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2019 Ford Escape: engine and transmission complaints

VERY HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
84%
470 of 558 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

84% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2019 Ford Escape are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. Well over half of everything owners reported is the drivetrain. That is a severe model-level pattern; every model year we track at this level has a documented failure behind it.

Worse than 99% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 24 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 81%).

NHTSA data checked September 13, 2026
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Drivetrain complaints
470
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
582
this model year
Fires reported
3
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
3
24 crashes · 28 injuries

Complaints by component

ENGINE306 · 53%
POWER TRAIN124 · 21%
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING91 · 16%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER42 · 7%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM37 · 6%
STEERING16 · 3%

The years either side

2010
55%
1,149 of 2,127
2011
48%
639 of 1,353
2012
43%
249 of 613
2013
68%
1,816 of 2,752
2014
67%
1,347 of 2,080
2015
51%
538 of 1,085
2016
53%
571 of 1,109
2017
85%
2,223 of 2,669
2018
90%
1,575 of 1,783
2019
84%
470 of 582
2020
26%
458 of 1,809
2021
28%
91 of 339
2022
35%
101 of 297
2023
45%
52 of 118

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

Cleaner alternatives

Same car, a better year

Other compact SUVs with no elevated signal in 2019

The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.

What owners reported

POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONT09/27/2023CRASH2 INJURED
On 9/14/23 after starting car parked on level surface, I placed car in Drive, but it went in Reverse. The vehicle was supposedly repaired for Safety Recall Notice 22S43 by dealer. I placed car back in park, then shifted back to Drive and it moved forward as expected. Later in day while my wife was driving, she exper…
WHEELS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE03/01/20202 INJURED
SINCE BUYING MY ESCAPE BRAND NEW WITH 1 MILE ON IT, IT HAS BEEN PLAGUED WITH ISSUES, ENGINE SHUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING CAN BE GOING 30 MPH OR 70 MPH, WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AT 70 BAD SMELL FROM CATALYTIC CONVERTER SEEPS IN THROUGH VENTS. PASSENGER SIDE TIRE WALL BLEW WHILE TURNING OUT OF A PARKING LOT. LICENSE PL…
AIR BAGS,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM02/16/2024CRASH1 INJURED
A car cut me off and I rear ended them going under 20 miles per hour. And my air bags went off and they exploded and I recieved chemical burns

Three of 470 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Recall campaigns on this model year (3)

TIRES
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 F-150, 2018-2020 F-250, F-350, and 2019 Escape vehicles equipped with Continental tires. On the affected vehicles, it…
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2019 Escape, 2013-2018 C-Max, 2013-2016 Fusion, 2013-2021 Transit Connect, and 2015-2018 Edge vehicles. The bushing …
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:ENGINE BLOCK HEATER
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Focus, 2013-2019 Escape, and 2015-2016 MKC vehicles equipped with a 2.0L engine. The engine block heater may crac…

This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.

Before you buy a 2019 Ford Escape

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.