RoadVitals

2019 Ford Escape Body & structure Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the body or structure system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Body & structure 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.
10
Latest Jul 7, 2026
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.
2%
of 571 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.
4
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
2

What this page shows

Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2019 Ford Escape submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 10 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 body or structure

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

Body & structure
Filed Jul 7, 2026

Rear drivers side door latch suddenly will not latch. No damage noted. Simply closed the door after leaving the house, then tried to close it 8 minutes later and it wont latch.

NHTSA ID
11748803
Incident
Jul 2, 2026
AirbagsBody & structureElectrical
Filed May 7, 2026
Crash reported

The accident occurred while I was driving south on Highway 38 at approximately 45 mph. Another driver pulled forward into my path and did not appear to see my vehicle. I attempted to swerve to avoid a more serious collision and protect both drivers, but the front driver-side area of my vehicle struck the rear driver-side area of the other vehicle. The impact caused significant front-end damage to my vehicle, particularly on the driver-side/front corner. Despite the severity of the collision and damage, my airbags did not deploy. The other vehicle’s airbags did deploy during the crash. I am concerned that the airbag system, crash sensors, or related safety components may have failed to activate properly during the collision. Due to the speed of travel and force of impact, I believe the lack of airbag deployment placed my safety at risk and could have resulted in serious injury. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. At this time, I am requesting an investigation into why the airbags did not deploy during the crash.

NHTSA ID
11736443
Incident
May 6, 2026
Body & structure
Filed Feb 23, 2025
Fire reported

My truck burst into flames in the middle of the night while we were sleeping. Started under the hood. We have cameras and luckily it woke me up bc it almost caught my house on fire.

NHTSA ID
11644372
Incident
Feb 23, 2025
Body & structure
Filed May 13, 2024

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that over time the roof rack sealant failed causing water to enter the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was determined there was a leak due to the sealant failing to function caused by a manufacturer defect. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to reach out to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

NHTSA ID
11588527
Incident
Apr 22, 2024
Mileage
70,000 mi
Body & structureInterior & seats
Filed Jan 17, 2024

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, he observed that the rear door latch was separating from the door panel. The contact stated that the door was able to open, close, and lock as needed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was determined that the door assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened a case. The failure mileage was 57,598.

NHTSA ID
11566046
Incident
Dec 26, 2023
Mileage
57,598 mi
Body & structureBrakesOther / unspecified
Filed Oct 11, 2023
Crash reported

Car was parked in residential parking lot overnight. This morning I noticed my vehicle had rolled forward and hit a pole and the curb, cause front left damage to the fender, wheel and wheel hub assembly, and the brakes. Call is currently under recall due to a problem with the transmission slipping out of gear

NHTSA ID
11549404
Incident
Oct 11, 2023
Body & structure
Filed Dec 15, 2022

The driver's side rear door panel gets caught on the door frame and will only open a couple of inches unless force is used. The car has never been in an accident, and nothing has ever been shoved or forced against the door to cause this. There are MANY reports online of similar issues with the Escape (https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/Discussion-t66217_ds936400, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaP7DcfkJ9g, https://community.cartalk.com/t/ford-escape-door-trim-clips/179063, among others). This is a safety issue because if someone needs to enter or exit the back seat quickly, it is difficult or would be impossible if the person was physically injured or had a physical disability that limited their upper-body strength. The problem has been confirmed by a Ford dealer. I am not sure to what extent they "inspected" it. There was no warning or any other symptoms prior to the failure.

NHTSA ID
11497554
Incident
Oct 3, 2022
Body & structure
Filed Nov 13, 2020

THE REAR HATCH DOES NOT FULLY LATCH WHEN USING THE REMOTE OR THE BUTTON ON THE HATCH

NHTSA ID
11374600
Incident
Nov 6, 2020
Mileage
6,350 mi
Body & structure
Filed May 25, 2020

WHEN YOU HIT THE BUTTON TO CLOSE THE LIFTGATE IT DOESN'T USUALLY LATCH. MANY TIMES I HAVE TO MANUALLY CLOSE IT BECAUSE WHEN I PUSH THE BUTTON THE LIFTGATE WILL CLOSE DOWN BUT IT WON'T LATCH. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO A FORD DEALER 2X. THE FIRST TIME THEY CONFIRMED THE ISSUE AND REPLACED A MECHANISM THAT CONTROLS THE LIFTGATE. THE PROBLEM CAME BACK LESS THAN 1 WEEK LATER. WHEN I TOOK IT BACK THEY CLAIMED IT ALWAYS LATCHED WHEN THEY TESTED, AND DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TO IT. MEANWHILE, I TOOK IT HOME AND IT STILL WON'T LATCH WHEN I TRY TO CLOSE IT WITH THE BUTTON. VEHICLE IS ALWAYS OFF, PARKED, WHEN I TRY TO CLOSE THE LIFTGATE. THE ONLY ODD THING I NOTICED IS IF I KEEP THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR OPEN WHEN I PUT THE BUTTON TO CLOSE THE LIFTGATE THEN FOR SOME REASON THE LIFTGATE LATCHES, PROBABLY 8/10 TIMES.

NHTSA ID
11325884
Incident
Feb 15, 2020
Mileage
6,000 mi
Body & structureInterior & seats
Filed Feb 11, 2020
Crash reported2 injuries reported

WE WERE REAR ENDED FROM A STOPPED POSITION ON THE HIGHWAY. . MY FIANC WAS DRIVING AND SUFFERED WHIPLASH. I WAS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AND BROKE MY BACK AND SEPARATED MY PELVIS, REQUIRING SURGERY TO STABILIZE. THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT IS NOW VERY SQUEAKY. CONCERNED THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE PASSENGER SEAT OR SEATBELT NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY, LEADING TO MY INJURIES.

NHTSA ID
11308450
Incident
Dec 30, 2019
Mileage
22,400 mi

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 .