Ford Escape Exterior Lighting Problems
Owners have filed 186 complaints with NHTSA about exterior lighting problems on the Ford Escape across 25 model years. The 2017 model year has the most (40). The words owners use most often: “low beam” (11% of reports).
- 186exterior lighting complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 5mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 38%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Low beam: mentioned in 20 of 186 complaints (11%)
At what mileage do exterior lighting problems happen?
Based on 94 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 186 complaints, 5 mention a crash, 5 a fire, 1 an injury.
Ford Escape exterior lighting complaints by model year
| Model year | Exterior Lighting complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Escape | 1 | 4% | — |
| 2024 Escape | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2023 Escape | 2 | 2% | — |
| 2022 Escape | 5 | 2% | 1,500 |
| 2021 Escape | 5 | 1% | 12,000 |
| 2020 Escape | 7 | 0% | 323 |
| 2019 Escape | 13 | 2% | 8,100 |
| 2018 Escape | 11 | 1% | 49,850 |
| 2017 Escape | 40 | 1% | 62,000 |
| 2016 Escape | 6 | 1% | 55,327 |
| 2015 Escape | 13 | 1% | 32,267 |
| 2014 Escape | 15 | 1% | 9,270 |
| 2013 Escape | 15 | 1% | 72,000 |
| 2012 Escape | 2 | 0% | — |
| 2011 Escape | 3 | 0% | 64,500 |
| 2010 Escape | 4 | 0% | 92,000 |
| 2009 Escape | 5 | 0% | 105,000 |
| 2008 Escape | 6 | 0% | 61,250 |
| 2007 Escape | 1 | 0% | 42,000 |
| 2006 Escape | 2 | 0% | 82,000 |
| 2005 Escape | 8 | 1% | 82,400 |
| 2004 Escape | 2 | 0% | 12,000 |
| 2003 Escape | 1 | 0% | 170,000 |
| 2002 Escape | 12 | 1% | 116,663 |
| 2001 Escape | 6 | 1% | 200,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists exterior lighting for the Ford Escape. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The head light bulbs continuously burn out every few months. Brights and fog lights work
Purchased as a pair of aftermarket replacement headlight assemblies for a 2017 Ford Escape. Both left and right assemblies developed internal plastic melting around the projector area after several months of normal use. Seller states the assemblies are limited to a 60W 9005 bulb, but no such…
The audible sound to let the driver know the blinker is on is too low of a volume to hear. This has created situations where the blinkers are activated, but the driver doesn't know. This could lead to accidents in lane changing, intersections and confusion for pedestrians.
My passenger headlight assembly seal has failed. Since the seal failed, the light has water buildup that caused the entire assembly to short out and stop working. There are not cracked in the headlight at all. My car only has 46,407 miles on it. My car has been to the service department at Town N…
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked with the vehicle turned off, the exterior and interior lights failed to turn off as intended. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Ford Escapes have exterior lighting problems?
No. NHTSA has 186 owner complaints about exterior lighting for the Ford Escape. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Ford Escape exterior lighting?
No recall currently lists exterior lighting for this vehicle.
What do owners say about exterior lighting problems on the Ford Escape?
The most frequent phrase is “low beam”, in 20 of 186 complaints.
Other Ford Escape problems
- Engine problems (7,208)
- Power Train problems (4,655)
- Steering problems (3,945)
- Electrical System problems (2,525)
- Engine and Engine Cooling problems (2,331)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (2,298)
- Structure problems (2,296)
- Fuel/propulsion System problems (1,834)
See all Ford Escape problems.