The Ford Escape has officially been discontinued in the U.S. market. The compact SUV rolled off the assembly line for the last time at the Louisville Assembly Plant on December 17, 2025, quietly ending its 25-year journey since its debut in 2000. While Ford is now betting on the Bronco Sport and Maverick, many of its dealers are expressing concern.
A recent report highlights that Ford dealers fear the discontinuation of the Escape will drive customers to competing brands. This concern is not unfounded. At its peak in 2017, the Ford Escape sold over 308,000 units. By 2023, that number dropped to approximately 141,000, then rose slightly to nearly 147,000 in 2024. In the first 11 months of 2025, Ford sold 132,471 Escapes.
This figure is nearly on par with the 132,216 Bronco Sports sold during the same period. However, dealers likely offered more discounts on the Escape compared to the Bronco Sport, which boasts a more rugged design.
Dealers across the U.S. are worried about the impact of the Escape’s discontinuation on their sales. Production of the Escape, along with the Lincoln Corsair, ended at the Louisville Assembly Plant as Ford begins a $2 billion overhaul of the facility.
The plant is now preparing to produce a new, all-electric midsize pickup truck, developed on Ford’s EV Universal platform. The company aims to start production of this truck in 2027.
However, the void left in the compact SUV segment is a significant concern for Ford dealers. “This was a core vehicle,” said Doug North, president of North Bros. Ford in Detroit, Michigan. “It was a strong seller and clearly in an affordable segment—something we need. It attracted new customers, and over time, we could move them up to the Explorer and keep them loyal to the brand.”
While North understands Ford’s reasoning, he believes the company should reconsider. “It makes it harder to bring customers into the brand. I wish they would rethink this,” he added.
Other dealers share similar concerns, emphasizing the Escape’s role in attracting first-time buyers, especially amid rising vehicle prices. “The biggest thing we’ve been pushing at the dealer council is affordability. In my opinion, this decision goes against that,” said Nick Anderson, General Manager of Chuck Anderson Ford in Excelsior Springs, Missouri. “Eliminating the Escape is a big mistake.”
Nathan Meckley, General Manager of Downtown Ford of Sacramento, was more direct: “If you lose the entry-level buyer, you lose a generation of customers. They’ll go to another brand and stay there.”
Ford, however, sees it differently. The company is not only relying on the Bronco Sport and Maverick but is also developing five new affordable models, slated to launch before 2030. Until then, dealers must focus on selling what Ford is currently producing.
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