NHTSA lists 13 safety recalls and 140 owner complaints for the 2023 Ford Escape (including the hybrid).
Recalled components: electrical system, engine, fuel system, backover prevention and rearview camera, and 2 more. Most-described problem: loss of power or limp mode (16 complaints, 11%). Most-reported area: electrical system (62 complaints, 44%; median mileage when it happened: 13,800).
One of the best Escape years by owner complaints
The 2023 drew 86 owner complaints in its first three years, against 165 for a typical Escape year since 2016. No open NHTSA investigation names it, and it has no recall telling owners not to drive or to park outside.
Years to avoid: 2011 and 2013; best years: 2018, 2019, and 2023. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.
Data: NHTSA recall, complaint and investigation filesUpdated
Year to avoidBest year
Includes the Escape Hybrid and the Escape Plug-in Hybrid.
13 safety recalls for the 2023 Ford Escape
Grouped by the part recalled, largest group first, newest first within each part. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for what is wrong, the fix and the full notice.
Risk: Battery failure can cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash. Battery failure can also increase the risk of a fire.
What's wrong, the fix and the full notice
A manufacturing defect in one or more of the high voltage battery cells may result in an internal short circuit and battery failure.
Fix: Dealers will update the battery energy control module (BECM) and hybrid powertrain control module (HPCM) software, free of charge. Owners are advised to only use "Auto EV" mode and will be instructed by mail to limit the maximum charge of the battery until the remedy has been completed. Owner notification letters were mailed September 4, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SC4. This recall expands previous recall numbers 24V954 and 25V489. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on February 18, 2026.
25,237 vehicles.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2022-2026 Ford Escape and 2023-2026 Lincoln Corsair plug-in hybrid vehicles.
Risk: Battery failure can cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash. Battery failure can also increase the risk of a fire.
What's wrong, the fix and the full notice
A manufacturing defect in one or more of the high voltage battery cells may result in an internal short circuit and battery failure.
Fix: Dealers will update the battery energy control module (BECM) and hybrid powertrain control module (HPCM), free of charge. Owners are advised to only use "Auto EV" mode and will be instructed by mail to limit the maximum charge of the battery until the remedy has been completed. Owner notification letters were mailed September 4, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SC4. Vehicles in this recall were previously recalled under 24V954 and will need to have the new remedy performed. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on November 18, 2025.
20,558 vehicles.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2024 Ford Escape and 2021-2024 Lincoln Corsair plug-in hybrid vehicles.
Risk: An overheated engine block heater can increase the risk of a fire.
What's wrong, the fix and the full notice
The engine block heater may overheat when the vehicle is parked with the block heater plugged in.
Fix: 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 were mailed June 9, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S52.
6,781 vehicles.
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.
Risk: Battery failure can cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash. Battery failure can also increase the risk of a fire.
What's wrong, the fix and the full notice
A manufacturing defect in one or more of the high voltage battery cells may result in an internal short circuit and battery failure.
Fix: Owners are advised not to charge battery till the remedy has been completed. Dealers will perform a battery energy control module (BECM) software update, and replace the high voltage battery pack, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 30, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S79.
20,484 vehicles.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2024 Ford Escape, and 2021-2024 Lincoln Corsair vehicles.
Risk: An inoperable instrument panel cannot show critical safety information, such as the speedometer or warning lights, which may increase the risk of a crash.
What's wrong, the fix and the full notice
The module may have been improperly soldered, preventing the instrument panel from illuminating. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 101, "Control and Displays."
Fix: Dealers will replace the module or instrument panel as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on November 4, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23C25.
Fails federal standard 101 (controls and displays) · 38,695 vehicles.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2023 Escape, Super Duty F-250, Super Duty F-350, Super Duty F-450, and Super Duty F-550 vehicles equipped with a digital instrument panel cluster.
Risk: 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.
What's wrong, the fix and the full notice
The cylinder head may have been improperly manufactured, which can cause the ball plugs to fail, resulting in an oil leak.
Fix: 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.
404 vehicles.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Escape, and 2025 Bronco Sport vehicles.
Risk: An engine compartment fire increases the risk of injury.
What's wrong, the fix and the full notice
In the event of an engine failure, engine oil and fuel vapor may be released into the engine compartment and accumulate near ignition sources such as hot engine or exhaust components, possibly resulting in an engine compartment fire.
Fix: Owners are advised to park and shut off the engine as quickly as possible if they hear unexpected engine noises, notice a reduction in vehicle power, or see smoke. Dealers will update the powertrain control module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 27, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S54.
1,809 vehicles.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Escape, 2021-2023 Corsair, and 2022-2023 Maverick vehicles equipped with 2.5L HEV or PHEV engines that were repaired incorrectly under recall 23V380.
Risk: An engine compartment fire increases the risk of injury.
What's wrong, the fix and the full notice
In the event of an engine failure, engine oil and fuel vapor may be released into the engine compartment and accumulate near ignition sources such as hot engine or exhaust components, possibly resulting in an engine compartment fire.
