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Transmission and drivetrainPart report

2020 Ford Escape Transmission and drivetrain Problems

Complaints
243about this part
Share
15%of 1,619 total for the year
Median mileage
50,000miles
Trend
RisingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.

NHTSA recorded 243 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2020 Ford Escape, 15% of the 1,619 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 50,000 miles. 4 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers. 3 recall campaigns on record are filed under a similar system.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“Under unknown circumstances when attempting to accelerate the car experiences significant lag which puts me at risk of collision. I attempted to associate it with the air conditioning but it does not seem to be associated with any system. Vehicle seems to lost half the power and I am unable to safely move into traffic.”

NHTSA complaint #11349816, filed 2020-08, 2,000 miles

“The vehicle without warning lost power as I was driving in the middle of a road way. The engine stayed running but only revs. No check engine lights or messages. Thankfully I was headed down hill and was able to coast through the intersection that was turning yellow and had just turned red as I coasted through. I coasted and pulled over to a side street and proceeded to put vehicle in park and shut it off. I then tried to start and put it back into drive. Nothing. I shut it off again waited 10 minutes then started and it started driving. Then lost all ability to give power to the wheels. …”

NHTSA complaint #11573732, filed 2024-02, 129,485 miles

“Purchased a 2020 Ford Escape on 10-31-2020. On 11-23-20-11-24-20 I got messages about the transmission and my wife couldn't put the car in reverse after going to the store. Took the car to the dealer they didn't even check the transmission only the engine and computer system. Ended up back in there the same day 5 times because the anti crash and brake systems wasn't working. The service tech then drove it around the corner 5 different times to get the computer system to kick in. Eight days later 12-4-20 I get stuck in my friends driveway. The car wouldn't go in reverse. …”

NHTSA complaint #11383611, filed 2020-12, 1,602 miles

“On the 1.5l engine when you are accelerating in the normal driving mode you experience a vibration in the steering wheel similar to a flat tire. The 2.0l engine with the same transmission does not experience the same problem.”

NHTSA complaint #11342347, filed 2020-07, 1,300 miles

“My 2020 Ford Escape's automatic transmission makes odd whirring sounds and shifts hard often while driving. Automatic transmission still has a hard time shifting smoothly even when the vehicles been warmed up and driven for at least 10 minutes. The rear view camera has a mind of its own and doesn't always work. Even when it is working the feed is usually terrible quality. When it doesn't work you can't see anything out of the rear view camera, the image quality turns greyish and images lag.”

NHTSA complaint #11337274, filed 2020-07, 4,090 miles

Related recalls

Related service bulletins

Transmission and drivetrain: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
2025312%
202423%
20232525%
20223113%
20214613%
202024315%
201912821%
201827615%
201739114%
201632127%
201528725%
201448123%
201340115%
20126611%
201126820%
201050825%
200930118%
200832917%
20074417%
20068017%
20051178%
2004275%
20035510%
200210510%
200112813%
2000120%

Other parts of the 2020 Ford Escape

Body and structure
671 complaintsOther or unknown
313 complaintsFuel system
199 complaintsElectrical system
160 complaintsEngine
122 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
71 complaintsForward collision avoidance
69 complaintsLatches, locks and linkages
54 complaintsBrakes
45 complaintsBack-over prevention (rear camera)
28 complaintsVehicle speed control
20 complaintsWheels
20 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2020 Ford Escape

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology