There are 3 owner-reported body & structure complaints for the 2023 Ford Escapein NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
The left rear liftgate hinge cover flew off in the car wash during the drying cycle. The same thing has happened to my 2020 Escape and that vehicle is covered under a recall but this 2023 Escape is not. I feel it should be because it has the same issue for the same part.
I've had this thing less than 6 months, I've already had the engine rebuilt with 34 parts a month and a half in and the drivers side rear door handle replaced during this time because it would not open from the outside and only the inside despite being unlocked. All of this occurred at the beginning of May 2024 and it sat for 3 months due to the engine being basically rebuilt with most parts being on backorder. Today the same door is having the same issue, only this time the same exact door won't open neither from the inside or outside, which is a huge safety hazard in my eyes if I got into an accident and had passengers in the backseat. I do have video proof of this too.
The contact rented a 2023 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at about 20 MPH and driving over a railroad track, the hood of the vehicle opened abruptly and struck the windshield. The contact lost visibility and went through an intersection before coming to a complete stop. The contact made the rental company aware and was informed that they could not diagnose the issue. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026