NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2020 Ford Escape. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
The auto stop, occasionally has a fault in the system and will stop auto braking at a stop light. This is going to cause someone to get into an accident
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that when she opened the driver’s side door, she heard an abnormal popping sound. The contact stated that the door hinge had separated from the door frame. The contact stated that she could no longer roll the window down. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the door needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 109,000.
Front Driver side door, door check is broken. Issue identified by dealership after taking it for evaluation. Per dealer, entire door needs to be replaced.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V859000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the "All-Wheel Drive Not Available", "Windshield Wiper Level Low", "Pre- Collision Assist Not Available", and "Hill Start Assist Not Available" messages were displayed on the instrument panel. The dealer was notified of the failure and an appointment was scheduled for a diagnostic test. Upon investigation, the contact discovered a Customer Satisfaction Program for the all-wheel drive which he linked to the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 54,000.
The weld spots inside the drivers side door control arm snapped resulting in the door barely being usable
I bought the car in February, 2021. 11 months later the rear shocks had both failed and were replaced by dealer on 01/13/2022, at 9572 miles. One year later the shocks have again failed! Ford has refused to cover them under warranty, claiming that shock failure in one year is normal wear. This is a severe safety issue that affects vehicle handling and it needs to be addressed.
The check arm door makes a strong creaking/cracking sound as the door is opened and closed. This is believed to be due to cracked spot welds in the check arm assembly. It creates an inability to roll down the window all day and I fear further damage if this is unable to be fixed through a recall.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the front driver's side door made an abnormal popping sound while opening and then failed to close. Additionally, the front driver's side window failed to roll up. Upon inspection, the contact noticed that the welding on the front driver's side door bracket was faulty, causing the bracket to detach. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, and the contact was referred to the collision center. The vehicle was then towed to the collision center, where it was diagnosed that the front driver's side door needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000.
I heard a series of loud pops coming from the vicinity of my driver door hinges, while inside the vehicle with the door closed, over the course of several days. I could not identify exactly where they came from until the driver door stopped operating properly. Upon inspection I could see several small holes in the front inside edge of the driver door and after comparing them to the passenger side door they were clearly the location of spot welds holding the check arm inside the door. I took the vehicle to the dealer and was informed that they expected me to pay out of pocket to repair this obvious material defect. I then contacted Ford Customer Relations and was again informed that Ford would offer no remedy for this problem. The complaint number assigned by Ford is CAS-42808154-Y3S6L2. This is a clear safety concern because my driver door no longer operates correctly. The driver window also no longer operates. The door swings wildly without the stability of the check arm and often fails to latch properly when closing. As of the time of filing this complaint, I have not conducted any repair of the defective door because I cannot afford to do so at this time. This means that the problem is still completely available for inspection should anyone desire to do so.
The entire dash goes black while driving. I've called the dealership and they just say "yeah its known for that". Then they say if it keeps happening to let them look at it. This is very dangerous going down a highway at high speeds. Please look into this. It's happened 2 times now
My main car display is dying and it’s also my way into the car, diagnostic reporting and navigation. Navigating is harder with out main display freezing or not working at all. Also my blind spot sensor goes off at random times in which nobody had a answer for me on a fix for that.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon opening the driver's side, the door fractured. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the spot weld on the driver's side door had fractured from the inside. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and provided a case number. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 39,976.
I opened the driver side door after returning home and heard some kind of popping sound, kind of like something in the door was catching on something else and then I opened the door more to see three holes on the door near the middle hinge. I opened the door all the way to get out and am now unable to close the door because the hinge is completely broken. I googled it and have seen other people have this same issue from only opening the door. I have no idea how to even close the door.
I have been the only driver/owner since May of 2020. Vehicle has not been in any type of accident. 2020 Ford Escape has approximately 18,000 miles. I did purchase (bumper to bumper) warranty. Vehicle is scheduled for service on July 10, 2023. Ford dealerships are understaffed and can only service vehicles on urgency of issue or issues. July date was soonest and was from the 3rd Ford dealership I called. Issues started on May 13, 2023. While vehicle is parked and while it’s being driven, the following warnings occur: •AWD Off •AWD Service Required •Powertrain Malfunction •Powertrain Service Required •Pre-collision Assist Not Available •Service Advance Trac •See Manual •Passenger window opens/closes on its own When vehicle is in park: •Power Lift-gate opens halfway or does not open •Doors unlock and lock on their own
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the gear shifter was shifted into reverse(R), but the vehicle failed to respond. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the electronic selectable one-way clutch (SOWC), was replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to a second dealer, Schicker Ford of St. Louis (3300 S Kingshighway Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63139) where the electronic selectable one-way clutch (SOWC) was replaced a second time; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the second dealer, where it was determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 52,189.
