FaultScore

FaultScore report

2013 Ford Escape problems

Owners have filed 3,681 complaints about the 2013 Ford Escape with NHTSA between 2012 and 2026. The largest single group is the engine & cooling. Across this model's run it ranks 1 of 25 worst.

D

FaultScore 69/100

Higher is worse. Measured against the other years of the Ford Escape.

How this is worked out

The numbers

3,681

Complaints

66

Crashes reported

130

Fires reported

70

Injuries reported

73,000 mi

Median mileage at failure

Half of reported failures happened before this

21%

Failed under 36,000 miles

Inside a typical bumper-to-bumper warranty

NHTSA overall crash rating

From the agency's own crash tests

What kind of bad

The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.

Complaint volume 100 vs 50 Severity 37 vs 50 Early failure 37 vs 50
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 100
Against the median year of the Ford Escape. 50 means typical for this model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 37
7.2% of these complaints involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of 9.7%.
Early failure — 37
21% of failures with a mileage on record happened under 36,000 miles, against a national rate of 29%.

How 2013 compares with every other Ford Escape

Click any bar to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded

What breaks on a 2013 Ford Escape

Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.

Engine & Cooling 1,440 39.1%

8 crashes, 70 fires · median 79,000 mi

10 crashes, 7 fires · median 81,000 mi

3 crashes, 15 fires · median 61,000 mi

Steering 304 8.3%

5 crashes, 0 fires · median 82,000 mi

3 crashes, 13 fires · median 80,000 mi

1 crashes, 14 fires · median 75,000 mi

5 crashes, 3 fires · median 57,500 mi

2 crashes, 4 fires · median 40,000 mi

Brakes 74 2.0%

7 crashes, 0 fires · median 58,000 mi

3 crashes, 0 fires · median 67,000 mi

Airbags 54 1.5%

10 crashes, 2 fires · median 30,705 mi

Seat Belts 43 1.2%

5 crashes, 0 fires · median 83,500 mi

0 crashes, 2 fires · median 79,500 mi

Median failure at 58,000 miles

Wheels 36 1.0%

1 crashes, 0 fires · median 64,469 mi

Suspension 27 0.7%

1 crashes, 0 fires · median 49,098 mi

Lights 15 0.4%

Median failure at 72,000 miles

Median failure at 40,000 miles

Tires 8 0.2%

1 crashes, 0 fires · median 28,856 mi

Seats 7 0.2%

1 crashes, 0 fires · median 38,000 mi

Equipment & Accessories 4 0.1%

Median failure at 1,000 miles

Exactly what failed

NHTSA files every complaint against a named sub-assembly, not just a system. This is the difference between knowing it was "the engine" and knowing which part of it — the list to hand a mechanic.

Body 63 53.8%
Latch 18 15.4%
Floor Shift 8 6.8%
Lugs/Nuts/Bolts/Studs 8 6.8%
Door 6 5.1%
Cooling System 5 4.3%
Pedals AND Linkages 5 4.3%
Blind Spot Detection 4 3.4%

When it fails

Odometer readings owners gave when they filed. About half of all complaints include one.

Under 1,000 miles 73 2.8%
1,000 – 9,999 miles 147 5.6%
10,000 – 24,999 miles 210 8.0%
25,000 – 49,999 miles 332 12.7%
50,000 – 74,999 miles 559 21.4%
75,000 – 99,999 miles 568 21.7%
100,000 – 149,999 miles 590 22.6%
150,000+ miles 134 5.1%

NHTSA crash tests

The agency crash-tested this model year itself. These are its own photographs and star ratings.

Frontal crash test of a 2013 Ford Escape SUV 4x4

Frontal crash test

Side barrier crash test of a 2013 Ford Escape SUV 4x4

Side barrier crash test

Side pole crash test of a 2013 Ford Escape SUV 4x4

Side pole crash test

Photographs taken by NHTSA during its own New Car Assessment Program crash tests of this model year. Public domain.
Configuration Overall Front Side Rollover
2013 Ford Escape SUV 4x4
18.5% risk
2013 Ford Escape SUV 4x2
19.1% risk

When owners complained

A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single owner can see from inside their own car.

Jul 2012 peak 63 Aug 2026

NHTSA investigations into the 2013 Ford Escape

An investigation is the step before a recall: the agency has seen enough complaints to look into a pattern itself. An open one means it thinks something may be wrong and nothing has been fixed yet.

