RoadVitals

2026 Ford Escape PHEV

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

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.
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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.
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Latest Feb 17, 2026
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.
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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.
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Overview

Our database contains no NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2026 Ford Escape PHEV. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 2 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.

Safety recalls

1 campaign cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
26V091000

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY

Feb 17, 2026
25,237 units potentially affected
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2022-2026 Ford Escape and 2023-2026 Lincoln Corsair plug-in hybrid vehicles. A manufacturing defect in one or more of the high voltage battery cells may result in an internal short circuit and battery failure.
The risk: Battery failure can cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash. Battery failure can also increase the risk of a fire.
The remedy: Dealers will update the battery energy control module (BECM) and hybrid powertrain control module (HPCM) software, free of charge. Owners are advised to only use "Auto EV" mode and will be instructed by mail to limit the maximum charge of the battery until the remedy has been completed. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, and instructions to limit the maximum charge of the battery were mailed February 26, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SC4. This recall expands previous recall numbers 24V954 and 25V489. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on February 18, 2026.
Ford Motor CompanyManufacturer number 25SC4View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

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

No owner complaints recorded for this model year

Either none have been filed with NHTSA, or this vehicle is too new for reports to have accumulated.

Manufacturer communications

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

SSM 54610

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Some 2025-2026 Escape/Corsair PHEV only vehicles built on 21-Jul-2025 and through 27-Oct-2025 may exhibit an intermittent no crank/no start condition with an illuminated MIL and Service Engine Soon message in the message center with diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) P1A42:00 and/or P1A0F:87 or stored in the battery energy control module (BECM). This may be due to the software in the gateway module (GWM). Reprogramming or replacing the secondary on-board diagnostic module-C (SOBDMC) or the BECM will not resolve this condition. For vehicles that exhibit this condition, download and run the "GWM - Gateway Module A (GWM) Software Update" application using the latest version of the Ford Diagnosis and Repair System (FDRS). For claiming use causal part 14G490 and labor operations 12651D and 12651D4.

ECG2-26.DC Escape

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

"Quality improvements include: -Enhanced Central Gateway calibration update to address a false warning light triggered after unplugging the vehicle from the charger"

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 PHEV by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2026Viewing010—
2025310—
2024420—
2023102054.8
2022782044.3
2021201037.1
2020110—

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.