CSR

Ford · NHTSA safety record

2021 Ford Escape PHEV

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

21

Complaints

1

Crashes

0

Fires

1

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2021 Ford Escape PHEV have filed 21 safety complaints with NHTSA between June 2021 and August 2026. The most complained-about system is the electrical system, named in 8 of them (38%). The typical failure was reported at 32,200 miles, the median across the 5 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 1 recall covering this vehicle.

Recalls (1)

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY

25V789000 · November 14, 2025

The defect
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.
The risk
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.
The 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. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, and instructions to limit the maximum charge of the battery were mailed December 8, 2025. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available. 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.

Ford Motor Company · up to 20,558 vehicles across all model years covered

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 21.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 8 38%
ENGINE 8 38%
POWER TRAIN 2 10%
SERVICE BRAKES 2 10%
STRUCTURE 2 10%
AIR BAGS 1 5%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 5%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 5%
HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 5%
SEAT BELTS 1 5%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 5%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 5%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2024 at 7.

2021 2024 2026
2021 to 2026, the last of them a part year

In owners' own words

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

ENGINE

1 injured · crash · towed · 29,000 miles

The contact owned a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH and attempting to slow the vehicle, he became dizzy then suddenly fainted, and as a result, he briefly lost control of the vehicle and came to a complete stop after colliding with the curb. Just prior to fainting, the contact had smelled burning fumes in the interior of the vehicle, to which he attributed his feeling of dizziness. The air bags did deploy. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and deemed a total loss by the contact's insurance provider. A police report was filed, and injuries were reported. The contact was transported to an area hospital by EMT, where they

NHTSA complaint 11586824, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

towed · 51,988 miles

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V954000 (Electrical System). The contact stated that while pulling out of the driveway, the message "Stop Safely Now" was displayed, and the vehicle inadvertently shifted into park(P) and failed to shift into the intended gear. The power train warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to two dealers where the failure was unable to be duplicated. The vehicle was towed to another dealer, but the failure was not duplicated. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 51,988.

NHTSA complaint 11645045. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

towed · 51,988 miles

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V954000 (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 vehicle was towed to the dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that after coasting out of the garage the vehicle stalled, the shifter seized in park(P), and the message “Stop Safely Now” was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was towed to another dealer, Kendall Ford of Bend (2100 NE 3rd St, Bend, OR 97701); who diagnosed that the high-voltage battery

NHTSA complaint 11645384, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
NOV 20, 2025 Manufacturer Recall Number25SC4 NHTSA Recall Number25V789 Recall StatusRecall Incomplete, remedy not yet available Summary this has been 9 months and still no remedy. this doesnt seem timely.

NHTSA complaint 11756939. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V954000 (Electrical System); 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 made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA complaint 11663389. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V954000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer stated the remedy was expected to be available second quarter of 2025; however, it could not give an exact date. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA complaint 11654133. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V954000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer was contacted. The dealer confirmed that parts were not yet available. 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 and informed the contact that a second notice would be mailed when parts were available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA complaint 11653628. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Ford Escape PHEV

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2023 10 2
2022 78 2

Other 2021 Ford models

Every Ford on this site — 348 vehicles, 1210 recall campaigns and 10 open investigation s.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

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