Fix: Owners are advised to park and shut off the engine as quickly as possible if they hear unexpected engine noises, notice a reduction in vehicle power, or see smoke. Dealers will replace the engine long-block in 2023 Escape and Corsair vehicles. For the other vehicles, dealers will update the powertrain control module software. If a connecting rod bearing failure is detected, dealers will replace the engine long-block. All inspections and repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on June 14, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23S27. This recall expands and replaces recall number 22V-484. Vehicles previously repaired under 22V-484 will need to have the new remedy completed.
125,322 vehicles.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Escape, 2022-2023 Maverick, and 2021-2023 Corsair vehicles equipped with 2.5L HEV or PHEV engines.
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
What's wrong, the fix and the full notice
The fuel injectors may have been assembled without O-ring support discs, which can result in a fuel leak.
Fix: Dealers will install new fuel injector O-rings and O-ring support discs, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on October 7, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S54.
24 vehicles.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2023 Lincoln Corsair, 2023-2024 Escape, 2024 Mustang, and 2025 Explorer vehicles.
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components, can increase the risk of a fire.
What's wrong, the fix and the full notice
A fuel injector may crack and leak fuel inside the engine compartment.
Fix: Dealers will update the engine control software to include fuel injector leak detection and install a drain tube, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed January 9, 2023. Remedy parts are expected to be available in 1st Quarter of 2023. Owner notification letters were mailed February 28, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S73. This recall includes all vehicles previously recalled under 22V-191. Vehicles previously remedied under 22V-191 will need to have the new remedy performed.
521,746 vehicles.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Escape and 2021-2023 Bronco Sport vehicles equipped with 1.5L engines.
Risk: A frozen or missing rearview camera image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
What's wrong, the fix and the full notice
A software error may cause the rearview camera image to delay, freeze, or not display when the vehicle is in reverse.
Fix: The accessory protocol interface module (APIM) software will be updated by a dealer or through an over-the-air update, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model and model years. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on June 26, 2025. Additional letters will be mailed once the final remedy is available on each phase. Owner notification letters were sent on October 8, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S49.
1,076,138 vehicles.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Bronco, F-150,2021-2024 Edge, 2022-2025 Escape, F-250,F-350,F-450,F-550,F-600,2022-2024 Expedition, 2022-2025 Transit, 2021-2023Mach-E, 2024 Ranger, Mustang, 2021-2023 Lincoln Nautilus, 2022-2024 Navigator, and 2023-2024 Corsair vehicles.
Risk: Without a label that shows the proper restraint usage guidelines, the occupants may have an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.
What's wrong, the fix and the full notice
The air bag warning label may be missing from the dashboard. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirement Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Fix: Ford will mail owners the warning labels, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 19, 2024. Owners may call Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24C39.
Fails federal standard 208 (occupant crash protection) · 27,678 vehicles.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2025 Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, 2020-2024 Escape, Lincoln Corsair, 2018-2024F-150, Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles.
Risk: Misalignment of the radar module can result in the Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) misclassifying an overhead object as an object in the vehicle's path, causing the vehicle to unexpectedly slow and/or stop. Other safety systems that depend on the radar model (Pre-Collision Assist, Forward Collision Warning, and Auto Emergency Braking) could have diminished or lost function. These conditions increase the risk of a crash.
What's wrong, the fix and the full notice
The cruise control radar module was misaligned during production.
Fix: Dealers will adjust the angle of the radar module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 3, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S39.
209 vehicles.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Escape two-wheel drive vehicles equipped with adaptive cruise control.
NHTSA listing: ESCAPE. Ford campaign 24S39.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA investigations
NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2023 Ford Escape.
What owners report
Owners have filed 140 complaints with NHTSA about the 2023 Escape. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Most named: 12v/24v/48v battery (3) · Median 13,800 miles at failure, from 16 reports with mileage
Engine33 · 24%
Powertrain26 · 19%
Forward collision avoidance16 · 11%
Most named: adaptive cruise control (7); warnings (3)
Lane departure systems9 · 6%
Most named: assist (4); blind spot detection (4)
Fuel and propulsion system8 · 6%
Speed control8 · 6%
Unknown or other18 · 13%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.
Ford Escape recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2023 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2011 Escape drew the most (451) and the 2023 drew 86.
Owner complaints
2023: 140 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Ford Escape
Model year
Complaints
2010
2,130
2011
1,357
2012
619
2013
2,758
2014
2,091
2015
1,148
2016
1,193
2017
2,710
2018
1,833
2019
604
2020
1,912
2021
502
2022
388
2023
140
2024
90
2025
31
2026
4
Safety recalls
2023: 13 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Ford Escape
Model year
Recalls
2010
3
2011
2
2012
1
2013
18
2014
16
2015
9
2016
4
2017
4
2018
4
2019
3
2020
25
2021
21
2022
21
2023
13
2024
10
2025
10
2026
3
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
In the 140 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2023 Ford Escape, the problems described most are loss of power or limp mode (16), overheating or coolant loss (12), and the check engine light coming on (11). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is the 2023 Ford Escape safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2023 Ford Escape earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2023 Ford Escape?
No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2023 Ford Escape.
How do I check if my Escape has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Ford dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Nov 12, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Nov 11, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026. Defect petitions, which ask NHTSA to open an investigation, are listed apart and only while open. Audit queries, which check whether a company met its recall and reporting duties rather than whether a vehicle has a problem, are not listed.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: ESCAPE, ESCAPE HYBRID, ESCAPE PHEV.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.