Ford Escape hesitation problems

Filed Oct 30, 2026 · Visibility · 30,000 miles · FL

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 26V117000 (Visibility); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the windshield wipers intermittently hesitated while moving from the left to the right. The dealer was contacted several times and confirmed that parts were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.

Filed Oct 20, 2026 · Acceleration, Engine · KY

2020 Ford Escape is suffering from sudden, uncommanded loss of power, severe engine hesitation and violent stuttering during acceleration and problem is getting worse. Took to our service center to fix and they said the problem is a recall - the federal safety agency - 25V467 recall 25S76 (engine hesitant acceleration, rough idling, reduced engine power). Called Airport Ford in Florence, KY. They are saying they can't fix this issue -there is no remedy and that the program has been paused. This condition poses an immediate safety hazard. The unexpected failure of the powertrain to respond during high-demand situations - such as merging onto highways, passing vehicles or making left turns across oncoming traffic - makes me feel very vulnerable to rear-end or side impact crashes. The failure occurs at all speeds but is worse at 10-30 miles per hour. There is a Ford Recall on this issue. If the recall is paused - I assume they are no longer trying to find a fix. This is a 2020 car - surely in 6 years the Ford experts should have found a viable fix. In addition to the Dealership also talked to Ford Consumer Hotline and were given the same info as from the dealership. Please help! I love my Fords - I have had Fords all my adult life. Please help us.

Filed Sep 24, 2026 · Engine · 53,967 miles · FL

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while depressing the accelerator, the vehicle hesitated and was idling rough. During initial start-up there was a backfire coming from the engine with white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The maintenance warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic and DTC: P0302 was retrieved. The cylinder was replaced. The contact stated that approximately 2 weeks later, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and DTC: P0302 (Cylinder #2 misfire); was retrieved. The manufacturer was informed of the issue, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 53,967.

Filed Sep 22, 2026 · Electrical, Transmission · FL

Vehicle: 2020 Ford Escape I am experiencing a recurring drivability issue with my 2020 Ford Escape. During normal or light acceleration, primarily between approximately 1,000 and 2,000 RPM, the vehicle intermittently jerks, surges, or hesitates. At the same time, I can observe slight RPM fluctuation. The condition continues to occur even when the vehicle is driven in Sport mode. On some occasions, the vehicle has also accelerated suddenly and more aggressively than expected, making the vehicle’s response unpredictable. I have had situations where I nearly collided with another vehicle because of the unexpected acceleration. The vehicle has displayed diagnostic trouble code P0600 – Serial Communication Link. The ignition coils and spark plugs have already been replaced, but the condition remains unchanged. I am concerned because the hesitation, jerking, surging, and unexpected acceleration occur while the vehicle is being driven and could affect safe and predictable vehicle control in traffic. I have not yet received a final diagnosis confirming whether the cause is related to the transmission, torque converter, PCM/TCM, communication system, speed control system, or another component. I am reporting this issue so that the federal safety agency has a record of the condition in case other owners of 2020–2021 Ford Escape vehicles are experiencing similar drivability and unexpected acceleration problems.

Filed Sep 15, 2026 · Engine · 104,353 miles · MN

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine light and low coolant warning light were illuminated. Upon checking the coolant level, the contact discovered that the coolant reservoir was empty. The contact added coolant to the vehicle; however, the coolant disappeared and gushed back into the reservoir. Additionally, upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle hesitated to start and chugged, with a white sweet-smelling smoke coming from the tailpipe while idling. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was purchased, and the contact inquired about a free diagnostic test, but the dealer denied assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 104,353.

Filed Sep 9, 2026 · Electrical, Engine · MI

On July 7, 2026, at approximately 113,080 miles, my 2016 Ford Escape displayed a “Transmission Fault – Service Now” warning. The exact failed component is currently UNKNOWN, but the issue appears to involve the transmission/powertrain and possibly an electrical fault. While driving, I experienced abnormal symptoms including a rotational/squeaking noise from the front-right area and an air-leak/pressure-type noise from the right side. The pressure-type noise could also be heard while revving the vehicle at idle. The Check Engine Light also illuminated. I took the vehicle to an independent repair facility on July 7, 2026. The mechanic documented the symptoms and diagnostic trouble codes and advised that additional electrical diagnosis was necessary to determine the exact cause. The transmission itself has not been conclusively diagnosed as failed, and I am not claiming a specific failed internal component without further inspection. I consider this a serious safety concern because an unresolved transmission or powertrain malfunction could potentially cause improper shifting, hesitation, reduced propulsion, loss of acceleration, or other unexpected vehicle behavior while driving in traffic. I contacted Ford regarding the problem and followed up again on July 17, 2026. After receiving no resolution, I contacted Ford again on September 9, 2026. Ford advised me that there was no exact timeframe for when the ASO would contact me and that the ASO may or may not contact me at all. I requested that Ford make a final escalation of the safety concern. Ford confirmed that my escalation and my intention to submit the unresolved safety issue to the federal safety agency were documented under Ford case CXH-08511841-T8X5L4. To my knowledge, Ford has not inspected the vehicle or provided a substantive resolution to the transmission/powertrain concern. I am also concerned that this may not be an isolated maintenance issue. I am aware of other owners reporting transmission and powertrain problems.

