Complaints about the 2022 Ford Escape PHEV peaked in 2023, with 27 filed
Owner complaints about this model year, by the year they were filed with NHTSA.
SUV, plug-in hybrid, 4x2, built in United States. Owner complaints on file from Jul 23, 2022 to Aug 4, 2026.
Owner complaints about this model year, by the year they were filed with NHTSA.
Owner complaints by component. Hover or focus a bar for the crash, fire, injury or death count.
Check a specific vehicle by VIN on NHTSA's site: a campaign may cover only part of a model year's production.
| Campaign | Filed | Subject | Component | Vehicles | Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26V-091 | Feb 17, 2026 | Manufacturing defect in one or more of the high voltage battery cells may result in an internal short circuit and battery failure | Electrical system | 25,237 | Software update |
| 25V-789 | Nov 14, 2025 | Manufacturing defect in one or more of the high voltage battery cells may result in an internal short circuit and battery failure | Electrical system | 20,558 | Not stated |
The full text of every complaint filed with NHTSA about this model year, newest first. Complaints are filed by owners and are not verified by NHTSA; NHTSA removes personal details before publishing.
78 complaints on file, page 1 of 4.
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V789000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was contacted via an online chat. The contact had not experienced a failure.
NHTSA complaint 11754677this recall has been in effect for nearly 1 year & puts my car @ risk but also doesn't allow me to charge beyond 80%, greatly effecting fuel efficiency. Ford has failed to address the issue in a timely manner or offered any compensation for my additional fuel consumption or offered a realistic deadline for repair
NHTSA complaint 11750860The incident occurred while my 2008 Allegro Bus was towing my 2022 Ford Escape PHEV. Incident occurred on Sunday, 21 Jun 2026 about a mile from my home. I had just started a left hand turn and was in the intersection when I felt a thump-thump at the back of the coach. I did a quick inspection and saw no apparent damage and all tow connections were secure, so I continued to my home. While uncoupling the Escape from my motorhome, I saw the dash display warning of a steering issue. The steering felt heavy immediately; this wasn't a steering problem that developed over time. This happened during a single, towing maneuver, where the towed vehicle suddenly oscillated left and right twice while negotiating a gentle, off-camber turn. The Escape was in Ford's Neutral Tow Mode and was being flat towed per the Ford's owner's manual. Diagnostic data recorded the first steering control module failure at essentially the same time as the towing incident. There was no collision with another vehicle or object. The damage resulted from forces experienced during the towing maneuver. Ford diagnostics and FORScan both identified internal failures within the Electric Power Assisted Steering system, and the dealer has diagnosed the EPAS assembly (LX6Z-3C529-CH) as requiring replacement. Prior to this event, the steering system operated normally. After the incident, steering was heavy and deteriorated over approximately 15 miles of use until assist was completely lost and the force required to turn the steering made the car unsafe to drive. The Ford Escape had approximately 15,000 miles on it at the time of the incident. I did not see the movement of the car in mirrors or cameras. Map showing car path is my best assessment of the incident.
NHTSA complaint 11748826My PHEV car randomly and suddenly has loss of propulsion creating a safety hazard in traffic. It seems to occur at low speeds, sometimes from waiting in line at an intersection. This fault produces a solid red battery warning light, but no additional safety warnings, nor an error code for diagnostics. I have experienced this fault randomly in April, May, and June. The worst experience was within intersection traffic when I was unable to accelerate; just coasted with cars whizzing past. My usual dealership servicing staff were unable to reproduce the error. I was told they would/could not assess this fault without an error code. I had my car towed to a different service company. They advised that the 12-V battery showed 66% power; I asked them to replace that battery. I understand that this MAY NOT solve the problem. Although I used a rental car for a week while this problem was being attended, I am now driving my car with the new 12-V battery. Yes, I think my car is unsafe--at least, no one can assure me it has been fixed. I do not know how to assess whether it is fixed, short of being its test driver. My car has an open recall on the HV battery for which a fix is not yet available (not for months so far, anyway), so I drive my car as a hybrid, without charging the HV battery.
NHTSA complaint 11746769The guard plate between the sunroof and the moonroof fell off and the retractable screen rolled all the way back and is inoperable. The guard plate fell and hit my child while I was driving. When I searched the internet to see if others have experienced this issue, I discovered that it is a known issue with these vehicles. Unsecured falling parts is a danger and a recall should be issued to fix this issue immediately.
