Power train lost during driving, suddenly the car lost the power and a light in the dashboard start blinking, it recovers after a few times turning it on and off, seems to be triggered by brake pedal press, car has been having issues since Oct 2025 after unplugged it
The worst 2021 Ford Escape PHEV problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Electrical8
- Engine8
- Transmission3
- Body2
- Brakes2
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Electrical8
- Engine8
- Transmission3
- Body2
- Brakes2
- Fuel system2
- Acceleration1
- Airbags1
- Driver assistance1
- Seat belts1
- Visibility1
Recalls 1
Electrical system: propulsion system: traction battery
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2024 Ford Escape and 2021-2024 Lincoln Corsair plug-in hybrid 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.
- Remedy
- 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 on November 18, 2025.
Recall number 25V789000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2021 Ford Escape PHEV 2
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
What 2021 Ford Escape PHEV owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
NOV 20, 2025 Manufacturer Recall Number25SC4 the federal safety agency Recall Number25V789 Recall StatusRecall Incomplete, remedy not yet available Summary this has been 9 months and still no remedy. this doesnt seem timely.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 24V954000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 24V954000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer stated the remedy was expected to be available second quarter of 2025; however, it could not give an exact date. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 24V954000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer was contacted. The dealer confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and informed the contact that a second notice would be mailed when parts were available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 24V954000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that after coasting out of the garage the vehicle stalled, the shifter seized in park(P), and the message “Stop Safely Now” was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was towed to another dealer, Kendall Ford of Bend (2100 NE 3rd St, Bend, OR 97701); who diagnosed that the high-voltage battery had failed and needed to be replaced. The failure was related to the recall; however, the recall repair could not be completed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure was mileage was 51,988. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 24V954000 (Electrical System). The contact stated that while pulling out of the driveway, the message "Stop Safely Now" was displayed, and the vehicle inadvertently shifted into park(P) and failed to shift into the intended gear. The power train warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to two dealers where the failure was unable to be duplicated. The vehicle was towed to another dealer, but the failure was not duplicated. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 51,988.
Our 2021 Ford Escape has "Intelligent" adaptive cruise control. It has the capacity to adjust our car speed based on the highway speed limit signs it encounters. It reads all speed correctly but it also reads "black and white, square, numeric, County Road signs as Speed Signs. This is dangerous as many County Road signs have numerics that drastically exceed the posted speed limit and cause the car to rapidly excellerate around a curve or in neighborhood settings. So for example, in a 35 mph speed zone, the car sees the County Road 85 sign and rapidly attempts to excelerate by 50 mph to 85 mph. This surprises you and forces you to seek the brake pedal in an attempt to avoid a casualty. We have reported this to Ford and brought our vehicle in twice now regarding the issue. On 10/5/22 Ford replaced the car's image module to help clarify highway signs for adaptive cruise. This did not remedy the problem. After nearly running over an animal because of this issue, we brought the car back to Ford on 5/8/24 to correct this issue under our nearly expired warranty. They had our vehicle for 3 weeks. We furnished them with photos of the County Road signs the car's speed was erroneously triggered by, such as Co Rd 85 or 106! After much research with Ford International, the dealer determined that this is a software bug. On a recent "on-line" Ford document, on page 289, it states "Note: The system may not detect all speed signs and may incorrectly read signs." This can occur when the county road signs are similar in shape and color to a speed limit sign. This is a limitation of the system and currently cannot be avoided or corrected." Please understand this information is not listed in our 2021 Escape Owners Manual. Furthermore, on the 2024 Escape loaner vehicle we had for 3 weeks while ours was in the shop, Ford changed out their adaptive cruise control system from "Intelligent to Predictive" which now uses GPS to compensate. Meanwhile our car remains a hazard to drive. Help!
The contact owned a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH and attempting to slow the vehicle, he became dizzy then suddenly fainted, and as a result, he briefly lost control of the vehicle and came to a complete stop after colliding with the curb. Just prior to fainting, the contact had smelled burning fumes in the interior of the vehicle, to which he attributed his feeling of dizziness. The air bags did deploy. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and deemed a total loss by the contact's insurance provider. A police report was filed, and injuries were reported. The contact was transported to an area hospital by EMT, where they performed various tests, including 2 CAT scans, a heart ultrasound, a pacemaker test, and blood work. Furthermore, the contact was treated for intestinal inflammation due to the seatbelt. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V380000 (Engine), and the VIN was included, but he was made aware that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 29,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
I was issued a letter back in June 2023 on this recall. Parts were supposed to be available by October 2023. It is now almost March of 2024 with no remedy
Compare the 2021 Ford Escape PHEV
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Questions about the 2021 Ford Escape PHEV
Is the 2021 Ford Escape PHEV reliable?
Owners have filed 22 complaints about the 2021 Ford Escape PHEV, close to a typical Escape PHEV model year.
What is the 2021 Ford Escape PHEV year score?
The 2021 Ford Escape PHEV scores 68 out of 100 (average). The score compares it with the other model years of the Ford Escape PHEV: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2021 Ford Escape PHEV?
Electrical system, with 8 complaints. Next is engine (8).
How many recalls does the 2021 Ford Escape PHEV have?
1 recall, covering electrical system.
Was there a recall on the 2021 Ford Escape PHEV electrical?
Yes, 1 recall: 25V789000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
VIN decoder
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