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
588 reports, newest first.
Engine, Jan 15, 2026
I have a coolant intrusion in my 2019 Ford Escape. It idles roughly, there’s thick sweet smelling white smoke coming from the exhaust and when we refilled the coolant to max and started it once, the coolant level was immediately at the minimum. We have not turned it on or driven it since we found this out. There is a customer satisfaction program for 2019 Ford Escapes for Powertrain Control Module reprogramming (Campaign 19B37) that then makes the vehicle eligible for a one time repair under campaign 21N12. This campaign fixes exactly what is wrong with my vehicle. It applies to vehicles built in Louisville until April 2019. My vehicle was built in Louisville in May 2019. The dealership told me to call Ford Customer Relations/Recall Team to explain the situation and get a goodwill repair since my vehicle is having the exact same issues as the vehicles built at the same plant the month before. The recall team refused to provide me with a goodwill repair and also refused to give me information on when or if at all my case will be reviewed by the appropriate team. I asked to be able to contact the team handling my review by phone. They said I could only communicate with them by physical mail. This is unacceptable and I believe that Ford caused an unsafe situation for countless drivers for years by not including 2019 Ford Escapes built in Louisville in May 2019 in their customer satisfaction program and are still refusing to do so.
Engine, Jan 14, 2026
I am submitting this complaint to formally document a known engine defect affecting my 2019 Ford Escape prior to initiating direct contact with Ford Motor Company. My vehicle has recently been diagnosed with a cracked engine block, a defect that is well documented for this model and engine type. I understand that Ford has acknowledged this issue and established a repair or replacement program; however, I have been informed that eligibility is limited to vehicles manufactured on or before April 2019. My vehicle’s manufacture date reportedly falls just one day after this cutoff. Given the nature of this defect, specifically that it is a manufacturing flaw in the engine block material itself. The one-day exclusion appears arbitrary and unrelated to the actual failure mechanism. The failure occurred under normal use, and there was no warning or misuse that would account for the damage. This strongly suggests the issue is consistent with the known defect affecting other vehicles within the same production period. I am requesting that this complaint be officially logged to document the defect, the timing discrepancy, and the resulting financial and safety concerns. My intent is to ensure there is a formal record of this issue before I proceed with further action or correspondence with Ford Motor Company. Please confirm receipt of this complaint and advise if any additional documentation is required.
Power train, Jan 13, 2026
My first incident with my 2019 Ford Escape happened when I had my [XXX] in the vehicle with me at a stop sign In November of 2024. As I proceeded to enter the intersection, the vehicle would not accelerate. I was able to reverse enough to get out of the intersection, but was still on the roadway, which is a safety hazard. While I waited for help, I was having to direct traffic around my vehicle, another safety hazard. The vehicle would not drive at all. The milage at the time of failure was approx. 112,000 miles. I was later informed the vehicle's transmission needed to be replaced and that they had found metal shavings in the transmission fluid. The Ford dealership stated my vehicle was financed used and there was no warranty on it. The dealership also informed me there was no recalls on my vehicle. I spent approx. $4,600 to have this repaired by a local mechanic shop. Now, a year later, I had pulled over to let a funeral procession pass and once I began to accelerate, my vehicle began to stall. I was able to drive it to a gas station that was nearby where I was unable to drive it any further. My 3 children were in the vehicle with me. I took it to the same mechanic shop that had initially repaired it to inquire about a warranty on the transmission. I was informed the warranty was through a third party and they would not fix it, claiming I had gone 500 miles past what warranty covered ( 1 year or 12,000 miles). They diagnosed it and confirmed the transmission had to be replaced. I have been told it would cost me approximately $3,500 (plus labor) to repair again with another year/12,000 mile warranty. I took the Escape to the Ford dealership to have them diagnose it and was informed the the transmission needed to be replaced, and they would do it for $8,500. I have read about plenty of 2019 Ford Escape Recalls on the transmission and this is definitely a safety issue. I'm over being stranded on the roadway with my kids... thankfully I wasn't on the interstate. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Power train, Jan 3, 2026
The transmission in the vehicle needs replaced. There have been recalls on 2019 ford escapes for the same issue that this vehicle is having.
Engine, Jan 2, 2026
Coolant intrusion into the engine potentially causing engine failure. A cracked cylinder head was allowing coolant to leak into one of the 4 cylinders.
Engine, Dec 28, 2025
I went to get my spark plugs changed as maintenance on my vehicle. The plugs on both the second and third cylinder were very tight and breaking with residue all over the plugs. The shop I took my car to had to send it to another shop in order to get the plugs put back into the engine. Since then it sounds like a blown muffler whenever I start my car and I have a check engine light with a third cylinder misfire. I have also been having white smoke whenever I start my car with a cool engine. I tried seeing about getting the car fixed but mechanics don’t want to touch my car because they said it will not fix the issue because this is a manufacturer defect caused by coolant intrusion. Now I have to sell my car and. I am under because I still owe 6340.95 on my Loan. The most I can get for it is $3300 through Carvana. The car has less 96,092 miles.
