2023 Ford Escape Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 25about this part
- Share
- 25%of 102 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 33,000miles
- Trend
- Too newThis model year is less than 4 years old, so a trend is not meaningful yet.
NHTSA recorded 25 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2023 Ford Escape, 25% of the 102 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 33,000 miles.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“I was driving to work and the transmission faltered, grinded, tried to shift, and I thought the vehicle was going to crash. There were cars around me, and I was going about 30 to 35 miles per hour. I was able to pull over and turned off the car. I then drove it to an auto shop and the mechanic stated that it is the transmission. My Ford Escape 2023 has 68,000 miles. It has stalled twice on the road at a stop light/stop sign since August 2026 also. I no longer trust that the vehicle is safe.”
NHTSA complaint #11773832, filed 2026-10“About a month ago, my vehicles dash lit up and the car told me to shut it off. I had it towed to the dealership who then completed module updates and said I was all set. 20 minutes after picking it up, all of the lights came back on the dash and I brought it back. They again completed some kind of update with little to no information on what they did or the steps they took. Once again, I picked up my vehicle and immediately had a lit up dash. It was brought back and they had my car for 2 weeks before installing a new module. …”
NHTSA complaint #11766827, filed 2026-09“a 2023 Ford Escape. while driving at approximately 76 MPH, I observed a warning chime dinging, the power train warning light illuminated, and the low engine coolant message was displayed. I received a notification via the Ford Pass APP stating that There was a failure with the vehicle and to see the dealer'. I contacted the dealer, and they stated they did not see any warnings. Anytime I exceeded a certain rate of speed it still does this. The first time it happened, it had less than 800 miles on it.”
NHTSA complaint #11599860, filed 2024-07“Purchased the vehicle approximately 45 days ago. Has driven fine with no problems. Randomly had a hard down shift and when I went to leave my destination put the vehicle in reverse and it would not go. The vehicle would not move in drive and when put in neutral it was still not even able to be pushed. Had it towed to the nearest ford dealership, they diagnosed that there were metal shavings in the transmission, stated the vehicle was no longer drive able and recommend a transmission replacement or rebuild. Vehicle only has 80,000 miles.”
NHTSA complaint #11700484, filed 2025-11“I drive a 2023 Ford escape active, 8F35 transmission, with 111,114 miles on it. I purchased my car in July 2025 from truauto of Ladson SC with 93,000 miles on it. Had a transmission complete failure in December 2025 (5 months after buying). Ford dealership in Valdosta Georgia (where I lived) was no help in trying to get it fixed and it sat on there lot for a months or so, because it was undriveable. I got it towed back to SC to get it fixed by a local transmission shop and it is being halted due to a current planetary lawsuit with these cars for parts. …”
NHTSA complaint #11718102, filed 2026-02Related service bulletins
- 11038438Oct 6, 2026For 20222026 vehicles equipped with a 8F35 transmission, a revision to the Road Testing Vehicle procedure has been made in the WSM, Section 307-01 > Diagnosis and Testing. This…
- 11037776Sep 29, 2026This bulletin supersedes 25-2326. Reason for update: update the service procedure to include the fuel tank isolation valve replacement, update the causal part number, and…
- 11037775Sep 29, 2026This bulletin supersedes 25-2326. Reason for update: update the service procedure to include the fuel tank isolation valve replacement, update the causal part number, and…
- 11037059Sep 1, 2026Some 2023-2025 Escape vehicles built on or before 16-Sep-2024 equipped with 1.5L EcoBoost engine may exhibit an "Engine Coolant Over-Temperature" warning message displayed in the…
- 11035099Jul 15, 2026This bulletin supersedes 26-2194. Reason for update: update the Parts list to correct a part description " Loctite 638", update the claim quantity for the drain/fill plug, update…
- 11034017Jun 16, 2026Some 2020-2026 Corsair/Escape, 2021-2026 Bronco Sport, and 2022-2026 Maverick vehicles equipped with an 8F35 transmission may exhibit a shudder condition, most noticeable at…
- 11032758May 15, 2026Some 2023-2026 Escape vehicles equipped with an 8F35 transmission may exhibit an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) with diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) P0767, P0766…
- 11032566May 4, 2026Some 2020-2026 Corsair/Escape, 2021-2026 Bronco Sport, and 2022-2026 Maverick vehicles equipped with an 8F35 transmission may exhibit a shudder condition, most noticeable at…
- 11031619Apr 26, 2026This bulletin supersedes 25-2627. Reason for update: To add a Step to reprogram the all-wheel drive (AWD) module for Bronco Sport vehicles. Some of the vehicles listed in the…
- 11031302Apr 13, 2026Some 2023-2025 Escape 1.5L/F-Super Duty/Transit vehicles may exhibit a lack of cooling from the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, which may be accompanied…
Transmission and drivetrain: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3 | 12% |
| 2024 | 2 | 3% |
| 2023 | 25 | 25% |
| 2022 | 31 | 13% |
| 2021 | 46 | 13% |
| 2020 | 243 | 15% |
| 2019 | 128 | 21% |
| 2018 | 276 | 15% |
| 2017 | 391 | 14% |
| 2016 | 321 | 27% |
| 2015 | 287 | 25% |
| 2014 | 481 | 23% |
| 2013 | 401 | 15% |
| 2012 | 66 | 11% |
| 2011 | 268 | 20% |
| 2010 | 508 | 25% |
| 2009 | 301 | 18% |
| 2008 | 329 | 17% |
| 2007 | 44 | 17% |
| 2006 | 80 | 17% |
| 2005 | 117 | 8% |
| 2004 | 27 | 5% |
| 2003 | 55 | 10% |
| 2002 | 105 | 10% |
| 2001 | 128 | 13% |
| 2000 | 1 | 20% |
Other parts of the 2023 Ford Escape
41 complaintsEngine
28 complaintsForward collision avoidance
11 complaintsOther or unknown
9 complaintsFuel system
7 complaintsLane departure
7 complaintsVehicle speed control
7 complaintsBody and structure
5 complaintsBrakes
4 complaintsEngine cooling
4 complaintsBack-over prevention (rear camera)
3 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
3 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2023 Ford Escape
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 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