I am writing to formally express my concern regarding the safety of my 2022 Ford Escape Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV), which I believe may have been rushed to market without sufficient development or reliability testing. As Ford’s first iteration of the Escape PHEV, it appears to suffer from multiple critical defects th…
Read full complaint
I am writing to formally express my concern regarding the safety of my 2022 Ford Escape Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV), which I believe may have been rushed to market without sufficient development or reliability testing. As Ford’s first iteration of the Escape PHEV, it appears to suffer from multiple critical defects that suggest the technology was not fully ready for consumers. In less than 2.5 years of ownership, I have experienced the following serious safety-related issues: The vehicle is currently under recall for a defective high-voltage battery, and there have been multiple other recalls related to the PHEV technology, raising serious concerns about the reliability and safety of the overall hybrid system. NHTSA Recall Number 24V954. I experienced brake issues within the first 18 months of which have not been fixed and still making odd noises Most alarmingly, the engine failed while I was driving on the highway with under 32,000 miles on the vehicle, causing a sudden and dangerous loss of power. This incident placed me and others at serious risk of harm. While the dealership did repair the engine under warranty, Ford has not offered any meaningful assistance beyond that, nor have they provided alternative transportation or a solution that addresses my ongoing safety concerns. Ford corporate has refused to communicate with me in writing and will only speak by phone, making it extremely difficult to document discussions, obtain clear answers, or hold them accountable for their responses. Due to a lack of support from Ford, I was forced to borrow my mother’s vehicle for two weeks while mine was being serviced, as there were 17 other customers on a waitlist for a loaner vehicle at the dealership. Despite these serious problems, I still don't have a vehicle and I no longer feel safe driving the car, and a financial burden, as I now owe more on the car than it is worth on trade-in. I have not picked up the car due to safety concerns. I believe these issues
NHTSA ODI #11664257
3,000 miles · Mar 15, 2024
Electrical SystemEngineService Brakes
The contact owns a owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH and depressing the brake pedal to come to a complete stop, the vehicle hesitated to respond and lurched forward. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving. The vehicle was taken to the loca…
Read full complaint
The contact owns a owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH and depressing the brake pedal to come to a complete stop, the vehicle hesitated to respond and lurched forward. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where the cause of the failure could not be determined. Additionally, the contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the instrument cluster and the infotainment system became inoperable. The contact stated that the vehicle lost electrical power. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact stated that she was able to restart the vehicle and continued driving. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Additionally, the contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V380000 (Engine); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 3,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2022-2026 Ford Escape and 2023-2026 Lincoln Corsair plug-in hybrid vehicles. A manufacturing defect in one or more of the high voltage battery cells may result in an internal short circuit and battery failure.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Battery failure can cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash. Battery failure can also increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will update the battery energy control module (BECM) and hybrid powertrain control module (HPCM) software, free of charge. Owners are advised to only use "Auto EV" mode and will be instructed by mail to limit the maximum charge of the battery until the remedy has been completed. Owner notification letters were mailed September 4, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SC4. This recall expands previous recall numbers 24V954 and 25V489. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on February 18, 2026.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2024 Ford Escape and 2021-2024 Lincoln Corsair plug-in hybrid vehicles. A manufacturing defect in one or more of the high voltage battery cells may result in an internal short circuit and battery failure.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Battery failure can cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash. Battery failure can also increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will update the battery energy control module (BECM) and hybrid powertrain control module (HPCM), free of charge. Owners are advised to only use "Auto EV" mode and will be instructed by mail to limit the maximum charge of the battery until the remedy has been completed. Owner notification letters were mailed September 4, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SC4. Vehicles in this recall were previously recalled under 24V954 and will need to have the new remedy performed. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on November 18, 2025.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0
No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
2022 Ford Escape Phev Problems, Complaints & Recalls | Skip That Year