RoadVitals

2020 Ford Escape Driver assistance Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the driver-assistance system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Driver assistance 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.
107
Latest Aug 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.
7%
of 1,578 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.
5
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 forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2020 Ford Escape submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 107 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 driver-assistance

The 25 most recent of 107, in the owner's own words

Driver assistance
Filed Aug 7, 2026

While I was driving on a highway the ADAS (IPMA) suddenly stopped working creating a dangerous situation as I was using adaptive cruise control at the time. It has never worked since. Ford has told me that there is no software fix and the hardware needs to be replaced at a cost of $1500. Unless I pay that amount I will lack key safety features like forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking.

NHTSA ID
11755454
Incident
Sep 8, 2025
Driver assistanceElectricalFuel system
Filed Aug 7, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V467000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) and 26V123000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. While the contact’s son was driving approximately 45 MPH, the screen on the radio went black. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road, and the radio independently reset and displayed the correct information. The failure had occurred approximately 3 - 4 times. The radio screen often displayed erroneous information with distorted images. The contact stated that the vehicle was included in a recall for the door, and after the recall repair was performed, the key fob failed to lock and unlock the doors. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the contact was informed that the manufacturer had not provided the parts for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 71,000.

NHTSA ID
11755413
Incident
Aug 4, 2026
Mileage
71,000 mi
Driver assistanceElectrical
Filed Aug 6, 2026

My husband I originally purchased this vehicle around October 2020. We are the only owners and when we purchased it, it had 78 miles on it. Since I purchased it I have had to pay out of pocket for all the tire sensors to be replaced, I have had to purchase a new heater fan, and a sensor for a seat belt that prevented my adaptive cruise control from working. A while back, a warning light came on saying my adaptive cruise control was no longer working. I took it to Ford and was told it would cost $1600 to fix it. Surprisingly, it started working on it's own a few days later. Currently I took the car in because my rear passenger window wouldn't go up. I was told that it would cost almost $1800 to fix it. I have taken it to Ford to have 2 of the 3 recalls fixed. They do not show that it was fixed and I was told they weren't able to fix it. I pushed the button one day to send the cloth covering on the moon roof back. It snapped and no longer works, their is a crack in my dash, and I frankly don't have the money to fix a window motor that should have not quit after six years. I take excellent care of my car. I have all the maintenance taken care of. I expect to have the brakes fixed, new tires, new battery. What I don't expect is for the sensors and motors to go out. I have been driving for over 40 years, owned multiple vehicles and I have to say I am so disappointed with Ford. I understand that the problems I am having is not just me, that many Ford Escape owners are having similar issues. I would just like some assistance.

NHTSA ID
11755348
Incident
Jan 1, 2024
Driver assistance
Filed Jul 19, 2026
Crash reported

The cross traffic did not alert me. The opposing vehicle was parked in a parking spot at the Jacksonville Dermatologist office near the Martinez dental office 32216. She caused over $8900 dollars in damage. She indicated she did not see me in her rear view camera. Her vehicle from 2017 Kia did not have the cross traffic alert system. She did not believe me there was such an alert system. I showed the police officer my vehicle 2020 Ford escape did have it. I did have an anxiety attack and had to slow my breathing. I have PTSD and take prescribed anxiety medication.

NHTSA ID
11751356
Incident
Jun 10, 2026
Body & structureDriver assistanceFuel system
Filed Jun 10, 2026

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA ID
11743223
Incident
Apr 30, 2026
Driver assistanceFuel systemVisibility
Filed May 26, 2026

