VehicleVerdict

2025 Ford Escape problems

Verdict · NHTSA data

Worth extra scrutiny

The 2025 Ford Escape is a recall-heavy year with an otherwise ordinary complaint record: 9 NHTSA recall campaigns apply, yet its 32 owner complaints run below the Escape median. The recalls matter more than the complaint count here — verify every campaign was completed before buying.

Engine leads the complaint categories with 8 reports (25% of the total).

32

NHTSA complaints

9

Recalls

0

Investigations

0

Crash-involved

0

Fires reported

0

Injuries

0

Deaths

NCAP overall

How does 2025 compare to other Escape years?

See all Escape years to avoid →

What are the most common 2025 Ford Escape problems?

ComponentComplaintsShare
Engine825%
Electrical System619%
Other413%
Transmission39%
Speed Control26%
Fuel System26%
Driver Assistance26%
Visibility & Wipers13%
Brakes13%
Steering13%
Body & Structure13%
Airbags13%

Does the 2025 Ford Escape have recalls?

9 NHTSA recall campaigns on file. Recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.

26V122000EngineMarch 3, 2026 · 47,804 units

Defect

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Ranger, Lincoln Nautilus, Mustang, Maverick, Explorer, Escape, Lincoln Corsair, Bronco Sport, and Bronco vehicles. The exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve may fail, resulting in an unexpected loss of drive power.

Consequence

An unexpected loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the EGR valves, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed March 20, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated in September 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S10. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on March 4, 2026.

25V862000Seat BeltsDecember 12, 2025 · 780 units

Defect

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Corsair and Escape vehicles. The seat belt retractors for the left and right rear passenger seats may not be securely fastened.

Consequence

An improperly secured seat belt retractor may not restrain an occupant as intended, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will inspect and secure, or replace the seat belt retractor bolts, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 26, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25C68. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on December 15, 2025.

25V829000Body & StructureDecember 1, 2025 · 108,762 units

Defect

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Escape and 2025 Escape vehicles. The liftgate hinge covers may not be properly secured and detach from the vehicle.

Consequence

A detached liftgate hinge cover can create a distraction or a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will inspect and reinstall, or replace any missing liftgate hinge covers as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 3, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SD6. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on December 3, 2025.

25V787000Electrical SystemNovember 14, 2025 · 2 units

Defect

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Maverick and Escape vehicles. The cover for the electric brake booster's ECU may cause the printed circuit board to overheat and result in a loss of vehicle stability control systems (anti-lock braking, electronic stability control, and traction control) or a loss of brake power assist.

Consequence

Loss of vehicle stability control or brake power assist can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the electric brake booster, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on November 28, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SC6. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on November 17, 2025.

25V372000EngineJune 3, 2025 · 404 units

Defect

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Escape, and 2025 Bronco Sport vehicles. The cylinder head may have been improperly manufactured, which can cause the ball plugs to fail, resulting in an oil leak.

Consequence

An oil leak can result in loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, an oil leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components, can increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the cylinder head assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 8, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S61.

25V343000Electrical SystemMay 23, 2025 · 6,781 units

Defect

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Lincoln Nautilus, 2023-2025 Escape, 2023 Lincoln Corsair, 2025 Lincoln Corsair, Maverick, and Bronco Sport vehicles equipped with a 1.5L or 2.0L MPC engine and an engine block heater. The engine block heater may overheat when the vehicle is parked with the block heater plugged in.

Consequence

An overheated engine block heater can increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the block heater element and inspect the electrical cord, replacing it if necessary, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded blanking plug coupled, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed June 9, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S52.

25V161000Driver AssistanceMarch 14, 2025 · 4,721 units

Defect

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Escape vehicles. The rearview camera may incorrectly display an inverted image when the vehicle is in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."

Consequence

An inverted rearview camera image will not accurately display what is behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.

Remedy

Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25C08.

25V049000Electrical SystemJanuary 31, 2025 · 298 units

Defect

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Bronco Sport, Escape, and Lincoln Corsair vehicles. The Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC) may not illuminate at startup or while driving. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 101, "Control and Displays" and 102, "Transmission shift lever sequence, starter interlock, and transmission braking effect" as well as FMVSS numbers 126, 108, 135, 138, 208, and 305.

Consequence

An instrument panel display that fails to show critical safety information, such as the speedometer or warning lights, increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the instrument panel cluster, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 17, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25C02.

24V850000Electrical SystemNovember 8, 2024 · 15 units

Defect

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Escape vehicles. The passenger side instrument panel cover may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can cause the air bag not to deploy as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Consequence

During air bag deployment, the air bag cover may break and project fragments into the vehicle, or the air bag may deploy improperly, increasing the risk of occupant injury.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the passenger side instrument panel cover, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on February 18, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24C38.

Consumer complaints filed with NHTSA

Representative excerpts, cleaned of personal information. These are consumer statements, not verified defects.

Car experienced intermittent check-engine light accompanied by "lugging" and inability to accelerate quickly, especially when driving uphill. I felt this was safety related because highway driving in heavy traffic often calls for the ability to accelerate suddenly to merge or to avoid other cars.…

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Engine · August 30, 2025

The contact owns a 2025 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V091000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The…

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Electrical System · February 19, 2026

2025 Escape Safety Recalls* Instrument panel replacement Recall incomplete Replace instrument panel cluster Recall incomplete 2025 escape - inverted camera image Recall incomplete Block heater element replacement Recall incomplete Cylinder head replacement Recall incomplete Cylinder head…

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Other · August 8, 2025

1. Passenger airbag fails to activate randomly. Passenger airbag light shows "off" with a passenger in the seat. Sometimes it works but often stays off for a whole day. 2. Transmission shifts gears by itself. Drive to neutral, Reverse to park. A software update changed the behavior but did not…

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Transmission · January 23, 2026

Electrical/Motor~ Yes, Myself, [XXX] daughter and others safety is at risk from stalling in a busy intersection. yes, its happened multiple times. The dealerships says its not throwing a code and have nothing to go off of. No, the manufacturer hasnt checked it. the RPM went up and down. No other…

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Fuel System · February 17, 2026

2025 Ford Escape — common questions

Is the 2025 Ford Escape reliable?

Its record is better than the model's norm: 32 NHTSA complaints, below the typical Escape year, with 9 recalls and no open investigations.

What are the most common 2025 Escape problems?

According to NHTSA complaint data, the leading problem areas are engine (8 complaints), electrical system (6 complaints), other (4 complaints).

Does the 2025 Ford Escape have recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 9 recall campaigns affecting the 2025 Ford Escape. Recall repairs are free at franchised dealers; check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to confirm the work was done.

Which Ford Escape years should you avoid?

Based on complaint rates and open investigations, the Escape years to avoid are 2013, 2017, 2010, 2014, 2008, 2009, 2018, 2005, 2020, 2021. The cleanest record among Escape years belongs to 2000.

Related

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