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: power train
125 reports, newest first. Show all
Power train, Apr 10, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train). The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormal sound and the transmission seized. The contact was unaware of any warning lights being illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who performed a diagnostic test and informed the contact that the transmission had seized. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer where a diagnostic test was performed that indicated that the transmission had seized. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer stated the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, opened up a case, and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 88,989.
Power train, Mar 28, 2024
The conditions Ford has placed on getting the recall repaired are unreasonable. The dealership told me that for this repair, the car must be on their lot for at least 10 days, and no, an appointment is not available, and there are no loaners available for this repair.
Power train, Mar 19, 2024
It's two Recalls for 2019 Ford Escape
Power train, Feb 27, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the vehicle slipped out of gear and failed to accelerate. The contact stated that the vehicle was placed in neutral and was coasted down the hill, where the gear would not change. The vehicle was able to restart several hours later but, the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a complaint was filed. The failure mileage was 94,000.
Power train, Feb 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, a message displayed reading "Service Engine Now, after which the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to reach her destination, where the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the battery, requiring the battery to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that upon leaving the dealer, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact also stated that the transmission had failed years earlier and had been replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 239,000.
Power train, Nov 20, 2023
My transmission failed at 64,000 miles and the car is currently in the dealer awaiting repair. I was traveling down a long hill on the interstate 86 in NYS. The adaptive cruise control was on.and set to 60mph. The engine suddenly accelerated to 7500 rpm but this did not change the speed of the car. I was startled by this high revving engine situation and tapped the brake, disengaging the adaptive cruise control and causing the engine to stop the highspeed revving. I put the car in neutral and rolled to a stop on the roadside. There were no warning lights before or after the incident. I had the car towed to the Ford dealership where I purchased the car. They confirmed that the car needed a new transmission but the transmissions were back ordered with no available date when it would be available. The transmission would have to be rebuilt a a cost of $9000. I figured this close to the warranty mile expiration date and still within the warranty time expiration, Ford would do something to help with partial or full coverage for the transmission. I opened a case with Ford customer support and and they refused any funds to help with this repair. This is not the first issue with this car. In April of 2022, I had a check engine light come on. The car which had 40,000 miles on it was running fine but I brought it to the dealer to check it out. To my surprise the car needed a complete engine replacement. This was called a "long block" replacement. I brought this previous repair to Fords attention as a possible reason the transmission died way before it's normal lifespan but received no sympathy. So I am stuck with a $10,000 expense on a four year old car.
Engine and engine cooling, Power train, Engine, Oct 19, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where the engine was replaced. The contact stated that while driving, the transmission was slipping. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where the oil was changed. The contact's son noticed that there was white smoke coming from the exhaust and noticed that the coolant level was low. The contact added coolant to the reservoir. The contact's neighbor informed her that there was white smoke coming from the tail pipe. The vehicle was taken back to the same local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the driver's side CV joint was leaking, and the turbo needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. While driving the “Transmission Service Now” message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and the contact was informed that the torque converter valve needed to be replaced or the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who stated there was an unknown substance in the line. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000.
Power train, Oct 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle jerked, shuddered, and would not properly accelerate. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer and local dealer were informed of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 60,000.
Power train, Engine, Oct 9, 2023
The check engine light would come on at high RPMs and the car would begin to shake violently. I would generally pull over and turn off the engine in order to stop if from misfiring. This occurred after an engine replacement in the vehicle. The engine now has a crack in it and the short block needs replacing. This is the second time I am in need of an engine replacement in 90k miles on the vehicle. The cylinders continue to intermitently misfire and the engine leaks oil. The first time is needed replacing the engine overheated and told me to pull over when I was driving. The next day the engine would not start.
Power train, Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Sep 27, 2023, crash
On 9/14/23 after starting car parked on level surface, I placed car in Drive, but it went in Reverse. The vehicle was supposedly repaired for Safety Recall Notice 22S43 by dealer. I placed car back in park, then shifted back to Drive and it moved forward as expected. Later in day while my wife was driving, she experienced difficulty in disengaging cruise control and when she tapped brakes, vehicle began spinning 360 degrees, slid sideways off interstate, and auto was totaled. Upon impact the right, rear passenger door was unlocked and somehow opened on its own ejecting passenger. Vehicle is currently in salvage yard at IAA Odgen, 1800 S 1100 West, Ogden, UT 84401. I don't know if the faulty transmission had anything to do with accident, but it seems like today we drive computers and not a mechanical motor vehicle.
