NHTSA lists 3 safety recalls and 4 owner complaints for the 2026 Ford Escape (including the hybrid).
3Safety recalls
4Owner complaints
0Complaints citing a crash
0Complaints citing a fire
Data: NHTSA recall and complaint filesUpdated Sep 27, 2026
Recalled components: powertrain, electrical system, and seat belts. Most-reported area: electrical system (2 complaints, 50%). Includes the Escape Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid.
3 safety recalls for the 2026 Ford Escape
Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.
Powertrain
May 12, 2026
automatic transmission · internal · park pawl
Fails federal standard 114 (theft and rollaway protection)
The integrated park module may fail to lock into the park position when the driver shifts into park. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
Risk: A loss of park function can allow the vehicle to rollaway, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: The Secondary On Board Diagnostic Module C (SOBDMC) software will be updated over-the-air (OTA) or by a dealer, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed June 5, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in August 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25C69. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 15, 2026. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 25V863.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Escape and Lincoln Corsair vehicles.
A manufacturing defect in one or more of the high voltage battery cells may result in an internal short circuit and battery failure.
Risk: Battery failure can cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash. Battery failure can also increase the risk of a fire.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will update the battery energy control module (BECM) and hybrid powertrain control module (HPCM) software, free of charge. Owners are advised to only use "Auto EV" mode and will be instructed by mail to limit the maximum charge of the battery until the remedy has been completed. Owner notification letters were mailed September 4, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SC4. This recall expands previous recall numbers 24V954 and 25V489. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on February 18, 2026.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2022-2026 Ford Escape and 2023-2026 Lincoln Corsair plug-in hybrid vehicles.
The seat belt retractors for the left and right rear passenger seats may not be securely fastened.
Risk: An improperly secured seat belt retractor may not restrain an occupant as intended, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will inspect and secure, or replace the seat belt retractor bolts, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 26, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25C68. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on December 15, 2025.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Corsair and Escape vehicles.
NHTSA listing: ESCAPE. Ford campaign 25C68.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What owners report
The areas named in the 4 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2026 Escape. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Electrical system2 · 50%
Engine2 · 50%
Brakes1 · 25%
Fuel and propulsion system1 · 25%
Visibility/wiper1 · 25%
Unknown or other1 · 25%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%.
Ford Escape recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2026 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2017 Escape drew the most (221).
Owner complaints
2026: 4 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Ford Escape
Model year
Complaints
2016
1,123
2017
2,684
2018
1,797
2019
587
2020
1,888
2021
490
2022
377
2023
132
2024
86
2025
29
2026
4
Safety recalls
2026: 3 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Ford Escape
Model year
Recalls
2016
4
2017
4
2018
4
2019
3
2020
25
2021
21
2022
21
2023
13
2024
10
2025
10
2026
3
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
Tested version
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
FORD ESCAPE GAS SUV N/A AWD
Rollover risk 17.4%
FORD ESCAPE GAS SUV N/A FWD
Rollover risk 16.9%
FORD ESCAPE HEV SUV HEV AWD
Rollover risk 17.4%
FORD ESCAPE HEV SUV HEV FWD
Rollover risk 16.9%
FORD ESCAPE PHEV SUV PHEV FWD
Rollover risk 14.3%
Questions
What are the most common 2026 Escape problems?
The areas owners name most often in NHTSA complaints: electrical system (2), engine (2), brakes (1). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can name several areas.
Is the 2026 Ford Escape safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2026 Ford Escape earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
How do I check if my Escape has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Ford dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Sep 27, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Sep 26, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: ESCAPE, ESCAPE PHEV.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.