a time. There are not any service/check engine lights on, however I feel as if it is only a matter of time before something bad happens to this vehicle. I have owned it since it was brand new and this is the only issue that has happened with this car. This is my wife's daily driver and with two kids and one on the way this could cause issues at a very bad time.
Engine, Jul 25, 2023
I was not informed of a safety recall prior to purchasing the vehicle in August of 2022. I was told there were no recalls on it. In addition to that when I brought up my complaint with the dealership they stated they did not see the repair in there system and it was most likely due to them not updating it after a repair. I am enquiring about a failure to disclose claim and if the dealership was required to do that prior to my purchase. In addition to this, there was a coolant leak in my vehicle that leaked all over the engined and was causing it to misfire violently.
Engine, Fuel system, Gasoline, Jul 14, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the canister purge valve had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the warranty had expired. The contact was advised to call the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.
Engine, Jun 21, 2023
My 2019 Ford Escape has had engine coolant leak into the #2 cylinder and has caused engine damage and I am being told that the engine needs to be replaced. I have questioned Ford and the dealership has confirmed this damage and I am being told that Ford will not assist in replacing the engine. The vehicle has 81100 miles and in looking at other complaints this is an ongoing issues with these vehicles over several years. I would like to have Ford pay to have the engine replaced as this should be a recall condition due to ongoing issues.
Engine and engine cooling, Jun 16, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at highway speeds, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. The contact was able to pull over onto the emergency lane. The high temperature alert message was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that there was coolant intrusion into the engine block. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who declined to service the vehicle and referred him to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was towed back to the same local dealer who informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted but provided no additional assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 103,000.
Engine, May 7, 2023
I have had this car for a year and a half and it only has 38000 miles on it. The check engine light has come on numerous times, and has been fixed 3 times. Yesterday I got an a,eat that it was overheating so I limped home and had it fixed again. There was no coolant in the engine and from the reviews I am reading apparently this is a known issue with this vehicle. This needs to be a recall by Ford! I’m going to have it fixed one more time then sell it as it’s not safe to drive! No excuse for such shoddy workmanship by Ford. I’ll stick to Honda or Toyota from here on out.
Engine and engine cooling, Apr 24, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle suddenly stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the engine had failed due to the engine coolant mixing with the engine oil, and that the camshaft was damaged. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 115,000.
Engine, Apr 13, 2023
My check engine light came on in my 2019 Ford Escape Titanium Sport Utility 4D. I took it to the Ford Dealership to have it checked out. They informed me that the engine had coolant in it and that the entire engine would need replaced. They informed me that the car was not safe to drive, that it was out of coolant and could over heat and even potentially catch fire. They then informed me that there was already a technical service bulletin from Ford about this issue. This is a known issue for this car and Ford has not put out a safety recall. This could had significant potential to put myself and my children at risk.
Engine, Feb 24, 2023
The ERG or Purge Valve failed, causing a hole to be burned into my intake manifold, which caused my car not to be able to read my fuel properly which caused air and heat to build which caused my catalytic converter to melt. The danger is my car could’ve caught on fire, a check engine light came on and we went to AutoZone and they said the code read O2 censor, but nothing ever indicated ERG or Purge Valve. Ford of Dalton said he’s never seen one do this kind of damage.
Engine, Feb 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. After refueling the vehicle, the contact had to depress the accelerator pedal to the floorboard then turn the key in the ignition until the vehicle started. The contact took the vehicle to a certified mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the EVAP failed, making it difficult to start the vehicle. The certified mechanic cleared the warning light. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.
Engine, Dec 27, 2022
For the past few months I have been noticing a hot coolant smell from outside the vehicle. After investigating, I noticed the coolant level was low and there was residue on the valve cover. Afterwards, I refilled the coolant reservoir and continued driving for another week to make sure the coolant was leaking. Afterwards, I inspected the vehicle further to check for any external leaks and could not find any, but my reservoir was much lower when I check again. I then made an appointment with the dealership to see if they could find anything. They kept my vehicle for a day to run a pressure test, but oddly enough it passed the pressure test and they could not find any leaks. I only have 3000 miles left before the warranty expires and the service manager told me it would be fine to drive on our trip that we were getting ready to take. I did not take it on the trip because I was worried something catastrophic to the engine would happen. The dealership did not fix my problem at all. They just said it would be fine. I have to add about 1 quart of coolant every week to two weeks, which is definitely not “fine”. Ford has a service bulletin for my engine and they need replaced! They are intentionally trying to get away with not fixing the engine while it is still under warranty. There is even a class action lawsuit with this as well, as people are being scammed into paying for a whole new engine when it should have been paid for by Ford Mo Co. To add to this, mutiple vehicles were there for the same issue as mine, including new Broncos. There needs to be a recall in place!
