2023 Ford Escape problems
NHTSA has received 164 complaints about the 2023 Ford Escape, and 25% of them involve electrical system. Next are engine (20%) and drivetrain & axles (15%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 164 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Electrical system 25% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 4 and 5
- Injuries and deaths
- 3 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 16,000 miles 32 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 18 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 7 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 3 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 1 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 2 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 0 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 0 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 1 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Of the 32 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 16,000 miles. For electrical system specifically, the median reported mileage is about 16,000 miles (11 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 4 complaints mention a crash; 5 complaints mention a fire; 3 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2023 ranks 21st most-complained-about out of 25 model years of the Ford Escape with enough data (164 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 11 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
As I was driving home with about 5 minutes to go, in my brand new (2 week old)2023 Ford Escape, I smelled something burning. I pulled over and saw smoke so I turned off the car and got out. As I got out of the car I looked under and saw fire. I got away from the car and as I did, the fire kept growing and growing from under the hood. The fire went high enough to hit the trees on the side of the roasd. The police and fire department came and were able to put out the fire but not before the car was distroyed.
The contact owns a 2023 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at approximately 50 MPH, he observed a warning chime dinging, the power train warning light illuminated, and the 'low engine coolant' message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The contact's wife received a notification via the Ford Pass APP stating that “There was a failure with the vehicle and to see the dealer”. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine and head gasket needed to be replaced.
The contact owns a 2023 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of automotive power, and the steering wheel became difficult to turn in either direction. The contact stated that the messages "Electrical Power Saver Active" and "Service Charging System Warning" were displayed on the instrument panel.