2022 Ford Escape Hybrid Engine Problems

On 20 July 2026, my 2022 Ford Escape HEV caught fire in the engine compartment while parked. The vehicle is likely a total loss (insurance pending). On-site emergency personnel responded within minutes of the fire and the local fire department was on scene within 5 minutes of the 911 call. They cleared the incident (and d/c the 12V) within 32 minutes of arrival. Detroit Fire Department Incident: 202620101471. This vehicle was subject to Ford Safety Recall 23S27 and Customer Satisfaction Program 23N06, which address a manufacturing defect in the 2.5L HEV/PHEV engine. Under that recall, connecting rod bearing journals were not properly finished, causing premature bearing and engine failure that can release engine oil and fuel vapor into the under-hood area resulting in a fire. The recall remedy was completed on my vehicle, as were all customer satisfaction program campaigns. The dealer performed the PCM software update, which is intended to detect early signs of bearing failure through diagnostic trouble codes (P1061 and P032F) so the failure can be caught before an engine breach occurs. The engine long block was NOT replaced. Under Ford's own criteria, long block replacement was only authorized if the vehicle exhibited loud metal-to-metal clanking noises, a loss of torque, or the associated diagnostic codes. Dealership personnel assured me an engine light would illuminate and I would have time to safely move the vehicle to the side of the road. My vehicle did not have any warnings: no clanking, loss of torque, or leaks-no diagnostic warnings of any kind before the fire. The recall remedy did not prevent the exact failure it was designed to prevent--Ford's response was inadequate to protect owners. My NHTSA VIN lookup shows no open recalls. I completed every recall and CSP Ford issued. I have complete dealer service records for this vehicle, photos of the damage, hi-res surveillance video is saved at work, as well. The vehicle is intact and has not been salvaged.

NHTSA ID

11752612

Incident

Jul 20, 2026

This defect has resulted in multiple vehicle shutdowns while in operation, significantly increasing the risk of a crash. Additionally, Ford has identified a potential risk of battery thermal venting, which could lead to a vehicle fire, further endangering my safety and that of others on the road. Ford has advised not to charge the vehicle, further limiting its functionality and reliability. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes, Stevens 112 Ford has confirmed that the vehicle is experiencing high-voltage battery failure, consistent with the recall. However, they have also stated that Ford has not developed a solution to repair this issue. Ford’s hotline has advised against any further repairs at this time. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others? The vehicle has been inspected and diagnosed by Stevens 112 Ford, who confirmed the issue. Ford’s technical hotline has been contacted, and they acknowledged the defect but advised against further repairs. No inspections by police or insurance representatives have taken place.

NHTSA ID

11648228

Incident

Dec 16, 2024

Egr coolant leak in the first 70k miles of driving the car this has been causing my check engine light to turn on and the problem is 'discovered' when the part is no longer covered by warranty.

NHTSA ID

11639693

Incident

Sep 19, 2024

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA ID

11621293

Incident

Sep 18, 2024

In March 7: Received vehicle alert from Ford PASS , "WARNING MESSAGE: SERVICE ENGINE SOON WARNING THE POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE HAS DETECTED THE ENGINE TIMING CHAINS EXCEEDED 95% OF THEIR USEFUL LIFE AND REQUIRES SERVICE NOW. THE CONTROL SYSTEM INVOKES A SYMPTOM OF LIMITED POWER" while I was driving in highway I5 at WA. The vehicle suddenly slow down itself and lost of acceleration. Took to the dealership ans they could not identified issue. Reset the code and returned the car back to me. In May 12: Same symptom happened again. Took to the dealership next day and the technician did see the issue since the Service Ranch icon was shown on the screen. The service advisor said they contacted Ford Engineering to see how to fix but no result. They reset the code and I brought the car back while they are still waiting form Ford engineering.

NHTSA ID

11590082

Incident

May 12, 2024

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V380000 (Engine) 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 and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID

11585427

Incident

Feb 15, 2024

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V380000 (Engine) 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 and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID

11584597

Incident

Apr 22, 2024

This recall has been out since May 26, 2023. This is a potentially dangerous situation. I am a [XXX] widower and my Ford Escape is my only means of transportation. If I were to have an engine fire I would be in trouble! Why is it almost a year and Ford cannot fix this problem? Any assistance that you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11584311

Incident

May 26, 2023

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V380000 (Engine) 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. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID

11580965

Incident

May 23, 2023

There is a significant amount of engine oil leak. Confirmed by an employee at auto zone. We were worries about the recall as it was exactly what the recall said, that the engine might explode. The problem confirmed at auto zone. We called the ford service center, they said the don't have this recall code in their system so they transferred the call to corporate office. the corporate office said someone will call us but nobody called.

