Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (door latches, locks, hood and tailgate latches).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2015 Ford Escape owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the rear driver's side door failed to latch after multiple attempts to close the door. The contact wrapped a bungee cord around the door and drove the vehicle to a dealer. The contact was informed by the dealer that her vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V643000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages) and the vehicle was left overnight for the repair. The next day, the contact received a call from the dealer and was informed that the recall repair would not be performed due to damage to the front driver's side door. The contact stated that an attempt to break into her vehicle had been made months prior which left a hole right above the front driver side door handle. The contact was provided an estimate to repair the damage so that recall repair could be performed. …
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V643000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages) was previously performed on the vehicle. The contact stated that upon locking the vehicle with the key fob, the horn engaged as confirmation that the vehicle was locked securely. However, after his daughter became aware that someone had broken into the vehicle, she discovered that the vehicle could be opened by pulling the door handle after it had been locked with the key fob. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the front driver's side door latch and lock assemblies needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V331000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages). …
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting to close the rear driver's side door, the door failed to latch securely. The door ajar warning alert indicated that the door was open. The contact stated that she used a rope to keep the door closed. The contact was concerned that one of her children could fall out of the vehicle if the door opened while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the latch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V643000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 193,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the door ajar warning light illuminated. The contact then pulled over safely to the side of the road and tied a rope from the door to the other door to keep the door closed. The vehicle was diagnosed at the dealer and it was determined that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V331000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages) however, the VIN was not included. The contact stated that due to the dealer cost for the repair, the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 32,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. Additionally, the doors intermittently failed to unlock, and the vehicle failed to recognize the fob key. The contact used the spare key to start the vehicle to correct the failure. The dealer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. Upon investigation, the contact was made aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V41300 (Power Train). The failure mileage was 108,628.
The contact's daughter owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that his daughter experienced a malfunction with the front passenger's side door latch mechanism. The door failed to latch and close securely. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called the local dealer and was informed that vehicle was not covered under a recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but provided no additional assistance and referred him to the NHTSA Hotline. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V331000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages). The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, one of the rear doors unexpectedly unlatched while his son was sitting by the door. The contact stated that the rear door latches were not working as intended. The contact was able to safely pull the vehicle to the side of the road and close the door. A local dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the latches were previously replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 159,817.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated upon entering the rear passenger's door, the contact became aware that the door failed to securely latch closed. The door-ajar warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: RQ19005 (Latches/Locks/Linkages, Structure). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated while attempting to close the door, the door failed to latch securely. The driver's side rear door ajar warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with door latch failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 175,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the rear passenger's side door failed to lock and latch securely. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.
Related recalls
Latches/locks/linkages › Doors › Latch
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Fiesta, 2013-2014 Fusion, 2015 Mustang, 2013-2015 Escape and C-Max, 2012-2015 Focus, 2014-2016 Transit Connect, 2013-2014 Lincoln MKZ, and 2015 MKC vehicles.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the latch date codes to confirm if the repair was done correctly, and replace the side door latches if necessary, free of charge.
Latches/locks/linkages › Doors › Latch
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2012-2015 Ford Focus, 2013-2015 Ford Escape and Ford C-MAX, 2015 Lincoln MKC and Ford Mustang, and 2014-2016 Ford Transit Connect vehicles.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the door latches with an improved part, free of charge. The recall began on January 27, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.
NHTSA investigations
Door Latch Failures
In December 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation based on 235 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) alleging doors failed to latch when closed, and/or inadvertently opened while driving, on model year (MY) 2012-2014 Ford Fiesta, and 2013-2014 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ.
Door Latch Failure
In January, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this Preliminary Evaluation based on consumers' allegations of doors failing to latch and/or inadvertently opening on model year (MY) 2012-2013 Ford Focus vehicles (subject vehicles).ODI has received 464 unique reports related to the alleged problem, with over 200 claiming that the door(s) opened inadvertently while the vehicle was in motion.One consumer…
Door Lock & Latch complaints in other Escape years
Frequently asked questions
How common are door lock & latch problems on the 2015 Ford Escape?
NHTSA has 29 complaints about the locks & latches of the 2015 Ford Escape, 3% of the model year's 1,125 complaints. The component named most often is doors › latch (7 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2015 Ford Escape door lock & latch problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 20V-331 (latch, Jun 8, 2020); NHTSA recall 16V-643 (latch, Sep 6, 2016). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2015 Ford Escape door lock & latch problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 98,000 miles, and 15% before 25,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.