What are the most common problems with the 2019 Ford Escape?

The engine group is the largest, with 391 complaints. The power train group follows with 128.

Does the 2019 Ford Escape have recalls?

Yes. This model year has recalls on file. See the Recalls section on this page for the full list.

Is the 2019 Ford Escape reliable?

Owners filed 596 complaints with NHTSA. Read the problems section above and the by-year comparison on this page to judge for yourself.

What is the best year for the Ford Escape?

See the by-year comparison section on this page, which shows complaints and recalls for each year side by side.

How serious are the complaints?

24 complaints mention a crash, 3 mention a fire and 28 mention injuries. No deaths were reported.

2019 Ford Escape Problems, Recalls and MPG

NHTSA has 596 owner complaints on file for the 2019 Ford Escape^[1]. The engine group is the biggest, with 391 of them^[2].

596owner complaints^[1]

3recalls^[3]

23–26MPG combined (EPA)^[4]

5★NHTSA overall rating^[5]

Problems
Recalls
Fuel economy
Safety
Engine and size
By year
Verdict
FAQ

Most reported problems

Here are the complaint groups, biggest first.

Engine. 391 complaints^[2]. Owners describe the car shutting off while driving, sometimes at highway speed and sometimes when the automatic stop and start system kicked in. Others mention a check engine light, a rough-running engine and exhaust smell inside the cabin. The median mileage at failure in this group is 71,500^[2].
Power Train. 128 complaints^[6]. In the stories we read, owners describe a transmission that is slow to shift, a shifter that will not settle into park, and a power train fault message after the engine restarts at a stop.
Unknown Or Other. 42 complaints^[7]. These reports do not point to one named part.
Electrical System. 37 complaints^[8]. Owners describe the dashboard lights and screens going dark, a network error message, and the car stopping with warning lights flashing.
Fuel/Propulsion System. 17 complaints^[9]. Owners describe emissions system trouble tied to a purge valve, a hard time finding the part, and a loss of power when accelerating.
Steering. 16 complaints^[10].
Exterior Lighting. 13 complaints^[11].
Structure. 12 complaints^[12].

Recalls

Newest first. Each recall covers only certain vehicles, so not every 2019 Escape is necessarily included.

Equipment › Electrical › Engine Block Heater (26V011), January 2026. About 116,672 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: fire. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[13]
Power Train › Shift Linkage/Cable/Rod (22V413), June 2022. About 2,925,968 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: a crash, injury. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[14]
Tires (21V155), March 2021. About 15,769 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: a crash. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[15]

Fuel economy

EPA ratings depend on the engine and drive. Annual fuel cost uses EPA's current fuel price assumptions, not prices when the car was new.

Version	City / highway / combined MPG	Annual fuel cost
Escape FWD FFV, 2.5L 4-cyl, Automatic (S6), Gasoline or E85, Front-Wheel Drive^[16]	21 / 29 / 24	$2,800
Escape FWD, 2.5L 4-cyl, Automatic (S6), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive^[17]	21 / 29 / 24	$2,800
Escape FWD, 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic (S6), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive^[18]	22 / 29 / 25	$2,700
Escape FWD, 1.5L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic (S6), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive^[4]	23 / 30 / 26	$2,600
Escape AWD, 1.5L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic (S6), Regular, All-Wheel Drive^[19]	22 / 28 / 24	$2,800
Escape AWD, 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic (S6), Regular, All-Wheel Drive^[20]	21 / 27 / 23	$2,900

Safety ratings

Version	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
SUV AWD^[5]	5	5	5	4	18.5%
SUV FWD^[21]	5	5	5	4	19.1%

Engine and size

Horsepower is the rating listed for EPA test vehicles.

Engine	Horsepower
2019 Ford Escape with 1.5L 4-cylinder^[22]	180 hp
2019 Ford Escape with 2.0L 4-cylinder^[23]	245 hp
2019 Ford Escape with 2.5L 4-cylinder^[24]	168 hp

How 2019 compares with other years

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA for each Escape model year. The 2019 is highlighted^[3].

Show the numbers

Model year	Complaints	Recalls
2001	996	13
2002	1,027	8
2003	558	7
2004	499	6
2005	1,584	4
2006	720	4
2007	393	2
2008	2,417	3
2009	1,846	1
2010	2,129	3
2011	1,355	2
2012	619	1
2013	2,756	18
2014	2,089	16
2015	1,125	9
2016	1,162	4
2017	2,700	4
2018	1,820	4
2019	596	3
2020	1,902	25
2021	496	21
2022	385	21
2023	138	13
2024	88	10
2025	31	10
2026	4	3

NHTSA's counts for the Escape show 596 complaints and 3 recalls for 2019^[3]. Among the 26 model years listed, 9 have fewer complaints than 2019 and 16 have more^[3]. The fewest complaints are for 2026 (4) and the most are for 2013 (2,756)^[3]. These counts are not adjusted for sales, so treat them as a rough guide. The chart above shows every year.

Should you buy a used 2019 Escape?

