2019 ford escape engine overheating but its been sitting for 24 hrs

Also, a misrouted wire, likely for the coolant temperature sensor, could be touching something metal. This will force the temperature gauge to hot and make the computer think the engine is overheating, when it's not. Jim

Did you solve the problem? I just had the same issue and the only way to make the temperature gauge go back to normal was to clear the codes. It drove fine after that but I’m sure it’s going to cause more issues. If I did not have a scan tool to clear the code I would have needed a tow truck as it was stuck in limp mode. I’m not sure if it’s the cylinder head temperature sensor or some electrical glitch as I have had many with this car. I’m to the point where I can say it’s the worst ford I ever owned. It has 72,000 miles and is simply not reliable and not easy to work on.