I am noticing an obvious lurching while accelerating at low speeds after being stopped. It also happens when slowing down. It is happening with and without adaptive cruise control engaged. This may cause someone to rear end me if my brake lights are not activated because I am not braking. Inversely it may cause me to rear end someone in front of me
Ford Escape adaptive cruise problems
246 of the 27,615 owner complaints about the Ford Escape describe adaptive cruise control problems, most of them for the 2002 model year.
- owner complaints
- 246
- worst model year
- 2002
- typical repair cost reported
- $500
- typical mileage
- 71,930
By model year
Often reported together
Check engine light 21Sudden acceleration 17Stalling 17Loss of power 15Collision warning 15Fire or smoke 12Jerking 10Engine failure 10
Trouble codes mentioned
P2111 2P2112 1P0420 1P0346 1P0341 1P0303 1P0302 1P0301 1P0300 1P0012 1
What owners say
Multiple computer related problems, including sensing objects that do not exist while using automated cruise control. Automatic braking engagement when car senses objects that do not exist both in the front and rear while driving. Rear sensor occupancy alert randomly triggered when it has been turned off, And when there is nobody in the back seat. GPS unable to locate signal even in wide open spaces, randomly drops service. Various climate control components read improperly, or do not display appropriately. Numerous morning messages both before and after incidents. The vehicle has been to Ford dealer, they have been unable to reproduce or determine what caused these faults.
While I was driving on a highway the ADAS (IPMA) suddenly stopped working creating a dangerous situation as I was using adaptive cruise control at the time. It has never worked since. Ford has told me that there is no software fix and the hardware needs to be replaced at a cost of $1500. Unless I pay that amount I will lack key safety features like forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking.
My husband I originally purchased this vehicle around October 2020. We are the only owners and when we purchased it, it had 78 miles on it. Since I purchased it I have had to pay out of pocket for all the tire sensors to be replaced, I have had to purchase a new heater fan, and a sensor for a seat belt that prevented my adaptive cruise control from working. A while back, a warning light came on saying my adaptive cruise control was no longer working. I took it to Ford and was told it would cost $1600 to fix it. Surprisingly, it started working on it's own a few days later. Currently I took the car in because my rear passenger window wouldn't go up. I was told that it would cost almost $1800 to fix it. I have taken it to Ford to have 2 of the 3 recalls fixed. They do not show that it was fixed and I was told they weren't able to fix it. I pushed the button one day to send the cloth covering on the moon roof back. It snapped and no longer works, their is a crack in my dash, and I frankly don't have the money to fix a window motor that should have not quit after six years. I take excellent care of my car. I have all the maintenance taken care of. I expect to have the brakes fixed, new tires, new battery. What I don't expect is for the sensors and motors to go out. I have been driving for over 40 years, owned multiple vehicles and I have to say I am so disappointed with Ford. I understand that the problems I am having is not just me, that many Ford Escape owners are having similar issues. I would just like some assistance.
I have had many issues with this vehicle. Most concerning is that the other night while driving down the road at night, my car blacked out and I had no lights inside or headlights outside while driving in the dark. My back hatch button only works when it wants to. My screen freezes every once in awhile and also makes horrible noises very frequently. I’ve had one case of my screen freezing on a longer drive with my seat warmer on and the seats getting too hot and burning me. My safety features shut off all the time. My cruise control wouldn’t work at all on a 4 hour drive last month. When I get my oil changed they tell me under my hood is way louder than it should be for a vehicle this old. The dealership did a factory reset hoping it would help but I’ve already had issues with the hatch door not working appropriately, the sound coming from my screen, and notifications that my safety features have been shut off.
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, the cruise control feature became inoperable. The failure of the cruise control caused the vehicle to accelerate to 74 MPH unintendedly. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the dealer failed to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 35,000.
Repeated failures of BLIS, Cross-Traffic Alert, Pre-Collision Assist, Parking Aid, Front Camera/IPMA, cruise control, and Miles-to-Empty (MTE). Likely ADAS module/IPMA-related. Vehicle is currently at Ford dealership and available for inspection. ADAS failures caused no blind spot, no cross-traffic, and no forward collision warnings. Nearly collided during a lane change when BLIS did not detect a vehicle beside me. Safety systems fail unpredictably at highway speeds, increasing risk to me and other drivers. Yes. Ford dealership reproduced the problems on multiple visits, and Ford Hotline engineers confirmed the ADAS faults. Ford authorized replacement of the IPMA (front camera/ADAS module). Yes. The Ford dealership technicians and (2) Ford engineering Hotline have inspected the ADAS system multiple times. Ford’s technical support confirmed the faults and authorized replacement of the IPMA module, indicating manufacturer-level inspection and intervention. No police or insurance inspections were conducted because no crash occurred. Yes—BLIS faults, Cross-Traffic faults, Pre-Collision Assist Not Available, Front Camera Fault, Parking Aid Malfunction. First appeared on 3/24/2025 around 3,900 miles. Alerts appeared regularly until 9/16/2025, then stopped recording despite faults still occurring.
Repeated failures of BLIS, Cross-Traffic Alert, Pre-Collision Assist, Parking Aid, Front Camera/IPMA, cruise control, and Miles-to-Empty (MTE). Likely ADAS module/IPMA-related. Vehicle is currently at Ford dealership and available for inspection. ADAS failures caused no blind spot, no cross-traffic, and no forward collision warnings. Nearly collided during a lane change when BLIS did not detect a vehicle beside me. Safety systems fail unpredictably at highway speeds, increasing risk to me and other drivers. Yes—BLIS faults, Cross-Traffic faults, Pre-Collision Assist Not Available, Front Camera Fault, Parking Aid Malfunction. First appeared on 3/24/2025 around 3,900 miles, 2 weeks after I bought the car new. Alerts appeared regularly until 9/16/2025, then stopped recording despite faults still occurring. Yes. Ford dealership reproduced the problems on multiple visits, and 2 Ford Hotline engineers confirmed the ADAS faults. Ford authorized replacement of the IPMA (front camera/ADAS module). Yes. Ford dealership technicians and Ford engineering Hotline inspected and diagnosed the failures. IPMA replacement was authorized by Ford. No police or insurance involvement. Yes—BLIS faults, Cross-Traffic faults, Pre-Collision Assist Not Available, Front Camera Fault, Parking Aid Malfunction. First appeared on 3/24/2025 around 3,900 miles. Alerts appeared regularly until 9/16/2025, then stopped recording despite faults still occurring.
By dong my own research, I found out it was the AWD Module. It's not grounded correctly. There are multiple, long detailed forum posts on this. Here is one: [XXX] I verified my AWD drive module was indeed not getting enough power do to the grounding issue, which sends a cascade of other faults including the anti lock breaks, collision detection, driving modes, cruise control, auto hold, hill park assist. ALL are non-operational. Now my AWD module does not even show up with a OBD scanner. This should be a recall. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
.After activating the cruise control on the freeway for a few minutes, the cruise control deactivated and displayed the "Adaptive Cruise Not Available" message on the dashboard, immediately lowering the speed. Additionally, the sunroof interior stopped working after opening it. The bar that helps retract the sunroof interior came loose, and Ford says the repair is not covered under the extended warranty. There was also a problem with the rear seat belts, which displayed a warning: "REAR BELT MONITOR FAULT. SERVICE REQUIRED."
Related recalls
Back over prevention: software
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Escape, Lincoln Corsair, 2020-2024 Lincoln Aviator, and Explorer vehicles. The image on the center display may flip or invert, resulting in an incorrectly displayed rearview image when the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
- Risk
- An incorrectly displayed rearview image can reduce the driver’s view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will update the accessory protocol interface module (APIM) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 23, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C11. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on on March 5, 2026.
Recall number 26V123000 · Recall details
Electronic stability control (ESC)
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Maverick and Escape vehicles. The cover for the electric brake booster's ECU may cause the printed circuit board to overheat and result in a loss of vehicle stability control systems (anti-lock braking, electronic stability control, and traction control) or a loss of brake power assist.
- Risk
- Loss of vehicle stability control or brake power assist can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the electric brake booster, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on November 28, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SC6. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on on November 17, 2025.
Recall number 25V787000 · Recall details
Back over prevention: sensing system: camera
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Flex, 2015 Explorer, Lincoln MKT, Lincoln MKZ, 2015-2016 C-Max, Escape, Taurus, 2016 Fusion, 2018-2019 Taurus, 2019 Lincoln MKT, Fiesta, and 2020 Mustang vehicles. The rearview camera may display a distorted, intermittent, or blank image when the vehicle is in reverse.
- Risk
- A rearview camera that fails to properly display an image can reduce the driver’s view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, 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 October 25, 2025. Additional letters will be mailed once the final remedy is available on each phase. Mustang owner notification letters were mailed January 2, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA9. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on on October 14, 2025.
Recall number 25V695000 · Recall details
Back over prevention: software
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2022 Transit Connect, 2019-2020 MKZ, MKX, Edge, Continental, F-150, Nautilus, Fusion, 2019-2023 Ranger, Mustang, 2020-2021 EcoSport, Expedition, Navigator, 2020-2022 Escape, F-250 SD, Corsair, 2020-2023 Aviator, Transit, 2020-2024 Explorer, 2021-2024 Bronco Sport, and 2022-2024 Maverick vehicles. A software error may cause the rearview camera to display a blank image, or the image may remain on the display after the backing event has ended.
- Risk
- A rearview camera that displays a blank image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle. A rearview image that continues to be displayed after the vehicle is shifted out of reverse may distract the driver. Both of these situations can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will update the rearview camera software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 4, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S72.
Recall number 25V442000 · Recall details
Back over prevention: software
- What is wrong
- 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, 2021-2023 Mach-E, 2024 Ranger, Mustang, 2021-2023 Lincoln Nautilus, 2022-2024 Navigator, and 2023-2024 Corsair vehicles. A software error may cause the rearview camera image to delay, freeze, or not display when the vehicle is in reverse.
- Risk
- A frozen or missing rearview camera image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 25V315000 · Recall details
Back over prevention: sensing system: camera
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Escape vehicles. The rearview camera may incorrectly display an inverted image when the vehicle is in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
- Risk
- An inverted rearview camera image will not accurately display what is behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25C08.
Recall number 25V161000 · Recall details
Forward collision avoidance: adaptive cruise control
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Escape two-wheel drive vehicles equipped with adaptive cruise control. The cruise control radar module was misaligned during production.
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 24V440000 · Recall details
Back over prevention: sensing system: camera
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Ford F-150, F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, Explorer, Mustang, Transit, Expedition, Escape, Ranger and Edge, and Lincoln Nautilus and Corsair vehicles. Due to a poor electrical connection, the rearview camera may intermittently display a blank or distorted image. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
- Risk
- Reduced rearward visibility can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rearview camera, free of charge. The recall began November 17, 2020. Remedy became available on February 1, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on February 1, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20C19.
Recall number 20V575000 · Recall details
Questions about the Ford Escape adaptive cruise
Which Ford Escape years have adaptive cruise control problems problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2002 (25 complaints), 2010 (25 complaints) and 2004 (24 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix adaptive cruise control problems on the Ford Escape?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $500 (median of 22 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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