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 and engine cooling, Jun 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that coolant intrusion into the cylinder had caused the engine to fail. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 58,600.
Engine and engine cooling, Jun 11, 2025
The contact's daughter owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive coolant consumption, the engine was overheating, and misfiring while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that coolant was leaking into cylinder #4. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000.
Engine, Jun 9, 2025
Coolant is leaking into #4 cylinder causing misfire. This will lead to a blown engine. It is a known issue with Ford but there isn’t a recall as of today. TSB 22-2229 has been released. I spent a lot of money with the plan this car would be safe and reliable for 10+ yrs and well over 100k miles. I am afraid to drive it but have no choice as I work to support my three children and myself. I have owned five Ford vehicles in 40 yrs and have felt loyal to the co. The co needs to be loyal to its customers and fix the issue in my Escape and all others that this disaster is effecting. Thank you. Feel free to contact me.
Engine and engine cooling, Jun 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle was shaking abnormally. The contact stated there was heavy white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe before the vehicle unexpectedly shut off. The contact stated that the vehicle struggled while being restarted. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over to the shoulder and the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The contact stated that a diagnostic test was performed, and it was discovered that there was coolant entering into the engine, resulting in engine failure. The local dealer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The manufacturer was notified of the failure by mail and the contact recently received a response that the manufacturer was not responsible for the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 115,000. The VIN was not available.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Jun 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that when the vehicle was started, the vehicle jerked, and white smoke was coming from the exhaust. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with spark plug failure. The contact was informed that the spark plugs needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The contact's husband inspected the vehicle and determined that the coolant level was low, and the coolant reservoir was refilled. The contact stated that the coolant reservoir needed to be refilled constantly; however, there were no visible coolant leaks. The vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic and was diagnosed with coolant intrusion and engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The contact was also referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 83,500.
Engine, Jun 2, 2025
Vehicle indicates a misfire on cylinder number 2 . Diagnosis of the issue appoint to a leak of coolant into the cylinder bore.
Engine, Jun 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate at various speeds, the vehicle shuddered and jolted independently while depressing the accelerator pedal. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined the converter assembly, pump assembly, and a screen assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was previously repaired at the same local dealer for converter assembly, pump assembly, and a screen assembly; however, approximately 30,000 miles later the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000.
Engine, Jun 1, 2025
At 100k miles the engine needs to be replaced for coolant intrusion. Its a 10,000 dollar repair.
Engine, May 30, 2025
2.0 liter engine misfires cyl 1 &3 coolant loss. Ford tsb 22-2229 States engine needs to be replaced for $10000. 66,000 miles and 6 years. engine number [XXX] [XXX]. Ford says if engine was made 37 days later it would not be defective. ( known defective engine put in my car which I purchased new.) [XXX] original owner INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine and engine cooling, May 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that there was coolant intrusion into the cylinders, causing the engine to fail. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 52,000.
Engine, May 28, 2025
Ford eco boost coolant intrusion super common problem ford knows about… quoted 8k for a new motor on a car that’s worth 13k. No warnings, barely and coolant leaking, just started overheating when driving one day. Only has 80,000 miles. It has been look at by a ford dealer and a family friend mechanic. It’s not good to overheat on a 4 lane highway and have to get out of the car to put coolant in it.
Engine, May 27, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 50 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle lost motive power with the engine revving abnormally. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and restarted the vehicle however, after driving 100-feet, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 80,133.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, May 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was running rough, with the check engine warning light illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that there was a misfire coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion and engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. In addition, the contact stated that when the spark plug was removed, the spark plug fractured, and part of the spark plug was left inside the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. In addition, the contact was informed that the repair was not covered under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
Engine and engine cooling, May 16, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that there was an internal coolant leak and that the short block, along with several other unknown parts needed to be replaced. The contact researched and was made aware of a possible recall; however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 11,000.
Engine, May 15, 2025
During the month of January my vehicle started to overheat. I pulled over immediately and opened the hood. The coolant was bubbling over and I let it cool down. Once it cooled down I checked the level and noticed it was low. Which was weird since there had not been a leak. I filled it up and went on my way to work. I had my mechanic look at it and there was coolant in the engine. He stated take it to Ford ASAP. Which I did. I had it towed to the ford dealer and was told they would assess it and give me quote for repairs. After a week they cam back with it needs a new engine and the quoted repair was $7800. This car has 80K on it and was purchased from a ford dealer with 33K and was serviced regularly. Zero reason to need an engine unless it was a manufacturing defect. I start to look into recalls and low and behold there is a recall for the same issue from 2017-2019 of April. My car was produced in June I believe. I call Ford Motors and start a claim. After 30 days we finally come to an agreement. I pay $3200.00 and they pay the balance which was helpful considering I was still making payments. Finally get my car back the end of April.
Other or unspecified, Engine, May 13, 2025
What component has failed and is it available for inspection upon request? The engine is failing due to coolant intrusion. This is a known issue that can lead to engine fires and failure whilst driving. This problem is reproduce able. The dealership has inspected the issue however it is intermittent and did not occur while they checked. CEL does come on for the issue and first appeared in early 2025.
Engine, May 10, 2025
Coolant leaking into Cylinder. Causing overheating. Numerous attempts to fix.
Steering, Engine and engine cooling, May 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power when the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart. The contact also stated that while the vehicle was parked, the power steering warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion into cylinder #3, which caused the engine to fail. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact was also informed that the steering module had failed and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for further assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 43,334.
Engine and engine cooling, May 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that there was coolant intrusion into the engine, which caused engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.
Engine, May 3, 2025
Coolant intrusion into #2 cylinder. Causing total misfire of engine. Data collected on this issue revealed this failure resulted from faulty design in manufacturing.
Power train, Engine, May 2, 2025
Transmission been stalling now says it has engine failure
Other or unspecified, Engine, Apr 30, 2025
Engine has failed and in need of full replacement at 123k miles. Vehicle was manf’d in 2019. While driving the vehicle, it can experience a complete loss of power and extremely poor acceleration resulting in a major safety issue on higher speed roads, causing the driver to be unable to avoid potential safety risks that may present. The dealer and manufacturer are both aware of the defect, but failed to issue a recall. The issue is a known design flaw with the engine, which allows coolant intrusion into the 2bd cylinder.
Engine and engine cooling, Apr 30, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the spark plugs needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine, and that the short block needed to be replaced. The contact researched and was made aware of an unknown Customer Satisfaction Program; however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.
Engine, Apr 30, 2025
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? -cylinder 1 misfiring-diagnosis fluid intrusion into combustion chamber likely due to faulty head gasket or warped cylinder How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? -car misfiring affected startup acceleration and ran rough (hesitation). Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? -yes, confirmed diagnosis by independent service center first and problem reproduced. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? -yes, inspected with a scope by independent service center. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? yes, check engine light came on intermittently. brought in within a day of it appearing. diagnostic computer check done & per the pulled codes, followed recommended repairs and had OEM spark plugs and coil packs all replaced. 2 days later check engine light came back on. Again experienced difficulty in startup and rough running engine. As of this writing, vehicle is in the shop awaiting further repairs.
Engine, Apr 30, 2025
brought vehicle in for check engine light, found coolant getting into cylinders, under warranty replaced small block. one year later same issue, brought in car need SECOND small block engine.