Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government
holds on this vehicle.
Owners have filed 68 safety complaints
about the 2022 Ford Escape Hybrid with the US government. Of those, 3 describe a crash, 2 mention a fire, 1 person was injured and no death is recorded. No recall campaign has been matched to this year, make and model.
The most complained-about system is the engine,
named in 34 complaints, 50% of the total.
The typical failure was reported at 45,000 miles,
the median across the 11
complaints that gave
an odometer reading.
Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files
· Covers July 2022 to September 2026 · How this is counted
What is on file
68 complaints on file
68
Complaints
3
Describe a crash
2
Mention fire
1
People injured
0
Deaths
A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a
finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts
them.
Complaints fell 30% year on year: 7 in the twelve months to 2026-Q2, against 10 in the twelve before.
No recall campaign was matched to this year, make and model. That is not
the same as a clean vehicle: recalls are issued against production
ranges, and the only reliable check is your own VIN.
Which system owners named
Complaints naming each system
ENGINE 34 · 50%
34 50%
SERVICE BRAKES 12 · 18%
12 18%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 10 · 15%
10 15%
STRUCTURE 7 · 10%
7 10%
POWER TRAIN 5 · 7%
5 7%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 5 · 7%
5 7%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 4 · 6%
4 6%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 2 · 3%
2 3%
LANE DEPARTURE 2 · 3%
2 3%
VISIBILITY/WIPER 2 · 3%
2 3%
AIR BAGS 1 · 1%
1 1%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 · 1%
1 1%
01531
One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 68.
When the complaints arrived
By the year NHTSA received them
By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures
happened. They peaked in 2024 at 23.
28 21 14 7
222022232023242024252025262026
This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure
happened. The range runs from 2022 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.
Crash test ratings
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program
NHTSA has not crash tested the 2022 Ford Escape Hybrid. Its New Car Assessment Program
tests a selection of each year's vehicles and does not reach
motorcycles, heavy trucks, motorhomes or most low-volume models, so
an absence here says nothing about how the vehicle would perform. It
is not a low score.
What owners have reported about this vehicle is below, and it is a
different question: a crash test measures what happens to the people
inside in a controlled impact, while a complaint records what broke
during ordinary use.
Defect investigations
1 on file
An investigation means NHTSA has decided a pattern is worth examining. A
preliminary evaluation is often closed with no action; an engineering
analysis is the stage that usually precedes a recall.
Pedestrian alert sounds
DP22005
Closed defect petition · opened January 27, 2023 · closed August 7, 2023 · led to recall 22V063000
the electrical system
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.
In owners’ own words
Quoted from the complaint file
Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the
people who filed them, not findings of fault.
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
1 injured · crash · 180,000 miles
The contact owned 2022 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 65 MPH uphill, another vehicle attempting to make a left turn in front of the vehicle crashed into the vehicle. The contact stated that several air bags deployed inside the vehicle; however, the steering wheel and the front passenger’s side air bags failed to deploy. The contact stated that the Forward Collision Avoidance feature failed to operate during the failure. The contact sustained injuries to the head, left hand, and the back. Medical attention was sought. The contact stated that a Police report was not filed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was …
NHTSA complaint 11744452, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
ENGINE
fire
We were driving on the interstate and the car began to make a metallic clicking/ticking sound. We started to move to the shoulder as we thought it might be a tire issue when we saw an orange glow reflected on the concrete. As soon as we reached the shoulder the engine started pouring out smoke and we immediately left the car. We opened the hood and saw fire inside the engine compartment. We left the hood up and moved away from the car and called 911. It appears this issue is tied to a known, open recall for which Ford has not released any information on how to fix with no specific timeline in place to release the fix. Our safety was at risk as the car was on fire and we were standing on the …
NHTSA complaint 11550390, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
POWER TRAIN
fire
On 20 July 2026, my 2022 Ford Escape HEV caught fire in the engine compartment while parked. The vehicle is likely a total loss (insurance pending). On-site emergency personnel responded within minutes of the fire and the local fire department was on scene within 5 minutes of the 911 call. They cleared the incident (and d/c the 12V) within 32 minutes of arrival. Detroit Fire Department Incident: 202620101471. This vehicle was subject to Ford Safety Recall 23S27 and Customer Satisfaction Program 23N06, which address a manufacturing defect in the 2.5L HEV/PHEV engine. Under that recall, connecting rod bearing journals were not properly finished, causing premature bearing and engine failure …
NHTSA complaint 11752612, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
SERVICE BRAKES
crash · towed
On November 12, 2022 at approximately 1:00 p.m. an incident occurred with my 2022 Ford Escape Hybrid in Columbia, MO. As I was parking in the Forum Theater parking lot, the engine surged and I had no brakes. I was at a dead stop and when I released the brake to move into a parking slot, the engine surged abruptly. When I applied the brakes, the pedal went clear to the floor with no braking occurring. I absolutely did not hit the wrong peddle causing this surging of power. As a result, the Escape jumped a curb and ran into a tree doing $14,000 damage. The airbags did not deploy nor did the seatbelts lock with the result of my granddaughters and I being thrust sharply forward. Currently the …
NHTSA complaint 11495655, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
POWER TRAIN
"While driving my 2022 Ford Escape Hybrid, the vehicle suffered an abrupt powertrain failure. A wrench icon and check engine light illuminated on the dashboard, and the vehicle immediately dropped into a low-speed mode that severely limited my throttle control on the road. I was unable to drive home and had to leave the vehicle on the road until I could get a tow. The vehicle is currently grounded and unsafe to operate at a Ford dealership lot. Ford customer service is actively refusing to authorize alternative transportation or honor the extended coverage parameters outlined in Customer Satisfaction Program 23N06, which covers this exact engine defect."
NHTSA complaint 11764780. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
ENGINE
55,000 miles
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated and remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed, and a code for ABS Internal Module Failure was displayed. The contact was informed that further diagnostic tests were needed to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 55,000.
NHTSA complaint 11763053. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
72,000 miles
The contact owns a 2022 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V104000 (Electrical System, Exterior Lighting); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, the message " Trailer Brake Module Failure" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the integrated trailer module (ITRM) had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the manufacturer had failed to make the part available for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the …
NHTSA complaint 11752318, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
VISIBILITY/WIPER
The cloth that covers the sun roof sags into the car. One side of mine still holds the cloth mostly into place, but if that side breaks, the cloth will drop into the car which will make it impossible to see anything behind me. After receiving an estimate for repair, I was told by the repair tech that this was a common problem with these sun shade assemblies.
NHTSA complaint 11741903. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
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. How
many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by
the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.
Complaints: NHTSA's ODI
complaint file, published October 2, 2026. One
complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.
Recalls: NHTSA's recall
campaign API, no campaign on file for this vehicle.
Investigations: NHTSA's ODI
investigation file, published October 2, 2026.
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.
G
Compiled and maintained by guarledes Independent developer and analyst