Engine, Dec 26, 2025
The engine recall was warrenteed up to 80,000 miles. l bought the vehicle with 75,000 miles. Sure enough l had the defective engine and it blew out at 113,000 miles. l ended up getting a personal loan as the engine was $10,000. I'm upset because Ford can set what ever mileage they want to establish a warranty expiration period. Hope you can help
Power train, Back over prevention, Dec 26, 2025
Coolant intrusion into Cylinders 2 and 3.
Engine, Dec 22, 2025
engine misfire, white smoke, loss of power while driving. Due to Coolant intrusion which could lead to dangerous situations, such as an unexpected stall in traffic or an engine compartment fire. Ford had offered a campaign thro' CSP 21N12 program but for a short time in 2022 which excluded many vehicles for people whose did have issues at that time.
Exterior lighting, Dec 22, 2025
To Whom It May Concern, I am submitting this complaint to report a design defect affecting serviceability and safety on my 2019 Ford Escape. On this vehicle, replacement of a standard headlight bulb requires removal of the fender assembly in order to access the headlight housing. This design transforms a routine, safety-critical maintenance item into an excessively complex and costly repair. I have had to replace a headlight twice within the past two years. The most recent replacement cost approximately $800, with the majority of the cost attributable to labor required solely because of the vehicle’s design, not due to damage or abnormal conditions. The headlight bulb itself represents only a small portion of the total cost. Headlights are a required safety component that must be replaced periodically. A design that makes replacement prohibitively expensive discourages timely maintenance and may result in vehicles being operated with failed lighting, creating a potential safety risk. I believe this represents a failure to design for serviceability and places an unreasonable maintenance burden on consumers for a basic safety function. I respectfully request that NHTSA review this design as a potential defect. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Engine, Dec 16, 2025, crash
he freeway I notified future ford of concord and I was told I would receive a call back but as I recall I didn’t receive a call back. The car started acting as if nothing was wrong about a week or so later then two days ago December 13,2025 first my head lights went out and a message saying there’s a bulb outage or electrical issue appeared and also the hill assist unavailable warning light appeared , following the 911 calling assistance is unavailable as well, and I also noticed my radio is no longer producing sound so I believe the engine ( block , head gasket etc) component also electrical system, sync 3 system has also failed or malfunctioned. During the second occurrence I was driving as I was before which led to The safety of my children, my husband and myself put at risk being it was night time and I could no longer see the road the car acted as if it was turning off and slowing down.. yes there was warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem during the failures, and they first appeared at the exact time of the failures . Also below are photos captured from the ford vehicle app alerting me about issues for the car
Engine, Dec 10, 2025
I am reporting a safety-related engine defect on my 2019 Ford Escape (2.0L EcoBoost). On September 23, 2025, at 72,233 miles, the engine failed due to coolant leaking into the combustion chamber (cylinder #3). Ford’s own dealer confirmed coolant intrusion and referenced Ford TSB 22-2239. This issue is associated with known EcoBoost coolant-intrusion failures documented in multiple Ford bulletins and class-action suits. The engine failure required a complete long-block replacement costing $8,644.38. Ford denied assistance despite the failure occurring within the extended 7-year/84,000-mile coverage window under Customer Satisfaction Program 21N12. Coolant intrusion can cause sudden engine failure, stalling, loss of power, or inability to accelerate, creating a hazardous driving condition. I request NHTSA review this defect as part of the widespread EcoBoost coolant-intrusion problem. Owner: [XXX] , [XXX] . VIN: [XXX] . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Power train, Engine, Nov 28, 2025
Ford has an issue where the coolant leaks into the cylinder blocks ruining the engine. Also, cause for low coolant which could catch the engine on fire.
Suspension, Nov 26, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. While the contact’s daughter was driving 65 MPH, the driver's side rear control arm fractured and detached. The contact stated that the failure occurred when the vehicle drove over a mild bump on the road, causing the entire driver's side rear wheel to detach from the vehicle. In addition, the contact stated that his 1-year-old grandchild was an occupant of the vehicle and was seated in the rear seat when the failure occurred. The contact stated that the daughter was able to safely drive the vehicle to a nearby Midas, where the technician stated that they did not know how the contact's daughter was able to drive the vehicle in the defective condition. The technician informed the contact that when the vehicle arrived at the shop, the driver's side rear wheel was dangling and flopping, and the rear of the vehicle was fishtailing. The contact was informed that the driver's side rear control arm had fractured in half and detached from the vehicle. The contact was informed that the driver's side rear control arm needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. In addition, the contact was given the detached rear driver's control arm. The contact stated that the driver's rear control arm had a crack, which indicated a previous failure. The contact stated that the failure could have caused injuries and needed to be addressed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 54,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Engine and engine cooling, Nov 26, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that shortly after starting the vehicle, the message "Engine Overheating" was displayed. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle had experienced cylinder misfires and premature low coolant levels. The local dealer was notified of the failure, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 133,000.