RQ19005 Opened 19 Dec 2019 Closed 7 Feb 2022 LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH

Door Latch Failures

In December 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation based on 235 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) alleging doors failed to latch when closed, and/or inadvertently opened while driving, on model year (MY) 2012-2014 Ford Fiesta, and 2013-2014 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ. Some VOQs reported the failure occurred after the latch had been remedied under a prior recall which involved fracture of the latch pawl spring tab due to thermally induced cyclic fatigue. Other VOQs alleged a similar failure in vehicles not previously recalled. A latch with a fractured pawl sprin...

PE18007 Opened 16 Jul 2018 Closed 27 Dec 2024 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Loss of Motive Power

On July 16, 2018, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this Preliminary Evaluation (PE) to investigate alleged instances of sudden stalling without warning on model year (MY) 2013 Ford Escape vehicles equipped with 1.6L GTDI turbocharged engines. Complaints alleged that vehicles stalled due to engine overheating, resulting in a delayed or no restart condition. When the investigation was opened, ODI had received 40 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs). At this time, ODI has received 173 VOQs with five reported fires and no reported crashes. In investigating the incidents alleged in t...

PE16001 Opened 16 Jan 2016 Closed 29 Oct 2016 LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH

Door Latch Failure

In January, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this Preliminary Evaluation based on consumers' allegations of doors failing to latch and/or inadvertently opening on model year (MY) 2012-2013 Ford Focus vehicles (subject vehicles).ODI has received 464 unique reports related to the alleged problem, with over 200 claiming that the door(s) opened inadvertently while the vehicle was in motion.One consumer alleged an injury that occurred while driving when a door inadvertently opened and then closed on a child's arm.Another alleged that a door that inadvertently opened struck a parked...

Recalls on the 2013 Ford Escape

A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous enough to fix for free — however old the car is.

United States — NHTSA

26V011000

EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:ENGINE BLOCK HEATER

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Focus, 2013-2019 Escape, and 2015-2016 MKC vehicles equipped with a 2.0L engine. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.

Risk: An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.

22V413000

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2019 Escape, 2013-2018 C-Max, 2013-2016 Fusion, 2013-2021 Transit Connect, and 2015-2018 Edge vehicles. The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach.

Risk: A damaged or missing bushing may prevent the vehicle from shifting into the intended gear, and cause the vehicle to move in an unexpected direction. Additionally, the vehicle may roll after the driver selects the 'Park' position. Either scenario increases the risk of a crash or injury.

20V331000

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Fiesta, 2013-2014 Fusion, 2015 Mustang, 2013-2015 Escape and C-Max, 2012-2015 Focus, 2014-2016 Transit Connect, 2013-2014 Lincoln MKZ, and 2015 MKC vehicles. These vehicles were previously recalled and repaired under recalls 15V-246, 16V-643 or 17V-210, however the repair may not have been completed properly. A component within the door latches may break making the doors difficult to latch and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.

Risk: A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.

18V471000

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:FLOOR SHIFT

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2014 Ford Escape, and 2013-2016 Ford Fusion vehicles, equipped with six-speed automatic transmissions. The bushing that attaches the transmission shifter cable to the transmission may degrade over time and cause the bushing to detach from the transmission. The condition could allow the driver to move the shift lever to Park and remove the ignition key, while the transmission may not be in Park, with no warning message or audible chime.

Risk: If the vehicle is exited without the transmission being in Park and without the parking brake being applied, the vehicle may unexpectedly move, increasing the risk of a crash.

16V643000

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2012-2015 Ford Focus, 2013-2015 Ford Escape and Ford C-MAX, 2015 Lincoln MKC and Ford Mustang, and 2014-2016 Ford Transit Connect vehicles. A component within the door latches may break, preventing the doors from latching and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.

Risk: A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.

15V813000

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013 Escape vehicles manufactured January 11, 2012, to April 1, 2013, and 2013-2014 Focus ST vehicles manufactured May 03, 2012, to October 14, 2013. Insufficient compression in the engine wiring harness splices to the Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) sensor may provide incorrect signals to the powertrain control module (PCM).

Risk: The incorrect signals could cause the vehicle to hesitate or the engine to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

14V597000

AIR BAGS

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Ford C-Max vehicles manufactured January 19, 2012, to November 21, 2013; Ford Fusion vehicles manufactured February 3, 2012, to August 24, 2013; Ford Escape vehicles manufactured October 5, 2011, to November 1, 2013; and Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured April 25, 2012, to September 30, 2013. The coating on portions of the Restraint Control Module (RCM) may crack, and when exposed to humidity, circuits on the printed circuit board may short.

