NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2020 Ford Escape. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
See attached document for complaint
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated while opening the front driver's side door, the door made an abnormal popping sound. Additionally, the front driver's side window failed to roll down as designed. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that it was a known failure, and that the front driver's side door needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: PE23013 (Structure). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 49,100.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that on almost a dozen occasions while driving at approximately 60 MPH, multiple unknown warning lights illuminated, and the instrument and head unit panels turned off and on and failed to work as intended. On another occasion, while driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle started bucking and lost motive power. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the AWD module and throttle body needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 51,486.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the driver's side door was squeaking. While driving at unknown speeds, the door unintendedly opened. The contact stated that the door failed to open and close. The contact entered through the passenger’s side door of the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the door check was fractured and recommended that the door be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 53,665.
The front driver side door suddenly started making a clicking noise when opening the door. It looks like the front welds on the door arm are broke which is causing the noise. Vehicle only has 36400 miles on it.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the front driver's side door hinge fractured and made a popping sound while opening the door. The contact stated that previously when the door was closed, the door latch was inoperable and failed to lock the door securely. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a fractured door hinge. The contact was informed that the door hinge needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000.
the paseenger side door hinge welding has come apart making my door unsafe
The dashboard and main touch screen would not light up in the middle of driving - this would occur every 5 minutes. "System off to save battery please turn ignition off or start engine" pop up would come on main screen while the entire system was done. Another pop up "auto hold system fault" warning would come up as well. Vehicle has been inspected twice by a ford service center and unable to identify the issue. This issue puts the driver at risk for accidents by not knowing the speed at which he/she is driving, fuel capacity, other information that is available on the dashboard if there are issues when it is completely off.
DRIVER'S DOOR CHECK SPOT WELDS MALFUNCTIONED CAUSING THE DRIVERS WINDOW TO BECOME INOPERATIVE
The hinge for the passenger door that holds the door from opening widely broke. This is preventing for the door to close properly and I’m unable to lower the window.
Parked my Escape in the garage on Thursday evening, December 14, 2023. Everything was ok. Opened the driver door Friday morning, December 15, 2023 and it made a funny creaking noise and felt draggy, didn't open smoothly. The noise continued each time I opened the door and seemed to get worse. On Tuesday morning, December 19th I took my vehicle to a Ford dealership to see what the problem was. They opened and looked at my door and said the hinge welds were breaking. They had seen about 5 or 6 Escapes in the last 2 weeks with the same problem. Said the door would have to be replaced - they would check into it and get back with me. My vehicle has 51,000 miles on it, so it is not covered by warranty. It is December 21st and I have not heard back from them and they have not responded to my text or phone calls. I am [XXX] and have taken good care of my vehicle. It has not been in any accidents, so I find it hard to believe that the door welds wear out after 51,000 miles. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Driver side door quit working, the awelding on the arm is bad. Effects door opening and shutting and window going down.
A few weeks ago, the drivers side front door of our 2020 Ford Escape began to make a popping sound upon opening and closing. The issue has now progressed to the door being nearly impossible to open, and the window will not go up and down. The issue seems to be related to what is described in the NTHSA bulletin SSM 50150.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact opened the front driver’s side door and heard an abnormal clicking sound. The contact stated the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with fractured door spot welds. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 29,500.
The welds on the door bracket broke from just opening the door with no force
While driving on the interstate at 70mph, the entire dash display went black for a few seconds, then returned on. This happened three times, then returned back to normal.
3 weld spots failed on driver door arm latch
Driver's side front door: hinges are not working properly. Initially, the door made three cracking noises when I opened the door on Tuesday, December 12, 2023. I called my Ford dealer (AutonationFord, Scottsdale, AZ) on Wednesday to speak to my Ford Service Advisor Kevin Morgan. He was not at work Wednesday or Thursday but I obtained an appointment for Monday, 12/18/23 at 9:30 AM. On Saturday, 12/16, I rolled the driver's side window down, it took me 5 minutes to get it back up. Of course I had to leave my car on Monday. But my Ford dealer does not offer "loaners" or offer to pay for a rental car. So I borrowed a car from a friend. On Tuesday 12/19, I received a call from Kevin that they could not fix the hinge(s) because they were improperly welded at the factory. Furthermore, they returned my car to my home with instructions to take it to Bell Ford (Phoenix) Body Shop. On Wednesday 12/20, I drove my car to Bell Ford, and they made an appointment for me to drop it off on Wednesday 12/27. They provided me with a loaner car. I thought I would be picking my car up Friday 12/29. I received a call from Will Jones, Mgr. of the Body Shop on Thursday 12/27 that window regulators had been discontinued by Ford but they had found another one and would get it Wednesday, 1/03. So I should get my Ford Escape back on Thursday 1/04, I hope. Now the problem is Ford has not recalled this problem and it's not just my car but other 2020 and 2021 Escapes have the same problem with the driver's side door. I don't know about the window but obviously it "broke" because of the broken hinges. Help! Please get Ford to recall cars with door problems. I should not have to pay for this repair. Thank you for your help!!!! [XXX] (mileage 35,750 but 3 years was up August 2023. To me, this is not a warranty issue.) INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the front driver's side door hinge fractured and there was an abnormal clicking sound coming from the front door. The contact stated that three spot wells needed to secure the door had fractured. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer to be inspected. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000.
The driver's side door hinge is popping and cracking when opening and closing.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the driver's side door was making an abnormal clicking sound while being opened. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the door check strap on the weld had separated. The mechanic informed the contact that the door could drop and not close properly. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case but declined any further assistance. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 20,740.
Cracks or broken spot welds in the passenger front door at the check arm attachment point in the door. Door check broke off from door causing the door to be hard to close or not able to close at all.
My entire passenger side airbags deployed with no passenger present in car. The car has a sensor stating when someone is not there they should be off.
The AWD module (LX6Z 7P238 AANP MODULE) went out on my 2020 Ford Escape. One day when starting my car several warnings popped up on the screen. The warnings were “AWD off”, “Pre-collision assist not available”, “Service Advanced Trac”, “AWD fault service required”, “Up hill assist not available” “Traction control system fault or not available?” and the wrench on the dashboard lit up. After googling the issue I found other 2020 Escape owners with the same problem. They all had to have the AWD MODULE replaced. Ford even recalled a select few 2020 Escapes for this issue, even though many more are having the same issue with not many miles on them. Called Ford to get in for a diagnostic and informed them what warnings were flashing. They confirmed it was the AWD MODULE causing the issue and replaced it. The cost was $835.14. Since AWD and traction control were disabled it made the vehicle dangerous to drive in slippery conditions. With the uphill assist disabled, that also made it more dangerous. The safety feature, Pre-collision assist, being disabled put my family and others in danger. Since replacing the Module all the warnings have stopped and everything seems to be back to normal. Ford is aware of this issue and is not taking responsibility for installing faulty AWD modules.
ISSUE: Left front door (driver's door) door check spot welds broke free from the door frame making it impossible to close the door without damage. Issue presented itself as a loud popping sound approximately 36 hours prior to weld failure. Until weld failure, I was unsure what the issue was, and was unable to visit a dealership due to time constraints. Door was operated with caution after the issue was discovered, and I figured that something had just popped out of place and would look at it over the weekend and/or schedule a service visit with the local dealer. I was not expecting factory welds to break. The component has not yet been inspected by the dealership or other parties. SAFETY CONCERN: Lack of a functional door check may allow the door to forcefully swing closed while the driver is entering/exiting the vehicle, causing injury. The door may also swing outward uncontrolled in which multiple injury or damage outcomes are possible. The breaking of the welds also caused the check arm to be stuck in the extended position, preventing the door from being able to close. To allow closure of the door without additional damage, bolts and nuts securing the check arm to the door frame and bracket were removed, allowing insertion of the door check assembly into the door body.
Bought my daughter a 2020 Ford Escape. Last week, while at college, she called to say her door was making loud sounds when opening and shutting it and her window wouldn't roll down. Concerned that the door wouldn't stay shut I had her go to the Ford dealership in her college town. They told her they have seen two other Ford Escapes this week with the same issue and that she would probably need a new door. I called my local dealership and was basically told the same thing. They knew exactly what I was talking about before I started in 4-5 sentences. When she got home I went to look at the door. It swings open with no resistance and the window doesn't roll down. Upon further investigating from my local repair shop he helped me look up the problem. It is SSM 50150 -Cracked or broken spot welds in the left front door at the check arm attachment point in the door assembly. I have a major concern with safety on this issue. How do I get Ford to correct this issue?
Forward-looking camera image processing moduel A malfunction
On 12/6/23, hinge on driver's side door broke. Piece is lodged in the door and window cannot go down. On 12/13/23, car was inspected at Ford dealership. Service Department confirmed hinge broke. According to Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) - SSM 50150, "certain 2020-2021 Escape vehicles may exhibit cracks or broken spot welds in the left front door at the check arm attachment point in the door assembly." According to NHTSA site, "appropriate repair for this condition is the replacement of the door assembly and door check arm." Dealership quoted repair cost at $2,427.75. If car was under warrant the expense would be covered. Due to the car having 39,000 and the warrant expiring at 36,000, Ford is only willing to cover $1,000. I will need to pay $1,427.75 out of pocket.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the front driver's side door failed to properly close. Additionally, the window would not roll down completely. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the front driver's side door hinge was faulty, and the entire door needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 73,093.
The warning lights came on and I suddenly did not have all wheel drive. This happened while driving in the snow with my 2 year old son in the vehicle with me. I took it to Horn Ford in Brillion, WI and they sad it’s a bad all wheel drive module and that even though it’s part of the drivetrain, it’s not covered under warranty. They said it’ll be covered after my transmission blows up! On top of that, they had my car for two days and only fixed two out of four recalls and charged me $135 for “diagnostics”! Ford put my child and me at risk and could not care less. This needs to be corrected before someone dies.
P2418 Electrical fault has occurred with the evap emission vapor blocking valve circuit and its associated wiring.
The welds have pulled out of my left drivers door check arm. My car has just 45,000 miles, just purchased 60 days ago. Now they want $2600+ to repair. I see many many many complaints about this issue. Add me to the list. This is ridiculous! It’s not like I had anything to do with the welds not holding!
My driver's side door suddenly made a loud cracking/popping noise when I opened it and then was a little difficult to close. Later when I opened my driver's side window it got stuck and wouldn't go up or down. I took it to my mechanic who said the door hinge had broken free from the body of the car. I then took it to the local Ford dealership who confirmed this is the case and also mentioned this was the second 2020 Ford Escape to be brought in that day for the exact same problem. They were unable to fix it at the dealership and said I need to go to an auto body repair shop to have a new hinge welded back on. Upon doing a little research I discovered that this is a very common problem with this year/make of vehicle.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the front driver's side door was making abnormal sounds while being opened and closed. The contact also stated that the window was also inoperable. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 26,132.
The driver's door hinge welds broke. Vehicle is available for inspection and do to the nature of the problem I am afraid that the door may fall off. The door and hinge piece need to be replaced to fix this issue. I called the Dealer, and they are aware of the issue but seem to not be willing to get this fixed without charging me due to me being 2 months outside of the bumper-to-bumper warranty. This is a Manufacture defect not an issue caused by me or an accident.
Front Left Driver Door Has a Horrible Grinding and Popping Sound When Door Is Open Or Closed. The hinge is visibly damaged at welding joint. This issues a causes serious problems when trying to close the door and open.
I've started to get a message on my dashboard - AWD fault. This car was built in 2020 with less than 25,000 miles and no accidents. A search on Ford forums revealed multiple complaints about 2020 Ford Escapes with the same issue. The dealerships in each incident said there was no recall, and prices for repairs ranged from $900 to $1100. Our Ford dealership said there was no recall, and we would have to pay for a repair to a AWD module on a 4 year old car.
Previous my drivers side check arm broke and as of tonight my passenger check arm is broken as well. I do not have pictures as it is dark outside
Driver side door malfunctioning. Popping when opening and closing
Drivers door making noises. I was given the option WHOLE new door- total cost $2900 - I have to pay $1635 for NEW door which by the way will not match my car color as car 3 - 4 years old! SSM 50150 from national highway traffic safety administration. They also offer another solution to solve the problem. Ford should offer a better solution as shabby workmanship
Failure of the spot welds in the check arm bracket on the the front doors. Bracket has pulled out of the front driver's side door. Visible holes. Door does not open all the way. Window operation is blocked; opens about 1/5th of the way. Does not reliably close.
my driver side door hinge randomly began making snapping noises and then the door no longer functioned properly. There are times when I cannot close my door fully so I must drive with the door partially opened. The issue also affects the window. I cannot roll my window down.
Hinge on driver's door broke. Door pops every time it opens. Window will not roll all the way down.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that on several occasions while exiting and entering the driver's door, there was an abnormally loud popping sound coming from the door. Additionally, while the vehicle was parked, the contact attempted to roll down the driver's window, but the window would not roll down. The vehicle was taken to two body shops where it was diagnosed that the pressure and or friction caused an unknown part to fracture, and the window motor failed. The contact was informed that the driver's door needed to be repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was determined that the driver's side door needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 74,115.
DRIVER DOOR RETAINER WELDS HAVE CRACKED AND SEPARATED. MAKING THE DOOR DIFFICULT TO OPEN OR CLOSE AND REMAIN CLOSED. THERE ARE NO WARNING LAMPS THIS PROBLEM IS ALREADY CURRENTLY UNDER INVESTIGATION BY NHTSA SSM 50150. ITS TIME FOR A RECALL OF THIS DANGEROUS LIFE SAFETY ISSUE AS THE DOOR IS ABLE TO OPEN SUDDENLY WHILE DRIVING
Driver side door is making a click click sound when opening the door. Doing some research it seems the problem is that the hinge is broken and will continue to get worse. I have to go from the passenger side to get in and out or slightly open the driver door to get in and out.I also noticed that my power window doesn't go all the way down starting today 12/04/2023. I believe this is due to the door hinge problem. I hope this get a recall soon as I'm taking it to the dealership as I use the car everyday. I don't have thousands of dollars for a door replacement and not sure if this will go through my insurance if it's extremely expensive for nothing that I did wrong besides opening my door.
GATEWAY MODULE FOR INSPECTIONS DOES NOT READ OR REGISTER WHEN MY CAR NEEDS AN INSPECTION.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the front driver's side door made an abnormal popping sound while opening and closing. Additionally, the door failed to close properly. The contact also stated that the front driver's side window could no longer roll down properly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the front driver's side door check arm bracket was fractured. The dealer determined that the front driver's side door needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then taken to an auto body repair shop for the repair. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: PE23013 (Structure). The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 56,000.
broken spot welds in the left front door at the check arm attachment point in the door
Front drivers door makes popping noise and it appears to be loose. No physical damage. Looks like an internal part failure