2023 Ford Escape PHEV Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2023 Ford Escape PHEV, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Electrical787.5%
- Fuel system112.5%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
Purchased a 2023 Ford escape PHEV in May 2023. In January 2025, a safety recall 24S79, Ford explicitly instructed owners to immediately stop plugging in their vehicles and to avoid using external charging cables entirely. Then in February of 2026 after a year not being able to charge, recall 25SC4 was issued, advising owners to limit charging to a maximum of 80% capacity and operate exclusively in "Auto EV" mode. For 18+ months this vehicle has not been able to operate as advertised.
The contact owns a 2023 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle became inoperable. The vehicle was jump-started and the vehicle operated as intended. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V789000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available, and the contact associated the failure with the recall. The local dealer was contacted, and the battery was replaced. 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 advised the contact not to charge the vehicle to full capacity to avoid the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 12,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
The Vehicle's Emission Control System has detected a restricted fuel vapor tube between the fuel tank pressure sensor and the fuel tank which could result in a fire. Service Engine Soon Warning
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .