2019 Ford Escape problems & reliability
570 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2019 Ford Escape, alongside 3 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
20 complaints report injuries (28 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2019 Ford Escape vehicles were involved in 92 fatal crashes with 49 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 299 | 52% |
| Power Train | 121 | 21% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 90 | 16% |
| Unknown OR Other | 38 | 7% |
| Electrical System | 37 | 6% |
| Steering | 16 | 3% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 15 | 3% |
| Exterior Lighting | 13 | 2% |
| Air Bags | 11 | 2% |
| Structure | 11 | 2% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 64,500 miles (middle 50% between 27,900 and 88,375 miles), based on 225 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“When I originally attempted to start the car, white smoke was pouring from the exhaust pipe. We came to the conclusion that my head gasket on the car blew. We came to this conclusion because it was misfiring and when you try to open the coolant lid there’s suction.”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Aug 5, 2026
“Ford Coolant Leak & Engine Overheating Engine overheating caused by an internal engine coolant leak in Ford Ecoboost engines Coolant leak that allows coolant to enter into the cylinders of the engine. This caused total engine failure and to require replacement of the engine block.”
Engine · filed Aug 5, 2026
“Bad engine reports on 2019 Escape. Engine light problems beginning at 56k. I understand Ford has had many complaints about this engine. New water pump at 56k, new purge valve at 58k.”
Engine · filed Aug 4, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
127 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2019 Ford Escape. The 10 most recent:
Ford 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…
SSM 54601 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 24, 2026
This 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…
TSB 25-2570 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 26, 2025
Some 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…
SSM 54366 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 12, 2025
While 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. While performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024…
SSM 53040 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 10, 2024
This 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…
TSB 24-2165 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 27, 2024
All 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…
SSM 52476 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 24, 2024
Various 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…
SSM 52410 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 3, 2024
For 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…
SSM 52335 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 6, 2024
In 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…
SSM 51838 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 2, 2023
The 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…
SAN-Vol1 I1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 8, 2023
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2019 Ford Escape has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2019 Ford Escape?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 64,500 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.