2020 Ford Escape Hybrid transmission & drivetrain problems

Related recalls

• Recall 25V881000Dec 18, 202587 vehicles
  POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)

  Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2022-2024 Maverick Hybrid and 2020 Escape Hybrid vehicles. The Hybrid Powertrain Control Module (HPCM) software may cause the vehicle to shift into neutral unexpectedly, causing a loss of drive power.

  Risk: A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.

  Remedy: Dealers will update the HPCM software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 12, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S33. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning January 15, 2026. This is an expansion of Recalls 24V330 (24S33) and 25V133 (25S16).

What owners say

1. Filed Aug 7, 2026NVTransmission & Drivetrain

   When the outside temperature gets over 95F, the rotary gear shifter locks up in Park and will not let you shift into Drive. Multiple restarts over 30 minutes with the A/C center console pointed down to cool off the rotary shifter dial. This really is annoying. Twice I was late for appointments. I am handicapped disabled veteran and need this car to work, 100 percent of the time. The ford escape online forums, nor Ford have a fix. It's a KNOWN problem on the forums. Ford said…

   NHTSA complaint #11755477 · source
2. Filed Jul 1, 2026TXTransmission & Drivetrain

   Our 2020 Ford Escape Titanium began making a flutter noise at lower speeds. An independent mechanic checked for codes and none were present. He advised to drive until the check engine light comes on. Two days later the car had a knocking noise in the engine compartment. Driving home, accelerating onto a hiway the engine made a loud metallic noise as the engine started to overspeed. The car shut itself off and we pulled over to the shoulder. We were stuck on a 65 mph 4 lane…

   NHTSA complaint #11747622 · source
3. Filed Feb 25, 2025TXElectrical SystemTransmission & Drivetrain

   The vehicle is just under 37K miles. I was operating the vehicle normally, and the wrench icon came on, indicating a powertrain issue. There are recalls for this for some vehicles but not all, and it seems to occur just after warranties expiring. I am concerned my vehicle falls under this service bulletin but has not been properly added: SSM 49157 - 2020 Escape - Illuminated MIL With DTCs U0100, U0401, P166B, P1753, P0929, And/Or P0919 Some 2020 Escape vehicles may exhibit…

   NHTSA complaint #11644872 · source
4. Filed Sep 18, 2024CAElectrical SystemEngineTransmission & Drivetrain

   Upon purchasing and receiving the car from a dealership, I attempted to drive it around my neighborhood and after about 1 minute received a warning saying "safely stop now!" and the steering wheel locked and the power shut off in the middle of the street. The car would not turn back on and had to be towed to the dealership. The dealership (not Ford) already replaced the battery and that did not fix the issue. They are having to take it to Ford service to get it looked at.…

   NHTSA complaint #11615260 · source
5. Filed Aug 27, 2024MOElectrical SystemEngineTransmission & Drivetrain

   We were traveling to Springfield MO and just before Strafford our 2020 Ford Escape Hybrid SE flashed a wrench warning on our screen and immediately went into limp mode in rush hour traffic on I-44. We were in the passing lane going up a hill at the time passing a commercial truck and our speed dropped significantly. Luckily the vehicles behind us to were able slow down in time.

   NHTSA complaint #11611195 · source
6. Filed Jul 17, 2024NVTransmission & Drivetrain

   When temperature is over 100F, (when it's parked for a while). 1. Foot on brake 2. Turn engine button on 3 Shift into Drive . The shifter button wheel will not turn into any gear. It's locked into Park . You have to open all the windows, and direct as much A/C air downward to the shifter wheel to get it to cool off (10 minutes usually). Then, it will shift into Drive and everyone is happy. However, if this was an emergency (like someone has heat stroke), depending on this…

   NHTSA complaint #11602982 · source
7. Filed Jun 25, 2024WITransmission & Drivetrain

   While driving, the wrench icon illuminated, and the vehicle began to decelerate, unable to exceed 35mph. The Ford Pass app relayed a message indicating a Powertrain Malfunction with reduced power. It also warned that, "the powertrain control module has detected the engine timing chains have exceeded 95% of their useful life and requires service now. The control system invokes a symptom of limited power." During service, the dealer reset the codes, and the vehicle functioned…

   NHTSA complaint #11596376 · source
8. Filed Jun 20, 2024150,000 miMETransmission & Drivetrain

   The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds, the AWD system fault message was displayed. Additionally, the message was flashing. The local dealer was contacted, and informed the contact that a diagnostic test was needed to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was…

   NHTSA complaint #11595419 · source
9. Filed Jun 13, 2024KSTransmission & Drivetrain

   Gear shifter locked into park when there are excessive outdoor heat temperatures. (Over 95°) The car must run for 20-30 minutes to cool down before shifter will unlock into Drive. Took it to the dealership where they could not recreate the problem (in September when temperatures dropped) and were unable to fix it. I have reported once before and have seen multiple online forums of others having the same issue in the 2020 ford escape models. This should be an immediate safety…

   NHTSA complaint #11594274 · source
10. Filed May 24, 2024MOElectrical SystemEngineTransmission & Drivetrain

    Was driving the car when it suddenly went dead with the following message on the screen: “Vehicle network communication error”. By chance I happened to be able to coast off the road otherwise i would have been stranded on a very busy road. The vehicle was towed to a Ford dealer where the problem was reproduced, the car has been at the dealer for 1 week now with no idea what the problem is. There was no warning prior to the error appearing and the vehicle completely stopping.…

    NHTSA complaint #11590669 · source
11. Filed Jan 24, 202436,000 miNY1 injuredTransmission & Drivetrain

    The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the shifter selector assembly had sharp edges. There were sharp edges on the side of the dial. The contact sustained injuries to her fingers, but medical attention was not provided. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the shifter selector assembly knob needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted.…

    NHTSA complaint #11567574 · source
12. Filed Jan 10, 2024MATransmission & Drivetrain

    Car was parked on sloped driveway by dealer's service department driver. Car was shut off and in park, but parking brake was not on. The driver was out of the car taking pictures when it started to roll backwards down the driveway. The driver saw it happen and set the parking brake, It rolled approximately 18 inches and then stopped. I had thought that this had happened previously, but it was much more noticeable watching from outside the car. I contacted the dealer…

    NHTSA complaint #11564609 · source

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology