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, 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
Fuel system, Gasoline, Aug 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated, and the contact received an unknown notification through the Ford Mobile App. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact discovered that the high-pressure fuel pump was damaged. The contact replaced the high-pressure fuel pump and the cam shaft follower. The contact stated that two months after the repair, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the fuel injectors and the high-pressure fuel pump had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under warranty, and the contact was provided a diagnostic test fee. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall however, the year of the vehicle was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 63,000.
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.
Engine, Jul 29, 2025
2019 Ford escape titanium with 62000 miles.check engine light came on once and went off- took to dealer and was told the coolant was going into engine. Had an extended warranty to 75000 miles because of issue I had when car was brand new-brake release switch. Now I am told that warranty expired last year even though there is not 75000 on it yet. They are telling me I need a 8700 dollar new engine. I am [XXX] and this car is like new. Please help! I bought this brand new and only put about 10000 a year on it INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine, Jul 28, 2025
The vehicle's engine shutdown while driving on the highway, forcing me to pull to shoulder in traffic. We had it towed to Ford and were advised that the engine was blown due to coolant intrusion into the cylinders. We're told the engine is totaled and they quoted us almost $15,000 USD for the repairs. There is a know recall notice for this exact issue, however we were told it only covers up 85,000 miles and our vehicle has 94,000 miles. We had brought it to a Ford dealership for an oil change 6 months prior and they didn't say anything about it. The dealership/manufacturer refuses any accountability, and offered us $1,500 loyalty discount if we purchased a new Ford vehicle from them. The SUV was in like new condition prior the engine failure (ie. no damage).
Engine, Jul 24, 2025
the night prior to my car breaking down I Did notice the car began to lose horsepower to move just a little bit not to much to worry about than the check engine light did appear on dash that night. Code popped up for misfire in cylinder 1. SO changed the spark plugs and light went off , next day light was on and smoke began coming out of the tailpipe.
Engine, Jul 23, 2025
Coolant intrusion issue caused by a defect from Ford. They are refusing to fix the issue.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jul 21, 2025
Car has been experiencing the misfire in cylinder four. This is a known cause in the 1.5 L escapes. This is a 2.0 but it has the same issues not fair that they fixed 1.5 L and not the 2.0 causes a misfire due to coolant leaking into the cylinder burning coolant and then causing the motor to overheat. When that happens, you can be going on the highway and have an abrupt warning that causes the vehicle to drop to 20 mph without notice causing extreme safety concerns for just not the driver but anyone around especially on highways.
Engine, Jul 21, 2025
My Ford Escape was driving as usual, but as I was traveling on a down ramp in a left turning lane, the engine overheated abruptly and serious audible and visual alerts appeared on the screen. I was in heavy traffic and was forced to pull over quickly into the right turning lane. This could have easily caused an accident because all of a sudden, the Escape started stalling and would hardly move. It was terrifying, and I was barely able to maneuver it into a nearby parking lot. That night, it was towed to a Ford dealership that inspected it and now says that I need a new engine because the engine block is cracked.
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.
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 15 MPH, the vehicle started to overheat and lost motive power. A message stating that the vehicle was overheating was displayed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The temperature gauge increased to hot(H). The contact was able to pull to the side of the road and turned on the hazard lights. The local dealer was notified of the failure, and an appointment was scheduled for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 74,636.
Engine, Jul 16, 2025
The car had a rough idle (only for the first few minutes) for one day before the engine light came on. The car was taken to the dealership on the third day (less than 20mi of driving between the light coming on and the car being inspected). According to their scans, my 2.0L engine is experiencing water (coolant) intrusion into the clyinders (after only 5 years of service). The Ford technician said it is TSB 22-2229 (a known issue since 2019 TSB 19-2172). There are currently no NHTSA Customer Satisfaction Programs or recalls for this TSB, which is astonishing, as there is one for the 1.5L engine made in the same plant AND Ford completely redesigned the engine because they know it is so bad. The fix is to completely replace the engine ($10,000-$15,000). The danger is that the manufacturer knew there was risk of water intrusion, which can crack the block…this could leave the vehicle in a dangerous situation if driving at highway speeds or in heavy traffic.
Engine, Jul 16, 2025
Consumers claim the engines in their Ford vehicles overheat due to an internal coolant / antifreeze leak that allows coolant to enter into the cylinders of the engine. In many cases, the defect is alleged to have caused total engine failure and to require replacement of the engine block.
Engine, Jul 16, 2025
My engine had a coolant leak a few years ago (2021) and needed a complete engine replacement since the car would no longer run. Since it was under warranty then it was replaced. However, the engine once again has had a major issue with the engine bearing and needs another full replacement and will no longer run. Many people are struggling with needing to get full engine replacements on Ford Escapes. There are Ford retailers keeping stocks of Ford Escape engines in preparation for these engine replacements, but Ford has refused to offer any assistance for this known issue. Requiring a 2nd full engine replacement at the value of the car itself is absurd. I received a warning message on my car, but when I took it in to have the issue assessed - it was notified as a minor gas cap issue.
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 11, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (POWER TRAIN). The contact stated that while the vehicle was being repaired under recall, the contact was informed that there was coolant intrusion into the engine, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 98,837.