2021 Ford Escape engine problems
43 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the engine on the 2021 Ford Escape — 13% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“Engine will periodically and randomly stall and quit while driving. Mostly in city but it quit while driving on highway I-10 at 65 mph in one incident.”
filed Sep 14, 2026
“My escape would not change gears and the escape would not reverse it was also pulling back and accelerating in speed to the point I could not control it in traffic. My safety and the safety of my mother were greatly affected as the escape was malfunctioning in traffic and I could not control the…”
filed Aug 26, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related recalls
- In the event of an engine failure, engine oil and fuel vapor may be released into the…Campaign 25V345000 · May 23, 2025
- In the event of an engine failure, engine oil and fuel vapor may be released into the…Campaign 23V380000 · May 26, 2023
- Engine oil separator housing may crack and develop an oil leakCampaign 22V191000 · Mar 25, 2022
Related service bulletins
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
Engine problems in other Escape years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Escape | 5 | 22% |
| 2024 Escape | 13 | 17% |
| 2023 Escape | 28 | 29% |
| 2022 Escape | 32 | 14% |
| 2020 Escape | 120 | 8% |
| 2019 Escape | 308 | 53% |
| 2018 Escape | 1,145 | 64% |
| 2017 Escape | 1,564 | 58% |
| 2016 Escape | 199 | 18% |
| 2015 Escape | 238 | 22% |
| 2014 Escape | 722 | 35% |
| 2013 Escape | 1,265 | 46% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2021 Ford Escape
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.