NHTSA ID

11579359

Incident

Mar 24, 2024

From the NHTSA recall notes: May 26,2023 Manufacturer Recall Number23S27 NHTSA Recall Number23V380 Recall StatusRecall Incomplete, remedy not yet available Summary ON YOUR VEHICLE, THE ENGINE COULD FAIL PREMATURELY. IN THE EVENT OF AN ENGINE FAILURE, SIGNIFICANT QUANTITIES OF ENGINE OIL AND/OR FUEL VAPOR MAY BE RELEASED INTO THE UNDER HOOD ENVIRONMENT AND MAY MIGRATE TO AND/OR ACCUMULATE NEAR IGNITION SOURCES. ENGINE FAILURE IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE LOUD NOISES EXAMPLE METAL-TO-METAL CLANK AUDIBLE TO THE VEHICLES OCCUPANTS. AN ENGINE FAILURE WILL ALSO RESULT IN A REDUCTION IN AVAILABLE ENGINE POWER. Safety Risk ENGINE OIL AND/OR FUEL VAPOR THAT ACCUMULATES NEAR A COMBUSTIBLE SOURCE MAY IGNITE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A FIRE. Remedy FORD MOTOR COMPANY IS WORKING CLOSELY WITH ITS SUPPLIERS TO DEVELOP A REMEDY FOR THIS REPAIR. WHEN THE REMEDY BECOMES AVAILABLE, FORD MOTOR COMPANY WILL NOTIFY YOU VIA MAIL TO SCHEDULE A SERVICE APPOINTMENT WITH YOUR DEALER FOR REPAIRS TO BE COMPLETED FREE OF CHARGE PARTS AND LABOR. THE REMEDY IS ANTICIPATED TO BE AVAILABLE BY OCTOBER 2023. As of 2/26/24, Ford has still not released a remedy to this safety-related recall.

NHTSA ID

11573944

Incident

May 26, 2023

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V380000 (Engine) 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 made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID

11573638

Incident

Feb 23, 2024

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V380000 (Engine) 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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID

11569321

Incident

May 26, 2023

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V380000 (Engine) 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 contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID

11566494

Incident

May 26, 2023

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V380000 (Engine) 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. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID

11564945

Incident

Jan 11, 2024

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V380000 (Engine) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue 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.

NHTSA ID

11564110

Incident

Jun 1, 2023

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V380000 (Engine) 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 and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID

11562327

Incident

Jun 23, 2023

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V380000 (Engine) 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. VIN tool confirms there were 1 recall at this time. The contact did not attempt to file the complaint online.

NHTSA ID

11562126

Incident

Dec 27, 2023

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V380000 (Engine) 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 and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID

11561342

Incident

Dec 21, 2023

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V380000 (Engine) 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 and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID

11561086

Incident

Dec 20, 2023

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V38000 (Engine) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer and a secondary dealer, Kearny Mesa Kia (7303 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, San Diego, CA 92111) were 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. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID

11558747

Incident

Dec 6, 2023

This vehicle has had the same recall for under hood fire risk two or three times. I have taken it in for all recalls but this one cannot be resolved. I contacted Ford in October and asked for help. I cannot get it fixed, I cannot sell the vehicle and now I’m scared to continue driving it. Ford refused to buy it back and I feel this has gone in long enough. Please help me fight Ford and get this resolved! Thank you.

NHTSA ID

11557539

Incident

Oct 21, 2023

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V380000 (Engine) 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. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID

11557067

Incident

Nov 27, 2023

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V380000 (Engine) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue 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.

NHTSA ID

11553778

Incident

Aug 1, 2023

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V380000 (Engine) 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 contact stated while his wife was driving approximately 65-70 MPH, the low oil pressure message illuminated. The vehicle experienced reduced engine power with unknown messages and warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that white smoke was coming from the vehicle. The driver coasted to the side of the road and became aware that there was oil leaking out of the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 30,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID

11553209

Incident

Jul 3, 2023

Mileage

30,000 mi