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
Welds that secure the door check arm to the driver side door failed. This makes the door very difficult to both open and close, potentially creating a safety issue. This is a known issue affecting these vehicles, and a recall should be issued to correct the problem.
The drivers side door - the weld on the arm has fractured. Causing a loud clunking noise every time the door is opened or closed. This 'break' has caused the window to only be able to roll down about 6 inches. Also, because of the break, the interior lights don't recognize that the door is closed and will stay on as if there is a door open. When called local Ford Dealership, I was advised it is a common problem and the whole door needed to be replaced. Currently, I am out of warranty but upon investigating online, this is a very common problem in the 2020 Ford Escape Drivers side door.
Sheet metal piece attached to CHECK ARM ATTACHMENT(PN LJ6Z-7823552-B)detached. 5 spot welds failed. See TSB [XXX]. Door would not close. David McDavid Ford wanted $31000 to replace door. I pop riveted sheet metal piece in 5 places. I will continue driving car but will check rivets every week. 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 while attempting to raise and lower the driver’s side front window, the window was inoperable. No warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to a local mechanic and a diagnostic test was performed. The mechanic informed the contact the driver's side door hinge welds was fractured causing the failure with the window. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 46,000.
The contact's husband owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after the vehicle was turned off, the contact opened the door and heard an abnormal clunking sound coming from the door. Additionally, the contact stated that while parked the door was unlatched and swung open inadvertently. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the door welds and spot welds needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 22,600.
Driver side door hinge/weld breaks. The metal pops, makes a loud sound, door then has to be forced shut. Due to this the window and lock does not work. Driver side door broke first and now the passenger side door has done the same exact thing.
Car died while driving down road due to a defect in the emissions system. Took to garage to tell me it's the evap system. Common issue with the 1.5 ltr engines and not under warranty. Revise to cover it even though it's connected to emissions system under a 80,000 mile warranty. Well over 100+ complaints online
Driver side door will not close tight. Will sometime open while driving on highway
About 3 weeks ago now I opened my driver door and heard a loud cranking followed by a poo, the arm bar weld on the door just broke, had to shut the door from the outside and as a result I don't have control over my driver side window and all the power locks in the vehicle are shot. In addition to this my electrical is going crazy, I have the dash lights set to off but when I remove key or open door all the lights come on and I have to click the button back and forth to get the lights to shut off. This has resulted in a dead battery once for not catching it acting up. I'm extremely concerned about the safety on this vehicle I have had it less then 3 years and it's had several recalled issues fixed already. I can't afford a whole new door so please recall this spot weld!!
POPPING NOISE WHEN OPENING SHUTTING DOOR ON DRIVER SIDE FROM THE DOOR LIMITER. IT IS A VERY COMMONLY REPORTED PROBLEM THAT IS AFFECTING 2020 FORD ESCAPE. THE SPOT WELDS ARE POORLY DESIGNED AND WILL COST APPROXIMATELY $800 TO RESOLVE
SSM 51553. My vehicle has a known problem with the left front door that has been reported by many other car owners. It presents with a cracked or broken spot weld in the left front door at the check arm attachment point in the vehicle assembly. The wider is also impacted as it will only open approximately 5 inches. A door assembly replacement at the cost of $2100 has been recommended. I contacted Ford and was initially told that they would assist with replacement costs. After two weeks, we were told that we could save paperwork in case a recall was made on this part but there was nothing else they could do to help.
Driver's door hinge welds failed (broke loose). This safety hazard may occur while operating vehicle. The hinge was attached to the door with 3 spot welds. The 3 spot welds all failed. The drivers door may open while driving and do not close once the welds have failed.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the driver’s side door made an abnormal sound when opened. Additionally, the driver’s door was not able to be securely closed. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle had been diagnosed. The contact was informed that the failure was due to fractured spot wields and the check arm mount in the door assembly. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and determined that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while entering the vehicle through the driver’s side front door, he heard a popping sound. The contact stated inspected the door and became aware that the door weld was fractured and had punched a hole into the door frame. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the fractured door weld was confirmed. The contact was informed that the front driver's side door needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.
Driver door hinge welds broke and the door pops and creaks. The broken hinge rubbed on the window wiring harness and now the window won’t open. This has happened to hundreds of 2020 & 2021 ford escapes and my extended warranty won’t cover it because it’s coded as a “trim” piece, which is infuriating as it’s WELDED INSIDE of the door.
Spot welds on front passenger door has come undone. The driver door was repaired for the same problem at 32,000 miles. Car is now 61,000
Weld on driver side front door for door limiting rod has broke. Door is difficult to close. Started with grinding sound inside door with popping friction prior to weld completely failing.
