Ford Escape: crash structure, BLIS area and shift linkage; front damage, fuel leakage and sensor checks

Rear corner: repair layers beside BLIS

The US MY2017 manual places BLIS sensors behind the bumper cover on both sides. Ford expressly warns against stickers and repair compound in these areas because they can impair operation. Dirt, snow and heavy rain are also listed as possible blockage causes. First confirm that the individual vehicle is equipped with BLIS.

Ford Motor Company: 2017 Escape Owner’s Manual, first printing February 2016

NHTSA 22V-413: a problem separate from body impact

Ford’s June 10, 2022 report describes degradation or detachment of the bushing connecting the shift cable to the transmission. For Escape it lists certain MY2013–2019 vehicles with 1.5, 1.6, 2.0 or 2.5 engines and the 6F35 transmission. The actual transmission position may then differ from the selector position, allowing unintended vehicle movement.

Ford Motor Company / NHTSA repository: Part 573 Safety Recall Report 22V-413 / Ford 22S43

Full material about the model

Why Escape inspection must distinguish pre- and post-MY2017 front structures, work near radar sensors and the shift-cable bushing defect.

Fuel near the engine: certain 1.5 L versions

Ford report 25V467 of July 11, 2025 describes certain MY2020–2022 Escape 1.5 L vehicles. A cracked injector could leak into the cylinder head, then through a drain onto hot exhaust/turbo surfaces. This thermal mechanism does not require external impact as its initial cause.

Ford Motor Company / NHTSA repository: Part 573 Safety Recall Report 25V467 / Ford 25S76

What the NHTSA review means

ODI’s April 25, 2024 letter addresses RQ24-008 on adequacy of 24V-187’s remedy. It separates subject vehicles, including certain MY2022 Escape, from peers. This information request is neither a final finding about every fire nor proof of the review’s current status.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation: ODI Information Request RQ24-008, April25 2024

Full material about the model

A different Escape generation: the 1.5 L injector defect, NHTSA review correspondence and inspection limits after front impact.