NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2013 Ford Escape. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
- Valve cover needs to be replaced - Spark plugs needs to be replaced - Power reduced message pops up probably from spark plugs - Says transmission fault probably from valve cover leaking transmission fluid - Left rear speed sensor - Turbo charger/super charger underboost - invalid data received from steering angle sensor module message popped up
The Turbocharger Wastegate Regulating Valve Solenoid has been intermittently forcing a OBD2 code P0234. The solenoid location has not been determined and why the code goes away and then comes back later after driving the vehicle after clearing the code is not determined either. Ford charges more for this part than any other parts houses. The dealer labor is also costing just as much as the part ($200). This is a problem that is currently happening to quite a few Escape owners.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to exceed 30 MPH. The engine overheated message was displayed, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who replaced the water pump. After the repair was performed, the contact and his passengers detected an abnormally strong oil odor while driving. The contact and his passengers suffered from headaches; however, medical attention was not received. Additionally, while driving, there was smoke coming from underneath the hood. The vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic, who determined there was an oil leak. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V583000 (Engine); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 133,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that an independent mechanic had performed a replacement of the inner and outer tie rods, the wheel bearings, and other unknown parts. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the ABS, traction control, Hill Assist, and instrument panel warning lights illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that she was unable to drive uphill, and the vehicle swayed while coming to a complete stop. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the ABS sensor had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was no longer covered under Ford Campaign Number: 14N02. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 230,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while pulling out of a parking lot at 10 MPH, the vehicle failed to shift out of first gear. The RPMs increased but the vehicle remained in first gear. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.
Power steering malfunctioned while driving out of my driveway. Vehicle is undrivable and is available for inspection. Unable to steer the vehicle. The problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. The vehicle has not been inspected at this time. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure which occurred on Saturday, October 21, 2023 at 9:00 am.
While getting gas the other day , when I put the fuel in my car the nozzle into the gas tank a hissing sound came out of it out of the gas tank and it smelled like gas really bad, then I ran a code thing on my car said can't un able to bleed up fuel tank , I don't know why then after I got the gas when pulling the nozzle out it did it again , then my car would not start ,
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH, the low coolant warning light illuminated. The vehicle was parked at the residence where coolant was added to the vehicle. On another occasion while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low coolant warning light illuminated again. The vehicle was taken to a dealer however, the failure could not be duplicated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 98,924.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing abnormal coolant consumption. The contact stated that she placed a cardboard underneath the vehicle to check for coolant leaks; however, there was no leak. Additionally, the contact stated that she had noticed that there was oil intrusion into the coolant reservoir. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer for a diagnostic test. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, the engine was running rough. Additionally, the contact stated that she was continually refilling the coolant reservoir due to an excessive coolant consumption. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with an internal coolant leak. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be taken apart for a full diagnostic test. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 144,000.
I had issues with my turbo in July. It needed to be fully replaced. One week ago, is started leaking coolant. White smoke was coming from the exhaust. Last night while driving on the highway, it would not accelerate and threw an error code saying cylinder three misfire detected. I had to stop on the side of the highway in the middle of the night in pitch black with no streetlights due to no fault of my own. Car is no longer drivable until fixed.
I have experienced many issues with my vehicle that have been recalled in other vehicles of the same make/model/year but have been denied the assistance in fixing me car and preventing and further damage or risk of my safety due to my VIN not showing any recalls. I do believe that my safety has been disregarded and that my car needs inspection to further show that I should be assisted in getting the recalls identified and fixed to improve my safety and others on the road. The first issue I noticed that was recalled on other 2013 Ford escapes was a recall on the control arm which was caused by the separation of the control arm from corrosion which increased the risk of crash. I had an incident where my car all of the sudden would not return from the right turning position after I heard a clunking noise which caused me to run into a curb. After further investigation it was found that my control arm failed and locked which wouldn't allow me to avoid hitting the curb. I suffered a concussion and had to pay for this to be fixed due to being denied from the recall. Secondly, Ford has issued many recalls on 2013 Ford escape engines due to overheat and cylinder head malfunctions many of them my car has been diagnosed and proven to have. I have pulled codes from my check engine that are direct codes that was recalled about the overheating of the cylinder head causing cracks and leaks into the oil. This code I pulled from my car was P0117 and it was traced to the recall from ford ( 13V583000). Other recalls have been issued by Ford for engine overheating, and my car has been over heating after directly putting coolant into my vehicle and it tends to run out in 1 to 2 days after refilling. My safety and others on the road are at risk from these issues that were not caused by me or other drivers but I am not getting any assistance or anyone willing to look at these recalls and assist in reimbursement or fixing my cars issues. My car needs to be reviewed for the recalls.
coolant leaked into the cylinders causing major overheating. Only to be told by ford mechanics, that a new engine is needed.