Risk: The short circuits could cause the frontal air bags, side curtain air bags and the seat belt pretensioners to not function as intended when needed, increasing the risk of occupant injury in the event of a crash.

14V495000

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Escape vehicles manufactured October 5, 2011, to April 1, 2013, and equipped with 2.0 liter engines and Focus ST vehicles manufactured February 14, 2012, to October 14, 2013, and equipped with 2.0 liter engines. Insufficient compression in the engine wiring harness splices to the Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) sensor may provide incorrect signals to the powertrain control module (PCM).

Risk: The incorrect signals could cause the vehicle to hesitate or the engine to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Canada — Transport Canada

Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not always mirror the American ones.

Recall 2026004 193,627 units in Canada

Electrical

Issue: On certain vehicles, the engine block heater could leak coolant. If this happens, the block heater could short circuit when it's plugged in. Note: This recall only affects certain vehicles equipped with a 2.0 L engine. Safety Risk: A short circuit can create the risk of a fire. Corrective Actions: To reduce the safety risk, Ford advises you not to use the engine block heater until the recall repairs have been completed. Ford will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to replace the block heater. Alternatively, owners can choose to have the dealership permanently disable the engine block heater.

Recall 2022311 362,062 units in Canada

Powertrain

Issue: On certain vehicles, the shift cable may detach from the transmission. This could cause the transmission not to shift gears when the shifter is moved. As a result, the transmission could be in a different gear than the gear shifter indicates. If a driver attempts to exit the vehicle while the transmission is not in Park, and the parking brake is not applied, the vehicle could move suddenly. Safety Risk: Sudden and unexpected movement of the vehicle could increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: Ford will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealership to replace the transmission shifter cable bushing and install a protective service cap. Ford advises that you should apply the parking brake each time the vehicle is parked.

Recall 2019420 5,327 units in Canada

Other

Issue: This recall is for aftermarket replacement rear window glass produced by Vitro Automotriz. Certain rear window glass may not have been properly tempered. If the window breaks, the glass may separate into large pieces instead of very small ones. Note: This is a voluntary recall that is not being conducted under the requirements of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act. Safety Risk: Glass that breaks in to large pieces could create a risk of injury. Corrective Actions: The company will notify consumers by mail and instruct them to inspect the designation code marked on the rear window glass. Products affected by this recall have the designation “DOT 287” along with the lettering “VMR” (Replacement Market) and a date code that is before July 2019. This information is printed on the bottom corner of the glass. Consumers should contact Vitro's customer service at 1-412-995-6457 or argbacklites@vitro.com to arrange for replacement of the glass.

Recall 2018379 36,887 units in Canada

Powertrain

On certain vehicles, the bushing that attaches the shift cable to the transmission may degrade over time and could detach. This could allow the transmission to be in a gear state different than the gear shift position selected by the driver. This condition could also allow the driver to move the shifter to Park and remove the ignition key while the transmission gear may not be in Park. If the parking brake is not applied, this could result in unintended vehicle movement, which would increase the risk of crash causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will replace the shifter cable bushing.

Recall 2016432 233,034 units in Canada

Structure

On certain vehicles, the pawl spring tab in the side door latch could break. This condition typically will prevent the door from latching. In certain situations where the door is able to be closed, the door may be partially latched and could unlatch while driving. This could increase the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant seated next to the door, or result in damage to property. Correction: If a door will not latch, dealers will replace all four door latches with a more robust part. Note: A door that is partially latched can cause the courtesy light to remain on, set a door ajar message in the instrument cluster and sound a door ajar chime to alert the driver that there is a door latch problem.

Recall 2014427 82,962 units in Canada

Seats And Restraints

On certain vehicles, sealant applied to the restraints control module could fail, allowing moisture to enter the module circuit board. This could cause corrosion to form, which will illuminate the airbag warning light and could affect restraint system function, potentially disabling airbags or other safety systems. This could increase the risk of injury to vehicle occupants in a crash where airbag deployment is warranted. Correction: Dealers will replace the restraints control module.

Recall 2014349 25,382 units in Canada

Electrical

On certain vehicles, defective engine wiring harness splices could affect engine function, causing reduced engine power and/or hesitation, and also cause the engine to stall. Stalling would result in a loss of motive power, increasing the risk of a crash resulting in injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will replace affected wiring splices.

