2021 Ford Escape Problems, Recalls & Reliability
451 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2021 Ford Escape, alongside 19 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 12/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Body & structure leads the reports, typically around 41,000 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2021 Ford Escape has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2021 sits among all Escape years
What owners report
“Door hinge on driver side front came loose from weld and won’t let window roll down.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2021 Escape
“The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V467000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted; however, the contact was informed that parts were not yet available. The…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2021 Escape
“Passenger rear window would not go up, we got it fixed. We also have a second 2021 ford escape with the same problem.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2021 Escape
“The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle was vibrating and the brakes were getting extremely hot. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but no failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2021 Escape
“Ford escape. Consumer writes in regard to parts being unavailable to perform safety recall.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2021 Escape
“Transmission shifts hard, jerking, stuttering when pushing the accelerator. Continues to go into limp mode when driving highway speeds.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2021 Escape
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 92 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 39,350 miles. Half of those reports fall between 16,000 and 70,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (19)
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Explorer, Escape, Lincoln Aviator, and Lincoln Corsair vehicles. The windshield wiper motor may fail and prevent the windshield wipers from operating properly.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the front wiper motors as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed April 2, 2026. Additional letters will be sent…
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…
Fix: 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…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Escape and 2025 Escape vehicles. The liftgate hinge covers may not be properly secured and detach from the vehicle.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and reinstall, or replace any missing liftgate hinge covers as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 3, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Lincoln MKC, 2016-2023 Explorer, 2019-2020 Fusion, 2019-2024 Ranger, 2020-2022 Lincoln Corsair, Escape, 2021-2024 Bronco, Bronco Sport, and 2022-2024 Maverick vehicles. The engine block heater may crack…
Fix: Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine…
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.
Fix: 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…
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…
Fix: 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…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Escape, 2021-2023 Corsair, and 2022-2023 Maverick vehicles equipped with 2.5L HEV or PHEV engines that were repaired incorrectly under recall 23V380. In the event of an engine failure, engine oil and…
Fix: Owners are advised to park and shut off the engine as quickly as possible if they hear unexpected engine noises, notice a reduction in vehicle power, or see smoke. Dealers will update the powertrain…
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.
Fix: 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 Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2024 Ford Escape, and 2021-2024 Lincoln Corsair vehicles. A manufacturing defect in one or more of the high voltage battery cells may result in an internal short circuit and battery failure.
Fix: Owners are advised not to charge battery till the remedy has been completed. Dealers will perform a battery energy control module (BECM) software update, and replace the high voltage battery pack,…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2025 Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, 2020-2024 Escape, Lincoln Corsair, 2018-2024 F-150, Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The air bag warning label may be missing from the dashboard. As such, these…
Fix: Ford will mail owners the warning labels, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 19, 2024. Owners may call Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2022-2024 Maverick, 2020-2022 Escape, and 2021-2022 Lincoln Corsair vehicles. The Hybrid Powertrain Control Module (HPCM) software may cause the vehicle to shift into neutral unexpectedly, causing a loss of…
Fix: Dealers will update the HPCM software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 22, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Escape, 2022-2023 Maverick, and 2021-2023 Corsair vehicles equipped with 2.5L HEV or PHEV engines. In the event of an engine failure, engine oil and fuel vapor may be released into the engine…
Fix: Owners are advised to park and shut off the engine as quickly as possible if they hear unexpected engine noises, notice a reduction in vehicle power, or see smoke. Dealers will replace the engine…
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.
Fix: 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…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Escape, 2021-2022 Lincoln Corsair, and 2022 Maverick vehicles equipped with 2.5L HEV or PHEV engines. In the event of an engine failure, engine oil and fuel vapor may be released into the engine…
Fix: Owners are advised to park and shut off the engine as quickly as possible if they hear unexpected engine noises, notice a reduction in vehicle power, or see smoke. Dealers will modify the under…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Escape and 2021-2022 Bronco Sport vehicles equipped with 1.5L engines. The engine oil separator housing may crack and develop an oil leak.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the oil separator for damage or oil leaks, and replace the oil separator and seals, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 18, 2022. Owners…
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.
Fix: 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…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Bronco Sport and Escape vehicles. The rear brake linings may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can affect braking performance. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of…
Fix: Dealers will replace the front brake pads, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 17, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling one 2021 Escape vehicle equipped with a 2.5L hybrid powertrain. The high voltage battery may fail, resulting in a sudden loss of drive power.
Fix: A dealer will replace the high voltage battery, free of charge. The owner notification letters were mailed December 1, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's…
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.
Fix: 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…
Federal defect investigations
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2021 Ford Escape reliable?
The 2021 Ford Escape drew 451 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 12/100, scored against the model's worst year (2013).
What are the most common 2021 Ford Escape problems?
The top reported problems for the 2021 Ford Escape are body & structure (91 complaints), fuel system (69), and other (56).
At what mileage do 2021 Ford Escape problems show up?
Owners most often report 2021 Ford Escape problems around 39,350 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 16,000 and 70,000 miles.
Does the 2021 Ford Escape have recalls?
19 recall campaigns apply to the 2021 Ford Escape. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.