2022 Ford Escape Plug-in Hybrid problems

“this recall has been in effect for nearly 1 year & puts my car @ risk but also doesn't allow me to charge beyond 80%, greatly effecting fuel efficiency. Ford has failed to address the issue in a timely manner or offered any compensation for my additional fuel consumption or offered a realistic deadline for repair”

“Description of the Problem: I am the original owner of a 2022 Ford Escape PHEV (VIN [XXX]),.Current mileage is 41,585 miles. The vehicle is subject to Safety Recall 25SC4 (NHTSA 25V789 and 26V091) due to a manufacturing defect in the high-voltage battery cells (separator damage). This defect can cause internal short circuits, sudden loss of motive power, battery thermal venting, and in some cases vehicle fire — a clear safety risk. Before purchasing the Escape, I drove a 2015 Ford C-Max Plug-in Hybrid for 7 years and was very satisfied with it. I traded it for the Escape solely because of the greater electric range that was guaranteed at the time of purchase. For the first year of ownership I was very pleased with the Escape’s performance and range.For more than one year Ford’s official instructions required me not to charge the high-voltage battery above 80% and to drive only in EV Auto mode because of the fire hazard. This prolonged restriction created ongoing safety-related stress and prevented normal use of the vehicle’s primary hybrid function. On XXX, I took the vehicle to an authorized Ford dealer for the recall remedy. The dealer performed the Battery…”

“When Accelerating from approximately 25mph - 40mph and accelerating hard, the vehicle is shifting to Neutral (HARD). It feels like you hit a wall. Does not occur from stop. Letting off throttle and the transmission will reengage and allow full acceleration as if nothing happened. No warning indicators on dash. Is duplicatable. Vehicle had Telematics control module update in December already. Vehicle had transmission replacement 25-JUNE-2024 according to History. Tried reporting on GCR but would not permit. Sounds identical to 24S33 but this vehicle is unaffected. Will report to dealer when recall for 24S79 is available, avoiding hard acceleration if possible. May have dash camera footage if requested.”

“My PHEV car randomly and suddenly has loss of propulsion creating a safety hazard in traffic. It seems to occur at low speeds, sometimes from waiting in line at an intersection. This fault produces a solid red battery warning light, but no additional safety warnings, nor an error code for diagnostics. I have experienced this fault randomly in April, May, and June. The worst experience was within intersection traffic when I was unable to accelerate; just coasted with cars whizzing past. My usual dealership servicing staff were unable to reproduce the error. I was told they would/could not assess this fault without an error code. I had my car towed to a different service company. They advised that the 12-V battery showed 66% power; I asked them to replace that battery. I understand that this MAY NOT solve the problem. Although I used a rental car for a week while this problem was being attended, I am now driving my car with the new 12-V battery. Yes, I think my car is unsafe--at least, no one can assure me it has been fixed. I do not know how to assess whether it is fixed, short of being its test driver. My car has an open recall on the HV battery for which a fix…”

“Panoramic sun shade detached from rails and recoiled into the assembly while driving on the highway. The shade was in a static position when it happened- it was not being retracted at the time. Available for inspection, but has already been repaired by dealer. A very loud cracking noise was heard when it happened, which startled me and could have caused an accident. It is a relatively new car and had been retracted probably a total of 20 times. There was no warning, and the entire headliner, pillars, and glass had to be removed to repair. It is apparently a common occurrence due to cheap plastic clips that are used.”

“The incident occurred while my 2008 Allegro Bus was towing my 2022 Ford Escape PHEV. Incident occurred on Sunday, 21 Jun 2026 about a mile from my home. I had just started a left hand turn and was in the intersection when I felt a thump-thump at the back of the coach. I did a quick inspection and saw no apparent damage and all tow connections were secure, so I continued to my home. While uncoupling the Escape from my motorhome, I saw the dash display warning of a steering issue. The steering felt heavy immediately; this wasn't a steering problem that developed over time. This happened during a single, towing maneuver, where the towed vehicle suddenly oscillated left and right twice while negotiating a gentle, off-camber turn. The Escape was in Ford's Neutral Tow Mode and was being flat towed per the Ford's owner's manual. Diagnostic data recorded the first steering control module failure at essentially the same time as the towing incident. There was no collision with another vehicle or object. The damage resulted from forces experienced during the towing maneuver. Ford diagnostics and FORScan both identified internal failures within the Electric Power Assisted…”