2021 Ford Escape problems & reliability
330 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Ford Escape, alongside 19 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.
5 complaints report injuries (5 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2021 Ford Escape vehicles were involved in 29 fatal crashes with 11 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Structure → | 90 | 27% |
| Unknown OR Other | 56 | 17% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline → | 43 | 13% |
| Engine → | 40 | 12% |
| Service Brakes → | 40 | 12% |
| Power Train → | 39 | 12% |
| Electrical System → | 31 | 9% |
| Fuel/propulsion System → | 26 | 8% |
| Visibility → | 15 | 5% |
| Back Over Prevention → | 11 | 3% |
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 39,000 miles (middle 50% between 16,712 and 61,250 miles), based on 68 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked with the vehicle turned off, the exterior and interior lights failed to turn off as intended. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The…”
Exterior Lighting · filed Aug 4, 2026
“The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V467000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE) and 26V117000 (VISIBILITY); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that parts were not yet available. The…”
Fuel System, Gasoline · filed Jul 30, 2026
“My car began to shake significantly when going over 60 mph on the highway. I had to drive under the speed limit. When I had the car checked, they said the shocks had been leaking and it impacted the alignment, causing my tires to become “wavy” and unsafe to drive. I had to get a set of 4 new tires, but could not…”
Suspension · filed Jul 29, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Failed Door Check Arm Attachment Point
Preliminary Evaluation PE23013 · opened Jul 7, 2023 · closed Jan 24, 2024
- Healey Brothers Ford / Open Recall Sale
Audit Query AQ22002 · opened Jun 3, 2022 · open
Technical service bulletins
202 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2021 Ford Escape. The 10 most recent:
This bulletin supersedes 26-2194. Reason for update: update the Parts list to correct a part description " Loctite 638", update the claim quantity for the drain/fill plug, update the claim quantity of the wheel hub…
TSB 26-2328 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 15, 2026
Some 2020-2026 Corsair/Escape, 2021-2026 Bronco Sport, and 2022-2026 Maverick vehicles equipped with an 8F35 transmission may exhibit a shudder condition, most noticeable at speeds below 60 mph (100 km/h), with no…
SSM 54939 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 16, 2026
2020-2026 Explorer/Escape/Corsair, 2021-2026 Bronco Sport/Bronco, 2022-2026 Maverick, 2024-2026 Mustang/Ranger/Nautilus vehicles equipped with a 2.0L or 2.3L EcoBoost engine may require removal of the turbocharger…
SSM 54857 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 21, 2026
This bulletin supersedes 25-2346. Reason for update: add Bronco Sport and Escape vehicles and add labor operations to repair the rear right/left carpet area. Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may…
TSB 26-2205 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 18, 2026
Certain 2021-2024 Model Year Bronco, 2021-2024 Model Year Bronco Sport, 2020-2022 Model Year Corsair and Escape, 2016-2024 Model Year Explorer, 2019-2020 Model Year Fusion, 2016-2018 Model Year Focus RS, 2022-2024 Model…
25B51 · Other · issued May 9, 2026
Some 2020-2026 Corsair/Escape, 2021-2026 Bronco Sport, and 2022-2026 Maverick vehicles equipped with an 8F35 transmission may exhibit a shudder condition, most noticeable at speeds below 60 mph (100 km/h), with no…
SSM 54797 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 4, 2026
This bulletin supersedes 25-2627. Reason for update: To add a Step to reprogram the all-wheel drive (AWD) module for Bronco Sport vehicles. Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit all of the…
TSB 26-2194 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 26, 2026
Various 2020-2026 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with blind spot information system (BLIS) may experience an inoperative blind spot monitoring with a "Blind Spot System Fault" message displayed in the instrument…
SSM 54720 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 2, 2026
Advance Notice – Customer Satisfaction Program 25N17 Certain 2015-2025 Model Year Multiple Vehicle Lines Rear View Camera Replacement If Required After Dealer Evaluation
25N17 · Other · issued Mar 25, 2026
This article supersedes TSB 25-2466 to add Bronco Sport, Escape, Maverick and Corsair, as well as removing Expedition and Navigator. One time use parts for Corsair and Bronco Sport were also added to the parts list…
TSB 26-2092 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 9, 2026
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 2021 Ford Escape has 19 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 2021 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 39,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.