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
Engine, Sep 17, 2025
The engine failed at 51,000 miles due to coolant intrusion. The check engine light came on and a code scan revealed a cylinder 3 misfire. The dealership ran diagnostics and the pressure test, which determined the engine failed.
Power train, Engine, Sep 15, 2025
The engine continually misfires, forcing me to continually get it fixed. Now, with only 68,000 miles I have to replace the head gasket ($4000), which my mechanic states is an extremely common problem with this make, model, and year. I also continually get notices to my Ford app about “fault detected—service engine soon” (for the misfire) and “a power train or AWD fault has been detected”.
Engine, Sep 12, 2025
The coolent leaks into the engine causing engine failure. From research this is a common problem with the ecoboost turbo. Poor design, its like having a lawnmower engine and making it turbo. It needs to be recalled. I can provide estimates from Temecula Ford Dealership.
Engine, Sep 11, 2025
Vehicle: 2019 Ford Escape, VIN: [XXX] Issue: Coolant intrusion into engine cylinders, consistent with TSB 19-2346. Symptoms include coolant loss, white smoke, misfires, and rough idle. Safety Concern: Potential for engine failure or fire risk due to overheating. Manufacturer Response: No recall issued; seeking investigation and formal recall consideration. Related Litigation: [XXX] v. Ford Motor Company, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine, Sep 10, 2025
The flex plate is cracked. Possible missing dowels.
Engine, Sep 5, 2025
According to my local ford dealership, the rattling/clicking sound in my engine is due to a faulty water pump which is apparently a known problem for a 2019 ford escape. I did not even have a check engine light appear and just happened to have my vehicle there for a different reason. This is an extensive and costly fix that should not be an issue with a 6 year old vehicle with 77k miles. With this being a common/known fault for EcoSport engines, it affects the safety of my engine and all passengers and other drivers.
Engine, Aug 29, 2025
My 2019 Ford Escape 2.0 Titanium has a KNOWN coolant intrusion issue where it is leaking into the engine. This began as my car shook on startup, then the check engine light would come on. Drove it a little ways, check engine turned off. Took my car into the repair shop and they looked up the stored code and it was P0301 cylinder #1 misfire detected and P0316 misfire detected on start up first 1,000 revolutions. Car seemed ok, so took it back. Happened again, 2x, check engine light on, off, then on again when I brought it back in. Same codes again. Mechanic said coolant low, removed cylinder #1 spark plug and sent camera into cylinder, found coolant leaking into cylinder. They said I need an entirely new engine, as this has been occurring a LOT with these EcoBoost vehicles. Ford had an open recall but only acknowledged a small amount of vehicles, mine not one of them, and there is currently a lawsuit against Ford because this has been happening to so many people. We are getting nowhere with Ford, they won't acknowledge the issue on the EcoBoost and now we have to come up with nearly $10k to replace an entire engine when the car isn't even worth $8k. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS! Some people are having this issue at 50K Miles!!! This is not ok!!
Power train, Engine, Aug 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The check engine warning light was illuminated, and the contact received a power train malfunction notification through the Mobile App. The vehicle was able to restart but failed to respond while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The dealer determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was difficult to start but was started after several attempts. The vehicle was taken to Loganville Ford (3460 US-78, Loganville, GA 30052); where it was diagnosed and determined that the cam seals, the crankshaft sensor and harness, and the timing components needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the engine was previously replaced in 2021, and the fuel pump was replaced in 2023 due to the stalling failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was filed. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 98,117.
Engine, Aug 24, 2025
The Ford dealer just advised that I need an entire new engine at a cost of $10,000 for a crack in the block, causing coolant to leak into cylinder three, potentially causing critical failure and danger while driving the vehicle. This is a known defect in this motor, which the manufacturer/Ford refuses to address.
