2023 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

About a month ago, my vehicles dash lit up and the car told me to shut it off. I had it towed to the dealership who then completed module updates and said I was all set. 20 minutes after picking it up, all of the lights came back on the dash and I brought it back. They again completed some kind of update with little to no information on what they did or the steps they took. Once again, I picked up my vehicle and immediately had a lit up dash. It was brought back and they had my car for 2 weeks before installing a new module. After picking up my car, I again dealt with lights on my dash, but this time one in particular. I had a notice to “Service Advancetrac” and a notification on my Ford app about Powertrain Failure.

The liftgate hinge cover flew off of my car on the highway and hit the car behind me. Other Escape years have been recalled, but the 2023 year was skipped.

Ford issued notice 25SC4 then issued another one, 26N15 about the risk of fire with the high voltage battery in my car. These notices state a potential for a short circuit in the battery which they say could result in "increasing the risk of a crash" , "increasing the risk of injury", and it "can progress to a vehicle fire". These are all unacceptable risks to me and my family. Their software "remedy" is to reduce the charging limit to 80% (12% of the electric driving range.) This is not acceptable to me. And the remedy only reduces the risk of a fire, it does not eliminate it. I think to best and safest resolution is to replace the batteries.

**On August 19, 2026, while driving my 2023 Ford Escape on Interstate 57 (I-57), with approximately 35,575 miles on the vehicle, the vehicle suddenly accelerated unexpectedly. I immediately attempted to apply the brakes, but the vehicle did not respond as expected and I could not stop it immediately. I became very frightened and started sounding the horn and turned on the hazard warning lights. I noticed that the lane immediately to my right was relatively clear, so I moved into that lane and applied the brakes again. The vehicle then responded to the brakes, allowing me to slow down and stop. I moved as far to the right as possible and stopped on the side of the road. I was extremely shaken and felt dizzy after the incident. I stopped to catch my breath and contacted my husband to tell him what had happened. During the incident, the Check Engine Light came on and the vehicle displayed the message “Powertrain Malfunction / Reduced Power.” I took the vehicle to a Ford dealer for inspection. The dealer diagnosed a turbocharger problem and advised that the turbocharger needs to be replaced under warranty. The vehicle was left at the dealership for repair, and I was provided with a loaner vehicle. The vehicle and the affected components are available for inspection upon request. No collision occurred, but the unexpected acceleration and the vehicle’s initial failure to respond to braking created a serious safety risk and I nearly had an accident.**

My 2023 Ford Escape (with fewer than 50,000 miles) began experiencing significant mechanical issues. I noticed exhaust fumes entering the cabin that passengers and I would inhale, loud noises from under the hood, and lose power during acceleration. After inspecting the vehicle, the dealership determined that the turbocharger wastegate/flapper valve had failed mechanically, causing the turbocharger to overboost and sustain internal damage. This failure led to numerous drivability issues, including hesitation, rough shifting, delayed upshifts, loud whining noises during cold starts, slipping during acceleration, and, at times, the inability to shift beyond second gear. Ultimately, the dealership concluded that the transmission needed to be rebuilt or replaced. My vehicle remained at the dealership from January 28, 2026, through May 14, 2026, over three and a half months. The vehicle still has transmission issues and loses power at times when driving on the highway commuting to work. At this moment of time, I scheduled it to go back to the dealership on July 9th.

The contact owns a 2023 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH the "WRENCH Icon" was illuminated and the message "Service Gear Shifter" and the vehicle began to rapidly reduce speed. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the shoulder of the highway road and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the transmission had failed and needed to be rebuilt. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 33,000.

The car started and when I went to put it in gear, turns off. Park brake limited function appeared on the dash . The car would not let me put it in gear without turning off. A month prior my dash with the speedometer was blank while driving not allowing me to see my speed . I turned the car off and on three different times. Only after sitting for several hours would the dash info reappear.

The contact owns a 2023 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V789000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the unrepaired recall repair was an inconvenience because the battery could only be charged to 80-percent. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not contacted. The contact had not experienced a failure.

The contact owns a 2023 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the engine unexpectedly stated revving at a high rate. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with turbo charger assembly failure. The turbo charger assembly was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The oxygen sensor was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 42,616.

My 2023 Ford Escape is equipped with a factory-installed rearview backup camera system and SYNC infotainment system. Beginning on or around February 2026. I began experiencing a series of recurring, intermittent, and worsening failures with the rearview camera and the Accessory Protocol Interface Module (APIM) that controls it. These failures render the backup camera system unreliable or completely non-functional during vehicle operation. Specific Symptoms Observed •BLUE / BLANK SCREEN: When the vehicle is placed in reverse, the rearview camera display shows a solid blue screen or goes completely blank rather than displaying the rear camera image. This failure occurs with no warning and leaves me unable to see what is behind the vehicle while backing up. •INVERTED / UPSIDE-DOWN IMAGE: The rearview camera image displays upside-down and/or mirrored, rendering the image confusing and unsafe. Guidelines, directional aids, and proximity warnings displayed on screen are also inverted, making them unusable. •DISTORTED / CORRUPTED IMAGE: The camera feed displays visual distortion, artifacts, freezing, flickering, or corruption that makes it impossible to accurately interpret what is behind the vehicle. •APIM FAILURE: The Accessory Protocol Interface Module (APIM) — the core software module controlling the SYNC 3 display and camera feed — has failed or malfunctioned. Dealership diagnosis has identified the APIM as requiring repair or replacement. This module failure is the root cause of the camera display issues described above. The failures occur intermittently and unpredictably. The camera may function correctly for a period, then fail on the next use. In some cases, the failure is persistent across multiple ignition cycles. There is no consistent triggering condition — the defect occurs in varied weather conditions, temperatures, and after varying periods of use. Turning the vehicle off and back on sometimes temporarily restores the camera, but the defect returns.