Recall 2014164 78,013 units in Canada

Airbag

On certain vehicles, due to a defect in the restraint control module programming, deployment of the side curtain airbags may be delayed in certain rollover circumstances, which could increase the risk of injury to vehicle occupants. Correction: Dealers will reprogram the restraint control module.

Recalls cover specific build ranges, so check your own vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or, in Canada, Transport Canada.

Complaints that involved harm

Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.

Apex, NC Fire

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Car caught fire in engine, near transmission

NHTSA complaint #11753713 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Apex, NC Fire

ENGINE

Car caught fire in engine, near transmission

NHTSA complaint #11753713 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

New York City, NY Crash

SERVICE BRAKES

test

NHTSA complaint #11727768 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

New York City, NY Crash

SERVICE BRAKES

VDP TEST

NHTSA complaint #11727773 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Winterville, NC Fire

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

As I was traveling down hwy [XXX] the ford escape lost power and started excessively smoking. When I looked under the hood flames were coming from the passenger side of the suv under the hood. The fire begin to grow and finally engulfed the entire front of the suv and moved to the interior of the suv before the fire department arrived. The vehicle has not been inspected as this happened last night [XXX]. The engine light and oil light appeared before the suv shut down. I purchased the vehicle on [XXX] I did research and found a recall on the 2013 ford escape. Please see below. A 2013 Ford Escape may catch fire primarily due to engine overheating caused by a cracked cylinder head, leading to oil leaks, or due to a faulty engine block heater that can short circuit. Specifically, models with the 1.6L EcoBoost engine are prone to these issues, with several recalls issued for fire hazards. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11713232 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Woodsboro, TX Fire

ENGINE

I own a Ford Escape SE with 1.6 L eco boost engine. The vehicle started having loss of power and started smoking under the hood. The car is now not drivable and it’s the same issue people have been having with this engine. The engine made a popping sound with no warning beforehand and stopped in the middle of the highway. No fluids leaking but engine has failed. Engine temp gauge didn’t move but car was overheated. The engine is bad and needs to be replaced Spoke to Endurance warranty and they said the engine has 2 service alerts for same issue and my research corroborates as there is a lawsuit pending over that engine. However Ford continently says there isn’t an issue regarding my VIN but the engine is the original OEM engine that has had issues in the past reported by numerous other owners of the same engine.

NHTSA complaint #11701985 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

The most recent complaints

In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.

at 93,000 miles Weymouth, MA

POWER TRAIN

The contact's son owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her son was driving 30 MPH, the vehicle stalled with an unknown message displayed on the instrument panel. The contact's son pulled off to the shoulder of the road and restarted the vehicle. The vehicle was restarted and went into LIMP Mode and drove slowly back to the residence. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000.

NHTSA complaint #11756424 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Ionia, MI

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The system that failed was the rear passenger door latch. The door will not latch and I checked the door latch and it moves freely. My vehicle also is telling me that my rear passenger door is open

NHTSA complaint #11756415 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 93,000 miles Weymouth, MA

ENGINE

The contact's son owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her son was driving 30 MPH, the vehicle stalled with an unknown message displayed on the instrument panel. The contact's son pulled off to the shoulder of the road and restarted the vehicle. The vehicle was restarted and went into LIMP Mode and drove slowly back to the residence. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000.

NHTSA complaint #11756424 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Apex, NC Fire

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Car caught fire in engine, near transmission

NHTSA complaint #11753713 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Apex, NC Fire

ENGINE

Car caught fire in engine, near transmission

NHTSA complaint #11753713 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 94,996 miles Cleveland, OH

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH on the freeway, the front passenger’s side door suddenly came ajar. The "Passenger Door Ajar" message was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V331000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages). The contact called a local dealer and was advised of the cost for the diagnostic test. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 94,996.

NHTSA complaint #11752579 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Salem, OR

ENGINE

Vehicle: 2013 Ford Escape SEL (1.6L EcoBoost) Approximate current Mileage: 134,646 miles System: Engine / Engine Cooling / Powertrain Incident Description: I am filing this complaint to report a severe and systemic safety defect regarding the 1.6L EcoBoost engine in my 2013 Ford Escape. The vehicle is experiencing catastrophic internal coolant intrusion, a known defect where coolant leaks past the head gasket and directly into the engine's combustion cylinders. Professional mechanical diagnostics have explicitly confirmed that engine coolant is pooling on top of piston #2. I have also experienced unexplained coolant loss with no external leaks and sudden engine overheating warnings. As of today, the vehicle's drivability has severely deteriorated, escalating this from a mechanical failure to a serious safety hazard. I cannot drive the vehicle for more than 5 miles before experiencing a severe loss of acceleration and engine power. While the engine does not completely stall or shut off, the vehicle heavily hesitates and refuses to accelerate as needed. Because we reside in [XXX], a region with steep hills and constant inclines, this inability to maintain safe driving speeds under load creates a life-threatening collision risk in traffic. Furthermore, the coolant in the combustion chamber puts the engine at immediate risk of hydro-locking or catching fire due to severe overheating. This manufacturer defect has effectively rendered the vehicle inoperable and unsafe to drive. It is placing a severe financial and logistical burden on my family, as we are now forced to rely entirely on our secondary vehicle for our daily livelihood, work commutes, and family transport. Ford's failure to recall and address this engine block defect has created an unacceptable danger on the road. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11751203 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Pullman, WA

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

Car has been having problems immediately with the turbocharger which then seemed fine once taken in. Only to turn around and have the transmission go out. Once again, it was taken in and was reported that there is no transmission dipstick. It is going into limp mode due to slippage detected from the B clutch pack. There is a low chance that flushing out the fluid could buy the transmission some more time, but a large amount of clutch material has been worn off the internal transmission clutch packs and is saturating the fluid. Therefore needing an entire replacement of the transmission.

NHTSA complaint #11748007 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Pullman, WA

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Car has been having problems immediately with the turbocharger which then seemed fine once taken in. Only to turn around and have the transmission go out. Once again, it was taken in and was reported that there is no transmission dipstick. It is going into limp mode due to slippage detected from the B clutch pack. There is a low chance that flushing out the fluid could buy the transmission some more time, but a large amount of clutch material has been worn off the internal transmission clutch packs and is saturating the fluid. Therefore needing an entire replacement of the transmission.

NHTSA complaint #11748007 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Boise, ID

ENGINE

Engine coolant intrusion into engine resulting in excessive visible smoke/steam on startup and coolant consumption. This issue has been inspected by a Ford dealer and private party mechanics, however could not be accurately diagnosed without engine disassembly. No evidence of external coolant leaks were present. The current consumption rate for coolant is approximately 2 qts per month. Vehicle currently has ~95k miles. The vehicle indicates random misfire codes and low coolant level warnings. Mechanics have advised not to drive as low coolant could lead to overheating and engine failure. Coolant intrusion could result in "hydrolocking" the engine, again resulting in engine failure. Ford Motor Company via dealer has declined to include the vehicle in similar recall or correction efforts.

NHTSA complaint #11748003 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Pullman, WA

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

Car has been having problems immediately with the turbocharger which then seemed fine once taken in. Only to turn around and have the transmission go out. Once again, it was taken in and was reported that there is no transmission dipstick. It is going into limp mode due to slippage detected from the B clutch pack. There is a low chance that flushing out the fluid could buy the transmission some more time, but a large amount of clutch material has been worn off the internal transmission clutch packs and is saturating the fluid. Therefore needing an entire replacement of the transmission.

NHTSA complaint #11748007 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Waynesboro, PA

POWER TRAIN

The shifter wouldn't go into park or start in park had to put in neutral to start it, was at a gas pump and the car started moving on its own had to jump in and pull the emergency brake to stop it and the vehicle was off, also the backup camera is upside down had it fixed but it goes right back upside down.

NHTSA complaint #11744970 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Walker, MI

SUSPENSION

I was heading west on XXX with my [XXX] granddaughter and about a mile before the XXX exit we heard a loud bang and the car was, like a shot, propelled across the center line into the left lane and heading for the ditch. I immediately hit the brakes and pulled a hard right to keep the car on the highway. After three or four hard rights and lefts I was able to pull the car onto the left shoulder. I thought it was a blown tire but upon inspection they were all ok. The passenger right rear wheel though was on an angle. I called [XXX] and they sent a state police officer to assist. We were very lucky as about 10 seconds earlier I pack of cars passed us and a straggler of the pack passed us about 4 seconds before the incident. It could have been a five or six car pile up. I had it towed and after the mechanics inspection found the broken (as the picture shows) rear upper control arm. The broken parts are available. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11741281 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

New Orleans, LA

SERVICE BRAKES

The anti-lock brake system is no longer available. When I start the car, a warning comes on that the Uphill assist is unavailable. Other lights come on concerning the brakes. I have contacted my repair shop and they have contacted the FORD dealership and have been told that presently there is no fix available. I understand this failure may be on other Ford Escape 2013 since I was told there are at least 400 vehicles awaiting this replacement part at this time and I would not know how many failures there were in the past.