Engine, Aug 23, 2025
at 96800 upon start up there was a cloud of white smoke and a check engine light. It was taken to the local ford dealer for diagnosis. Code was P303 and P316 indicating a misfire. the car was found to have coolant intrusion in cylinder 3 and would need a long block replacement. reference used was TSB 22-2229. This type of engine failure is know to ford due to design of coolant channels between cylinders. This could have cause sudden engine failure while drive resulting in an accident and injury or engine fire due to insufficient cooling causing loss of property and/or injury.
Engine, Aug 21, 2025
The vehicle is suffering from an engine failure. It has a check engine light DTC PO303 with a heavy misfire. This causes to engine to lose power at times preventing proper acceleration which could lead to an accident. Ford has a technical service bulletin [TSB 22-2229 ] that describes the failure and the required repair. The problem is a design issue, but Ford is not covering any out of warranty repairs.
Engine, Aug 19, 2025
Leaked coolant into second cylinder caused engine failure. This is a known issue with this model. No prior warnings, check engine light came on as the engine lost power. Risk of total engine failure.
Electrical system, Engine, Aug 18, 2025
Stop /Start button would kill the car would need a jump. Coolant leak in engine blew a gasket. Need a new engine. 54,000 moles on a 2019 Fors Escape
Engine, Aug 15, 2025
Coolant in cylinder causing overheating, misfiring of cylinder 3 and cracked engine block
Engine, Aug 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered abnormally. The contact believed that a fuel cleaner needed to be added to the fuel tank. The contact stated that the engine revved abnormally. While at a stoplight, the vehicle failed to drive forward and stalled. The contact stated that the axle and turbocharger had been repaired prior to the failure. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 104,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Aug 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that the spark plugs needed to be replaced and a tune up was necessary to fix the vehicle. The parts were replaced; however, four days later the check engine warning light was illuminated again. The vehicle was taken to the same dealer where it was diagnosed a second time and the contact was made aware of coolant intrusion into the engine and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 81,372.
Engine, Aug 11, 2025
There's currently a coolant intrusion issue with my 2019 Ford escape and I see that there was a recall on this for all Ford escapes from the years of 2017 through 2019 and I wanted to see if this will be covered for repairs
Engine, Aug 11, 2025
Coolant is leaking and causing the cylinders to misfire. The check engine light is illuminated. This problem has been confirmed by the service department at my local Ford dealership. The repair is to replace the short block with an updated part and estimated cost is $5000-6000. My 2019 Ford Escape has only 79,000 miles on it and has been well-maintained. This leakage will definitely put myself and others at risk when my vehicle breaks down. The check engine light appeared on Thursday, July 31st. I brought the car immediately to the dealership. Since I did not have a scheduled appointment, they did a quick diagnostic and reset to see if it would happen again. The check engine light came back on the next day. I brought it in for a service appointment today after returning from being out of town last week.
Engine, Aug 11, 2025
Replaced engine blowing a lot of smoke out of the exhaust when starting engine and it didn't do that before the new remanufacured engine was installed.
Engine and engine cooling, Aug 6, 2025
The contact’s daughter owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an Auto Parts Store, where it was diagnosed with ignition coil failure. The vehicle was then taken to the residence, where a family friend replaced the ignition coils; however, the check engine warning light was illuminated, and the message "Engine Fault - Coolant" was displayed while driving the following day. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and was turned off. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine, and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 95,800.
Engine and engine cooling, Aug 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion in cylinder #3. The vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure, and the contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered to cover a portion of the cost of the repair. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
Engine, Aug 4, 2025
Coolant leak into the engine.
Engine, Aug 1, 2025
coolent intrusion int the motor - no notice given regarding a previous recall
Engine, Jul 30, 2025
White smoke coming out of exhaust smelled of antifreeze. Took to Ford dealer in Eagle River, Wisconsin: Dealer found coolant in #1 cylinder and wrote on receipt - headgasket block failure, recommend replacing engine. Service writer said this is due to a defect in engine block being a slit machined in block between cylinders by Ford. Dealer quote for engine replacement was $9500.
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 30, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced an abnormal rattling sound on cold starts and while idling. The vehicle was taken to Midas Service Center, where it was diagnosed that the engine turbo had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 101,000.