Filed Sep 1, 2026 · Fuel system · GA

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 25V467000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); 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 made aware of the issue. The contact stated that there was a misfire coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for another recall repair. The contact stated that the check engine light illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle hesitated. Additionally, after refueling, the vehicle almost shut off unexpectedly. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The dealer confirmed that the failure was associated with the recall. The vehicle was not repaired.

Filed Jul 24, 2026 · Transmission · FL

Since about 80,000 miles my escape has been jerky when shifting in low gears and hesitates to accelerate or accelerates slow putting me and other drivers at risk. I have taken it to ford several times and each time they fixed something but not the problem. They replaced my rear differential, alternator, compressor and AWD module. Also they have done transmission fluid exchanges and updates on the software, however they never fixed the issue. I stressed everytime I took my car in that I was worried about my transmission and powertrain and everytime they did diagnostics I was told everything was great. They drove it as well.( it dont take much to reproduce the symptoms) All that happened over the past 2 years and the car is still shifting hard in low gears and hesitates to accelerate. Recently I had an incident where it seemed to go in to neutral while shifting between gears on acceleration and actually rolled backwards and the wrench light came on 😳. So I took it back. Now im told I need a new transmission and turbo boost at just over 100,000 miles for $13,098. The car isnt even worth that much. I've done some research and there are definitely alot of other escape/ford owners with same issues.

Filed Jul 17, 2026 · Engine · OR

Vehicle: 2013 Ford Escape SEL (1.6L EcoBoost) Approximate current Mileage: 134,646 miles System: Engine / Engine Cooling / Powertrain Incident Description: I am filing this complaint to report a severe and systemic safety defect regarding the 1.6L EcoBoost engine in my 2013 Ford Escape. The vehicle is experiencing catastrophic internal coolant intrusion, a known defect where coolant leaks past the head gasket and directly into the engine's combustion cylinders. Professional mechanical diagnostics have explicitly confirmed that engine coolant is pooling on top of piston #2. I have also experienced unexplained coolant loss with no external leaks and sudden engine overheating warnings. As of today, the vehicle's drivability has severely deteriorated, escalating this from a mechanical failure to a serious safety hazard. I cannot drive the vehicle for more than 5 miles before experiencing a severe loss of acceleration and engine power. While the engine does not completely stall or shut off, the vehicle heavily hesitates and refuses to accelerate as needed. Because we reside in [XXX], a region with steep hills and constant inclines, this inability to maintain safe driving speeds under load creates a life-threatening collision risk in traffic. Furthermore, the coolant in the combustion chamber puts the engine at immediate risk of hydro-locking or catching fire due to severe overheating. This manufacturer defect has effectively rendered the vehicle inoperable and unsafe to drive. It is placing a severe financial and logistical burden on my family, as we are now forced to rely entirely on our secondary vehicle for our daily livelihood, work commutes, and family transport. Ford's failure to recall and address this engine block defect has created an unacceptable danger on the road. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Jul 15, 2026 · Engine · MI

The vehicle experienced an internal engine failure involving the engine block/long block. The engine had a multi-cylinder misfire, and an independent repair facility inspected the vehicle and found coolant traces in multiple cylinders. The repair facility referenced Ford TSB 22-2133 and recommended replacement of the engine long block to correct the issue. The failed engine is not currently available for inspection because the vehicle was traded in after the repair estimate determined it was not economically feasible to repair. We suffered a big loss The safety concern was the potential for sudden loss of engine power due to the misfire and internal engine failure. A vehicle experiencing severe misfires while driving could have reduced performance, hesitation, or loss of power, creating a safety risk depending on driving conditions. The problem was confirmed by an independent service center. The vehicle was not inspected by Ford, police, or insurance representatives. Prior to failure, the vehicle developed engine symptoms consistent with a misfire. The check engine light/engine misfire condition occurred before diagnosis. The independent service facility confirmed the condition and found coolant traces in multiple cylinders.