When I would turn on the vehicle, it would emit a strong smell of gasoline. The vehicle continued to have the same issues after prior service and complaint to the dealership about the continued smell of gasoline emitting from my 21-ford escape. A technician then verified the concern and found an exhaust leak present on the catalytic converter, when the car had very low mileage. The smell of gasoline combined with a leak created a potential fire hazard and risk of carbon monoxide exposure posing a serious safety risk while driving or when the vehicle is parked.
2021 Ford Escape: gas smell in the cabin
9 of the 356 complaints about the 2021 Ford Escape describe gas smell in the cabin.
- owner complaints
- 9
- of this car's complaints
- 3%
- recalls
- 5
Is there a fix? There are 5 recalls and 3 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Gas smell in the cabin by model year
What owners say
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal fuel odor inside the vehicle. The contact stated that the engine seized. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was restarted. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact received notifications of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 25V467000 (Fuel System, Gasoline), 26V123000 (Back Over Prevention), and 26V117000 (Visibility); however, parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
UNKNOWN - recall from July 2025 with the fuel injectors. There is still no remedy available. The smell of gas inside the vehicle happens each time it is driven. I don't feel this is being handled in a timely manner.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal gasoline odor inside the vehicle. The gasoline odor was stronger while stopped in traffic. The windows were opened to lessen the odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer or independent mechanic, and the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 25V467000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); and related the failure to the recall. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 39,000.
It has a recall 25s76 that ford says has no solution. I called ford, and they said it did have one, and that I should take it in. Supposedly, what they did was a software update on 05/01/2025, but nothing worked. The gasoline smell inside the car persists, with a risk of fire.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while making a right turn at approximately 10 MPH, a fuel odor had begun to leak into the interior cabin before the engine caught on fire. The A/C was activated during the time of the failure. No warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that while attempting to extinguish the fire, she fell on her stomach while pregnant, causing a miscarriage for which medical attention was sought. A police report was not filed. A Fire report was filed. The origin of the fire was unknown. The contact stated that a nearby school bus provided a fire extinguisher for the contact to extinguish the fire. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle's engine was replaced a the local dealer prior to the fire however soon noticed the vehicle was still not operating as normal. The dealer was notified but declined to provide a loaner vehicle. The vehicle was towed to a local residential address after the fire, where it remains on a driveway. The origin of the fire was unknown. The contact mentioned that, due to costs the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired for the fire failure. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 22V859000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) and the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 24V187000 (Fuel System, Gasoline however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
Lithia ford is Fresno worked on exhaust and replaced cat converter on September 5th 2024 for the dealer in which I purchased my vehicle. Ford did not put the support bracket that holds the exhaust and catalytic converter in place back on after the repair. I purchased the vehicle and after 1 month of driving it, the vehicle exhaust started to get really loud and began leaking exhaust fumes into the cab of the car. Car was taken to Tulare Ford to be checked when the missing bracket was discovered and work history was pulled on the vehicle showing Lithia’s direct connection to the exact missing part. Lithia ford refuses to take responsibility for their failure to properly secure the exhaust and catalytic converter which directly cause the issue at hand.
Every time I get gas my engine stalls out citing an issue with the evap system — evap purge valve. This is not safe as it stalls out directly after filling the car up. The smell of gas is very prominent leading me to believe there could be a fire hazard associated with this as well.
The car smells like gas on the inside. Ford says no codes so no issue. Started when 15000 miles on ur and ur still smells like gas with 21000 miles on it. Ford can’t seem to find the issue after being in shop 3 weeks.
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
Fuel system, gasoline: fuel injection system
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Bronco Sport and 2020-2022 Escape vehicles equipped with 1.5L engines. A fuel injector may crack and leak fuel inside the engine compartment.
- 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.
- Remedy
- Dealers will update the engine control software. In addition, dealers will replace the high-pressure fuel rail assembly and fuel injectors, free of charge. As an interim repair, dealers will update the engine control software, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed August 29, 2025. Second letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated in July 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S76. This recall expands and replaces previous recall numbers 22V‑859, 24V187, and 25V165. Vehicles previously remedied under 22V‑859, 24V187, and 25V165 will need to have the new final remedy performed once it is available.
Recall number 25V467000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline: fuel injection system
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Escape and 2021-2023 Bronco Sport vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall numbers 22V‑859 or 24V‑187. A fuel injector may crack and leak fuel inside the engine compartment.
- 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.
- Remedy
- Dealers will update the powertrain control module (PCM) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 22, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S21.
Recall number 25V165000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline: fuel injection system
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Escape and 2021-2023 Bronco Sport vehicles equipped with 1.5L engines. A fuel injector may crack and leak fuel inside the engine compartment.
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 22V859000 · Recall details
Hybrid propulsion system
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2022 Corsair and 2021-2022 Escape vehicles equipped with a 2.5L Hybrid powertrain. The high voltage battery may fail, resulting in a sudden loss of drive power.
- Risk
- A sudden loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the high voltage battery, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S48.
Recall number 22V149000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump: control/drive module
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 Escape, Lincoln Corsair, and 2021-2022 Bronco Sport vehicles. The fuel delivery module may leak inside the fuel tank, causing low fuel pressure which could result in an engine stall.
- Risk
- An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the fuel delivery module, free of charge. Interim notification letters (remedy not available) were mailed on September 30, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on December 14, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S38.
Recall number 21V625000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2021 Ford Escape fuel smell
Is gas smell in the cabin a common problem on the 2021 Ford Escape?
9 of 356 owner complaints about the 2021 Ford Escape (3%) mention gas smell in the cabin. The model year with the most reports is 2013.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2021 Ford Escape?
There are 5 recalls and 3 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2021 Ford Escape
Grinding brakes 22Check engine light 16Transmission failure 14Stalling 13Hesitation 12Jerking 11Fire or smoke 10Wipers 8Power windows 7Shudder 7Engine failure 6Overheating 6Harsh shifting 5
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