Power train, Nov 24, 2025
Engine failure due to coolant leaking into engine block. Known issue from design flaw.
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Engine, Nov 24, 2025
Car operated fine until it suddenly started running rough, then lost power/accelleration while driving down a busy state highway. Ford Dealership found what the service manager called "catastropic engine failure, caused by coolant instrusion." He showed us the whole process of coolant corruption of our Ford Escape's engine -- and the engineering flaw that caused the intrusion. Service manager explained that our 2019 Ford Escape model was "the Problem Child of Ford Motor Company." The loss put our daughter, alone, stranded on the side of a 55 mph 2-lane highway in a car with only 57,000 miles. It put other highway drivers at risk as well. We had no warning that something was wrong with the car. The check engine light came on AT the time of the incident. That is, when the car started feeling rough and wouldn't accellerate, the check engine light came on Car and mechanics who repaired it are all available upon request. Also please see attached repair invoice from Richardson Ford.
Engine, Nov 9, 2025
COOLANT WATER INTRUSION INTO THE CYLINDER BLOCK. COOLANT INTRUSION DUE TO MANUFACTURE DEFAULT. LONG BLOCK NECESSARY TO COMPLETE REPAIR. REPAIR IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED. OBD WARNING CODE P303 SUGGESTED CYLINDER 3 MISFIRE. COOLANT LEVEL WAS NOTED TO BE LOW. VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP PROMPLY. AFTER DEALER INSPECTION COOLANT WATER INTRUSION WAS FOUND. IF THIS PROBLEM WAS NOT DIAGNOSED EARLY IT COULD'VE CAUSED ENGINE FAILURE WHILE DRIVING.
Engine, Nov 6, 2025, crash
I have Engine coolant intrusion into the the cylinder heads. White smoke during start up and loss of engine coolant. Also is stuttering during start up with check engine lights..
Engine, Nov 3, 2025
On returning from vacation, the check engine light came on. Pulled vehicle into auto parts store for a computer diagnosis's, computer said spark plug issue. Took the vehicle next day to my technician for diagnosis's and repair. The mechanic had difficulty removing the Number two(2) spark plug. After using light and scope to examine the interior of the number two(2) cylinder,traces of coolant was found inside to cylinder. The mechanic researched it online and said there was a problem with the 2000 teen model Ford Escapes with a crack in the engine block. I took the car three weeks later to the Ford dealership where the vehicle was purchased from because the SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT NOW came on. I was told there was nothing they could do and I was asked to leave. One of the other personnel that worked at the dealership overheard our conversation and stepped in and told his coworker that even though we were over on the recall mileage for this issue we were still inside of the seven year window for the recall. I was given the Ford Customer Service toll free number to report this issue, and was told not to tell anyone where or how I got that number and would you be so nice and leave and take the vehicle with you.
Engine, Oct 29, 2025
2019 Ford Escape 1.5L EcoBoost. 74,000 miles. Check engine light came on out of nowhere. Had auto shop read the code and it was a misfire of cylinder 3 and needed ignition coil and spark plug replaced. A few days later the message "High Engine Temperature, Stop Safely" came on and the engine temperature shot up to High. Pulled over and let it cool down. Started driving it again and it shot back up to High again. Took the car to a mechanic who did a compression test and said that the coolant ran green which meant the coolant is infiltrating the cylinders. Per another mechanic this is a known problem with 2019 Ford Escapes that the engine is a open deck block that allows the cylinders to move and be unstable. Ford knows this problem but never put a recall out!
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating, prompting the contact to discontinue driving the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who determined that there was coolant intrusion into several cylinders, resulting in damages to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 66,700.
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!
Electrical system, Engine, Oct 11, 2025
Our BCM stopped working the first sign was both of our head lights randomly would not turn on. This was confirmed by two other mechanics and the ford service center had to replace the entire thing. The second part the fail was part of the engine. Something happened where we were told coolant was in our cylinder number 3 and they want to replace the entire engine with no symptoms other then low coolant levels because they stated it is a risk of fire.
Power train, Engine, Oct 10, 2025
Took my 2019 Ford Escape in for oil change and tune up. Couple days after tune up check engine light came on (cylinder 3 misfire) and vehicle overheated. Got vehicle back to local repair shop and discovered coolant intrusion in cylinder 3. Overheating of engine left me stranded in traffic, as there was no shoulder, only a guard rail on side of the road. Could have easily been rear ended. Luckily about to minutes later, the police arrived behind me and waited with lights on until tow truck arrived. Engine code P0303. Ford has issued a TSB (22-2322), so they are aware of the problems with the 1.5L EcoBoost engine. My Escapehas all the symptoms listed on the TSB and build date is within the manufacture dates shown on the TSB