Ford Escape Hybrid Problems — All Years, Common Issues & Reliability
Year-by-year breakdown of safety recalls, NHTSA owner complaints, reported deaths, injuries, crashes, and worst problem areas. Updated daily from federal databases.
Recent Safety Incidents — Last 5 Model Years
Own a Ford Escape Hybrid? Check your specific VIN for a full history report.
Ford Escape Hybrid — Year-by-Year Problem Comparison
| Year | Verdict | Recalls | Complaints | Crashes | Injuries | Deaths | Top Issue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Good | 1 | 92 | 3 | 1 | — | Engine | Full report → |
| 2021 | Good | 2 | 81 | 3 | 2 | — | Engine | Full report → |
| 2020 | Avoid | 1 | 198 | 3 | 4 | — | Structure | Full report → |
| 2019Best | Excellent | — | — | — | — | — | — | Full report → |
| 2018 | Excellent | — | — | — | — | — | — | Full report → |
| 2017 | Excellent | — | — | — | — | — | — | Full report → |
| 2016 | Excellent | — | — | — | — | — | — | Full report → |
| 2015 | Excellent | — | — | — | — | — | — | Full report → |
| 2014 | Excellent | — | — | — | — | — | — | Full report → |
| 2013 | Excellent | — | 8 | 3 | 3 | — | Engine | Full report → |
| 2012 | Excellent | — | 6 | 1 | — | — | Fuel/Propulsion System | Full report → |
| 2011 | Excellent | — | 24 | 3 | — | — | Steering | Full report → |
| 2010 | Good | — | 44 | 4 | — | — | Engine | Full report → |
| 2009 | Good | — | 76 | 2 | — | — | Steering | Full report → |
| 2008Worst | Avoid | — | 284 | 6 | — | — | Service Brakes | Full report → |
| 2007 | Good | — | 76 | — | — | — | Service Brakes | Full report → |
| 2006 | Caution | — | 163 | 3 | 2 | — | Service Brakes | Full report → |
| 2005 | Caution | — | 139 | 3 | — | — | Service Brakes | Full report → |
18 model years shown. Crashes, injuries, and deaths from NHTSA complaint filings. Click any year for full details.
Most Common Ford Escape Hybrid Problems
Based on 1,191 owner complaints filed with NHTSA across all model years.
Recent Safety Recalls — Ford Escape Hybrid (2022–2022)
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.
Remedy: The remedy is currently under development. 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. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, and instructions to limit the maximum charge of the battery were mailed December 8, 2025. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available. 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 NHTSA.gov on November 18, 2025.
Showing 1 recall from 2022–2022 model years. See the full year-specific pages for older recalls.
Recent Owner Complaints
Direct reports filed with NHTSA by Ford Escape Hybrid owners — 2022–2022 model years.
The guard plate between the sunroof and the moonroof fell off and the retractable screen rolled all the way back and is inoperable. The guard plate fell and hit my child while I was driving. When I searched the internet to see if others have experienced this issue, I discovered that it is a known issue with these vehicles. Unsecured falling parts is a danger and a recall should be issued to fix this issue immediately.
While driving, the metal crossbar trim above my head separating the front (movable) and rear (fixed) roof glass fell off, jamming the sunshade and then falling on my head
I am writing to formally express my concern regarding the safety of my 2022 Ford Escape Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV), which I believe may have been rushed to market without sufficient development or reliability testing. As Ford’s first iteration of the Escape PHEV, it appears to suffer from multiple critical defects that suggest the technology was not fully ready for consumers. In less than 2.5 years of ownership, I have experienced the following serious safety-related issues: The vehicle is currently under recall for a defective high-voltage battery, and there have been multiple other recalls related to the PHEV technology, raising serious concerns about the reliability and safety of the overall hybrid system. NHTSA Recall Number 24V954. I experienced brake issues within the first 18 months of which have not been fixed and still making odd noises Most alarmingly, the engine failed while I was driving on the highway with under 32,000 miles on the vehicle, causing a sudden and dangerous loss of power. This incident placed me and others at serious risk of harm. While the dealership did repair the engine under warranty, Ford has not offered any meaningful assistance beyond that, nor have they provided alternative transportation or a solution that addresses my ongoing safety concerns. Ford corporate has refused to communicate with me in writing and will only speak by phone, making it extremely difficult to document discussions, obtain clear answers, or hold them accountable for their responses. Due to a lack of support from Ford, I was forced to borrow my mother’s vehicle for two weeks while mine was being serviced, as there were 17 other customers on a waitlist for a loaner vehicle at the dealership. Despite these serious problems, I still don't have a vehicle and I no longer feel safe driving the car, and a financial burden, as I now owe more on the car than it is worth on trade-in. I have not picked up the car due to safety concerns. I believe these issues
