2019 Ford Escape · symptom sheet

Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard

26owner reports
59,000median miles
0involved a crash

Newest report Jun 1, 2026 · checked Sep 9, 2026

123 of the 580 complaints on this car are about the transmission and drivetrain. 26 of those describe transmission shudder.

Tick what matches of 26 reports

shudders or vibrates at low speed

slips or revs without pulling

bangs or clunks into gear

hesitates when I accelerate

fluid was changed or flushed

What got replaced

Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the torque converter (4 reports).

Recalls and investigations

One recall on the transmission and drivetrain covers the 2019 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.

22V-413Jun 10, 2022

Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Gear Position Indication (Prndl)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2019 Escape, 2013-2018 C-Max, 2013-2016 Fusion, 2013-2021 Transit Connect, and 2015-2018 Edge vehicles. The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach.

Risk and remedy

Risk: A damaged or missing bushing may prevent the vehicle from shifting into the intended gear, and cause the vehicle to move in an unexpected direction. Additionally, the vehicle may roll after the driver selects the 'Park' position. Either scenario increases the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the under hood shift bushing and add a protective cap over the shift cable bushing, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters, informing owners of the safety risk, were mailed July 1, 2022. Remedy parts are expected to be available in 4th Quarter 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed October 27, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S43.

When it happens

The middle half of failures fell between 30,810 and 76,000 miles, from the 17 reports that gave a mileage.

119

120

221

422

523

624

625

126

What owners wrote

“Clunking/wobble from Rear differential unit, also roaring like a bad wheel bearing loss of acceleration intermittently/power intermittently”
Filed Sep 2, 2025

Should you keep driving it?

This page can't tell you that. 0 of 26 reports involved a crash. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.

File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation.