- The Ford Escape won’t be sold in six states next year
- It doesn’t meet strict new emissions standards in California, New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, Oregon, or Washington state
Compact SUVs are the best-selling type of vehicle in America, but Ford won’t sell its best-selling small SUV in six states next year.
A Ford spokesperson tells Kelley Blue Book that the 2026 Ford Escape “meets emissions requirements in all states except six states that for the 2026 model year imposed additional emission requirements.”
That rules the 2026 Escape out in California, New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, Oregon, and Washington state – nearly a quarter of the U.S. population. Ford won’t offer the Escape Hybrid or Plug-in Hybrid in those states, either.
A Lincoln spokesperson confirms that the same step applies to the 2026 Lincoln Corsair, essentially a luxury version of the Escape.
Shoppers won’t be without a Ford-branded compact SUV. A spokesperson confirms that the Bronco Sport will still be offered in all 50 states. The Maverick compact pickup uses many of the Escape’s parts but also qualifies under stricter emissions standards.
The Escape may be out of production after the 2026 model year. The more recently designed Bronco Sport fills the same niche for a similar price. Ford recently announced plans to retool the Louisville, Kentucky, plant that builds the model to produce electric vehicles (EVs) instead.