When putting vehicle into reverse the gears jump and there is an gear malfunction warning that appears on my screen. The car jumps and jerks several times. Also, when car is in drive whether it is at a stop or driving, the car starts to shudder like it's about to stall- ESPECIALLY when idling or at a stop.
I was in an accident on March 18 around 10 pm eastern time. I was t-boned and the side air bag never deployed. I have also since had issues with my powertrain light coming on and the vehicle loosing power.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V859000 (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 not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
The door weld on drivers side door cracked and became unwelded and door will only open partically and win dow does not operate to go down SSM 50150 - 2020-2021 Escape - Cracked Or Broken Spot Welds In The Left Front Door At The Check Arm Attachment Points In The Door Assembly Some 2020-2021 Escape vehicles may exhibit cracks or broken spot welds in the left front door at the check arm attachment point in the door assembly. The door assembly and door check arm replacement is the appropriate repair for this condition. Refer to the parts catalog and Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 501-03 as required to complete the repair. For claiming, use casual part 7823552 and the applicable labor operations of Section 12 and 13 of the Service Lab Took to McRee Ford and they stated not covered under extended warrant and I have to pay over 1100.00 to repair. This is Clearly a FORD defective workmanship and repairs need to be covered by Ford.
Driver door suddenly began making a very loud sound when opening and shutting as if the hinge is going to break.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while opening the front driver’s side door, there was a loud cracking sound was present. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the door welding had fractured and needed to be rewelded. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 40,317.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the driver’s side door hinge welds were cracking, and the hinge appeared to be detaching from the frame. The contact stated that the door was not opened completely for fear of the hinge shearing off and not being able to close the door. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the driver's side door needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 56,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon exiting the vehicle, he attempted to open the front driver's side door, and the door latch weld cracked. As a result, the front driver’s side door failed to open. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it remained and was diagnosed and determined that the front driver’s side door needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not yet been repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000. The VIN was unavailable.
2020 Ford Escape - 3 Broken Spot Welds In The Left Front driver Door At The Check Arm Attachment Points In The door assembly. The door swings wide open. Just broken off on their own. Nothing stops door now bc arm limiter is detached off. Can see 3 obvious Welding holes that broke off. Closing door is very difficult bc broken arm is in way. Makes cracking clicking sounds. Window will not go down now either.
The drivers side door hinge broke and the window no longer rolls down. When I took it to the dealership they told me the weld on the hinge broke, that it was not covered under warranty, and that I would need a whole new door. It is the middle hinge that stabilizes the door and stops the top two hinges from becoming damaged. My door is still functional (despite making a very loud popping noise when opening) but the first time it gets opened too hard or far the top or bottom hinge is going to bend. This will result in the door not being able to latch correctly or at all. If it does latch there is a chance it doesn't open if they hinges are bent. They did not diagnose the window. Upon looking online this is a common issue with 2020 Escapes. The part (hinge) did not fail; their weld did. My vehicle currently has 50,400 miles.
In March my driver’s side door starting popping or squeaking. I thought my door needed oil. I didn’t call the dealership because was going on vacation and was going to get it oiled when I returned since my car would just be in the garage. I came home mid April and it was much worse. I was finally able to get in and told it is SSM50150 and that the weld broke and my door needed replaced. My car turned 3 years old on April 11th ( under 31,000 miles), so since I was two weeks past my warranty, it wouldn’t be covered and would be about $3500 to fix. In addition, I tried to use my lift gate to put something in back a few days ago, and it went up and came slamming down nearly in my head. I rarely use the back and am not sure when I tried it last. I was told today that both motors for the lift gate needed to be replaced because one was badly corroded and the other was cracked. This car is not even 37 months old, not even 31,000 miles, and it needs a complete door replaced and 2 motors on the lift gate??? This is not right at all, and Ford said sorry, your warranty ended 2 weeks ago!
drivers door started making a grinding metal on metal noise and no longer able to lower drivers window. took vehicle to local ford dealer for known recall and mentioned problem to service writer. 30 minutes later was told to pick up car drivers door problem requires door replacement by a collision shop for broken welds in door and recall part is back ordered 2-3 months. Googled door problem and see it is a well known manufacturing defect in this model. Problem makes it difficult to pay tolls, use a parking ramp, or anything that requires opening window without exiting vehicle.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while opening the front driver's side door, the door would swing open. The contact stated that the door welds had fractured and were no longer attached to the door frame. Additionally, the front driver's side window would not roll down and the door could no longer be securely locked because of the failure. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 50,000.
