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: steering
16 reports, newest first. Show all
Steering, Electrical system, Jan 29, 2026
Electric power steering failed and the vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The power steering unit failed while driving down a curvy highway in Kenai Burrow, Alaska. I took the vehicle to the local Ford dealer and dropped said vehicle off. The service tech stated that the 2019 Ford escape was prone to having issues with the power steering unit. The vehicle is in the shop at this time. The warning lamp came on stating that there was a problem with the power steering unit that however, happened while we were driving down the highway. This was a life-threatening incident that it could’ve caused my wife and I and any oncoming traffic to parish in a car accident. The roads were snow covered and icy
Steering, Electrical system, Service brakes, Oct 20, 2025
My battery light has been on for about a week it will come off and on thos morning as I was pulling into work I notice the power steering wasn't working right!
Steering, Engine, Jul 19, 2025
After turning the car on, the car started to shake for a couple minutes, the engine light came on after a few minutes of the car doing that. Took it to get it scanned and the code given was P0302 and P0304. Took the car to a ford dealership and after almost a week it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the cylinders and needed it a new engine. Since the coolant was leaking it also damaged the power steering system due to rust and an electronic power steering gear was also needed since it was giving intermittent failure and was very hard to turn the car. Ford is not owning anything and it is clearly an engine poor design by ford. It is happening to thousands of owner that have that engine.
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.
Steering, Electrical system, Lane departure, Apr 22, 2025
Electric power steering failing at 35000 miles
Steering, Jan 23, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
Steering, Jan 2, 2025
Dashboard message "power steering assist failure - service required" appeared when vehicle was started. It worked fine the day before. We drove it to a local car repair place which advised they did not know what caused the problem and recommended we take it to Ford dealer. We drove it about 30 miles to the Ford dealer, with difficulty since there was no power steering. The dealer says it needs new steering gear (rack and pinion). The cost is about $3000.
Steering, Mar 25, 2024
After the steering wheel became SIGNIGICANTLY stiff and a warning light come on when trying to pull out of a parking space, I called a tow truck. The driver was able to turn on the Escape and we had no problems with steering. After I had a mechanic examine the vehicle, he said the issue is the electronic rack with the steering system. I did some research and Ford has been sued in the past for similar issues on this model, but not year. The estimated cost for repair is over $2000. I am told that with this particular steering system, a full replacement is required. I am also told that while it is drivable, the problem is unpredictable. It might be as simple as letting it sit (as it was in the parking lot) and restarting to as hard as the system giving out while driving and the wheel becoming so stiff to turn that it can put the driver and others at risk. From what I've read, others have experienced similar issues.
Steering, Service brakes, Engine, Aug 30, 2023
WHEN GOT THE ESCAPE I WAS IN TENNESSEE ORDERED IT FROM TEXAS. FORD SALES MAN BROUGHT IT TO ME, BUT I DIDNT GET TO TEST DRIVE. GOT THERE AT NIGHT SIGN PAPERS THEN THE NEXT MORNING(FIRST TIME DRIVING) WAS DRIVING AND WHEN I STOPPED AT THE RED LIGHT, THEN ACCELERATED IT STARTED SHAKING THEN IT STOPPED. STILL DOES TILL THIS DAY EITHER WHEN ITS A FULL STOP OR GOING LIKE 30 ,70. THEY DIDNT TELL ME IT WAS A REAR ENDED COLLISION CAR. AFTER A MONTH I SIGNED IN TO CARFAX FOUND OUT IT NEEDED A RECALL FOR TRANSMISSION SHIFTER CABLE BUSHING.CALLED FORD AND THEY SAID THEYLL CALL ME BACK ONCE THEY RECIEVED THE PART.NEVER CALLED ME BACK ,CALLED AGAIN AND SAID THEY STILL WAITING. MOVED TO TEXAS ABOUT 4 MONTHS AGO WENT HERE IN TEXAS.GOT IT REPLACED THOUGHT THAT WAS THE REASON IT SHAKES BUT APPERANTLY NOT. I WAS TOLD I HAVE GOLD CERTEFIED USED VEHICLE. WENT TO FOR ONE DAY AND WAS TOLD THAT ONLY THE BOLD PARTS NOTHING THAT WEARS OFF. WASNT REALLY HELPFUL. CAN YOU GUYS PLEASE LET ME KNOW. ITS BEEN A YEAR SINCE I GOT IT AND HAVENT BEEN ABLE TO DRIVE AS IS MY NEW CAR,BUT SHAKES MOST OF THE TIME.WHEN I TURN I HEAR A POP SOMETHING AROUND LEFT TIRE. AND ARE BREAKS ON ME. I BELIEVE ITS THE TRANSMISSION BECAUSE WHEN I PUT IN PARK OR SOMETHING ITS A HARSH CHANGE AND WHILE DRIVING IT FEELS LIKE IT STRUGGLES TO CHANGE GEAR. THANK YOU
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.
Steering, Jun 6, 2023
Steering. The steering would go out. Turning was very hard to do. Had the problem fixed at Ford deelership There was no warning to when this would happen. My car had under27,000 miles on it. This should not have happened with this few miles on my car.
