2023 Ford Escape Phev
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
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Vehicles › Ford › Escape Phev › 2023
These records cover every 2023 Ford Escape Phev. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Recalls
2 recalls name the 2023 Ford Escape Phev. Newest first.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2022-2026 Ford Escape and 2023-2026 Lincoln Corsair plug-in hybrid vehicles. A manufacturing defect in one or more of the high voltage battery cells may result in an internal short circuit and battery failure.
Risk and remedy
Risk
Battery failure can cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash. Battery failure can also increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy
Dealers will update the battery energy control module (BECM) and hybrid powertrain control module (HPCM) software, free of charge. Owners are advised to only use "Auto EV" mode and will be instructed by mail to limit the maximum charge of the battery until the remedy has been completed. Owner notification letters were mailed September 4, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SC4. This recall expands previous recall numbers 24V954 and 25V489. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on February 18, 2026.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2024 Ford Escape and 2021-2024 Lincoln Corsair plug-in hybrid vehicles. A manufacturing defect in one or more of the high voltage battery cells may result in an internal short circuit and battery failure.
Risk and remedy
Risk
Battery failure can cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash. Battery failure can also increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy
Dealers will update the battery energy control module (BECM) and hybrid powertrain control module (HPCM), free of charge. Owners are advised to only use "Auto EV" mode and will be instructed by mail to limit the maximum charge of the battery until the remedy has been completed. Owner notification letters were mailed September 4, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SC4. Vehicles in this recall were previously recalled under 24V954 and will need to have the new remedy performed. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on November 18, 2025.
Owner complaints
13 complaints
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Engine
Following the 24S79 thermal safety recall remedy, the high-voltage battery pack coolant pump failed, throwing code P0CFF:00:E8 in the BECM network. The manufacturer is denying warranty coverage on this unique hybrid thermal safety component, leaving the high-voltage battery pack uncooled.
- Engine
vehicle threw code P0CFF, risking thermal management failure.Ford is refusing to honor the emissions/hybrid defect mandates, leaving a known thermal defect active on a high-voltage system. They're refusing to cover this under warranty for me.
- Electrical system
The contact owns a 2023 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V091000 (Electrical System). The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact contacted another dealer, Sheehy Ford of Richmond (10601 Midlothian Turnpike…
The contact owns a 2023 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V091000 (Electrical System). The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact contacted another dealer, Sheehy Ford of Richmond (10601 Midlothian Turnpike, Richmond, VA 23235); however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
- Electrical system
Purchased a 2023 Ford escape PHEV in May 2023. In January 2025, a safety recall 24S79, Ford explicitly instructed owners to immediately stop plugging in their vehicles and to avoid using external charging cables entirely. Then in February of 2026 after a year not being able to charge, recall 25SC4…
Purchased a 2023 Ford escape PHEV in May 2023. In January 2025, a safety recall 24S79, Ford explicitly instructed owners to immediately stop plugging in their vehicles and to avoid using external charging cables entirely. Then in February of 2026 after a year not being able to charge, recall 25SC4 was issued, advising owners to limit charging to a maximum of 80% capacity and operate exclusively in "Auto EV" mode. For 18+ months this vehicle has not been able to operate as advertised.
- Electrical system
The contact owns a 2023 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle became inoperable. The vehicle was jump-started and the vehicle operated as intended. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V789000 (Electrical System); however, the part…
The contact owns a 2023 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle became inoperable. The vehicle was jump-started and the vehicle operated as intended. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V789000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available, and the contact associated the failure with the recall. The local dealer was contacted, and the battery was replaced. 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 and advised the contact not to charge the vehicle to full capacity to avoid the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 12,000.
- Electrical system
The contact owns a 2023 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V789000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the recall was an inconvenience because the battery could only be charged to 80…
The contact owns a 2023 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V789000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the recall was an inconvenience because the battery could only be charged to 80 percent. The dealer was notified and informed the contact that parts were still unavailable. The manufacturer was notified of the issue and referred the contact back to the dealer for assistance. The contact had not experienced a failure.
- Electrical system
I received a recall notice for my car for the batteries. I parked my car in the garage so now I'm worried that my house is going to catch on fire and if I'm doing 70 mph down the freeway is my engine going to shut down. I'm not sure if this is part of it but my car doors lock on their own and a…
I received a recall notice for my car for the batteries. I parked my car in the garage so now I'm worried that my house is going to catch on fire and if I'm doing 70 mph down the freeway is my engine going to shut down. I'm not sure if this is part of it but my car doors lock on their own and a couple times my keys have been inside the car thank goodness I had an extra fob or the window was rolled down enough I could put my hand in it.
- Unknown or other
Dear Ford Motor Company Customer Relationship Center, We are resending our original letter (dated March, 2026), as we have still not received any response or resolution regarding this ongoing recall matter. Since sending that letter, we received a notice stating the recall fix for the battery…
Dear Ford Motor Company Customer Relationship Center, We are resending our original letter (dated March, 2026), as we have still not received any response or resolution regarding this ongoing recall matter. Since sending that letter, we received a notice stating the recall fix for the battery issue was finally available. Despite the significant inconvenience, we promptly brought our vehicle in to have the repair completed. We were then informed that only ONE of the two critical battery fixes was available and performed — the second, equally critical portion of the recall repair remains unavailable and unresolved. This is unacceptable. We have now been dealing with this issue for well over a year, have complied with every restriction Ford has asked of us, and made yet another trip to the dealer in good faith — only to be told the problem is still not fully fixed. As outlined in our original letter, we are asking Ford directly — not through our dealer, who has been unable to provide answers — for the following: 1.A confirmed timeline for when the remaining battery fix will be available and completed. 2.Confirmation of whether our current high-voltage battery will be fully replaced with an improved unit. 3.A formal response regarding compensation for the 24+ months we have been without full use of our vehicle’s core PHEV functionality — the primary reason we purchased and waited over 8 months for this vehicle. Our original email was sent Marc h 2026 and we have tried email, mailing and calling with no response or resolution. Considering the language of the recall we are very concerned about the safety AND also concerned we cannot use this as the commuter car intended.
- Electrical system
The contact owns a 2023 Ford Escape PHEV. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V091000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the…
The contact owns a 2023 Ford Escape PHEV. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V091000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not available. 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. The contact had not experienced the failure.
- Electrical system
The contact owns a 2023 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while charging the battery, the battery only charged up to approximately 20%. No warning light was illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V954000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall…
The contact owns a 2023 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while charging the battery, the battery only charged up to approximately 20%. No warning light was illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V954000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and advised the contact to reach out to the manufacturer for assistance. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 24,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
- Electrical system
Instrument cluster screen intermittently going black after related recall was performed.
- Fuel/propulsion system
The Vehicle's Emission Control System has detected a restricted fuel vapor tube between the fuel tank pressure sensor and the fuel tank which could result in a fire. Service Engine Soon Warning
- Unknown or other
When using Apple Car Play for navigation and approaching traffic circles, instrument cluster always indicates the driver navigate to the left of the circle into oncoming traffic.
Every Ford Escape Phev model year
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