The 2019 Escape has 596 complaints on file^[1]. The engine group leads with 391^[2] and the power train group follows with 128^[6]. The stories we read about the car shutting off while driving are the ones worth reading closely before you buy. Recalls also exist for this year, so check the Recalls section^[3]. These are owner reports sent to NHTSA, so treat them as a guide and not as proof of how any single car will behave.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2019 Ford Escape?: The engine group is the largest, with 391 complaints^[2]. The power train group follows with 128^[6].
Does the 2019 Ford Escape have recalls?: Yes. This model year has recalls on file^[3]. See the Recalls section on this page for the full list.
Is the 2019 Ford Escape reliable?: Owners filed 596 complaints with NHTSA^[1]. Read the problems section above and the by-year comparison on this page to judge for yourself.
What is the best year for the Ford Escape?: See the by-year comparison section on this page, which shows complaints and recalls for each year side by side^[3].
How serious are the complaints?: 24 complaints mention a crash, 3 mention a fire and 28 mention injuries^[1]. No deaths were reported^[1].

Keep exploring

Other model years of the Ford Escape

2011 1,355 complaints, 2 recalls
2012 619 complaints, 1 recall
2013 2,756 complaints, 18 recalls
2014 2,089 complaints, 16 recalls
2015 1,125 complaints, 9 recalls
2016 1,162 complaints, 4 recalls
2017 2,700 complaints, 4 recalls
2018 1,820 complaints, 4 recalls
2019 this page
2020 1,902 complaints, 25 recalls

Compare all model years of the Ford Escape

Other Ford models from 2019

2019 Ford Edge 772 complaints, 3 recalls
2019 Ford F150 1,339 complaints, 9 recalls
2019 Ford Fiesta 105 complaints, 3 recalls
2019 Ford Flex 256 complaints, 4 recalls

All Ford models

Similar cars from 2019: small suvs

2019 Nissan Pathfinder 76 complaints, 2 recalls
2019 Volkswagen Atlas 482 complaints, 12 recalls
2019 Volkswagen Tiguan 193 complaints, 5 recalls
2019 Honda Passport 282 complaints, 10 recalls
2019 Hyundai Santa Fe 229 complaints, 3 recalls
2019 Hyundai Tucson 385 complaints, 1 recall

All small suvs we cover

Facts and sources

NHTSA has 596 owner complaints on file for the 2019 Ford Escape (24 mention a crash, 3 a fire, 28 injuries, 0 deaths reported). NHTSA vehicle records
391 complaints name the engine component group (3 crashes, 0 fires, 2 injuries, median mileage at failure 71,500). NHTSA vehicle records
Owner complaints and recalls for every Ford Escape model year (chart above). NHTSA recall database
EPA rating for Escape FWD, 1.5L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic (S6), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 23 city / 30 highway / 26 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $2,600. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, SUV AWD: overall 5 stars, frontal 5 stars, side 5 stars, rollover 4 stars; rollover risk 18.5%. NHTSA vehicle records
128 complaints name the power train component group (6 crashes, 0 fires, 4 injuries, median mileage at failure 64,460). NHTSA vehicle records
42 complaints name the unknown or other component group (2 crashes, 2 fires, 6 injuries, median mileage at failure 6,350). NHTSA vehicle records
37 complaints name the electrical system component group (4 crashes, 0 fires, 3 injuries, median mileage at failure 3,400). NHTSA vehicle records
17 complaints name the fuel/propulsion system component group (1 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
16 complaints name the steering component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
13 complaints name the exterior lighting component group (1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 8,100). NHTSA vehicle records
12 complaints name the structure component group (3 crashes, 1 fires, 2 injuries, median mileage at failure 36,200). NHTSA vehicle records
Recall 26V011, filed January 15, 2026: Equipment › Electrical › Engine Block Heater. NHTSA recall database
Recall 22V413, filed June 10, 2022: Power Train › Shift Linkage / Cable / Rod. NHTSA recall database
Recall 21V155, filed March 10, 2021: Tires. NHTSA recall database
EPA rating for Escape FWD FFV, 2.5L 4-cyl, Automatic (S6), Gasoline or E85, Front-Wheel Drive: 21 city / 29 highway / 24 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $2,800. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for Escape FWD, 2.5L 4-cyl, Automatic (S6), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 21 city / 29 highway / 24 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $2,800. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for Escape FWD, 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic (S6), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 22 city / 29 highway / 25 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $2,700. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for Escape AWD, 1.5L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic (S6), Regular, All-Wheel Drive: 22 city / 28 highway / 24 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $2,800. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for Escape AWD, 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic (S6), Regular, All-Wheel Drive: 21 city / 27 highway / 23 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $2,900. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, SUV FWD: overall 5 stars, frontal 5 stars, side 5 stars, rollover 4 stars; rollover risk 19.1%. NHTSA vehicle records
EPA Test Car List, 2019 Ford Escape with 1.5L 4-cylinder: rated 180 hp. www.epa.gov
EPA Test Car List, 2019 Ford Escape with 2.0L 4-cylinder: rated 245 hp. www.epa.gov
EPA Test Car List, 2019 Ford Escape with 2.5L 4-cylinder: rated 168 hp. www.epa.gov

Complaints submitted to NHTSA by owners; unverified reports, one complaint can name several components. Complaint counts are not normalized by sales; compare years of the same model, not different models. EPA annual fuel cost uses EPA's current fuel price assumptions, not the price when the car was new. Horsepower is the rating listed for EPA test vehicles. Dimensions are Canadian-market specifications and can differ slightly from US models.

2019 Ford Escape: problems, recalls and fuel economy