RoadVitals

2023 Ford Escape Hybrid

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
22
Latest Jun 17, 2025
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
2
2 injuries, 0 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 22 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2023 Ford Escape Hybrid, most frequently naming the electrical, driver assistance and engine categories. 14 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Electrical1145.8%
  • Driver assistance416.7%
  • Engine312.5%
  • Interior & seats312.5%
  • Powertrain (other)14.2%
  • Exterior lighting14.2%
  • Brakes14.2%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Filed Jun 17, 2025
1 injury reported

Ear piercing sound coming from what appears to be the stereo speaker system. It was so loud it felt like it blew out my ear drums by the time I got it turned off. Days later my ears are still ringing with intermittent headaches. I have scheduled a warranty service with the local ford dealership. There was no warning and started as soon as I started the car. No one has inspected the vehicle. This took place on 6/14/2025.

NHTSA ID
11667568
Incident
Jun 14, 2025
Filed May 21, 2025

Bad battery. Yes, the dealership did replace the 12V battery, however since I do not drive often, and not 60 miles a day. I was advised to install a battery maintainer, which I should have been told at the time of purchase. However, how inconvenient as I will have a power cord in the driveway, and I would have to connect and disconnect the battery maintainer, which to me is a safety issue. I see online Ford has had these problems with their battery. Is Ford doing anything about this problem to ensure this type of problem is fixed? I purchased a new vehicle so I would not have problems.

NHTSA ID
11662421
Incident
May 8, 2025
Electrical
Filed Apr 28, 2025

The contact owns a 2023 Ford Escape Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle suddenly switched from hybrid to gasoline and started to lose motive power. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the failure persisted. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V954000 (Electrical System); the VIN was included, but parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 8,000.

NHTSA ID
11657199
Incident
Apr 26, 2025
Mileage
8,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Feb 5, 2025

The lane keeping system in my 2023 ford escape hybrid platinum keeps me too far to the left. When driving the lane keeping system keeps me too close to the center lane marker. I believe it is a potential safety issue for my car to be so close to the left side lane marker, often with the edge of my rear view mirror only inches from the left side lane marker. My local ford dealer says the lane keeping system can not be recalibrated to center the vehicle about 6 inches more to the right (passenger) side to provide a lager safety buffer on the left side of the car. I believe the lane keeping system should be capable of being calibrated.

NHTSA ID
11640805
Incident
Feb 5, 2025
Electrical
Filed Dec 28, 2024

It seems to be the hybrid battery, it does not hold a charge, our safety or others are not affected it is the hassle of having to jump start your vehicle when it happens. This is a 2023 Escape Hybrid. The dealer had it towed and tried to figure it out but could not. They said that Ford is aware of the problem but have no fix. So we have been charged for the use of remote features but can not use them, on the window sticker. I have heard others that have put in the bigger battery and it solved the problem but Ford will not reimburse you because it is not a recall. We were told we have to drive the car for at least an hour every day to keep the battery charged, we also get this message every day, Remote features disabled to preserve battery, We have got that message since 1 week after the purchase. I don't know if anyone else has reported this problem, but on the complaint sites when it is googled it pops up with everyone's frustration with the problem and ford. They do not seem to care about the problem

NHTSA ID
11632890
Incident
Oct 16, 2023
Electrical
Filed Dec 27, 2024

The contact owns a 2023 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the low battery warning was illuminated. The contact stated many of the safety features such as the blind spot warning, Electronic Stability Control, and other unknown warnings were illuminated and indicated that the features were disabled. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that there was no failure of the 12V battery. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact had researched online and read that the 12V battery was not able to power all of the safety features for the same year, make, and model. The contact stated that the failure was recurring. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 16,000.

NHTSA ID
11632663
Incident
Aug 20, 2024
Mileage
16,000 mi
Filed Dec 27, 2024

Popping sound coming under body around gas tank and hybrid battery. Dealerships knows the problem but has not come up a solution to resolve it. They know it’s most common problem with 2020 to 2024 models. The noise is big deal that u can hear it over the radio. I fear that will fall off and cause accidents or hurt someone’s. The problem start when you go past 35 miles hour or more.

NHTSA ID
11632590
Incident
Dec 1, 2024
Electrical
Filed Dec 11, 2024

The contact owns a 2023 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the Lane Assist, Forward Collision Avoidance, and other safety features intermittently failed to operate as needed with various messages displayed. The dealer was notified of the failure, and a diagnostic test was performed; the contact was informed that the Hybrid battery had failed to operate at full capacity which caused to the failures. The contact was informed that there was no remedy for the failure. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 8,000.

NHTSA ID
11630126
Incident
Oct 14, 2024
Mileage
8,000 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

SSM 54808

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; EXTERIOR LIGHTING

The instrument panel cluster (IPC) in 2023-2026 Escape and 2025-2026 Maverick hybrid vehicles has a power gauge section on the left side of the display. This power gauge section has a white or gray engine icon that is specifically used to indicate when the vehicle is operating in a specific hybrid mode. The white or gray engine icons are a normal function of the vehicles hybrid display and do not indicate that there is a malfunction and no service actions are necessary to address it. The Owners Manual and Workshop Manual, Section 413-01 > Description and Operation are expected to be updated by the end of Q2 2026.

SSM 54631

ENGINE

Some 2020-2026 Escape and 2022-2026 Maverick 2.5L Duratec hybrid vehicles may require various repairs on the exhaust system. This may require removal of the exhaust heat exchanger. WSM, Section 309-00 Exhaust System > 2.5L Duratec hybrid > Removal and Installation > Exhaust Heat Exchanger has been revised to eliminate the need to remove the muffler assembly. The procedure steps and labor times have been updated to reflect this adjustment.

24N19

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Certain 2020-2024 Model Year Escape and 2021-2024 Model Year Corsair Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) – High Voltage Battery Replacement

SSM 53352

When replacing the 12V battery on 2022-2025 Escape hybrid vehicles, download and run the Battery Type Configuration application using the latest version of the Ford Diagnostic and Repair System (FDRS) scan tool.

SSM 52773

2023-2024 F-150/Escape/Explorer/Maverick and 2024 Nautilus vehicles equipped with a full hybrid electric vehicle (FHEV) powertrain may exhibit diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0A7D and/or P0DE6 and the vehicle identification number (VIN) is not recognized by the Midtronics xRC-3363 High Voltage Battery Rescue Charger. This may be due to the software level of the Midtronics xRC-3363 High Voltage Battery Rescue Charger.

TSB 24-2078

POWER TRAIN

This article supersedes TSB 23-2244 to add 2024 model year. Some 2020-2024 Escape hybrid vehicles equipped with a 2.5L (FHEV) full hybrid electric vehicle powertrain and 4-wheel drive (4WD) may exhibit a grinding or rubbing noise while braking at or below 10 mph (16 km/h) from the front of the vehicle. This may be due to an inadequate gap between the driveshaft and the heat shield. To correct this condition, follow the Service Procedure to diagnose and position the heat shield away from the driveshaft.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Ford Escape Hybrid by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2026000
2025000
2024400
2023Viewing220041.1
2022660144.3
20211201247.3
20202831244.6
2013504
2012150246.3
2011370349.0
2010590341.4
20091530344.4
20084430341.7
20071240237.4
20062190239.5
20051780238.0

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.