Driver side door hinge/weld breaks. The metal pops, makes a loud sound, door then has to be forced shut. Due to this the window and lock does not work properly. It goes down particularly then stops. Was taken to New Brighton Ford and spoke with Dan who diagnosed the problem. Was told needed new door. The car was purchased brand new from Freeway Ford in October 2020. Was told no warranty and extended warranty does not cover body.
The AWD module failed-- it is at the dealer for repair now. Several errors popped-- pre-collision, hill assist, AWD, traction control all turned off The dealer determined the AWD module needed to be replaced. The error codes popped up and I brought it to the dealer within three days. Ford states this part is not covered under the "bumper to bumper" warranty, which expired four months ago. It is not part of the powertrain warranty, which is still active. The same make/model/year produced at the same plant had a Customer Satisfaction Program to replace this part, but it only covered a very small window of dates.
The driver door makes a popping noise when opening and closing. Door now has problems closing and sometimes will not shut properly. Also, the window is not going up and down as fast as it should. Both problems happened around the same time and are believed to be related.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the driver’s side front door made clicking sounds while opening, and then failed to close securely. The contact stated that it took two people to close the door securely. The contact had to use the passenger’s side door to enter or exit the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who determined that the door needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and filed a case for the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 44,000.
The spot welds on my driver door check mechanism broke loose not allowing me to secure the door. This also caused an issue with the driver door window. After inspection the vehicle is currently with the dealership for repair. Driver door open warning lamp presented even when the door was closed. The problem presented itself on 10/26/2023.
The sun roof opening panel shield fell off while I was driving. It covers the divider between the front and rear sun roof glass. Luckily I didn't have the shade open so it was just sliding all around the sun shade. I did some research on the problem of the shield falling off. It seems that it is held on by 4 or 5 pieces of double faced tape. If I had had the sun shade opened, the piece could have fallen on me or a passenger in my car. It extends across the width of the car, from window to window. I brought the car to the Ford Dealership in Metairie, La. Matt Bowers Ford. My car is 3 years old with a little over 15,000 miles on it. It is no longer under warranty for this problem. I only have a remaining warranty on the Powertrain. However, Ford agreed to give me a Good Faith Discount and the repair will be $200 instead of the initial $2500 quoted to replace the sun shade and panel shield. When the Service Tech tried opening the sun shade to retrieve the panel and put it back in place, I think it hit a spring and the entire shade rolled up and was ruined. That had to be replaced too.I asked the Service Technician if they were going to install the panel shield with double faced tape again, and he said those were his instructions. I feel that the shield will come down again in time and I might not be so lucky this time and be using the sun roof, thereby possibly getting hit in the head while driving. It needs something stronger than double faced tape. In my opinion this should be a recall and Ford should figure out a better way to install this panel shield. It seems to be happening to quite a lot of Ford Escapes.
So there is multiple issues with my vehicle. First: I had the recall issue with the fuel injector "fixed" as the dealer stated. Now CO2 is leaking into my cabin when the car is parked and/ or when the remote start is activated. You can not breathe. I bought this car because I have 2 boys in car seats still. It is a serious hazard for anyone that breathes it in, especially kids. Second: after pumping gas it chugs. Like it will try to crank up but can't. I have had this car for less than a year. After the dealership "fixed" the fuel injector this issue started. When it finally starts the car smells strongly of gas. Third: there was a recall on a hose that had to do with the A/c system. It leaked onto wires and caused a shortage in my whole electrical system which in turn caused the vehicle to shut down on me while I was driving on the interstate. Fourth: The blind spot warning goes crazy when you are driving down a road with no one beside you. Fifth: The lane keeping assistant has completely stopped working. I have reset the system and it still will not work. Sixth: the radio, bluetooth, sound system does not work because of the water that leaked onto the wires from the A/C pipe that was recalled. Now my biggest issue is that the dealership that I purchased the vehicle from tried to charge me to have the recalls fixed. I had to take it to another dealership and afterwards was informed that, that specific dealership will claim to replace the recalls but not actually do the work so that way you have to come back and they can charge you for the work. Could you guys please look into this? Please call me at [XXX] in regards to the issues, so you can experience them first hand with me. Thank you so much for your time. Also if you google the problems everything i listed is a HUGE ISSUE with this vehicle but nothing is being done about it. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
left door hinges breaking
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the front driver's side door made abnormal popping sounds while being opened, and all four windows failed to roll down. The front driver's side door later failed to open. The contact entered the vehicle through the front passenger's side door and climbed over to the front driver's side seat to operate the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the front driver's side door hinges were fractured, and the front driver's side door needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 19,502.
Popping noise - left front door. The issue is at the check arm attachment.
See attached document for complaint.