NHTSA complaint 11673864While driving, the metal crossbar trim above my head separating the front (movable) and rear (fixed) roof glass fell off, jamming the sunshade and then falling on my head
NHTSA complaint 11666816I am writing to formally express my concern regarding the safety of my 2022 Ford Escape Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV), which I believe may have been rushed to market without sufficient development or reliability testing. As Ford’s first iteration of the Escape PHEV, it appears to suffer from multiple critical defects that suggest the technology was not fully ready for consumers. In less than 2.5 years of ownership, I have experienced the following serious safety-related issues: The vehicle is currently under recall for a defective high-voltage battery, and there have been multiple other recalls related to the PHEV technology, raising serious concerns about the reliability and safety of the overall hybrid system. NHTSA Recall Number 24V954. I experienced brake issues within the first 18 months of which have not been fixed and still making odd noises Most alarmingly, the engine failed while I was driving on the highway with under 32,000 miles on the vehicle, causing a sudden and dangerous loss of power. This incident placed me and others at serious risk of harm. While the dealership did repair the engine under warranty, Ford has not offered any meaningful assistance beyond that, nor have they provided alternative transportation or a solution that addresses my ongoing safety concerns. Ford corporate has refused to communicate with me in writing and will only speak by phone, making it extremely difficult to document discussions, obtain clear answers, or hold them accountable for their responses. Due to a lack of support from Ford, I was forced to borrow my mother’s vehicle for two weeks while mine was being serviced, as there were 17 other customers on a waitlist for a loaner vehicle at the dealership. Despite these serious problems, I still don't have a vehicle and I no longer feel safe driving the car, and a financial burden, as I now owe more on the car than it is worth on trade-in. I have not picked up the car due to safety concerns. I believe these issues
NHTSA complaint 11664257The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V954000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The 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. Parts distribution disconnect.
NHTSA complaint 11662597Ford issued a recall on my vehicle in January 2025. They state that I cannot charge my car until they fix it, or it could catch on fire. I paid $8,000 extra for a car I can charge, and almost never use my gas engine. I have now not been able to charge my car for 5 months and there is no fix available and Ford has moved the expected fix date from Q2 2025 to Aug/Sep 2025. I also have to pay additional taxes in the state of Vermont for my plug-in, which I can't actually plug-in, and paid $2k for a home charger which is now useless. I have contacted Ford at least 4 times, because I'm concerned with the safety of my vehicle and they refuse to do anything. I have to drive my son to daycare each morning, and I'm concerned the vehicle will catch on fire with us inside of it. The vehicle charges when driving downhill and there are a lot of hills in Vermont, so I'm constantly worried that the battery may charge too much and catch fire. I have spoken with my local dealership and they can't do anything and again, after contacting Ford numerous times, their message is "wait". This vehicle is completely unusable to me, since almost all of my daily driving used the battery and I've had to pay for gas for the last 5 months. Ford doesn't seem to be concerned with my safety, despite admitting that they sold me a vehicle that may catch on fire. I also attempted to trade the car back into the dealership, but they won't take it due to the recall which has no firm date for being addressed. I've going around and around in circles with all levels of Ford but they refuse to do anything. I just want to feel safe with myself and my family in my vehicle, but I do not feel safe and Ford doesn't appear to care.
NHTSA complaint 11659728The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V954000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. 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. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
NHTSA complaint 11659698The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V954000 (Electrical System); 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. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
NHTSA complaint 11658533The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V954000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not yet available. 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. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
NHTSA complaint 11657540See attached document for complaint.
NHTSA complaint 11654659Ford states that if I charge my vehicle it will catch on fire. I paid $8,000 extra to have a plug-in vehicle and I haven't been able to charge it for months. Ford said they would fix this in "Q2 2025" and this has now been pushed to "maybe September 2025". I don't feel safe driving this vehicle, but I have to use it to get my child to daycare each day. I believe it's completely unreasonable to tell me that the vehicle I purchased to plug-in and drive using battery, which has been over 50% of all my driving in the last 3 years, can't be used to drive on the battery. This vehicle is unusable as it was intended to be used, unsafe, and Ford keeps delaying their supposed fix.
NHTSA complaint 11654525The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V954000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. 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. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
NHTSA complaint 11653191When Accelerating from approximately 25mph - 40mph and accelerating hard, the vehicle is shifting to Neutral (HARD). It feels like you hit a wall. Does not occur from stop. Letting off throttle and the transmission will reengage and allow full acceleration as if nothing happened. No warning indicators on dash. Is duplicatable. Vehicle had Telematics control module update in December already. Vehicle had transmission replacement 25-JUNE-2024 according to History. Tried reporting on GCR but would not permit. Sounds identical to 24S33 but this vehicle is unaffected. Will report to dealer when recall for 24S79 is available, avoiding hard acceleration if possible. May have dash camera footage if requested.
NHTSA complaint 11653110Rear drip molding hinge cover. It's an exterior covering. I noticed mine was missing after getting other recalls serviced. I ordered a replacement part, however, my research proved this is common. Apparently the hinge cap is only attached by velcro. This could cause a serious car accident if the part were to fly off into someone else's windshield. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint 11652079Vehicle enters into a conserve power warning and will not start. While operating the vehicle in drive vehicle will lose power and deactivate all safety and control features. Contacted Ford and no remedy or assistance will be provided.
NHTSA complaint 11651747The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V954000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. 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. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
NHTSA complaint 11648716Panoramic sun shade detached from rails and recoiled into the assembly while driving on the highway. The shade was in a static position when it happened- it was not being retracted at the time. Available for inspection, but has already been repaired by dealer. A very loud cracking noise was heard when it happened, which startled me and could have caused an accident. It is a relatively new car and had been retracted probably a total of 20 times. There was no warning, and the entire headliner, pillars, and glass had to be removed to repair. It is apparently a common occurrence due to cheap plastic clips that are used.
NHTSA complaint 11646391Technical service bulletins and other notices the manufacturer sent to dealers. A bulletin is not a recall.