2019 Ford Escape Problems

2019 Ford Escape problems owners report most

2019 Ford Escape problems are documented in public: owners have filed 599 complaints with NHTSA, the earliest in 2019 and the most recent in 2026. Sorting those by the component the filer named puts the engine clearly first, at 319 of the 599 complaints, close to half of everything filed.

A complaint is not a repair bill and not a defect finding. It is one owner telling the regulator something went wrong. What makes the count useful is the concentration: when one component takes 53 per cent of everything filed on a car, the pattern is doing more than chance.

Against the 2018 car, this model year has drawn 67 per cent fewer complaints (599 against 1,822). Both years are led by the engine, so this is a fault that carried over rather than one introduced with the 2019 car.

Of those complaints, 24 describe a crash and 3 describe a fire. Filers reported 28 injuries.

Recalls on the 2019 Ford Escape

A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator found a safety defect, and the repair is free at a franchised dealer however old the car is. There are 3 recalls on this model year. Your own car may be covered by some, all or none of them, so check the VIN rather than the model.

In owners own words

These are complaints filed about the engine, quoted as written. They are one persons account rather than a diagnosis, and they are here because a symptom described by a driver is easier to recognise than a component name.

2019 Ford Escape with a documented history of powertrain failures. White smoke on cold start and engine stalling began around 48,000 miles; the dealer noted this engine is known for coolant intrusion. At about 62,000 miles the engine short block was replaced under Ford Field Service Action 21N12 / TSB 22-2322. Smoke, shaking, and stalling continued, and the engine intermittently cuts out when shifting into reverse and must be restarted. At about 87,000 miles the transmission failed and the full transmission assembly was replaced (work order Jan 2026, vehicle returned end of March 2026). The o

Our 2019 Ford Escape began shaking upon starting the vehicle. We took it in for diagnostics to the Ford Dealership. This car has less than 40k miles on it after 7 years of ownership. We were told we would need to completely replace the engine due to a coolant leak. Upon further research, a recall for our exact make and model was identified that described the exact same issue that was identified by Ford. For some reason, our VIN was NOT eligible for the OASIS program that was offered to other FORD owners with the EXACT same problem. The dealership has not been helpful at all in putting m

I am reporting a serious engine safety issue involving coolant intrusion into the engine, resulting in misfires, loss of power, and potential engine failure while driving. My vehicle began experiencing rough starts after sitting overnight, including shaking and hesitation. in a few dayna, the issue worsened and is now accompanied by the following: * Coolant loss requiring refill approximately every other day * Sweet smell of coolant coming from the exhaust * Occasional white smoke from the exhaust on startup * Gurgling sound behind the dashboard during startup * Loss of engine power and hesita

I PURCHASED MY 2019 FORD ESCAPE BRAND NEW IN EARLY SPRING OF 2019. SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING MY ESCAPE I DID NOTICE SOME SLIPPAGE OF THE TRANSMISSION. I PLANNED ON GOING BACK TO THE DEALER SO THEY COULD CHECK IT OUT, BUT UNFORTUNATELY I BECAME ILL, AND THEREFORE IT SLIPPED MY MIND. I WAS IN AND OUT OF THE HOSPITAL FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS, BUT AS SOON AS I FELT WELL ENOUGH I COULD NOT WAIT TO DRIVE MY NEW CAR AGAIN. MY FIRST TRIP WAS ACTUALLY TO MY ONCOLOGIST OFFICE, BUT I WAS EXCITED JUST TO BE DRIVING. ON MY WAY THERE, HOWEVER, MY CAR JERKED ME TO THE LEFT CAUSING ME TO RUN OFF THE ROAD. I

Every component, by complaint count

The full breakdown of what owners named when they filed. Components below the top ten are grouped out of this table.

How other model years compare

The same nameplate across the years we hold. Complaint counts fall naturally for newer cars because fewer of them have been on the road for long, so read the column as a rough signal rather than a ranking. In this set the 2017 Ford Escape has drawn the most complaints and the 2021 Ford Escape the fewest.

What to check on the engine

Engine reports range from oil consumption between services to rough running, stalling and a loss of power under acceleration. Oil use is the one owners notice latest, because nothing warns you until the level is already low.

Buying a used 2019 Escape

Ask for every service record and check the gap between oil changes against the level on the dipstick now. An engine using oil quietly is the most expensive fault on this list and the easiest one to miss on a test drive.

If you already own one

Start a log of oil level between services. A documented consumption rate is what turns a conversation with a dealer from an opinion into a claim, and some manufacturers have covered these repairs well past the warranty.

• Check the oil level and condition yourself before buying.
• Ask for service records covering every oil change.
• Record oil level between services to document consumption.
• Have a compression or leak down test done before a major repair.