Engine, Nov 3, 2022
Car has been acting up and making noises. (Engine rattles). Was driving and made a turn as I was speeding up, my car revved and then started sputtering like it was going to die. Was a 1/2 mile from home. Made it home and restarted car, it sounds like it is missing something and engine is still rattling super loud. Have 68000 miles on car, engine was replaced due to previous recall of coolant leaking into engine at 27000.
Engine, Oct 18, 2022
Ford has issued a Technical Service Bulletin for the known issue with the coolant intrusion into engine. My 2019 Ford Escape with 31,060 miles is now dead with a short engine on backorder. No lights came on until the car was inoperable.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Sep 2, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal clapping sound detected. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an unknown local dealer in Kansas where the contact was informed that the failure was due to a friction plate issue however, the vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion into the cylinder head and that an engine replacement was needed. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The contact stated that while driving there was an abnormal clapping noise detected with no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer, Legacy Ford (27225 Southwest Fwy, Rosenberg, TX 77471, (281)342-5611) where a diagnostic test and repair was unknown. The manufacturer was notified but no additional assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 50,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Sep 2, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle hesitated to respond and started shuddering. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that at times she would veer to the side of the road for a moment before resuming normal driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where four spark plugs were replaced; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that coolant was leaking into the engine and the engine block was cracked. The dealer diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that she needed to pay out-of-pocket for the repair because the failure could not be repaired under warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they would not assist unless she purchased a used engine as the engine production had been discontinued. The failure mileage was approximately 65,900.
Power train, Engine, Sep 1, 2022
Whitish and/or whitish-blue smoke comes out of tailpipes when starting vehicle . Believe there is faulty head gasket or engine block that causes oil to be mixed with antifreeze resulting in permanent damage to engine over time which could lead to possible fires, breakdowns, and or fumes. Tried to get it looked at to confirm that the 1.5l engines from the 2019 Ford Escapes are an issue like past models but dealership tried to side step me and not properly look over vehicle in my opinion.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Engine, Jul 25, 2022
I was driving my car and then all of a sudden it's starts to jerk and make this clanking sound and stops in the middle of traffic...a indicator check engine light pops in and the service transmission soon..thank God there was no accident due to quick thinking. I try to restart the car and take to the dealer where I bought it and was told they could do nothing and they were backed for 3 months and they just cleared out the message. I start driving it again because I don't have a car and I have to get back and forth to work. Maybe 2 days later it's does the same thing and the car shut down and wouldn't change any gears. I had to get towed which cost money out of my pocket. The car would not move. I only had this car 2 months and I feel as if this was known before the car was sold. Know I have no car and being expected of paying a car note. I contacted Ford and they have nothing to say about it. This is unjust and creeping it's way into a civil lawsuit due to the many complaints. I just want my car fixed as it should because who pays for a car they can't drive.
Engine, Jul 13, 2022
Loosing antifreeze found no external leaks
Engine, May 6, 2022
On March 29, 2022 my 2019 Ford Escape suddenly started shaking with no lights coming on to tell me there was an issue. When taken to the shop and after one week was towed to ford due to not being about to fix this problem. Once it arrived at ford the issue was found to be a leaking coolant which ruined the engine. This is a known ford problem. They will not fix the vehicle and for over a month we have been fighting with ford they have made no progress. This is known to cause engine failure, or verb eating engines, and even engine fires.
Engine, Apr 20, 2022
At 61,000 miles (1,000 miles outside Ford Factory warranty) my vehicle 2019 Ford Escape has a blown head gasket. The Check engine illuminated with a code of an engine misfire. Upon taking it to a ford dealership it was confirmed to have a blown head gasket.