2026 Ford Escape Gas Ice recalls & complaints
Source: NHTSA, updated daily. Last checked 2026-10-19. Recalls apply to specific VINs — run your VIN to confirm.
2 safety recalls, most serious first
1. Seat belts
What's wrong, in plain English: Seat belts may not hold you in a crash. The seat belt retractors for the left and right rear passenger seats may not be securely fastened.
What could happen: An improperly secured seat belt retractor may not restrain an occupant as intended, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
The fix: Dealers will inspect and secure, or replace the seat belt retractor bolts, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 26, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25C68. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this r…
What to do
- Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2026 ESCAPE GAS ICE.
- Book a repair at any authorized Ford dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 25V862000 (manufacturer code 25C68).
- The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
- Manufacturer hotline: 1-866-436-7332.
- Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.
Official wording from NHTSA
Component: SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER:RETRACTOR
Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Corsair and Escape vehicles. The seat belt retractors for the left and right rear passenger seats may not be securely fastened.
Consequence: An improperly secured seat belt retractor may not restrain an occupant as intended, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and secure, or replace the seat belt retractor bolts, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 26, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25C68. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on December 15, 2025.
Notes:
2. Transmission / drivetrain
What's wrong, in plain English: The parts that send engine power to the wheels. Failure can mean a sudden loss of power or the car rolling away. The integrated park module may fail to lock into the park position when the driver shifts into park. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
What could happen: A loss of park function can allow the vehicle to rollaway, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: The Secondary On Board Diagnostic Module C (SOBDMC) software will be updated over-the-air (OTA) or by a dealer, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed June 5, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in August 2026. Owners may contact F…
What to do
- Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2026 ESCAPE GAS ICE.
- Book a repair at any authorized Ford dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 26V301000 (manufacturer code 25C69).
- The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
- Manufacturer hotline: 1-866-436-7332.
- Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.
Official wording from NHTSA
Component: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:INTERNAL:PARK PAWL
Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Escape and Lincoln Corsair vehicles. The integrated park module may fail to lock into the park position when the driver shifts into park. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
Consequence: A loss of park function can allow the vehicle to rollaway, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: The Secondary On Board Diagnostic Module C (SOBDMC) software will be updated over-the-air (OTA) or by a dealer, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed June 5, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in August 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25C69. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 15, 2026. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 25V863.
Notes:
Useful for owners
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Most complained-about parts: Electrical system (2), Engine (2), Brakes (1), Fuel system (1), Visibility (wipers / glass) (1).
Complaints are unverified reports from owners. A pattern (many complaints about the same part) matters more than any single one.
Read recent complaints (3)
06/14/2026 · Electrical system
Description On your vehicle, the integrated park module ipm may not properly engage the park pawl, preventing the vehicle from locking into park when park p is selected. If this condition occurs, a wrench light and shift system fault message will be displayed in the instrument panel cluster. Additionally, the vehicles electronic parking brake epb will auto…
02/25/2026 · Electrical system
PHEV sometimes fails to "start". That is, vehicle will not enter "Ready" mode when brake is depressed and Start button is pressed. Instead, 'Refuel Error', 'Stop Safely Now', 'Service AdvancTrac', 'PreCollision Assist Not Available', and several other warnings appear. This only occurs on the first 'start' of the day, when the EV battery has been recharged o…
02/24/2026 · Visibility (wipers / glass)
My 2026MY Ford Escape is having intermittent rear view camera issues. On two separate occasions in the last week, when I put the vehicle into reverse, there is no image displayed on the center stack screen. The screen was completely blank and did not show what is behind my vehicle. I tried putting the vehicle back into park and then back into reverse and it…