Steering, Sep 7, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 Escape. The contact stated that soon after start of the vehicle, the power steering failed to operate as the "power steering assist, system malfunction" warning message appeared on the instrument panel. The contact's husband arrived at the scene of the failure and managed to drive the vehicle home. Two days later, her husband used excessive effort to drive the vehicle to the dealer where a diagnostic test determined that the rack and pinion had caused of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was given a case number. The vehicle had yet to be repaired and remained in the possession of the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 38,000.
Steering, Jan 13, 2022
It was power steering failure while in operation. The vehicle has been inspected by a mechanic, who cleared the error code, but the problem persists. It is an internal failure in the power steering. THE CONSUMER STATED THE POWER STEERING FAILED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS EING DRIVEN.. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BUT, DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE DUE TO THE VEHICLE BEING 5 DAYS OUT OF WARRANTY.
Steering, Jul 25, 2021
I was stopped at a traffic light and when I went to resume driving the steering froze and a steering assist warning light came on the dash. I turned the engine off and restarted the wheel turned and locked again. I then drove the car back to the dealer service(7/24/21). They said they would look at it on Monday7/26/21. Vehicle has 83,000 miles. Purchased new at Mullinax Ford New Smyrna Beach.
Steering, Power train, Engine, Jan 13, 2021
2019 FORD ESCAPE TITANIUM STEERING WHEEL SHAKES/VIBRATES HEAVY & MAKES A LOUD NOISE FROM CAR (ALMOST SOUNDS LIKE A BAD LOUD MUFFLER SOUND) AT SPEEDS OF 35 MPH & 45MPH WHEN THE GAS PEDDLE IS LEVELED AT SPEED AND ALSO DOES THE SAME WHEN GOING UP AN INCLINE AT THE SAME SPEEDS. ALSO TRANSMISSION SLIPS BETWEEN 1 & 2 GEARS INTERMITTENTLY. VERY BUMPY RIDE IN THE BACK WHEN GOING 70 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. THESE ISSUES HAPPEN WHEN ON LOCAL ROADS & HIGHWAY RAMPS. DEALER REPAIR HAS CHECKED SEVERAL TIMES. FIRST FEW TIMES THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE ISSUE. DECEMBER 29, 2020 FINALLY GOT THE ISSUE TO REPLICATE AND PUT A TICKET DIRECTLY INTO FORD. I CHECKED BACK ON 1/7/2021 SINCE I BARE THE HEARD FROM THE DEALER SERVICE REP. AT THAT TIME SHE STILL DIDN'T HAVE AN ANSWER TO A RESOLUTION TO FIX THE FAULT. I CALLED TODAY 1/13/2021 AND THE DEALER REPAIR SERVICE REP SAID IT WAS A CHARACTERISTIC OF THE MODEL BECAUSE THEY INFORMED FORD ON THE TICKET THEY TESTED ANOTHER 2019 ESCAPE WITH THE SAME ENGINE & TRANSMISSION AND IT HAD THE SAME FAULT. CAR WAS MANUFACTURED 3/2019. PLEASE NOTE I HAVE PURCHASED BRAND NEW FORD ESCAPES IN 2002, 2005, 2009, 2017 & 2019. I KNOW HOW THE ENGINE & TRANSMISSION OF A FORD ESCAPE SHOULD PREFORM. I STILL HAVE MY 2009 ESCAPE AND IT PREFORMS BETTER THEN THIS 2019...COMPARABLE ENGINES & TRIM PACKAGE. THE FAULTS THIS 2019 IS HAVING ARE NOT CHARACTERISTICS OF A CAR THEY ARE CLEARLY ISSUES WHERE PARTS NEED TO BE REPLACED OR REPAIRED TO OPERATE PROPERLY. FORD NEEDS TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND FIND WHAT IS CAUSING THE ISSUE AND REPAIR IT CORRECTLY.
Steering, Electrical system, Apr 23, 2019
I BOUGHT THE CAR MARCH 20TH BRAND NEW. ON APRIL 14TH I WAS DRIVING IT HOME AND THE ENGINE STOPPED WORKING. ALL WARNING LIGHTS WERE FLASHING AND THE CAR JUST STOPPED WORKING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. I COULD NOT GET IT STARTED AND WHEN I FINALLY DID IT WOULDN'T MOVE AND I COULD NOT SHUT IT OFF. THIS WENT ON FOR 2 AND A HALF HOURS. I FINALLY GOT IT HOME (DRIVEN BY MY HUSBAND) AND THE NEXT MORNING (MONDAY) WE GOT IT TOWED TO FORD DEALER. THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY DEAD MONDAY AND WAS NOT ABLE TO BE DRIVEN ONTO THE FLATBED TRUCK. WE PUT IN A CLAIM TO FORD HEADQUARTERS AND APRIL 22ND FORD INFORMED ME THEY WOULD NOT BUY BACK OR REFUND ME THE MONEY FOR THE CAR. I HAD THE CAR LESS THAN 30 DAYS. WE WERE NOT GIVEN A REASON FOR THIS MECHANICAL FAILURE. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT INFORMED US ON FRIDAY (APRIL 19TH) THAT THEY TOUCHED A FUSE BOX" AND NOW IT IS WORKING. I FEEL THIS IS A VERY UNSAFE CAR FOR ME TO DRIVE. I WAS ON A CITY STREET DRIVING THE CAR WHEN IT STOPPED SUDDENLY AND LOST ALL POWER. I WAS IN MOTION.