Subject: Formal Complaint – Recall 23B56 & 23S27 + Rental Car Reimbursement Demand – McCombs Ford (7111 NW Loop 410) To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to file a formal complaint regarding the unacceptable service I experienced at McCombs Ford West, located at 7111 NW Loop 410, San Antonio, TX, concerning two open safety recalls on my 2021 Ford Escape, VIN: [XXX] and to formally request reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses caused directly by the dealership's failure to prepare for my scheduled appointment. I scheduled a service appointment in February 2026 to address two outstanding safety recalls: •Recall 23B56 – Inspect front door check-arm reinforcement spot welds •Recall 23S27 – Underhood fire risk After waiting nearly five months, I was given an appointment on July 7, 2026. I dropped off my 2021 Ford Escape on July 7, 2026 as scheduled. At drop-off, I was informed the repairs would take multiple days, and I was told no loaner vehicle would be provided. Based on that, I rented a vehicle at my own expense to cover my transportation needs. The following day, I received a call from the service department informing me: 1.Recall 23B56 (Door Reinforcement): The dealership was unable to perform the repair because they had never ordered the required replacement door — despite having five months' notice from my original February 2026 booking. They stated they would "order it now." This is entirely unacceptable and reflects a clear failure of basic service planning. 2.Recall 23S27 (Underhood Fire): The dealership refused to perform Supporting documents attached : McCombs Ford service reference document & rental car invoice ($43.92) Reference details /dealership : MCCOMBS. 7111 N.W. LOOP 410 SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS 78238 (210) 509-1000 VIN: [XXX] 23S27 UNDER HOOD FIRE 26S14 FRONT WIPER MOTOR REPAIR 23E09 REPROGRAM POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE 23B56 INSPECT FRONT DOOR CHECK-ARM REINFORCEMENT SPOT WELDS 23N06 LONG BLOCK REPLACEMENT INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C.
2021 Ford Escape Hybrid body problems
32 complaints (26% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 35,000.
- owner complaints
- 32
- of this car's complaints
- 26%
- typical mileage
- 35,000
- crashes
- 0
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Body26
- Body: door2
- Body: hood1
- Body: door: hinge and attachments1
- Body: bumpers: active shutters/grill1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Ford Escape Hybrid body problems in other years
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Related investigations
Failed Door Check Arm Attachment Point
On July 7, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE23-013 to investigate instances of check arm bracket failure in the front doors in model year (MY) 2020-2021 Ford Escape vehicles. At the time of opening, ODI received 118 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) alleging this failure. To date, ODI has received 593 VOQs alleging this failure, with a variety of reported failure conditions. The most common reported failure condition was reduced door functionality (e.g. door was more difficult to open or close) and the least common was inadvertent door opening. Other reported failure conditions include inability to latch and inability to open. Three VOQs reported injuries, one of which requiring medical attention. ODI conducted a consumer survey which yielded an additional 44 injuries (although the VOQs did not indicate any injury), none of which requiring medical attention. All these injuries were bumps/bruises from the door closing on occupantsâ arms and legs while entering and exiting the vehicle. The function of the check arm system is to provide hold-open assist at specific angles and to assist with door closing energy. It does not provide vertical support of the door and is independent of the latching mechanism. This failure is progressive and detectable by vehicle occupants. Consumers commonly report hearing a popping or snapping noise when opening and closing the door. This noise is caused by some of the welds between the bracket and door structure failing and detaching. There may also be visible damage present to the welds in the door structure. Continued use of the door may result in all welds separating and the bracket fully detaching from the door structure, which could lead to increased resistance in closing and opening the door, restrained window operation, and the door freely rotating when open. ODI inspected 3 consumer vehicles in the field, and 2 test vehicles at Fordâs testing facility. The test vehicles were retrofitted with the failed component. ODI observed an increased door closing resistance, however, was unable to reproduce an inadvertent open while parked or driving, or a failure to latch or open condition. Testing also verified this failure did not affect the door ajar warning system. This system provides an audible and visual warning in the event a door did not achieve primary latch position. Ford has provided details on a one-time-repair customer satisfaction program (23B56), stating that they will provide customers with a letter, currently targeted for March 2024, to bring their vehicle to a Ford dealership for a proactive repair. Dealers will inspect the door check arm welds for damage and will either provide a rivet plate to reinforce the existing door check arm or will provide a replacement door, depending on the level of damage present. Customers will be eligible for reimbursement if they previously paid to repair this issue. In view of the high detectability of failure, low potential hazard to drivers, and Fordâs customer satisfaction program to provide a proactive repair, this Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that a safety-related defect does not exist. The Agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to