Several recalls on my vehicle and now ford is calling the expensive ones "customer satisfaction notice". Theres nothing satisfying about bad fuel injectors. Also , the wiper motor Description On your vehicle, the front windshield wiper Motor may become inoperative or may operate intermittently. Safety Risk This may result in reduced visibility or loss of visibility in certain conditions, increasing the risk of a crash. Remedy Parts are not available. Ford Motor Company is working to provide parts for this repair. When the remedy becomes available, Ford Motor Company will notify you via mail to schedule a service appointment with your dealer for repairs to be completed free of charge. The remedy is anticipated to be available in Q2 2026. Safety Risk SYNC screen update This may result in the image displayed being inverted or flipped, this includes all buttons. While in reverse the rearview camera image, buttons, and camera guidelines may also be inverted or flipped. A rearview camera that does not correctly display a correct image in reverse can reduce your view of what is behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash. SYNC screen update Issue Date 2025-07-16 Campaign 25S76/25V467 Description On your vehicle there is a possibility that a fuel injector may crack, which may result in fuel accumulating on the top of the engine. Safety Risk Liquid fuel andor fuel vapor that accumulates near a hot surface, such as hot engine or exhaust components may ignite resulting in an under-hood fire, increasing the risk of injury. Its endless and they refuse to take accountability for their junk vehicles.

NHTSA ID
11740127
Incident
Jul 7, 2025
Driver assistanceFuel system
Filed May 14, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that she received a recall letter for NHTSA Campaign Number 25V467000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) and NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V123000 (Back Over Prevention). The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. There had not been a failure experienced.

NHTSA ID
11737833
Incident
May 14, 2026
Driver assistanceFuel systemVisibility
Filed May 6, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V123000 (Back Over Prevention) and 25V467000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) and 26V117000 (Visibility) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA ID
11736124
Incident
May 6, 2026
Driver assistanceFuel systemVisibility
Filed Apr 27, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V467000 (Fuel System, Gasoline), 26V123000 (Back Over Prevention), and 26V117000 (Visibility); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were 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.

NHTSA ID
11734023
Incident
Apr 27, 2026
Driver assistanceFuel system
Filed Apr 22, 2026

Due to the two unrepaired recalls my family’s safety is at risk. The recalls could cause a fire or crash and with no remedy available my family is unsafe in this vehicle

NHTSA ID
11732900
Incident
Apr 22, 2026
Driver assistanceFuel system
Filed Apr 14, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V467000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) and 26V123000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The dealer was contacted several times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer confirmed that parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA ID
11731222
Incident
Apr 14, 2026
Driver assistanceEngineFuel system
Filed Apr 14, 2026

The contact’s daughter owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V467000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) and 26V123000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The contact stated that while in reverse(R), the back over prevention sensor alarmed the driver that a person or an object was in the rear of the vehicle, even though there was nothing behind the vehicle. While accelerating at various speeds and after being idle, the vehicle jerked abnormally before accelerating. While attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle jerked and failed to immediately start, causing the driver to have to aggressively depress the accelerator pedal for the engine to start. The wrench warning light and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The dealer was contacted; however, the contact was unable to speak with a representative. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ID
11731083
Incident
Feb 21, 2026
Body & structureDriver assistanceVisibility
Filed Apr 9, 2026

The contact owned a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 26V123000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION), 26V117000 (VISIBILITY) and ( 25V829000 (STRUCTURE); and requested to be removed from the recall distribution list. The local dealer and manufacturer were not contacted.

NHTSA ID
11730194
Incident
Apr 9, 2026
Driver assistancePowertrain (other)
Filed Apr 9, 2026

Multiple warning lights 4WD, Advance track, power train, hill start coming up on in my 2020 Ford Escape Titanium. Some go off for a few days and then come back on, some go on and off while driving. Also purge valve evap codes come up

NHTSA ID
11730093
Incident
Jan 5, 2026
Body & structureDriver assistanceFuel system
Filed Apr 8, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V467000 (Fuel System, Gasoline), 25V829000 (Structure), 26V123000 (Back Over Prevention) and 26V117000 (Visibility); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer and the dealer were not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA ID
11729866
Incident
Oct 8, 2025
Driver assistancePowertrain (other)
Filed Mar 21, 2026

Powertrain malfunction/ reduced power hill start assist warning Pre- collision assist not available