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V954000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The 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 2022 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V954000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and 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. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Ford issued a recall on my vehicle in January 2025. They state that I cannot charge my car until they fix it, or it could catch on fire. I paid $8,000 extra for a car I can charge, and almost never use my gas engine. I have now not been able to charge my car for 5 months and there is no fix available and Ford has moved the expected fix date from Q2 2025 to Aug/Sep 2025. I also have to pay additional taxes in the state of Vermont for my plug-in, which I can't actually plug-in, and paid $2k for a home charger which is now useless. I have contacted Ford at least 4 times, because I'm concerned with the safety of my vehicle and they refuse to do anything. I have to drive my son to daycare each morning, and I'm concerned the vehicle will catch on fire with us inside of it. The vehicle charges when driving downhill and there are a lot of hills in Vermont, so I'm constantly worried that the battery may charge too much and catch fire. I have spoken with my local dealership and they can't do anything and again, after contacting Ford numerous times, their message is "wait". This vehicle is completely unusable to me, since almost all of my daily driving used the battery and I've had to pay for gas for the last 5 months. Ford doesn't seem to be concerned with my safety, despite admitting that they sold me a vehicle that may catch on fire. I also attempted to trade the car back into the dealership, but they won't take it due to the recall which has no firm date for being addressed. I've going around and around in circles with all levels of Ford but they refuse to do anything. I just want to feel safe with myself and my family in my vehicle, but I do not feel safe and Ford doesn't appear to care.
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA 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 made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V954000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the 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 not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
See attached document for complaint.
Ford states that if I charge my vehicle it will catch on fire. I paid $8,000 extra to have a plug-in vehicle and I haven't been able to charge it for months. Ford said they would fix this in "Q2 2025" and this has now been pushed to "maybe September 2025". I don't feel safe driving this vehicle, but I have to use it to get my child to daycare each day. I believe it's completely unreasonable to tell me that the vehicle I purchased to plug-in and drive using battery, which has been over 50% of all my driving in the last 3 years, can't be used to drive on the battery. This vehicle is unusable as it was intended to be used, unsafe, and Ford keeps delaying their supposed fix.
When Accelerating from approximately 25mph - 40mph and accelerating hard, the vehicle is shifting to Neutral (HARD). It feels like you hit a wall. Does not occur from stop. Letting off throttle and the transmission will reengage and allow full acceleration as if nothing happened. No warning indicators on dash. Is duplicatable. Vehicle had Telematics control module update in December already. Vehicle had transmission replacement 25-JUNE-2024 according to History. Tried reporting on GCR but would not permit. Sounds identical to 24S33 but this vehicle is unaffected. Will report to dealer when recall for 24S79 is available, avoiding hard acceleration if possible. May have dash camera footage if requested.
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA 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 manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
74 total complaints retrieved from NHTSA for 2022–2022. For older model years, see individual year pages.
Escape Hybrid Years to Avoid
Best Escape Hybrid Years to Buy
Ford Escape Hybrid Problems by Year
Frequently Asked Questions — Ford Escape Hybrid Reliability
What year Escape Hybrid has the most problems?
Based on NHTSA data, the 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid had the highest combined complaint and recall count — 284 complaints and 0 safety recalls. See the full 2008 report for specific defects.
Is the Ford Escape Hybrid reliable?
The Ford Escape Hybrid has accumulated 1,191 owner-filed complaints and 4 safety recalls across all model years in NHTSA's database. The 2019 model year shows the fewest reported issues. Always run a VIN check before purchasing any used Escape Hybrid.
What are the most common Escape Hybrid problems?
The most frequently cited problem areas are: Engine (187 reports), Service Brakes (166 reports), Steering (136 reports), Electrical System (120 reports). Based on NHTSA complaints across all model years.
How do I check if my Escape Hybrid has an open recall?
Use the vehicle's 17-character VIN at VinCheckEngine.com. Our free VIN report pulls the latest NHTSA recall data along with auction history, odometer records, and 30+ intelligence signals.
Check a Specific Ford Escape Hybrid VIN
Model-level data shows what can go wrong. A VIN-specific report shows what has gone wrong with a particular vehicle — including auction history, odometer discrepancies, open recalls, accident records, and 30+ intelligence signals.
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