Very common issues,noticed on many branded vehicles including fords.Its a vacuum related issues.
First understand the working procedure of car ac system on your ford escape.
Your a/c system uses vacuum from the engine to move vacuum motors under the dash to direct air flow in the vents, when there is no vacuum it default to defrost , so open the hood and look on the passengers side fire wall for a thin black vacuum line going into the fire wall into the cab , make sure this vacuum line is in tack, no brakes or cuts , then it goes into the car to three vacuum motors located under the drivers dash ,toward the center.If you notice the vacuum line is cracked or burned/melted then vacuum line needs to be replaced.But if the vacuum line is intact then it can be issue with vacuum motor or problem with vacuum line hose/.Its loose or cracked/worn out.
See the diagram shown below for more understanding :---------
Heat blows cold on drivers side and hot on passenger side?
http://schematicsdiagram.blogspot.com/2011/12/heat-blows-cold-on-drivers-side-and-hot.html
Hot air on the driver’s side vents only?
Ford F150 Ac only blows through defrost vents?
http://technoanswers.blogspot.com/2012/01/forf-f150-ac-only-blows-through-defrost.html
Dodge A/C come out of defrost vents only?
http://technoanswers.blogspot.com/2012/01/dodge-ac-come-out-of-defrost-vents-only.html
Ac vacuum line on dodge cummins?
http://technoanswers.blogspot.com/2012/01/ac-vacuum-line-on-dodge-cummins.html
Ford ranger AC blows cold through defrost vents instead on cabin vents?
http://technoanswers.blogspot.com/2012/01/ford-ranger-ac-blows-cold-through.html
AC air blows through defrost vent only on Ford F-350 6.0 Diesel Engine?
http://technoanswers.blogspot.com/2012/01/ac-air-blows-through-defrost-vent-only.html
First understand the working procedure of car ac system on your ford escape.
Your a/c system uses vacuum from the engine to move vacuum motors under the dash to direct air flow in the vents, when there is no vacuum it default to defrost , so open the hood and look on the passengers side fire wall for a thin black vacuum line going into the fire wall into the cab , make sure this vacuum line is in tack, no brakes or cuts , then it goes into the car to three vacuum motors located under the drivers dash ,toward the center.If you notice the vacuum line is cracked or burned/melted then vacuum line needs to be replaced.But if the vacuum line is intact then it can be issue with vacuum motor or problem with vacuum line hose/.Its loose or cracked/worn out.
See the diagram shown below for more understanding :---------
This details will help you to confirm the problem.
Thanks.
See below related solved problems :----