2022 Ford Escape Transmission Problems

Mileage when the problem started

• Under 25k
  563%
• 25k–50k
  00%
• 50k–75k
  00%
• 75k–100k
  113%
• 100k–150k
  225%
• 150k+
  00%

Owner reports

Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2022 Ford Escape owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving 55-60 MPH, the transmission experienced hard shifts and hesitated while shifting into the intended gear. The contact stated that upon depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle decelerated while the RPMs became elevated. The contact stated that the vehicle jerked while shifting into the intended gear and lost motive power. The power train warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road until the power train warning light turned off. The contact resumed driving; however, the failure recurred, causing the contact to pull over to the side of the road several times. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle later, the vehicle made an abnormal grinding sound and failed to respond upon depressing the accelerator pedal. …

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon arriving at her destination, the vehicle failed to shift into park(P). The message "Powertrain Fault" was displayed. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The "Service Powertrain" warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Manufacturer Safety Recall: 23S27. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 81,000.

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. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 2,800. Parts distribution disconnect.

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle started losing power. The contact stated that a notification from the Ford mobile app indicated that there was a power train malfunction, reduction in power, Four-wheel Drive fault, and advised to contact an authorized dealer. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and drive to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by a dealer or an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 23,000.

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, an abnormal popping sound was coming from the vehicle with an unknown warning light illuminated. The contact also stated that while in reverse(R), a loud humming sound was coming from the vehicle while stopped or while in motion. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer and was given an estimate for a diagnostic test. The manufacturer was then notified of the failure and referred her to the NHTSA Hotline. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 8,000.

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle briefly hesitated and was sluggish before returning to normal functionality. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 20,000.

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under an unknown recall; however, the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle violently lunged forward. Additionally, the contact stated that while the brake pedal was depressed, the vehicle violently jerked. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 5,503.

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.

April 2024 - While driving to work, I stopped at a stop sign. When I went to turn, the car went into neutral. I had to turn the car off and restart before I could change the gears. I took it to the dealer who stated they could not get the vehicle to replicate what happened and to keep eye on it. November 22, 2024 on my way home as I was exiting off the highway, the vehicle starting lunging then shifted into neutral on its own. I was able to stop and put it back into drive. When I tried to drive, it went back into neutral and started lunging forward. I could not get it back into drive but was able to go in neutral 5 mph and made it home. Once in the driveway, I tried to backup and it would not reverse. I turned off the vehicle and restarted it several times and was able to back up then drove straight to the dealer. They did a diagnostic and said the transmission needed replaced. …

Shortly after purchasing my 2022 Ford Escape, I began experiencing hesitation during acceleration, loss of power, RPM fluctuations, loud howling and whining noises, grinding noises, exhaust-related rattling, coolant bubbling, and a strong sulfur/rotten egg odor. The problems were reported repeatedly to the selling dealer and Ford service departments. Despite multiple complaints, I was repeatedly told nothing was wrong with the vehicle. The vehicle continued to deteriorate and now struggles to accelerate and produces extremely loud noises during operation. The condition creates a safety concern because the vehicle does not respond normally when accelerating and may not be able to maintain speed safely in traffic. I also discovered an open safety recall involving a potentially cracked fuel injector that could allow fuel or fuel vapor to accumulate on the engine and create a fire risk. …

Related recalls

Transmission complaints in other Escape years