First: A steering assist fault "service vehicle" started to appear on my dashboard of my 2013 Ford Escape Titanium 2.0 L . Steering is very hard and will not turn when in park and ready to drive, i can change gears, but steering is locked. I turn the ignition (push button) off, then it unlocks. I thought it was because I was putting in gear too quick after starting, but it does it even when I wait a couple of seconds to engage the gears. I don't want to encounter this problem while driving for obvious reasons. I have not confirmed it with a dealer since it doesn't do it all the time. Problem has not been inspected by anyone yet, but I've seen other posts of the expensive costs to repair. No other warning lamps of messages and this started a week ago (o/a 1 Oct 23). Second: I am getting very poor fuel consumption (about 17-18 MPG). A check with my FIXD device confirmed what I thought was the problem - "Fuel Pressure Sensor 'B' Circuit Low and Low Pressure Fuel System Pressure Too High". I don't see any safety concerns other than I might be left stranded in the desert one day. Dealer tell me that if I see no warning lamps on my dashboard, I shouldn't worry too much (hello?). I now have 115,800 miles on this vehicle.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the engine was overheating. The temperature gauge increased to high(H). The engine overheating warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.
2013 Ford Escape transmission bushing breakage / separation where the shifter cable attaches to the transmission crank. Our vehicle had this problem and the bushing broke, leaving the vehicle stuck in Reverse. Almost crashed into the car parked behind me while attempting to parallel park. This appears obviously related to the highly published 2013-2016 Ford Escape recall problem, but my VIN has yet to be added to the log for recall and repairs. Please add my VIN so my group / production batch can be serviced. Ford wants to charge us close to $200 because our batch is missing from the recall list. "According to Ford's filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a damaged or missing bushing inside the transmission may prevent the vehicle from shifting into the selected gear. The vehicle therefore could roll away because it's not actually in Park, or it could drive in an unintended direction when the operator selects Drive or Reverse. A vehicle that is shut off when not in Park might not be able to be restarted."
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 45-50 MPH, the vehicle overheated. Additionally, a message indicating a low coolant level was displayed, and the vehicle shut off. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the coolant temperature sensor housing was replaced; however, the failure recurred while driving. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, where the coolant temperature sensor housing and coolant hoses were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion in the oil reservoir. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V551000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the recall repair was performed in 2014. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.
2013 Ford Escape SE, So according to my local Ford dealership, which is where this vehicle was purchased, this particular year/model has an issue with the engine where coolant will leak into the head and warp the head seizing a spark plug(s), which customers will not find out about until it comes time to actually replace the spark plugs. Our vehicle has less than 100,000 miles on it, and was purchased in full (no loan/lease). This is a pretty BIG manufacturer's defect. It is also (according to my local Ford dealership), a common problem, but not common enough for ford to do anything about it. Someone buys a product and it has a manufacturer's defect, but won't do anything to correct it that's pretty crappy, leaving people like me that is laid off to try to foot a bill of several thousand dollars for something that again, should be fixed by ford. Again according to my local Ford dealership, Ford changed some things in manufacturing after learning about this. After calling my local Ford dealership and then Ford corporate, all they told me is A. there's no extended service program on my vehicle and that it was only offered on select VINs, and B. Call NHTSA. (So basically pushing this off on other's/another agency.). Also note, my local Ford dealership, NOR Ford corporate are willing to give me anything in writing. (I wonder why). (Note to NHTSA, I am [XXX] , filling this out for my father, the vehicle owner.) INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the transmission experienced hard shifting and hesitation while accelerating. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who discovered metal shavings in the transmission fluid, and a burning odor coming from the transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 60,000.