Broken Drivers side Front Door Check Arm Attachment. Door made a popping sound and dealership states that it is a common problem with this model. This happened without accident or unusual circumstances.
Check arm welds on door are faulty, and the welds break.
Driver side door will make a loud clank everytime you open the door as if it is coming off the hinge. The driver side window will no longer go down properly. The driver side door lock won't open with the key fab but the key only. I took it to ford to be fixed under warranty and they tried to say it wasn't their problem and it isn't covered. They said it was in an accident and it wasn't.They said I had to have the whole door welded back together. I have seen numerous people with this same problem on the same 2020 escape. Are our doors falling off gonna be enough of a safety issue? This started last month.
My vehicle is one of the 2020 Ford Escapes with the broken spot welds on the door control arm. I can no longer operate the driver-side window and Ford wants $2500 to replace the door.
Car drove with no key for 16 miles down the highway. Two keys were confirmed that they were at our house and not in the vehicle. Spouse realized no key was present after going to Target and trying to start the vehicle to return home. The key was initially about 25 feet away in our laundry room (away from garage). Failure of push-start button initially.
AWD Fault Service Required popped up on screen. Which Then resulted in others system failures such as auto start. Stop cruise control emergency breaking. I was within manufacturer powertrain warranty, but was told it was not covered under the powertrain warranty.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V859000 (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 not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
AWD Fault Service Required message on screen which then triggered multiple other warning messages such as auto start and stop disabled, traction control is disabled, AWD is no.longer functional and neither is my cruise control. Ford already had a recall because of this issue but mine was not included. I tried to do a powertrain warranty claim but they said The AWD modual isn't part of the powertrain.
I contacted the Ted Russell Dealership in Knoxville Tennessee in regards to a recall. I was informed that Ford was no longer sending our parts and that the dealership would not do the repair. I asked if they would be receiving parts and they said they didn’t know. I was frustrated to find I was suppose to just keep the recall. I called another dealership who was much more helpful and said that was no true.
Drivers door began popping when opened or being closed. Looked at door and the spot welds on door check attachment point were broken out. We had our local dealer inspect and were told that they were aware of several that were broken in our local area. They also stated one of the cars was sent to a local body shop and repaired. New door and door check. All was paid by Ford. A second came in not long after and they sent it in for repair (same dealer same body shop) and Ford will not pay(reimburse) dealer for completed repairs. Ford knows there is a problem. Apparently they don't want to fix it. I put screws in our door to temporarily fix the problem because we were afraid the check bracket could cut the wiring inside door or get hung up inside the door causing the door to be inoperable. Our car had about 68000 miles on it when it was first noticed.
On 04/18/2023 around 8pm, I drove to a local Dollar General and parked my car. Once parked I opened my driver door to get out and heard a popping noise and the door felt weird when opening. I thought for a second something was caught in the door causing it to sound that way an cause difficulty opening. After looking and not seeing anything caught in the door I got out of the car and went into the store. Upon returning I opened my driver door to get in and the door felt stiff opening and you could hear the loud popping sound still. I got inside the vehicle and closed the driver door; however, closing the door was difficult. I called my mom, who works in a Ford dealership's service department, and told her what was happening while I drove home. I put her on speaker phone as I got out so she could hear the way the door sounded when opening and closing. She told me to stop using the vehicle until I could bring it into the dealership the next morning. When I brought the vehicle in I tried letting my window down during the drive and noticed that now my driver side window was having difficulty going up and down. My mileage at the the time was 37,482. My car has never been in a wreck or had any body damage occur. I purchased an extended warranty which will cover fixing the window now malfunctioning, but not the welding issues that has caused the door to not work properly. Upon researching on the internet this is a problem many Ford 2020 Escape owner's have experienced. Some have reported that the window issue is in direct correlation to the door hinge issue. It astounds me that if so many complaints have been made why is Ford not responding and aiding in getting these cars fixed?
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while opening the front driver’s side door, the three rivets from the door punctured through the door. After the failure it was discovered that the front driver’s side window would not operate as designed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 46,000.