NHTSA ID
11725986
Incident
Mar 10, 2026
Driver assistanceFuel system
Filed Mar 19, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V467000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) and 26V123000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA ID
11725539
Incident
Mar 19, 2026
Body & structureDriver assistance
Filed Mar 18, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V829000 (Structure) and 26V123000 (Back Over Prevention); 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 made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA ID
11725169
Incident
Mar 11, 2026
Driver assistance
Filed Jan 5, 2026

Warning lamps messages says so many things not available dash board crazy with at least 10 messages not working

NHTSA ID
11708706
Incident
Sep 20, 2025
Driver assistanceElectrical
Filed Nov 17, 2025

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the infotainment system screen had turned off while driving, requiring the contact to pull over to the side of the road. The contact stated that upon turning off and restarting the vehicle, the infotainment system screen became operable. Additionally, the contact stated that the rearview camera was inoperable while reversing. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA ID
11699793
Incident
Jul 17, 2025
Mileage
100,000 mi
Driver assistanceElectricalPowertrain (other)
Filed Nov 9, 2025

By dong my own research, I found out it was the AWD Module. It's not grounded correctly. There are multiple, long detailed forum posts on this. Here is one: [XXX] I verified my AWD drive module was indeed not getting enough power do to the grounding issue, which sends a cascade of other faults including the anti lock breaks, collision detection, driving modes, cruise control, auto hold, hill park assist. ALL are non-operational. Now my AWD module does not even show up with a OBD scanner. This should be a recall. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID
11698445
Incident
Oct 22, 2025
BrakesDriver assistance
Filed Oct 23, 2025

I went for a diagnostic test for AWD module failures, and when auto zone did the test ABS came back as failed and this was in July of 2025.

NHTSA ID
11695164
Incident
Jul 26, 2025
Driver assistanceEngineFuel system
Filed Oct 17, 2025

My car hesitates when driving forward from a stop and the rpm's jump up and down. It almost stalls when going up a steep hill. I have to leave it running when filling it up or it is very hard to start and sometimes will stall after starting. Check engine light is on and tire sensor light is on. The sound system doesn't work. Have read online about a lot of people having the same problems with their car.

NHTSA ID
11694193
Incident
Sep 1, 2025
Driver assistancePowertrain (other)
Filed Oct 17, 2025

UnknownOn my dash my AWD fault warning has showed up followed by hill assist not available and traction control not available. I have looked for in formation online about it and it seems that it’s a recurring issue with 2020 Ford Escape and many others. I’ve seen that there was a customer satisfaction effective on April 9,2021 through April 30, 2022 but I have just gotten this car last year and dealer states that I am responsible for fixing a manufacturing issue. I’m not sure where my car was manufactured but my car is affected. I have about 83,600 miles and don’t seem to understand why I have to pay since in the customer satisfaction program it states that the module needs to be replaced before sale and customers that have already purchased the vehicle should have it replaced no charge to them. I’ve only just gotten this car last year February 2024 and not sure if the owner before got the notice or not but I have not received a notice stating anything about the AWD system malfunctioning. It is definitely a safety risk if I was to be driving in a snow or ice storm and my traction control stopped working; without the AWD the car is harder to accelerate and control sometimes. I haven't gotten if fixed since they want me to pay for something that they failed to make sure was working correctly. I can't afford to fix it since money is already tight but it is my only way of transportation. I have some photos of the lights/warnings and I have a document of the customer satisfaction Program from 2021.

NHTSA ID
11694162
Incident
Sep 29, 2025
Driver assistanceElectricalTires & wheels
Filed Oct 17, 2025

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the local dealer for an unstated recall repair. Upon retrieval of the vehicle, the pre-collision, driver assist, and cross traffic systems were inoperable. The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer, where the modules were updated, but the failure persisted. The tire pressure fault message was displayed, and the rear bumper sensors were inside the vehicle. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact about diagnostic testing, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 65,188.

NHTSA ID
11694010
Incident
Oct 1, 2025
Mileage
65,188 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.

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