Power steering assist fault warning displayed on the dash of 2013 Ford Escape Titanium. Can’t turn wheel. Wheel was so hard to turn if my wife had been driving she would have wrecked and potentially seriously hurt thr two of us and our 3 grandchildren. Car has 92k miles and we’ve already replaced the transmission $5k. From what I’ve read this will be a minimum of $1.2k. It’s sad when their profitability is more important than people’s week being, potentially lives.
There is a defective fuel line that is rapidly leaking fuel and is a fire hazard. I found out that this part was recalled leading up to July 2012. My vehicle vas built in August of 2012 and it is the exact same part. The recall on the earlier models is 12S35. It's the exact part and issue in the later models, yet hasn't been recalled
Steering system fault. Rack and pinion replaced 1 year ago. Already starting to lock up again.
My 2013 has developed a gas leak. It is a small leak and shooting gasoline in the engine. It looks like there was a recall on some vehicles in this make/model and year but mine did not qualify. The recall number is 13S12. I would like for it to be included since it is a known issue in other vehicles in that same time frame. My car is not safe to drive as the gasoline in the hot engine could catch on fire.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his mom was driving 35 MPH, there was white smoke coming from the engine and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that his mom pulled over into a parking lot and after several minutes, the vehicle was restarted; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that his mom was able to drive the vehicle the residence. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a blown head gasket, a cracked cylinder head, and a crack in the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V583000 (ENGINE); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 97,773.
The contact's granddaughter owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his granddaughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently decelerated while the accelerator pedal was depressed then the vehicle overheated. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The contact then stated that his granddaughter stopped the vehicle and then turned off and parked the vehicle to allow the engine to cool down. The contact's granddaughter was able to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine short block had cracked, and coolant had leaked into the combustion chamber and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
Fire started in engine from oil leak in cylinder head on Saturday, 9/9/23 at approximately 1:15 pm. Car had been running for around 2 hours with no signs or indication of malfunction. Driver pulled car over after entering Mt. Rainier National Forest at a viewpoint. At this point driver noticed engine was smoking. NO lights or indicators on dashboard lit up notifying of overheating or malfunction. The temperature gauge did not indicate the engine was over heating. The safety of 4 passengers was at risk. Fire started with four passengers including the driver in the car. Vehicle was located in Mt. Rainier National Forest where passengers and driver had no cellphone service. This also occurred in a National Forest during the high risk season for forest fires/wildfires. Fire could have put lives of passengers at risk as well as those in nearby area, if car went ablaze in the forest. With no service, preventing the car fire from turning into a forest fire would be very difficult. This problem occurred AFTER TSB on this vehicle was completed for safety recall 17S09-S1 in April 2014 at Bellingham Ford. The crack in the cylinder caused by the recall was patched by Bellingham Ford by filling it with Copper silicone rather than removing the cylinder and replacing it. Repair shop (Mike's Shop - Buckley Washington) that inspected vehicle after incident on Sept. 9th 2023, found that copper silicone patch had split causing oil to leak into engine and catch fire. This inspection indicates that the initial repair done by Ford Manufacturer did not prevent leak from occurring and causing a fire to start in engine.
Without warning, power steering assistant stopped working. Almost wrecked my car!!
The contact's wife owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, there was significant amounts of smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure mainly recurred after the vehicle had been sitting overnight. The dealer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The contact related the failure to TSB Number: SSM-49210. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, the steering wheel failed to respond as needed. After restarting the vehicle, the steering wheel moved and worked as designed. The steering wheel defect message was displayed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 151,000.
The vehicle has a coolant problem leading to blown head gasket and is believed to be a fire hazord.This has been ongoing since I have purchased the vehicle.
Have a Ford 2013 Escape SEL with 79,337 miles. The vehicle has been a lemon from the time I purchased it in 2014. Have replaced the water pump, a sensor, the turbocharger, the engine shield and now the rack and pinion steering. Stopped at a gas station and when started the car again to back out, received the 'Steering assist fault Service required' alert and lost all powering steering. Had to drive the car home. Mechanic charging $1860 + tax and a Ford dealership quoted $2593 + tax. Sent emails to the Executive Team at Ford and did receive a call back. Was told that unfortunately there are no recalls for my VIN/year. How is Ford allowed to get away with manufacturing faulty vehicles which can cause accidents, injuries or worse!! HOLD FORD ACCOUNTABLE!!!!
