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Ford Escape Production To End At Louisville By 2026: Report

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The future of the Ford Escape has been in doubt for some time now, with various rumors flying around suggesting that the compact crossover may be facing discontinuation in the coming years. However, nothing concrete has been reported on that particular topic thus far, though a new report indicates that production of the Ford Escape will indeed end in the somewhat near future.

That report comes to us from Automotive News, which reports that Ford Escape production at the Louisville Assembly plant is slated to end by the conclusion of 2025, after which The Blue Oval will focus on the Ford Bronco Sport as its compact crossover of choice. However, the report also claims that Ford plans to launch an all-electric compact crossover later this decade, though it’s unclear if it will utilize the Escape nameplate.

Rumors of the Escape’s demise originally surfaced back in mid-2022, when Ford CEO Jim Farley indirectly hinted that the model may be facing cancelation. A few months later, Farley stated that the company was planning on ditching ICE-powered two-row crossovers altogether, with the Ford Edge going away since then. As Ford Authority reported in November 2023, Ford’s new master contract agreement with the United Auto Workers (UAW) stated that the Escape and Lincoln Corsair would only be built through the “planned product lifecycle” of each, after which an “all new EV product will be added.”

This past March, that report was seemingly confirmed by another report indicating that Ford’s new low-cost EV platform was slated to underpin a crossover produced at Louisville. However, just last week, Ford itself revealed that the first product riding on that new architecture would be a mid-size pickup – not the expected crossover – potentially putting its future in doubt.

We’ll have more on the future of the Ford Escape soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for more Ford Escape news and non-stop Ford news coverage.

Brett's lost track of all the Fords he's owned over the years and how much he's spent modifying them, but his current money pits include an S550 Mustang and 13th gen F-150.

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Brett Foote

Brett's lost track of all the Fords he's owned over the years and how much he's spent modifying them, but his current money pits include an S550 Mustang and 13th gen F-150.

View Comments

  • This makes no sense to me. The Escape sells pretty well, more than the Bronco Sport. Plus replacing with an EV that will sell even fewer is baffling.

  • We have a 2022 Lincoln Nautilus now and had planned in the future to downsize to a Corsair because the new Nautilus is made in China now instead of Canada. This possible throws that plan out the window as we will only have 30k on it at the end of 2025, to soon to trade.

  • This would definitely be a terrible decision - I know Ford lost significant market share with the Escape, so instead of actually improving the product they will just kill it? LOL....
    The 2020+ gen has an interior that belongs in a $20k car....and also a bit too small compared to the competition...so I guess Ford will just fully give up this segment to Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, Kia?...

    EV junk won't sell...!

      • We'll also buy V6's (and V8's for trucks). We went to GM for a 3 row SUV last year because of all the turbo garbage in Fords.
        Now GM is producing the same stupidity.

  • Actually, come to think of it, if it's going out of production at the end of the '25 model year, why on earth is Ford fussing so much with the '25 (they've done dumber things lately, but...)? What diff would it make? I actually think this report is BS and that Ford will pull an "Edge" with it, and it'll be around at least through the '27 model year, when Ford hopes that EVs rule the roost. Needs a redo now, not later.

    • Even if they keep it going 1 more year like they did with th e Edge, they won't refresh it, just like they did nothing to the Edge for the 2024 modelyear.

  • Ford has given up to many good name plates and replaced with costly replacement....now when they getting away from 3 row evs ...this would be perfect replacement...instead they kill it...EV they learn one day...is niche until they get infrasture in place...and spend most of that money on Quaility....nothing matters is Quaility is not good...and Ford is worse of bunch...lost $4,8 billion last year.. in quaility issues....not counting the anger customers they lose in future..Ford seemly keeps looking for that future customer...at expense of current one..it time to shake up the glasshouse in management..

  • At this rate they will only sell trucks. The Escape is the only vehicle my wife and will buy, as it’s the only two row SUV Ford makes. The minute they cancel it is the end of my 46 years of Being a Ford guy. Plus I like the Chevy Trailblazer better with the integrated touch screen, unlike the tacky stand along Ford screens. Plus I found out I can purchase one for the same price or less than my AXZ plan price . So done with Ford in a year or so forever . They keep dropping vehicles, a and only 4 look alike boring SUVs at Lincoln , wonder if they will be out of business in the next 10 years? They sure deserve it , and are working hard to go out of business. Keep up the product cutting and worst in the industry quality

    • I have a 2010,2015,and 2019 Escape. If they discontinue the Escape I will be looking elsewhere. I love the Escape and see So many on the road. My favorite SUV by far. Wrong decision as far as I am concerned .

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