Motor Almanac

Ford / Escape / 2019

2019 Ford Escape

Family: Escape · filed with NHTSA as ESCAPE

Summary

  • In its first three years the 2019 Escape drew 71 complaints — 0.5× the median of its generation (2013–2019). It is among the least-complained-about years of this generation.
  • These are complaint counts, not failure rates: they are not divided by how many cars were sold, because no public source reports U.S. sales by model year.
  • Of the 580 complaints that name a component, 68% concern Engine (394).
  • 3 recalls filed for this model year.
  • No federal defect investigations cover this model year.

At a glance

Owner complaints
599
Recalls
3
Investigations
0
NCAP overall
5 of 5 stars
Combined MPG
23–26
Annual fuel cost
$2,400–$2,700
Median mileage at complaint
64,420 mi (n = 230)
Crashes / fires / injuries / deaths
24 / 3 / 28 / 0

What owners report

Engine

394 complaints · 68% of complaints that name a component · median 71,000 mi (n = 141)

Owner report I have a 2019 Ford Escape. With the EcoBoost 1.5-liter engine. The engine has a well-documented engineering defect that causes coolant intrusion into the cylinders. And ultimately engine failure. Ford created a customer assistance program to deal with this. Its limits are seven years and 84,000 miles. My vehicle is 7 1…
Owner report We received an "engine failure- service now" error message on our vehicle and our mechanic told us it is a known issue with this year, make,model, engine and to take it to the dealership for repair. The dealer, and Ford Motor Company said though the recall is for 2017-2019 Ford Escape EcoBoost engines and for the EXACT…

Powertrain

128 complaints · 22% of complaints that name a component · median 64,500 mi (n = 54)

Owner report Transmission failed, Car would only move at high rpms, created a dangerous driving situation Known issue with Ford and the 6F35 transmission
Owner report My 2019 Ford Escape has the Ford 6F35 transmission and I was just informed that mine is going out and needs to be replaced by a Ford dealership service department. Since 12/2025, I have had my car in the shop 3 times. I have researched and there are thousands of issues and complaints about this transmission that is goi…

Electrical System

37 complaints · 6% of complaints that name a component · median 3,400 mi (n = 17)

Owner report Dash board has been flashing images and turning black and white like something is malfunctioning the automatic stop start has been inconsistently working I have issues with the lights getting dimmer while I’m driving at night and sometimes I have to manually hold the brights forward for the lights to work there seems t…
Owner report The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle idled rough when started; however, when the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle would drive smoothly. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a coil pack failure. The vehicle was repaired; however, the…

3% of complaints name no specific component and are left out of the shares above.

Across the generation (2013–2019)

To compare years fairly, each year is counted over the same span: complaints received up to two calendar years after its model year. A year is compared only when that span is over and it holds at least 50 complaints. Median of the comparable years: 141.

Model yearAll complaintsFirst three yearsNote
20132,758389most complaints
20142,089193
20151,133104
20161,172141
20172,702221most complaints
20181,822110
201959971fewest complaints

Recalls

Whether a recall has been fixed on a specific car depends on its VIN; check it at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

26V011000 · EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:ENGINE BLOCK HEATER

Filed 2026-01-15 · 116,672 vehicles

Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Focus, 2013-2019 Escape, and 2015-2016 MKC vehicles equipped with a 2.0L engine. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.

Risk: An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed March 6, 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 26S01. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on January 16, 2026.

22V413000 · POWER TRAIN:SHIFT LINKAGE/CABLE/ROD | POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)

Filed 2022-06-10 · 2,925,968 vehicles

Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2019 Escape, 2013-2018 C-Max, 2013-2016 Fusion, 2013-2021 Transit Connect, and 2015-2018 Edge vehicles. The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach.

Risk: A damaged or missing bushing may prevent the vehicle from shifting into the intended gear, and cause the vehicle to move in an unexpected direction. Additionally, the vehicle may roll after the driver selects the 'Park' position. Either scenario increases the risk of a crash or injury.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the under hood shift bushing and add a protective cap over the shift cable bushing, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters, informing owners of the safety risk, were mailed July 1, 2022. Remedy parts are expected to be available in 4th Quarter 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed October 27, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S43.

21V155000 · TIRES

Filed 2021-03-10 · 15,769 vehicles

Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 F-150, 2018-2020 F-250, F-350, and 2019 Escape vehicles equipped with Continental tires. On the affected vehicles, it is possible that one or more tires were cured for too long during tire production.

Risk: Over cured tires may develop a break in the sidewall, resulting in sudden air loss or belt edge separation which could lead to tread/belt loss. Either condition can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tires, and replace them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on March 27, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S10.

Federal investigations

None on file.

Engines and fuel economy

VersionEngineTransmissionDriveCityHwyCombinedFuel cost / yr
Escape AWD1.5L 4cylAutomatic (S6)All-Wheel Drive222824$2600
Escape AWD2.0L 4cylAutomatic (S6)All-Wheel Drive212723$2700
Escape FWD1.5L 4cylAutomatic (S6)Front-Wheel Drive233026$2400
Escape FWD2.0L 4cylAutomatic (S6)Front-Wheel Drive222925$2500
Escape FWD2.5L 4cylAutomatic (S6)Front-Wheel Drive212924$2600
Escape FWD FFV2.5L 4cyl FFVAutomatic (S6)Front-Wheel Drive212924$2600

Fuel cost is EPA's estimate at the fuel prices of its last update, not today's.

Crash test ratings (NCAP)

VariantOverallFrontalSideRollover
2019 Ford Escape SUV AWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆
2019 Ford Escape SUV FWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆

Service bulletins

Ford issued 128 service bulletins listed against this model year, most often about electrical system.

A bulletin tells dealers how to fix a known condition. It is not a recall and not a defect finding. Most bulletins cover several model years at once, so one listed here may not be specific to this year. The number of bulletins tracks how long and how widely a model was sold, so it is not a measure of reliability.

DateComponentSummary
2026-02-24ELECTRICAL SYSTEMFord and Lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory wireless keyless entry keypad systems may or may not come with a wallet card containing the master code. Unlike the integrated wired keypad, the access…
2025-11-26ELECTRICAL SYSTEMThis article supersedes TSB 24-2165 to update the TSB Service Procedure. Some vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit various SYNC performance related concerns including but not limited to:  Display operation concerns  Na…
2025-11-12POWER TRAINSome 2015-2021 Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0011, P0012, P0014, P0015, P0016, P0017, P0018, P0019, P0021, P0022, P0024 and/or P0025. Pinpoint test HK in the Powertrain Contro…
2024-10-10UNKNOWN OR OTHERWhile performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, a transmission seal kit may be on backorder due to supply chain interruptions. …
2024-05-27UNKNOWN OR OTHERThis article supersedes TSB 21-2175 to update the TSB Service Procedure. Some 2016 MKS, 2016-2017 Navigator, 2016-2018 F-150/Focus/C-MAX/Edge/Fiesta/MKX/Transit Connect/Mustang, 2017-2018 Continental/Fusion/MKZ, 2017-2019 Explorer, 2016-201…
2024-04-24EQUIPMENTAll accessory stick-on keyless entry keypads come with a wallet card containing the master code. If the accessory keypad was factory installed, this card will be placed in the glove box and should be handed to the vehicles owner during ini…
2024-04-03UNKNOWN OR OTHERVarious vehicles have had pinpoint tests, guided routines and the Warranty and Policy Manual recentlyupdated for diagnostics and repairs on SYNC generation 3 and later applications. When performingdiagnostics and repairs on SYNC Gen 3 or la…
2024-03-06ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLINGFor 2015-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with turbocharged engines and customer concern of an engine oil leak, refer to Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 303-00 for oil leak inspection and testing methods. Ford has evaluated turbocharg…
2023-08-02ELECTRICAL SYSTEMIn various 2017-2023 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, customers may receive a message in the FordPass or LincolnWay App stating Feature Unavailable. Since this is a fleet vehicle, it cannot access the (SYNC Connect) FordPass or LincolnWay app thr…
2023-06-08EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUALThe Service Awareness Newsletter is an informal communication that contains information that may not be presently available in a TSB, SSM, GSB, or other electronic communication. This article includes information on warranty, technical serv…

How to read this page

Complaint counts are not failure rates. A model that sells more cars draws more complaints, and owners file more often after news coverage or a recall. That is why this page compares a model year only with other years of the same generation, never with other models.

Each complaint is counted once, even when it names several components; a complaint that names several systems appears under each of them. Owner reports are quoted as filed and have not been verified by NHTSA or by us.

Every model year of this Escape, including the ones without a page of their own, is listed on the Ford Escape model page.

Sources

  • NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation: complaints, recalls and investigations (bulk files, data as of 2026-10-28).
  • NHTSA New Car Assessment Program: crash test ratings.
  • U.S. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov: engines, transmissions and fuel economy.

MotorAlmanac is independent and not affiliated with NHTSA, EPA or any manufacturer. This page summarises public records; it is not a mechanical inspection. Before buying a used car, check its VIN for open recalls and have it inspected.