Problems · by component
2020 Ford Escape Hybrid electrical system problems
43 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2020 Ford Escape Hybrid cite electrical system, 15% of all 290 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
43
15% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
What owners say about the electrical system
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“While driving down the road the vehicle lost all power and left my wife in a dangerous position on the road. The vehicle was just in for service 4 days before and we were told the vehicle had no error codes. The vehicle has lost power on multiple occasions and we have had it at different dealer service departments where ford trained technicians continue to tell us nothing is wrong with the vehicle. However, I find the vehicle to be unsafe and unfit for the road.”
“Changed 12V battery because liftgate was inconsistently opening. Would click but not release. I have tried the resetting the system with accessory mode, pressing brake and flashing highbeams, have disabled liftgate and reenabled liftgate, have even tried the emergency release under access panel and it still will not open but clicks.”
“The vehicle is just under 37K miles. I was operating the vehicle normally, and the wrench icon came on, indicating a powertrain issue. There are recalls for this for some vehicles but not all, and it seems to occur just after warranties expiring. I am concerned my vehicle falls under this service bulletin but has not been properly added: SSM 49157 - 2020 Escape - Illuminated MIL With DTCs U0100, U0401, P166B, P1753, P0929, And/Or P0919 Some 2020 Escape vehicles may exhibit an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) and diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) U0100, U0401, P166B, P1753, P0929, and/or P0919. The vehicle may also exhibit an illuminated powertrain malfunction (wrench) indicator lamp. This may be due to the software in the gear shift module (GSM). To correct the condition, reprogram the GSM using the latest software level of the appropriate Ford diagnostic scan tool. For claiming, use causal part number 7P155 and applicable labor operations in Section 10 of the Service Labor Time Standards (SLTS) Manual. APPLICABLE VEHICLES 2020 CAR: TC CX482N ESCAPE 2020 CAR: TC CX482N ESCAPE 2020 CAR: TC CX482N ESCAPE”
“The hybrid battery coolant line has a leak and is available for inspection. Driving the vehicle with this leak can compromise the battery resulting in overheating which could cause the vehicle to break down, fire, or burn. The dealer confirmed the leak. The dealer was a manufacturer dealer and they inspected the vehicle. There were no indications of a leak.”
“Whenever I shut off my 2020 Ford Escape Hybrid or when I am about to turn it on, a message appears on the touchscreen that says: "System off to save battery, please turn ignition off or start engine." I have replaced the battery but I get the same error message. When I took the car to Firestone, they performed a Diagnostic which did not indicate that there was anything wrong with the battery. When I spoke to a Hybrid Battery Specialist, he told me that the error message was for my "12 volt battery. It is a fairly common problem with your Escape. The Ford dealership may have a fix for it. It is possible that you just need to replace the 12 volt battery." My local Ford Dealership did not have a fix for it. Since this is a fairly common problem with the Ford Escape, I think a recall should be issued to have Ford rectify the issue.”
“I have received 2 letters from manufacturer, than I had appointment dealer service, I went there and worker sad to me we don't have it, than I tried another services , they same answer, than I contacted ford, ford told to me car is good condition don't need replacement”
Showing 6 of 43 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 8, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.