RoadVitals

2021 Ford Escape PHEV Engine Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Engine reportsComplaints 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.
8
Latest May 3, 2024
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
40%
of 20 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
1
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
1

What this page shows

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2021 Ford Escape PHEV submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 reports on file name it.

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

Owner reports naming engine

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Engine
Filed May 3, 2024
Crash reported1 injury reported

The contact owned a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH and attempting to slow the vehicle, he became dizzy then suddenly fainted, and as a result, he briefly lost control of the vehicle and came to a complete stop after colliding with the curb. Just prior to fainting, the contact had smelled burning fumes in the interior of the vehicle, to which he attributed his feeling of dizziness. The air bags did deploy. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and deemed a total loss by the contact's insurance provider. A police report was filed, and injuries were reported. The contact was transported to an area hospital by EMT, where they performed various tests, including 2 CAT scans, a heart ultrasound, a pacemaker test, and blood work. Furthermore, the contact was treated for intestinal inflammation due to the seatbelt. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V380000 (Engine), and the VIN was included, but he was made aware that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 29,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ID
11586824
Incident
May 3, 2024
Mileage
29,000 mi
Engine
Filed Feb 15, 2024

My family was driving on the highway to a sports event when the engine started making a high revving sound. We were driving up a hill at around 70mph and in response to the engine noise, slowed the vehicle to a stop and turned off the engine. The vehicle was towed to a Ford service center where we were told that the engine was completely out of oil and had been destroyed. We did not get any alerts or warnings from the vehicle prior to the high revving sound. According to Ford recall 23S27 and NHTSA recall 23V380, this is a known issue and could have put our family at significant risk. We spoke to many people at Ford but they denied warranty coverage due to "improper oil filter installation". We were without our vehicle for 2 months before we decided to have another mechanic give an estimate and complete the repairs. The repair was a full engine replacement costing $7,000+. Ford has since refused to reimburse us for the repair costs. The incident occurred on 10/6/23 with around 52,000 miles. The vehicle was purchased new on 10/24/21.

NHTSA ID
11572182
Incident
Oct 6, 2023
Engine
Filed Feb 11, 2024

I received a recall notice for my vehicle in June 2023 for an engine issue that could result in engine failure, including fire (recall 22V380), in which I was told to expect parts to be available for a repair in October 2023. I have placed follow-up calls with the Ford dealership and am still being told the parts for the repair are not available and there is no updated expected time for parts to be available. At this point, it has been about 8 months since receiving notice of the recall and Ford has no knowledge of when a repair may be available. This complaint is specifically regarding the lack of information and repair available regarding this recall.

NHTSA ID
11571342
Incident
Jun 1, 2023
ElectricalEngine
Filed Jan 29, 2024

The contact owns a 2021 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 contact stated that the vehicle occasionally failed to start. The contact also stated that while driving at 20-25 MPH, the vehicle shutoff unintendedly. The vehicle was coasted to the side of the road and restarted; however, the "Check Engine" warning light was illuminated. The failure had occurred approximately 3 to 4 times. The dealer was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the battery had failed. The battery was replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact had not experienced a failure. The failure mileage was 32,200. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID
11568568
Incident
Jan 29, 2023
Mileage
32,200 mi
Engine
Filed Jan 9, 2024

The contact owns a 2021 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
11564422
Incident
Jan 9, 2024
Engine
Filed Dec 14, 2023

Ford issued a recall #23V380. I received a notification letter from Ford back in June 2023. To this date, Ford has not offered a resolution to this problem. I do not feel safe having a vehicle that can catch fire either driving, or in my driveway/garage. Ford needs to step up and either refund customers their money, or replace the engines in these cars ASAP. Ford has a bad product here and this is unacceptable on their behalf.

NHTSA ID
11560037
Incident
Jun 1, 2023
Engine
Filed Sep 8, 2023

The contact owns a 2021 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 and confirmed that the part 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 and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID
11543368
Incident
Sep 8, 2023
AirbagsEngineSeat belts
Filed Jun 3, 2023

The car shakes while the car is in idle. The car displays an illuminated crossed out child car seat and the word “on”. These two alerts do not turn off. Even though there is no one seated in a back and two adults are seated in the front seats. It also leaks fluid. I have an appointment with a ford dealer this Tuesday and I already contacted the ford corporate office. #CA********

NHTSA ID
11525162
Incident
May 18, 2023

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .