@chrishnaw , Christian, Ford Escape mildew/musty smell from vents would be common sign of moisture/debri/dust build up in lower HVAC duct work, uasually caused when the drain tube for AC plugs. If the heater core is leaking coolant and you put it on defrost you will notice the windshield gets a film/residue over it or you will notice the coolant dripping from the heater/HVAC box/ductwork, etc. onto the carpet, you can have the cooling system pressure teted to verify leak or not. A burning smell could be a sign of faulty heater resistor, wire/plug melting, or the blower motor burning out and should be checked sooner then later.1st Link below will show how to access the wires and resistor to the heater motor. 2nd link will show cabin filter replacement. Good luck.
I hope this helped you out, if so let me know by pressing the helpful button.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLtPIUjs...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EK4cyKS_...
crwdns2934105:0crwdne2934105:0
crwdns2934113:0crwdne2934113:0
crwdns2915270:0crwdne2915270:0
crwdns2889612:0crwdne2889612:0
4
crwdns2947414:01crwdne2947414:0
Always start simple and the air filter is simple.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJuPcWuO...
There's a fun video to show how bad they can get, even in a well maintained car. He has another one where he pulls out half a sweater's worth of fuzz from under the hood as well.
crwdns2934271:0crwdnd2934271:0 Josh W crwdne2934271:0