2020 Ford Edge: What to check before buying

Shuddering, jerking and hesitation at low speeds, usually under 40 mph, dominate these reports. The car may rev without picking up speed, then lurch forward when the gear catches. Many cases start between 37,000 and 86,000 miles, often just after the factory warranty ends. Dealers commonly diagnose the torque converter or call for a full transmission replacement, with estimates of several thousand dollars. Some transmissions fail with no warning and refuse to shift or engage reverse. Other reports describe the car rolling away while in Park, surging while the brake is held, and stalling in traffic. These led to crashes and injuries.

A failing rearview camera and center screen cause most of these complaints. The backup image goes black or distorted, the touchscreen freezes, and steering wheel controls stop responding. Dealers often blame the APIM module and charge for it once the warranty runs out. Some cars falsely report a connected trailer and switch off safety features while driving. Other reports cover a failed electronic throttle body that cut power on the interstate, a push-button start that won't start the car, wiring chewed by rodents, and a car that rolled away after being put in Park.

Coolant leaking into the engine is the most serious pattern here. Drivers see overheating, white sweet-smelling smoke from the tailpipe and an empty coolant reservoir. Dealers trace it to a failed EGR cooler, and several cases end with the engine needing replacement. Stalling also comes up, with the engine shutting off at stops or at low speed and sometimes no warning light. Many entries filed under engine actually describe jerking and shudder at low speeds from the transmission. New spark plugs, coil packs and software updates often fail to stop it.

The power liftgate comes down on people while they load cargo. Some reports say it closed on a head, back or shoulders. In one case it trapped a hand and would not reopen from the remote or any button. Other liftgates refuse to open at all, or start to latch and then pop back open, taking many tries to stay closed. Dealers often cannot reproduce the fault. One car was diagnosed with a failed liftgate shock at 50,000 miles. Two people were injured.

The rearview camera stops working in reverse. It shows a black screen, wavy distorted lines or a "Camera not Available" message. Failures cluster around 60,000 to 72,000 miles. Dealers often cannot pin down the cause and leave the car unrepaired. One separate report describes the car moving backward on its own while in Park, after blind spot and cross traffic fault messages had appeared on the dash. A tractor-trailer had to brake to avoid hitting it.

The power steering control module can fail without much warning. Afterward the wheel won't turn, and one owner was quoted $2772.59 to fix it. A new car at 601 miles developed a loud knocking and became impossible to steer after a dealer-confirmed factory weld failure in the front end. Other reports describe failed steering wheel controls, false collision avoidance alerts and lane centering that hugs the center line. One owner was pinned and badly hurt when the car rolled forward while in Park.

Sudden acceleration while parking sent one car into a building and set off the airbags. Other cars hesitate when the accelerator is pressed, then choke and stall at 35 to 45 mph, leaving drivers coasting to the shoulder. New spark plugs did not cure it. Cruise control can switch off on its own, and replacing a sensor did not fix it. In another case, a transmission rebuilt for stuttering from a stop began showing the same problem again later. Most of these failures are reported at high mileage.

Front airbags fail to deploy in frontal crashes. Every complaint here involves a crash: a head-on collision at 40 mph, an intersection impact that crushed the front end, and a slide into trees. In one case the steering wheel airbag only partly came out. Drivers and passengers were injured, and one couple had to be cut out by firefighters. Owners say no warning lights or messages appeared beforehand. One car had about 12,000 miles.