Reliable Auto DB

2019 Ford Escape reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 586 complaints with NHTSA about the 2019 Ford Escape over 8 years — 24 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Escape years here — under the median of the other years, which is 40. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Engine block heater, Gear position indicator, and Tires.

2017 Ford Escape SE
Photo by RL GNZLZ from Chile, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 2.0
Complaints

586

Per year

24

Recalls

3

Years on the road

8

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (308 of 586), then Powertrain (125) and Engine and engine cooling (92). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 64,500 miles, and the middle half falls between 27,950 and 88,188 miles. Those filings include 24 that report a crash, 3 that report a fire, and 20 that report an injury.

Next to 2018 and 2020

The 2018 Escape has 1,792 complaints, 37 per year, and the 2020 has 1,596 complaints, 46 per year. The 2019 has fewer complaints per year than the 2018. The 2019 has fewer complaints per year than the 2020.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2019 Ford Escape. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (3)

Recall equipment, electrical, engine block heater 2026-01-15 · NHTSA campaign 26V011000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Focus, 2013-2019 Escape, and 2015-2016 MKC vehicles equipped with a 2.0L engine. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.
Remedy Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed March 6, 2026. 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 26S01. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on January 16, 2026.
Vehicles affected 116,672
Recall powertrain, automatic transmission, gear position indicator 2022-06-10 · NHTSA campaign 22V413000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2019 Escape, 2013-2018 C-Max, 2013-2016 Fusion, 2013-2021 Transit Connect, and 2015-2018 Edge vehicles. The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach.
Remedy Dealers will replace the under hood shift bushing and add a protective cap over the shift cable bushing, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters, informing owners of the safety risk, were mailed July 1, 2022. Remedy parts are expected to be available in 4th Quarter 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed October 27, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S43.
Vehicles affected 2,925,968
Recall Tires 2021-03-10 · NHTSA campaign 21V155000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 F-150, 2018-2020 F-250, F-350, and 2019 Escape vehicles equipped with Continental tires. On the affected vehicles, it is possible that one or more tires were cured for too long during tire production.
Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tires, and replace them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on March 27, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S10.
Vehicles affected 15,769

NHTSA's count is every vehicle in that campaign. A campaign can cover other model years and other models.

Complaints by component (586 total)

Engine
308
Powertrain
125
Engine and engine cooling
92
Electrical system
37
Steering
16
Fuel and propulsion system
15
Exterior lighting
13
Structure
12
Air bags
11
Tires
11
Wheels
10
Fuel system, gasoline
8
Service brakes
8
Speed control
8
Seat belts
6
Forward collision avoidance
4
Back-over prevention
3
Suspension
3
Hydraulic brakes
2
Seats
2
Visibility and wipers
2
Diesel fuel system
1
Equipment
1
Lane departure
1
Latches, locks, and linkages
1
Visibility
1
Show 18 more Show less
Crash-flagged

24

Fire-flagged

3

Injury reports

20

Death reports

0

Of the 227 complaints that include an odometer reading, the median is 64,500 miles. The middle half fall between 27,950 and 88,188 miles.

Complaints filed per year

192019292020232021432022542023135202418020251032026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "Vehicle has coolant intrusion into cylinders verified by Ford dealer"
    Engine · filed 2026-09-17
  • "My 2019 Ford Escape has the Ford 6F35 transmission and I was just informed that mine is going out and needs to be replaced by a Ford dealership service department. Since 12/2025, I have had my car in the shop 3 times. I…"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-09-15
  • "We purchased a 2019 Ford Escape 1.5L new from the dealer. We've put only 25,000 miles on it, but are now facing a well known issue (coolant intrusion) that they failed to inform us about. This is despite our vehicle…"
    Engine · filed 2026-09-14
  • "The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving 20 MPH, the vehicle was shaking and vibrating abnormally. The check engine warning light remained illuminated with the message "Engine…"
    Engine and engine cooling · filed 2026-09-14
  • "The vehicle had a transmission shutter and shakes the car. It also had a hard shift at 38mph. It happens daily, was not a one time Incentent"
    Powertrain, Unknown or other, Engine · filed 2026-09-10

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2019 Ford Escape SUV AWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2019 Ford Escape SUV FWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Escape all-wheel drive 1.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) All-wheel drive 22 28 24 MPG $2700
Escape all-wheel drive 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) All-wheel drive 21 27 23 MPG $2800
Escape front-wheel drive 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 21 29 24 MPG $2700
Escape front-wheel drive 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 22 29 25 MPG $2600
Escape front-wheel drive 1.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 23 30 26 MPG $2500
Escape front-wheel drive flex-fuel 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 21 29 24 MPG $2700

Specs and fitment

3rd generation, 2013–2019
Body styles SUV
Oil 5W-20 synthetic (1.6L EcoBoost/2.5L I4); 5W-30 synthetic (2.0L EcoBoost) , 5.7 qt capacity
Tire size 235/55R17 (S/SE) to 235/50R18 (SE/Titanium)

Known issues for this generation

Early third-gen years (especially 2013) also draw NHTSA powertrain filings about the shifter-cable bushing. Recall 18V-471 covers certain 2013-2014 Escapes with six-speed automatics: the bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade and detach so the lever can show Park while the gearbox is not in Park, with no warning; dealers replace the bushing (Ford 18S20). Recall 22V-413 expands that bushing concern to certain 2013-2019 Escapes among other Ford models; dealers again replace the bushing. Separately, recall 17V-209 covered the 2014 Escape with the 1.6L GTDI: driving with low coolant could crack the cylinder head and leak oil onto hot parts, raising fire risk; dealers installed a coolant-level sensor. Recall 16V-643 covered 2013-2015 Escapes among about two million Ford/Lincoln vehicles for door-latch parts that may break so a door fails to latch or opens while moving; dealers replaced the latches.

Compare

Previous year 2018 Ford Escape Next year 2020 Ford Escape See every Ford Escape model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2019 Ford Escape reliable?

Owners have filed 586 complaints with NHTSA about the 2019 Ford Escape over 8 years — 24 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Escape years here — under the median of the other years, which is 40. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Engine block heater, Gear position indicator, and Tires.

What are common problems with a 2019 Ford Escape?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (308 of 586), then Powertrain (125) and Engine and engine cooling (92). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 64,500 miles, and the middle half falls between 27,950 and 88,188 miles. Those filings include 24 that report a crash, 3 that report a fire, and 20 that report an injury.

Is the 2019 Ford Escape more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2018 Escape has 1,792 complaints, 37 per year, and the 2020 has 1,596 complaints, 46 per year. The 2019 has fewer complaints per year than the 2018. The 2019 has fewer complaints per year than the 2020.

Has the 2019 Ford Escape been recalled?

The 2019 Ford Escape has 3 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2019 Ford Escape?

Owners have filed 586 complaints about the 2019 Ford Escape with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2019 Ford Escape get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2019 Ford Escape is 24.3 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What generation is my Ford Escape?

2008-2012 is the 2nd generation, 2013-2019 is the 3rd generation, and 2020-onward is the 4th generation.

Should I avoid charging my Ford Escape's high-voltage battery?

If your 2020-2024 Escape is covered by recall 24V-954, Ford advises not charging the high-voltage battery until the recall remedy has been completed.