P0300 on a 2021 Ford Escape

P0300 is a generic OBD2 powertrain code for random or multiple cylinder misfire. Unlike P0301 through P0308, it does not point to one specific cylinder, so the cause can be ignition, fuel, air, sensor, or mechanical.

Not your vehicle? See general P0300 info.

Most common causes on the 2021 Ford Escape

Ranked from 326 NHTSA owner complaints filed for this vehicle.

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1
Cracked fuel injector body (NHTSA recall 25S76 / 25V467)
High severity
The dominant vehicle-specific pattern in this batch: a cracked 1.5L injector leaks fuel externally, producing rough idle, hesitation, hard starts, and outright misfire; many owners describe exactly this under the still-unremedied recall.
Reported in 9 NHTSA complaints
Parts:fuel injector
2
Canister purge valve stuck open
Medium severity
Directly reported: a purge valve stuck open lets unmetered air/vapor into the intake, causing hard starts and a stall-on-refuel misfire event.
Reported in 2 NHTSA complaints
Parts:purge valve
3
Worn spark plugs
Medium severity
Standard wear item; especially relevant on a turbocharged 3-cylinder that runs plugs hotter.
Common cause
Parts:spark plugs
4
Failing ignition coil(s)
Medium severity
Swap-test between cylinders to confirm.
Common cause
Parts:ignition coil
5
Vacuum leak (intake/PCV hoses)
Medium severity
Unmetered air causes a lean misfire, worst at idle.
Common cause
6
Carbon-fouled intake valves
Medium severity
Common on direct-injection engines; no fuel washes the valves, so carbon builds and disrupts airflow/sealing.
Common cause
7
EGR valve fault
Low severity
Excess or insufficient EGR flow can trigger random misfire at idle/cruise.
Common cause
Parts:EGR valve

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These causes are aggregated from NHTSA owner complaints and general repair knowledge — this is not a diagnosis. P0300 on your car still needs shop confirmation before any repair.

Common symptoms

Flashing or steady check engine light
Rough idle
Shaking under acceleration
Loss of power
Fuel smell from exhaust

What to check before replacing parts

Scan for cylinder-specific misfire codes

Look for: A companion P0301–P0308 pins the misfire to one cylinder — start there. P0300 with no cylinder code points at something hitting several at once: fuel pressure, a large vacuum leak, or timing.

Inspect the spark plugs and coils

Look for: Pull the plugs: black/sooty = rich, oily = oil intrusion, white/blistered = lean or overheating, cracked porcelain or an out-of-spec gap = replace. Then swap a coil to another cylinder — if a cylinder-specific code follows the coil, the coil is bad.

Check fuel trims for a vacuum leak

Look for: High positive short- and long-term trims (worst at idle, improving as RPM rises) mean unmetered air is getting in. Smoke-test the intake and listen for hissing.

Verify fuel pressure

Look for: Compare running/cranking pressure to the vehicle spec. Low or dropping pressure starves multiple cylinders and reads as a random misfire — suspect the pump, filter, or regulator.

Compression / leak-down test if ignition and fuel check out

Look for: A cylinder 15%+ below the others, or leak-down hissing from the intake (intake valve), exhaust (exhaust valve), or oil filler (rings), means the misfire is mechanical — not a swap-in part.

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Matching symptoms

Car Runs Rough Flashing Check Engine Light