We have problems with the power steering not working
All of a sudden my power steering failed while backing out of a parking space. I almost hit the car next to me because it was sudden and froze. Thank God I wasn’t on the road! Would have crashed for sure! My vehicle is only at 111000 miles!!! Insane!!! DANGEROUS
I was driving down the road an hour away from home with 3 other passengers, when the power steering stopped working. The car was extremely hard to handle and we almost wrecked 3 Times.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the steering assist fault warning light illuminated, and the steering wheel became firm. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and the contact was informed that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 103,000.
Flywheel broke, causing the vehicle to lose power.
Barrings in transmission been failure since I've bought the truck they had a recall on the transmission now I don't see the recall at ford windshield motor just stop working I've only had the car a year
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, she stopped at a local store, and when she re-entered the vehicle, the gear shifter was inoperable and failed to shift to the intended gear. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 138,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the odor of fuel was present inside the cabin of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local automotive service center who diagnosed that the coolant reservoir and engine belts were faulty and needed to be replaced. The contact was advised to contact the local service center for repairs to be performed. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V551000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 165,000.
Heater coil hose leaking profusely. Common issue reported in 2013 Escape, yet no recall, why?
This car stalls while driving. I'll drive & the engine stops. I have to restart the car. It is Very Dangerous.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after driving the vehicle for an extended period, the vehicle would hesitate without warning upon depression of the accelerator pedal. The contact initially took the vehicle to a dealer where they informed the contact that the turbo booster needed to be replaced. Despite the turbo booster replacement, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer for a second time; however, the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was given a case number. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle was shaking and rumbling. The engine coolant message was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the coolant standpipe needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 138,000.
electric power steering assist stopped working.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle and shifting into drive (D), the gear shifter moved to sport (S) unintendedly. The contact stated that at second attempt to shift into drive (D), the gear shifter moved to park (P) unintendedly, and the gear shift indicator displayed that the transmission was in neutral (N). The contact engaged the electronic parking brake to park the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that she then watched a video online, where she was informed to lift the gear shifter cover panel and to move a switch, so the gear shifter could respond as needed. The contact followed the instructions with assistance, and was able to drive to the residence, where she shifted into neutral (N) and engaged the electronic parking brake to park the vehicle. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 62,297.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that there was an abnormally strong gasoline odor coming from the vehicle. The contact examined under the hood of the vehicle and noticed that the fuel line was fractured, and gasoline was leaking onto the engine. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The dealer was contacted and stated that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the VIN was not under any recall for the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 112,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH the vehicle suddenly stalled. The vehicle was towed the local mechanic how diagnosed that a engine coolant leak had occurred which caused severe damage to the engine and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 120.000.
Electric power assist steering failed. Upon restart it worked fine for a time and then failed again at 65MPH.
This is the 1.6l engine it has a main fuel line problem in the engine area that is leaking fuel. I see recall but FORD says my car not affected in recall. See below Ford is recalling certain model year 2013 Escape vehicles manufactured from October 5, 2011, through July 11, 2012, and equipped with a 1.6L engine. These vehicles have an engine compartment fuel line which may split, resulting in a leak. Manufactured between: 1/1/1900-1/1/1900 Manufacturer: FORD MOTOR COMPANY Recalled on: 7/19/2012 Vehicle: 2013 FORD ESCAPE
I recieved a Power Steering Assist Failure notification and then my power steering went out in my car as I was driving it making the car extremly hard to control. This happened multiple time without warning as I was driving my car. At the time my car has around 39,000 miles on it. I took my car to a Ford dealership to have the problem fixed and the repair was extemly costly, around $2,900, to replace the entire rack and pinion. From a online search this is a very common problem with this year of the Escape and a safety recall for the same issue was issued for earlier models of the Escape and other Ford models. When I spoke to the dealership, the technician confirmed that this is a common problem with Ford Escapes. I believe that later models of the Escape should be included in the recall and I'd like to be reimbursed for the work done.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026