2022 Ford Escape Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2022 Escape report most often about the 1.5L turbo fuel injectors — often after receiving a recall notice and waiting on parts — along with brake noise and dust at low mileage, transmission shuddering and hard shifts, and engine issues such as coolant intrusion and oil consumption. Many complaints describe problems that appear early in ownership, while a smaller group involves high-mileage drivetrain failures.

1. 1
   Fuel system

   Fuel injector leak and fuel odor (recall parts pending)

   • 58 complaints (25%)
   • median 49,550 mi at 3.8 yrs old (18 state mileage)
   • filed 2023–2026

   Owners describe a fuel smell inside the cabin or at startup, a ticking sound from the engine compartment, failed or hard starts after refueling, and the check engine light coming on. Several say a dealer confirmed injector failure or that their VIN is covered by the fuel injection recall, but that the repair part was not yet available. Others report stalling or a loss of power while driving. Often reported between roughly 13,000 and 77,000 miles, frequently after a recall notice was received.

   Recall 25V467000Recall 25V165000Recall 24V187000Recall 22V859000

   What to check: Ask whether the fuel injector recall has been completed and obtain proof; while waiting, check for a fuel smell under the hood or in the cabin and around the injectors.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal odor detected. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V859000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #11511553, filed 2023-03, 45,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and taken to the dealer and diagnosed with turbo, catalytic converter failure. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11741627, filed 2026-06, 50,000 miles
2. 2
   Brakes

   Brake noise, excessive dust and stiff pedal

   • 33 complaints (14%)
   • median 15,000 mi at 2.0 yrs old (12 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2022–2026

   Complaints describe grinding, screeching or moaning from the brakes, most often when reversing, plus heavy brake dust on the front wheels. Some say pads and rotors were replaced but the noise returned, and a few describe needing extra pedal pressure to stop. Dealers sometimes found nothing wrong, said the brakes were operating as designed, or replaced caliper clips and bushings. Reported from very low mileage — under a few thousand miles in many cases — and often louder in cold, humid or wet weather.

   Recall 21V922000

   What to check: Test the brakes in reverse and after sitting overnight, look at front wheels for heavy dust, and ask whether brake pads, rotors or caliper hardware have been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving approximately 50 MPH, added pressure needed was needed while depressing the brake pedal to stop the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that she was concerned that the brakes might properly fail to stop the vehicle and cause an accident. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11519769, filed 2023-05, 27,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact stated while reversing and depressing the accelerator pedal, there was an abnormal moaning sound coming from the brakes. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed; however, the diagnostic result was not provided. The contact stated that the rear caliper spring clips and the rear caliper pin bushing were replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11645594, filed 2025-02, 20,000 miles
3. 3
   Engine

   Coolant intrusion, oil loss and engine overheating

   Mentioned in 8 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners report coolant disappearing, oil leaks and oil smoke in the engine bay, excessive oil consumption, and loss of power with a flashing check engine light. One dealer diagnosis described coolant getting into the cylinders and recommended engine replacement. Some owners link their concern to an engine recall but say their VIN was not included. Mostly reported between about 36,000 and 110,000 miles.

   Recall 23V380000Recall 22V484000Recall 25V345000Recall 22V1910002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check coolant and oil levels and look for residue or smoke around the engine bay and exhaust; ask whether the vehicle has had the engine-related recall work performed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at Meineke Auto for an oil change, the contact was informed that there was a significant amount of oil in the engine bay and the engine was smoking. Additionally, the contact was informed that there was no coolant in the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11632669, filed 2024-12, 49,025 miles

   “The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment and underneath the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the brakes needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11731080, filed 2026-04, 36,000 miles
4. 4
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission shudder, harsh shifts and loss of drive

   • 23 complaints (10%)
   • median 23,000 mi at 2.8 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2023–2026

   Owners describe shuddering or chatter at low speeds and while turning, hard or delayed shifts, jerking, and in some cases the transmission slipping out of gear or losing motive power with a powertrain warning. Some dealers could not duplicate the concern or did not diagnose it; others performed transmission work. Spread from under 10,000 miles to over 125,000 miles, with many reports in the 20,000-70,000 mile range.

   Recall 24V330000Recall 25V1330008 related service bulletins

   What to check: Drive at low speed and while turning to feel for shudder or chatter, check for harsh shifts, and ask whether the transmission has been serviced or reprogrammed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission slipped out of gear while attempting to accelerate. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 126,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #11727291, filed 2026-03, 126,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V859000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the local dealer several times however, the contact was informed that parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The contact stated that when the vehicle was shifted into park(P), the vehicle started jerking. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11525004, filed 2023-06, 2,800 miles
5. 5
   Back-over prevention (rear camera)

   Rearview camera blank or distorted image

   • 8 complaints (3%)
   • median 32,000 mi at 3.7 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2025–2026

   Complaints describe a rearview image that is distorted, half-image or black when reversing, and some involve a center display that goes blank or shows jumbled information. Owners report recall notices for the camera software, and in some cases they say parts were not yet available. Reported from about 13,000 to 70,000 miles.

   Recall 26V123000Recall 25V4420002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Put the vehicle in reverse and watch the whole display for distortion, flipping or blank areas; ask whether the camera software recalls have been completed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V467000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) and 26V123000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the parts to do recall repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling at a stoplight and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle failed to move forward and stalled. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11729345, filed 2026-04, 13,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V467000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) and 26V123000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The local dealer confirmed that parts were still unavailable. The contact stated that the back over prevention camera displayed a half image while operating. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11742276, filed 2026-06, 32,000 miles

Buying note. Check that the fuel injection and camera software recalls have been completed and have proof of the work, drive the car at low speed in reverse to check brakes and camera, and confirm oil and coolant levels before buying.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.