Power train, Sep 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle failed to properly accelerate. The contact heard an abnormal sound and the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle was diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.
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.
Steering, Power train, Electrical system, Aug 6, 2023
Was unknowingly sold a vehicle that Travers GMT Auto sales knew was under recall. Lead to me being blind sided by another diver who was at fault, proven to be correct by my auto insurance company progressive at the time. Ford dealership never provided me with the correct information nor were they helpful at any time during the process.
Power train, Jun 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle started to jerk with a delay while shifting gear. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that after accelerating above 30 MPH, the vehicle operated properly and drove as designed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and agreed to cover a portion of the cost for the repair. The failure mileage was 48,000.
Power train, May 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked and failed to respond as needed. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a tire repair facility where the transmission fluid was checked, and the contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred her to the NHTSA Hotline to submit a complaint. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
Power train, May 1, 2023, crash
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact initially received notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000(Power Train); once the parts were available, the vehicle was repaired by the dealer. Recently, the contact's wife had placed the vehicle into the reverse(R) position, and the vehicle surged forward and crashed into the corner of his home's garage. Both the vehicle and the garage sustained damage due to the failure. The air bags did not deploy and none of the vehicle's occupants sustained any injuries. The dealer and the manufacturer were both notified of the failure but neither offered any assistance. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 53,000.
Power train, Apr 27, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after his daughter parked the vehicle to run some errands; after returning to the vehicle and starting the vehicle, the vehicle was shifted to drive(D) but failed to respond. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled. The contact stated his daughter had not noticed any warning lights. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 64,420.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Power train, Mar 29, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 75 MPH, the vehicle started to stall and lost motive power. The contact stated that it was like gasoline was not getting to the engine. Additionally, the contact stated that she had been having difficulty shifting the vehicle into drive (D) or park (P). The contact stated that when she shifted the vehicle into the selected gear, the vehicle would hesitate before moving and then abruptly respond. The contact stated that the check engine light was illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the vehicle needed the canister purge valve replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. Additionally, the contact had researched online and related the failure of the canister purge valve to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) and the failure of the transmission to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train). The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 52,000.
Power train, Feb 22, 2023
My transmission blow up without a warning when I was driving on the highway I am being informed that this is a on going problem with this vehicle
Power train, Feb 7, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated she had front-end parked her vehicle in her garage, as she had placed the vehicle into park (P) and was exiting the vehicle, the vehicle rolled backward at approximately 2 MPH. The contact stated that the driver's side front tire ran over both her feet. The contact stated that the driver's vehicle door hit the right side of her body. The contact stated that the vehicle rolled down her driveway and stopped in her neighbor's front yard. The contact stated that the police were on the scene and wrote a report. The contact was transported by ambulance to the Emergency Room where she was treated for severe bruising on both feet and bruising on her ribs on her right side. The contact stated that there were no broken bones. The vehicle had been moved back into the contact's garage and placed in park (P). The vehicle had not been taken to a dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The contact had researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train). The failure mileage was approximately 35,000. The contact stated that the failure mileage was about 33,644.
Power train, Jan 30, 2023
i was driving at 45mph the car without any warning dead and the transmission stopped working i had it towed to the dealership and they stated that the troque convertor locked up taking out my transmission and it needs replaced
Power train, Dec 23, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train). The local dealer was notified of the recall notification and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact was informed to wait on the second notice on when parts would be available. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to shift into the intended gear. The transmission warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised to contact the warranty department. The failure mileage was approximately 64,500.
Power train, Nov 9, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate to merge onto a highway at approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle began to lose forward momentum. The contact stated that he pulled over and turned the vehicle off; however, when he restarted the vehicle and shifted into drive(D), the vehicle would not move forward. The engine revved while attempting to shift back into park(P). The contact stated that he had to turn the vehicle on and off numerous times until he was able to move forward. The contact drove the vehicle to a dealer; however, the vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle had been at the dealer for over two months. The contact stated the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 8,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
Power train, Nov 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted, and an appointment was scheduled. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, she heard a loud noise under the hood of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 2,300. Parts distribution disconnect.
Power train, Oct 31, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle shuddered while driving at various speeds without warning. The contact stated that the vehicle independently stopped while exiting the highway without warning. The vehicle was initially taken to the dealer where they were unable to diagnose the failure; however, after a second diagnostic test, the dealer was able to duplicate the failure. The contact was then given an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000.