2021 Ford Escape Structure
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
The drivers door check arm welds are breaking, the plate is flexing inside the door.
The door check system on the door assembly of my Ford Escape is attached to the body by three spot welds. These welds have come off and now it's not possible to lower the window. I was in a situation where I had to open the door to adjust my mirror on the road, this is very unsafe and can lead to accidents.
A cracking sound is heard when the door is opened and closed
Passenger door hitch weld came off. I can’t open the door all the way and the window can’t be open..
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon entering the vehicle, he heard an abnormal clicking sound coming from the door. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the door check arm attachment point. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: PE23013 (Structure). The failure mileage was 61,000.
Door hinge on driver side front came loose from weld and won’t let window roll down.
Driver door check arm bracket welds broke in door
The door stop arm welds broke on drivers side door. I cannot roll down window because of this failure on ford's part.
2-23-24 2021 Gold Ford Escape AKA Goldie Purchased on 9-8-23 Miles at purchase 52,771 Current miles 60,054 2-22-24 I took my daughter to school. When I opened the door I heard a popping noise. When I got home I open the door to get out and heard a really big POP. I went to close the door it would not close. I gently tried to close it again but stopped because I did not want to make matters worse. I called a tow truck. The driver mentioned the door check was broken. My service advisor called to let me know the spot wells and door check were broken. She said I would have to take to body shop. My escape is available for inspection. I took Goldie to body shop 2-23-24. Advisor took pictures and said he would have technician look at it then send me a quote. He mentioned I may need a new door. After getting home I did some research on my issue and found the same issues are currently ongoing and Ford has not announces any solution to the matter. After reading the same issues online I am afraid to drive it. Anything faulty with a door in unsafe for me, my family and anyone else. The dealership I purchased Goldie from is aware of the issue because I had it towed there. The body shop knows because I went there and he took pictures to get me an estimate. The popping noise is all I heard which began est. 2-20-24
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. That contact stated that there was an abnormal clicking sound coming from the front driver’s side door. Upon inspection of the door, the contact observed that the door hinge attachment point had detached. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where an inspection confirmed that the seem weld inside the door had fractured and the door needed to be replaced. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: PE23013 (Structure). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was filed. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 38,584.
Hinge on the front driver door the weld broke loose
The spot weld on my driver's side door looks like it broke where the hinge is attached to the door. It's going to totally break.
Driver door hinge is not welded properly and when driving door opens
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the front driver’s side door was very difficult to open and close. Additionally, the window would not properly roll up or down. The contact stated that the failure progressed, and the door could not be opened from inside the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and the contact was informed that the door needed to be replaced. The door was replaced; however, the failure reoccurred a year after the repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 30,000.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the front driver's and passenger's side doors failed to close properly. The contact had to forcefully close the doors. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the front driver's and passenger's door welds had fractured. The independent mechanic replaced the front driver's and passenger's side door check arms. The contact stated that the front driver's side door check arm was previously replaced; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The manufacturer advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 97,700.
Door is cracking only at 38k miles and the thing pops when I open and shut it on drivers side sounds like it’s going to fall right off
The contact's brother owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the front driver's side door made an abnormally loud sound while opening. Additionally, the contact stated that the spot welds on the check arm bracket were fractured. The contact stated that the front driver's side door could only be closed from the inside while raising the check arm. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: PE23013 (Structure). The dealer was notified of the failure and charged and diagnostic fee. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000.
At 38,000 miles I got into my car and it started making a popping noise on my drivers side door when opening it and closing it. After further inspection, I cannot put my window down and I am met with resistance whenever trying to open or close it. This poses safety concerns in the event of a car crash. Apparently this is not a recall item at this time and I am awaiting my dealership to even see if it’s covered as it is past 36,000 miles.
The front door hinge spot weld and rivets have broekn loose. I called Stivers Ford in Montgomery Alabama and the Service Representative told me that my Escape was out of warranty and it was my problem to repair. I do not think this is fair as this is a structural problem in the door.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the front driver's side door made an abnormally loud popping sound while opening and closing. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 22,000.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact became aware that the front driver’s side door weld had fractured. The contact stated that the door sounded like metal grinding each time the door was opened or closed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was 16,949.
Drivers door is making a creaking/popping sound and sometimes won’t close. The window will not always go up.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while closing the door, the door made an abnormal sound and failed to close as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with a fractured door weld. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 41,000.
Left door weld broke. Making a popping noise. The window will not go up or down.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the front driver's side window failed to go up or roll down. Additionally, the contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, he opened the front driver's side door, and the door flew open as if there was an internal fracture. The contact also stated that he had to slam the door to close the door securely, and there were holes near the door latching point. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the door needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: PE23013 (Structure). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000. The VIN was unavailable.
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Quick Summary
The 2021 Ford Escape has 71 Structure complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.