I received a Safety recall notice in February 2023. I immediately called to schedule an appointment to have the work done. Upon driving to the dealership, I was told that they needed to order the part from Ford Co. and it would take a month to receive the part. I again called the dealership after 5 weeks had passed, and again they told me that Ford is not making the part available, when the Recall notice clearly states that it has. The dealership cannot give me any time frame that this part would be available, Ford Co. has not answered my email or phone requests. Can you assist me in this, I am driving a vehicle that could catch on fire.
2020 ford escape. 2021 had recall on rear axle. Was supposed to be fixed. Now at 61k miles and both rear hubs are shot due to recall from 2021
I have a 2020 Ford Escape SEL edition. Purchased new from dealership in 2021. It was approx 720pm on Thursday 4/13/23. I was driving in Orlando. It was clear weather. No cars were around me and I did not go under an overpass. All of a sudden, I heard a big explosion sound, like a gun shot. I immediately pulled over and took photos and a video of the giant hole in the moon roof. There was no evidence of a strike. On Friday, I took the vehicle to safelite and they said they don’t do repairs but they vacuumed out the glass, said they did not see any foreign object and put a crash wrap over it to protect from elements until I could figure out what to do. The vehicle has 35,000 miles on it. I took to a Ford Service Body Shop to have it repaired under warranty. Ford denied my claim, but never contacted me for questions. This defect should be covered under warranty as it was a simultaneous occurrence with no apparent reason for the explosion. I have previously taken the vehicle to at least two different dealerships the first time one month after I purchased the vehicle. for a total of three occasions concerned about weird thumping/flapping sound coming from the roof of the vehicle since I’ve purchased the vehicle. Each time, the mechanics said they couldn’t find anything wrong and didn’t hear the sound. Now this has happened. I’m lucky it didn’t cause me to wreck and to that, I’m glad my young daughter was not in the vehicle and that the sun shade was closed otherwise I would have had glass all over me. There was no other warning this would happen and it's a serious danger/risk to drivers.
My door all of a sudden started popping and now the window will not go down and the door will not lock. The welded spots to hold on the door henge thing is gone and the henge is free moving in the door but still attached to the frame.
Manufacturer Recall Number22S73 NHTSA Recall Number22V859 I received notice that a recall was necessary to prevent fire and/or injury. I scheduled an appointment for 4/10/23 at a Ford dealership. Soon after, I received notice from the dealership that the part was not available and would be ordered. On 6/8/23, I looked up the recall status on the NHTSA.gov website and it stated that "PARTS ARE NOW AVAILABLE TO REPAIR YOUR VEHICLE". At that time, I made a new appointment with the dealership and they called to let me know that the part was still not available. I just want to go on record as making several attempts to resolve this matter, should my vehicle cause a fire and/or injury. Thank you.
2020 Ford Escape has a broken spot weld in the drivers door. First the door would stick when opening and closing then it would not close. This cost us a tow to the dealership and from there to a collision shop. My warranty ran out on Feb. 27 this occurred in April on Easter Sunday. I contacted Ford support about the matter, several times, and wrote letters to the Ford Corporation because the cost of this repair should not fall on me this is a known problem to Ford. I have a copy of the paper work that Ford sent out to repair shops detailing the problem. This defect happened in the factory it was not caused by me. In order to close the driver's door I could only roll my window down a few inches. Every time I went to a drive through I had to open my door to do business, rain or shin and embarrassing. I asked the repair shop to help me with the window issue so they removed a part in the door. Now I have to hang on to the door when opening because it will fly open. This defect is a Ford defect and the consumer should not be held responsible. Since my car went to the shop they have had many others come in with same problem, if they are still under warranty door is paid for. But not mine! We even bought the EasyCare to cover future car trouble and guess what the inside of door not covered. I have notes and letters to show my attempt to get Ford to own up to their mistake They can afford it more than me.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while opening the driver's side door, she heard a loud popping sound. The contact stated that the door opened extremely wide. The contact stated that she entered the vehicle using the passenger’s side door because she was afraid that the door would not close properly. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact became aware that there was fluid underneath the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the rear shocks were leaking and needed to be replaced. The contact stated that approximately 20,000 miles later, while receiving a routine inspection, the dealer informed the contact that the rear shocks were leaking again and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and confirmed that the failure was not covered under recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 20,000.
Door guide hinge failed where the guide hinge is "welded" (glued) to the internal frame of the door, causing the door to sometimes not to close, window to stop lowering, and inoperable lock. Shockingly not covered under warranty