2024 Ford Edge: What to check before buying

The horn is described as too weak to hear over traffic, rain, or through closed windows, and one complaint links this to a crash. Other reports describe a driver's seat heater that burns an occupant badly enough for an emergency room visit. On highways, the dashboard goes dark with warning lights while the engine seems to cut out and restart. Owners also report a power hatch closing on people's heads and a Sync screen that freezes, goes black, or turns on functions by itself. Dealers often cannot reproduce these faults.

The rearview camera freezes, goes blank, or stays on screen after the driver shifts out of reverse. In one case a frozen image leads to a crash into a parked car while backing up. Failures start out intermittent and can become constant, and dealers sometimes cannot reproduce them. Most of these complaints are about a repair delay: owners say the part needed for the fix is not available yet, and several say the wait has gone on too long.

The transmission engages gears unexpectedly or refuses to engage them. Reports include the vehicle slipping into reverse by itself at low speed and hitting a garage door, and rolling forward on a hill after being shifted into reverse. Another warns that the gear will engage at low speed and blocks reverse until the car is restarted. One complaint describes shuddering and refusal to go into gear. These incidents happen in driveways and parking areas, where unintended movement can cause damage or injury. One report gives about 3,000 miles.

Crashes end without air bag deployment in all 3 reports here. In a multi-vehicle crash, the driver's front air bag stays folded and the driver suffers leg, back, neck, and abdomen injuries. Another complaint describes a low-speed impact on the passenger side that leaves the vehicle unrepairable with no air bags deployed. A third involves reported sudden acceleration into a storefront, with the forward collision warning also not activating. None of these reports identify a cause.

The front head restraints tilt so far forward that they push the occupant's head toward the chest, and a dealer says this is how the seat is built. The driver's power seat motor grinds and vibrates when it moves, but the dealer finds no fault codes and makes no repair. In another report the rear bench seatback wiggles enough that the owner will not install a child seat on it. One of these problems appears at about 2,000 miles. None of the reports involves a crash.

The hands-free liftgate closes on people while they load cargo, hitting heads, shoulders, and backs. Owners say the foot sensor is too sensitive and triggers when their feet stray under the bumper during loading. They also say the closing tone is too quiet to hear over outside noise. One complaint reports a bruise. When dealers check the sensors, they find nothing wrong. Owners worry that a child climbing into the cargo area could be seriously hurt.

Power steering cuts out or the wheel locks, which makes the car very hard to turn. One failure happens on the expressway, with a steering warning and other alerts on the dash. The dealer calls it a software problem and resets the system. Another report describes the steering locking at intersections and nearly causing a crash. Both describe a sudden loss of steering assist while the car is moving, which is a clear loss-of-control risk.

The backup camera image is dim and unclear in daylight and at night, starting when the car is new. One report notes the problem at 850 miles. Another complaint describes the right rear taillight assembly falling out of the car on the interstate for no apparent reason. Neither report involves a crash, but a dim camera image makes reversing harder, especially after dark.