The integrated park module may fail to lock into the park position when the driver shifts into park. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
Risk: A loss of park function can allow the vehicle to rollaway, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: The Secondary On Board Diagnostic Module C (SOBDMC) software will be updated over-the-air (OTA) or by a dealer, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 16, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25C69. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 15, 2026. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 25V863.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Escape and Lincoln Corsair vehicles.
A manufacturing defect in one or more of the high voltage battery cells may result in an internal short circuit and battery failure.
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.
The fix and full notice
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.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2022-2026 Ford Escape and 2023-2026 Lincoln Corsair plug-in hybrid vehicles.
The seat belt retractors for the left and right rear passenger seats may not be securely fastened.
Risk: An improperly secured seat belt retractor may not restrain an occupant as intended, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Corsair and Escape vehicles.
NHTSA listing: ESCAPE. Ford campaign 25C68.
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 2026 Ford Escape.
What owners report
Owners have filed 4 complaints with NHTSA about the 2026 Escape. Below, they are sorted by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Electrical system2 · 50%
Engine2 · 50%
Brakes1 · 25%
Fuel and propulsion system1 · 25%
Visibility/wiper1 · 25%
Unknown or other1 · 25%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%.
Ford Escape recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2026 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).
Owner complaints
2026: 4 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
2026: 3 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 NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2026 Ford Escape earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2026 Ford Escape?
No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2026 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 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.