NHTSA complaint #11741327 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Fountain Inn, SC

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

This Ford Escape has had numerous issues with coolant leaks leading to total engine failure on October 2025. The vehicle is unrepairable with the turbo being damaged and is no longer on the road

NHTSA complaint #11735961 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Bethlehem, PA

ENGINE

Over time the car began to lose coolant. I read codes and troubleshot the systems, replacing a sensor first, no visible leak from collant hoses was discovered. I took the car to bethlehem ford and after a diagnostics process told me there was a crack in the engine on cylinder three that was allowing coolant to leak into the piston and be burnt off during ignition which created misfires and damage over time. I was informed I would need a brand new engine replacement. Which I was quoted 13,788USD for the repair. Not including the $200 I had paid for the diagnostics. The amount for the fix was as much as I had paid for the car to begin with only three years ago at the time of this faulure and had already paid close to $5000 for a turbo replacement as this car in the 2013 Ford Escape SE with the 1.6L ecoboost engine.

NHTSA complaint #11732622 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Richmond, VA

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

car is in park but when I tried to come out of park the arm move but it won't shift out of park.

NHTSA complaint #11732021 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

New York City, NY Crash

SERVICE BRAKES

test

NHTSA complaint #11727768 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

New York City, NY Crash

SERVICE BRAKES

VDP TEST

NHTSA complaint #11727773 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

New York, NY

LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION

UNKNOWN

NHTSA complaint #11727763 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Hernando, MS

POWER TRAIN

Transmission stopped working. It completely disengaged and i was unable to move the vehicle in the middle of an intersection. This created a potentially fatal breakdown.

NHTSA complaint #11724640 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Lakeland, FL

STEERING

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that on three separate occasions, the steering wheel became firm while driving. There was no warning light illuminated. Due to the failure, excessive effort was needed to steer the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle with a defective power steering rack, and the contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA complaint #11724625 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Massapequa, NY

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The coolant leaks into the engine. I had the coolant container replaced as well as the coolant bypass valve.Coolant still leaks into the engine and container has to be filled every day. It’s unsafe to drive. It stalls. The mechanic says it’s dangerous and to get another car but I can’t. There is a class action for same issue. Coolant leak has destroyed the engine making it unsafe to drive. I can’t afford another car for my kids and I. Mechanic says his mom had same issue with her ford escape and it’s a fatal engine flaw and u safe to drive. This has been a problem since I purchased the car. I finally could afford to get the new container thinking that was the leak problem but it wasn’t. Then the coolant bypass valve broke too. I’ll put the date the repairs were made but this has been a problem with coolant contaminating the engine forever.

NHTSA complaint #11724405 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Massapequa, NY

ENGINE

The coolant leaks into the engine. I had the coolant container replaced as well as the coolant bypass valve.Coolant still leaks into the engine and container has to be filled every day. It’s unsafe to drive. It stalls. The mechanic says it’s dangerous and to get another car but I can’t. There is a class action for same issue. Coolant leak has destroyed the engine making it unsafe to drive. I can’t afford another car for my kids and I. Mechanic says his mom had same issue with her ford escape and it’s a fatal engine flaw and u safe to drive. This has been a problem since I purchased the car. I finally could afford to get the new container thinking that was the leak problem but it wasn’t. Then the coolant bypass valve broke too. I’ll put the date the repairs were made but this has been a problem with coolant contaminating the engine forever.

NHTSA complaint #11724405 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Massapequa, NY

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

The coolant leaks into the engine. I had the coolant container replaced as well as the coolant bypass valve.Coolant still leaks into the engine and container has to be filled every day. It’s unsafe to drive. It stalls. The mechanic says it’s dangerous and to get another car but I can’t. There is a class action for same issue. Coolant leak has destroyed the engine making it unsafe to drive. I can’t afford another car for my kids and I. Mechanic says his mom had same issue with her ford escape and it’s a fatal engine flaw and u safe to drive. This has been a problem since I purchased the car. I finally could afford to get the new container thinking that was the leak problem but it wasn’t. Then the coolant bypass valve broke too. I’ll put the date the repairs were made but this has been a problem with coolant contaminating the engine forever.

NHTSA complaint #11724405 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.