PE23013
What 2021 Ford Escape Hybrid owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
My driver front door latch assembly failed at 42,153 miles. I had it inspected and repaired at the dealership. I had to pay out of pockets due to no longer being covered by the 3/36 warranty. The symptoms were that the driver front door would not lock at all. It took a while to figure this out as I just thought maybe we left it unlocked. Also this vehicle has the perimeter key fob so it automatically unlocks when you have the fob with you and attempting to open. This had been going in fine moths u til we figured out the problem and took it to the dealership. They did offer a discount since I purchased it there but they said due to the design it messed an entire assembly and was over $1k before the discount. They also had parts in stock and I did confirm they had seen this failure before. While we did not have an actual incident happen with us, our vehicle was vulnerable and we had no idea, because the lock appeared to work and it still moved visually, it just wasn’t actually doing anything inside the door. This is my wife’s vehicle so my fear was either someone breaking into the vehicle or even worse, attempting to enter the vehicle while she was inside but she would be unable to lock the doors. As mentioned, the dealer did repair the vehicle and it is worked properly for now. Thought we did have to pay out of pocket.
Door fails to stay open. Closed on my leg and caused bruising. Window will not close once open. Dealer has known of problem for two months but says there is no one locally to fix it.
Left front door check arm welds broken away (same as SMS 50150). Popping sound when door is used. Driver door difficult to open posing a danger.
Drivers door Arm assembly that limits door opening. First it started to have a small 'click' when closing. Then it had a loud clicking and snapping noise. Tried to lubricate assy. Didnt help. The next day, the door wouldn't close. Inspected the arm and found it detached from the door at the welds. In order to drive vehicle i unbolted the arm at the door jam and removed the two nuts from the arm assy. Then pushed the assembly into the door. Made sure it Fell to the bottom of the door . Window works and door now closes and opens normally . But the door opens too far and doesnt stay open on its own.
Driver side door hinge pops when opening and closing. Spoke to a Ford dealer and since we are now just over 36,000 miles, our warranty is out. Concerned the door will not close/open or open while in motion. Need to drive this vehicle to work everyday.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the front driver’s side door failed to open wide as designed. Additionally, the front driver’s side window failed to roll down as needed. The contact stated that upon conducting a visual inspection of the vehicle, her husband noticed that the door welds between the door check arm bracket and the door frame had fractured and detached. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 71,000.
Driver door spot welds broken. Lot of noise opening door. Sounds like ready to fall off. Understand it has been reported by numerous others.
I reported a known critical safety issue regarding my 2021 Ford Escape Hybrid to Ford Motor Company and the dealer on 2/21/2024. I requested they repair this widespread issue to them requesting a free repair but they refused. This defect is also documented in Ford Service Bulletin SSM-50150. The issue is that there is a potential defect in the front door weld, which may cause the door to unexpectedly open while the vehicle is in motion, posing a significant safety risk to the driver, passengers, and other road users. My door pops and creaks and squeals every time the door is opened and the hinge seizes up. This is an operational as well as a safety issue, and the door has been reported in other cases to come open unexpectedly as there is a defect in the weld on the hinge of the driver door.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. That contact stated that while attempting to enter the vehicle, the driver's side door failed to open as intended. After a visual inspection, the contact observed that the door hinge attachment point had detached. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Action Number: PE23013 (Structure). The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 42,000.
Questions about the 2021 Ford Escape Hybrid body
Does the 2021 Ford Escape Hybrid have body problems?
Owners have filed 32 complaints about the body of the 2021 Ford Escape Hybrid, 26% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2021 Ford Escape Hybrid body problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 35,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2021 Ford Escape Hybrid body?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Ford Escape Hybrid have the most body problems?
The Ford Escape Hybrid model years with the most body complaints are 2020 (105 complaints), 2021 (32 complaints) and 2005 (24 complaints).
Other 2021 Ford Escape Hybrid problems
Engine 36Electrical 23Transmission 14Fuel system 12Brakes 7Acceleration 6Driver assistance 3Seat belts 3Airbags 1Seats 1Visibility 1Wheels 1
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