No heat on our legs front seats

My wifehas a 2016 Escape SE Ecoboost AWD with Dual-Climate control that I occasionally drive. I'd never noticed this behavior until the bad cold snapthis Xmas. To me, it seems the area under the dash (floor AND legs) doesn't get the heat I'd expect. As you noted, heat from the defroster seems plentiful. If I have the heat up to hottest temp ("Hi") & fan at highest speed (7?) on 'defrost', I'll have to turn it all down after 10 minutes. From the waist up, I'd get pretty warm. If I have the same settings (Hi/7) on 'floor', it could run for as long as I've driven the SUV, and it didn't bother me on very cold days/nights.

I have a '17 Escape Titanium FWD w/the 2 liter Ecoboost with 2k miles on it. We have had some very cold weather here (SC) lately and find the floor heat only adequate. If I am only asking for heat just on the floor, the passenger compartment remains pretty cold. So on these cold day I have the airflow contol set to the floor and out of the dash. The floor does not get really warm in the "auto" setting either. But...during this cold time my wife has not worn a dress. Pants, long johns and boots only with the seat heater at max. Good luck to you with a Ford solution....

Do you have automatic climate control, or manual controls? You mention that it delivers heat to the floor, but not your legs. Are you referring to the two vents below the center cluster above the console?? I don't beleive there is ever a great flow of air through those vents, but check to see that the vent is fully open by rotating hte dial next to the vents that controls the damper behind the vent. Technically though, you would want the heat to blow out the floor vents to heat that area, and then naturally rise through the vehicle. Blowing hot air out of the dash or upper vents will not warm your feet or legs.

We have a 17 SE, 45K miles, with automatic climate control. We only ever use the Auto setting (year round), and set the desired temperature. Usually in the winter months it's set between 72 and 74. We rarely override the system to select the defrost only mode; we always use auto (which in my opinion is how it's designed to be used (like your home heating system; set the temperature and let the system do its thing)). There are no issues we've noticed with the delivery of heat to the floor area.

Sorry I have not had that problem

In all the cars I've ever owned, the heater does not blow hard through the middle two dash vents. It blows harder though the two outside ones. I find that to get the cabin warm, don't use the feet heater vent location only. Use a combination of the feet vents and the dash vents or just the dash vents.

If your wife is cold, I'd use the dash vents only so that there is no air hitting her legs, just her upper body. If you have auto climate control, make sure everything is set on auto, not just the manual fan speed. If you have dual zone climate control, lock the controls so that the driver and passenger are set to the same hot temperature, but don't use only the feet vents.

I have a 2017 Escape but don't have that problem. I do notice there is more blow on the feet if I just use the feet button (i.e., deselect defroster and chest buttons). I do have seat heaters and a steering wheel warmer so with those plus just the feet heat, it is plenty warm. I'm in New England in frigid weather.

(I do have to remember to open up the vents near the shifter if I have a passenger like my 80-year-old mother.)

Being from Minnesnowta, I have frozen my feet as a child. I always run floor and defrost settings in the winter in all my vehicles. Unless my hands are cold, then I turn on the dash vents. I find that I get too hot with the dash vents on. My wife on the other hand always has dash vents on.
If you have the single lower dash vent open, this will blow air on you upper legs or lap. It Is too cold for my wife in the summer with the AC on so I think if the temp is not turned up high enough you could get coolish air blowing on you.
The second possibility could be, is the air set to recirculate? This will pull floor air from the passenger side back into the ventilation system which could pull cooler air coming off the windshield or windows across your legs.
Another possibility may be a dirty or clogged cabin air filter that isn't allowing enough air to pass through the system to supply all the vents.
whatever the issue is I hope you are able to find the issue so you can enjoy your cruck!

I have had the 2017 Escape Titanium AWD 2.0T since May 2016 and have never noticed this issue. I live in Colorado and we have had some pretty cold weather.

Whether I use manual or auto climate control in my '17 SE, I find that the heat to the floor is poor compared to previous cars I've owned (Pontiac, VW and BMW). Even directing all heat to the floor results in poor heat/airflow there. In general, the airflow from the dash vents seems low compared to my other cars. Heated seats help to alleviate the discomfort somewhat.