VehicleVerdict

2020 Ford Escape Hybrid transmission problems

The 2020 Ford Escape Hybrid has 29 transmission complaints filed with NHTSA — 8% of the year's total, and up sharply from the prior model year.

29

Transmission complaints

8%

Share of year

0

Crash-involved

1

Related recalls

Transmission complaints by year

Escape Hybrid transmission complaints by model year43 complaints2005: 8 complaints2006: 18 complaints2007: 13 complaints2008: 43 complaints2009: 15 complaints2010: 5 complaints2011: 5 complaints2012: 1 complaints2013: 1 complaints2020: 29 complaints2021: 11 complaints2022: 3 complaints2023: 1 complaints
Escape Hybrid transmission complaints by model year. Red bars are years to avoid.

Related recalls

25V881000TransmissionDecember 18, 2025 · 87 units

Defect

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2022-2024 Maverick Hybrid and 2020 Escape Hybrid vehicles. The Hybrid Powertrain Control Module (HPCM) software may cause the vehicle to shift into neutral unexpectedly, causing a loss of drive power.

Consequence

A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will update the HPCM software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 12, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S33. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning January 15, 2026. This is an expansion of Recalls 24V330 (24S33) and 25V133 (25S16).

What owners report

“We were traveling to Springfield MO and just before Strafford our 2020 Ford Escape Hybrid SE flashed a wrench warning on our screen and immediately went into limp mode in rush hour traffic on I-44. We were in the passing lane going up a hill at the time passing a commercial truck and our speed…”

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Transmission · August 26, 2024

Common questions

How many transmission complaints does the 2020 Ford Escape Hybrid have?

NHTSA has 29 complaints about the 2020 Ford Escape Hybrid transmission — 8% of all complaints filed for that model year.

Are there recalls for the 2020 Ford Escape Hybrid transmission?

Yes — 1 NHTSA recall campaign for this model year is tied to the transmission: 25V881000.

Related

Based on NHTSA ODI data through June 2026. Complaints are consumer-reported and unverified. Updated July 5, 2026.

Compiled by Sharon Ben-Moshe, Founder.