Check engine light came on Friday and 24 hours later started making a whirring sound lost power on the highway started smoking and smelled like it was going to catch fire. Was impeding traffic and almost caused an accident. Had it towed to Ford dealership where a diagnostic test was run. They determined that it was engine failure and Ecoboost failure. Coolant was leaking into cylinders 2&3. They claim the code fired on September 9. They asked if I had taken it anywhere to clear the code. I most definitely did not. Ford Motor Company is unwilling to make this right and have quoted me almost $9000 to fix this issue. Certain makes and models of 2020 Ford Escape have had engine recalls. This is clearly a malfunction on their part.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact attempted to enter the vehicle however, the front driver's side door was inoperable. The contact stated that the driver's side front door was difficult to open and was also very difficult to close. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was diagnosed with a failed door check arm weld. The contact was informed that the door needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 41,000.
Spot weld in driver's side door check arm has broken and door will intermittently not close. It sounds exactly like problem NHTSA Action Number: PE23013 . Ford dealership has offered ZERO assistance, besides replacing the entire door.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while opening the front driver's side door, the door made a loud crunching sound. Additionally, the front driver's side door would inadvertently close while the contact was entering the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the front driver's side door had three fractured spot welds and that the front driver's side door needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 47,000. The VIN was unavailable.
2020 Ford Escape driver side door hinge popped. Known issue. No recall. Unable to open or close door. Unable to roll down window or lock car door.
fRONT DOOR CHECK AS BROKEN ON MY 3 YEAR OLD 2020 FORD ESCAPE. DOOR IS DIFFCULT TO OPEN AND WILL NOT OPEN ALL THE WAY UNLESS FORCED.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the front driver’s side door was difficult to open and close and there was a scraping sound heard while opening and closing the door. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the front driver's side door weld had detached, and the door needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 46,900.
Driver's door, left front, check strap broke at weld inside of door. Door pops real loud when you open it. The door came open today driving down the road I couldn't get it to shut.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact heard an abnormal noise coming out of the driver’s side door. The contact opened the door and the door failed to open and close properly. Additionally, the window failed to operate as designed. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and determined that the VIN was not included in a recall for the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
Drivers side door started 2 days prior with cracking noise, difficult to close and two days later drivers side door is sagging, unable to open or close and window does not work.
Window started going down when requested and stopped halfway down - it would not go back up. Upon inspection it was found the door check had broken loose from the welds and shorted out the harness to cause the window to actuate.
The driver door panel is not welded properly which cause the door to crack when you open it and the arm of the door is broke. I took the vehicle to the shop and they stated that it a welding problem with Ford my issues and now I have to pay for the door. I feel ford need to recall the vehicle and fix the issue free of charge
The driver side door is getting a "popping" and "grinding" sound everytime the door is opened or closed. Upon investigation, the metal lever has become unwelded to the door. All 3 weld spaces are detached from the door. In addition, the window on the driver side is not air tight and is intermittently stopped working. I am very concerned that because of the unwelded parts may cause the door to weaken and possibly fall off my vehicle while driving which could cause a serious accident or even death if driving on a highway.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the passenger’s side door failed to close securely. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the spot welds in the check arm attachment needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 25,217.
The driver side door makes a cracking sound when opening and closing and doesn’t shut correctly. Feels unsafe to be driving it around because I’m worried about door popping out at anytime.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, upon exiting the vehicle, the door check arm detached. The door-ajar warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure of the driver's side door check arm attachment point welds. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: PE23013 (Structure). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 52,000.
Driver door starting making a noise and had trouble closing. And then the window wouldn’t go down all the way. Took it to the dealership and they said that the spot welds failed in the door.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that on several occasions after refueling, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that that canister purge valve needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 31,869.
The driver side door started making a loud click on Saturday 10-14-2023. By Monday the 16th I could not open the window. I took it to the Ford dealership and when the service tech tried to close the door it would not close.
While 360 miles away from home, the drivers side door made a popping noise, the window and controls in the door would not work, the window cracked and the door would not work properly. The window would not operate and remained halfway down cracked and broken, the rearview mirrors would not operate. I went to a dealership and was told that this was a recurring problem with this particular vehicle and that the door hinge welds had broken. The only warning I got was a popping noise inside of the door.
The vehicle's driver's door malfunctioned. It is available for inspection, but I paid to fix it earlier this week out of my pocket. It was confirmed by an auto body repair shop.It has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives. There was no warning lamps' messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. The first time it occurred was early last year. It was fixed under the warranty manufacturer twice.The last time it was a week ago, but it was outside the warranty when that occurred.So I paid to fix.
Front driver door makes popping sound and window won’t work. Car is 2020 and dealership is telling me that it’s not covered.