2023 Ford Escape

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.

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.

[Recurring No-Start Issue with Multiple Warning Alerts – Safety Concern] I am reporting a recurring vehicle issue involving failure to start, which I believe may pose a safety risk. The issue has occurred five times: August 11, 2023 April 12, 2025 June 13, 2025 December 12, 2025 April 1, 2026 During these incidents, the vehicle failed to start and displayed multiple warning messages on the dashboard. On some occasions, the vehicle only started after several hours. The vehicle becomes completely inoperable when this issue occurs. After the third occurrence, I brought the vehicle to an authorized service center. However, the issue was not resolved and has continued to occur. This repeated failure raises serious concerns about vehicle reliability and safety, as the vehicle may become inoperable without warning. I have attached documentation, including repair records and photos of the dashboard warnings. I am submitting this report so that this issue can be properly investigated.

The contact owns a 2023 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message "Battery Issue, Pull Over" displayed, and the battery, check engine, and master warning lights illuminated. The contact pulled over and contacted the dealer, who instructed him to turn off and restart the vehicle. After following the dealer's instructions, the failure was resolved. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V091000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the recall but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 28,000.

The contact owns a 2023 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the radio displayed a blank screen. A dealer was contacted. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 34,756.

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 unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

Reporting Long term safety defect and manufacturer behavior. There was no single incident. This is an ongoing safety defect related to multiple battery recalls that now limit my vehicle to 80% charging (in the past, no plug in charging), now going on nearly three years. My Ford Escape PHEV has been subject to limited charging due to these multiple recalls, and I am concerned Ford may close the recall with a software‑only fix that cannot truly validate battery safety, especially if modeled on limited and not real world charging. I have complied with all of Ford's requests which came at my expense and caused increased fuel usage and a diminished efficiency of my car. Now I need assurance that when a "fix" is determined that it will indeed be a permanent fix that is safe at 100% charge. This is a potentially crucial safety issue and thermal consequences with my grand daughters sitting above the battery is of the greatest concern.

I have had many issues with this vehicle. Most concerning is that the other night while driving down the road at night, my car blacked out and I had no lights inside or headlights outside while driving in the dark. My back hatch button only works when it wants to. My screen freezes every once in awhile and also makes horrible noises very frequently. I’ve had one case of my screen freezing on a longer drive with my seat warmer on and the seats getting too hot and burning me. My safety features shut off all the time. My cruise control wouldn’t work at all on a 4 hour drive last month. When I get my oil changed they tell me under my hood is way louder than it should be for a vehicle this old. The dealership did a factory reset hoping it would help but I’ve already had issues with the hatch door not working appropriately, the sound coming from my screen, and notifications that my safety features have been shut off.