NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2014 Ford Escape. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an unknown speed, she noticed that the check engine warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that cylinder #3 showed signals of coolant intrusion. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA for assistance. The failure mileage was 1,047.
For the past five years, I've been experiencing low coolant issues which I realize isn't a safety problem in and of itself. It's been an ongoing issue and I've spent hundreds of dollars to have the same problem continuing to recur. The mechanics claim there's no leak yet every 2-3 months I have to put antifreeze in my car. Several times without notice (low coolant light not working), a high temp light comes on telling me to pull over to safety. The engine goes to low power. Usually after about 10-15 minutes, the car is fine. I've explained this to the dealership and never have they been able to find a problem, but I think the two are connected. The most recent safety-related issue was without notice, the high temp warning came on in very busy traffic and the car powered-down, presenting a significant safety hazard. THE CONSUMER REFERENCED RECALL 22S43/22V413, STATING THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME FAILURE. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED TO BE REIMBURSED FOR THE REPAIR.
One day after a scheduled oil change my Escape idled very rough upon start up. The check engine light came on. I returned to the Dealer and they found the code was for the cylinder 1 misfire. the code was cleared and reported to me then it did the same thing for the next several days but no check engine light would come on. Today, upon start it idled rough and "Low Coolant require service" message popped up on my dash. Having pressure tested tomorrow to see if coolant is leaking into the cylinder.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH, the vehicle started jerking and the transmission was slamming into gear. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The contact was informed that the gear ratio between the 5th and 6th gear was incorrect and needed to be corrected. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering) and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 110,000.
The car failed while driving, it was inspected by and independent mechanic and also the Ford dealership, van bortel Ford in Rochester NY - it's a 2014 Ford escape titanium with 60,000 miles on it. They said the coolant leaked into the engine and the engine now needs to be replaced. We routinely maintained the car. There was no indication or lights that went off warning us of the issue - the car just suddenly stopped working one day and said it was overheating but there was no smoke coming from the engine. We could have gotten hurt while driving since it stopped automatically.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after driving into a parking space and switching the transmission to the park position, the vehicle suddenly jolted forward and crashed into a brick wall. During the crash, the vehicle experienced significant damage to the front end but no air bag was deployed. The driver sustained neck and back injuries but no medical treatment was required. The vehicle was not towed. No police report was taken. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The failure mileage was 110,000.
Backup camera fails intermittently. Sometimes there will be a significant delay after shifting into reverse before the camera will appear. Camera may appear for a moment then the screen will go black and say Camera not available - contact your dealership. I have not been able to determine cause or related variables.
I have an open recall on my 2014 Ford Escape. It says the date here was June 10th, 2022, however I was not informed until I got the letter in the mail on July 19th, 2022. I was going to leave to the grocery store on Sunday the 17th of July, when the shift gear was not at all working and it hasn’t been working ever since. I am just thankful that it happened at home and not any where else. However, I do wish I was emailed or sent a letter earlier to have prevented me from having this problem.
The transmission seized and would not go into any gear. I was pulling out into street traffic from a parking spot, stuck diagonally while cars tried to avoid hitting my car by sharing a lane if necessary. This was the day after receiving transmission bushing recall. Ford will not assist and transmission has to be completely replaced, which is financially impossible. Already experienced the dangerous engine issue (rebuilt twice and check engine light still on for cooling sensor) that Ford refused to take accountability for. Had that transmission seized while on major road or highway, I shudder to think of results. Please do not allow Ford to continue this insidious behavior.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her daughter driving at an undisclosed speed, the gear shifter was unable to shift to the intended gear. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The dealer replaced the transmission. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 114,269.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the rear camera was not displaying an image. The message the “Camera was Unavailable” was displayed. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the rearview camera needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V442000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened a case. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 125,000.
The coolant reservoir needs to be refilled on a regular basis even though there is no discernible leak. When it does get low but is not empty, the warning ️ light comes on and if this is not attended to in a matter of days it can lead to the red warning ️ light coming on and the car losing power. The warning states a coolant issue and to pull over as soon as possible. Once the reservoir is refilled to max level the engine can be restarted and the car is again drivable. This has happened multiple times while on highways or interstates and can come on quickly. This has happened for years even after repairs have been made to supposedly address the problem I have had to make previous repairs to the engine where I was told that the spark plugs were stuck in place due to a leak from a line that by design is placed next to the engine block and it leaks the coolant into the plug sockets and it causes the plugs to become stuck in place. The last repair involved having to use a specialized tool to remove the plugs because they were not able to be removed normally.
Side door unable to latch. The latch does not come up to securely shut the door. When I try to shut the door it just bounces back.
I have owned this Ford for 3 years now. It uses coolent excessively and I have replaced many parts. The Catalyic Converter went out, all motor mounts, font and rear suspension, engine burp valve, faulty throttle body, fried drivers side bulb socket, wiper arms stripped, weather stipping corroding on windshield near hood, front window cracked and damaged, coolent temperature control sensor and firmwware update not automated and dealer charges $250 to update car software for engine improved performance. Sluggish, bogging and unresponsive car until software update and throttle body repair. All around a lemon for as many parts I've put on in a short amount of time. I've spent over $3300 on parts alone. The dealer in Upland services the cars oil but fails to fill the fluids, spills oil on my spark plugs and ruins the fasteners to the skid plate by over torqueing them. It has been the worst car experience of my life and I've never had to replace so many parts in so short of time. I drove a 1974 Nova around for 20 years and still haven't replaced as many parts. This is ridiculous and predatary of Ford to put out cars with these many short term problems on them. Literally evering is going bad after 100k miles. I read post after post of people needing new engines and transmissions because of Fords incompetience. I just got a recall for the Transmission which means the car is unsafe to drive and Ford does not have the ability to fix it until the end of the year. Without a rental or replacement car I am risking my life driving this vehicle and the integety of the tranmissions. So if the tranmissison breaks before the recall is able to fixed then what happens then. Is it now a complicated legal matter where attorny's mitigate the age of the vehicle vs their incompetience. Ordering parts with Ford is a nightmare. They sometimes send the wrong parts and leave it up to the dealers to do the return or not. So it takes weeks between calling back and forth with Ford.com parts.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle received a routine oil change; however, after arriving to her residence she became aware that the check engine warning light had remained illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and noticed smoke coming from underneath the hood. The contact inspected the vehicle and noticed there was no oil in the engine. The dealer was contacted and stated that the VIN was not under recall for the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 144,036.
I was driving down the road and the transmission slammed into the next gear so I took it to the garage and they plunged it in and said it was a incorrect gear ratio in between 5-6 not to drive it that the transmission will go out and someone might hit me and I have small kids that ride with me so I am afraid they may get hurt or killed now it sits at house and I have a bank payment on it. A friend of mine has the same thing and his was recalled in June but my number did not make it in the recall can you please add it to the recall so I can get it fixed and drive it and my family be safe in it. Thank you so much [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was white smoke coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle, and the vehicle would not properly accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine light warning light illuminated, and the low coolant message was displayed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V209000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 30,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The stated that after shifting into reverse or drive, the vehicle failed to respond. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed or repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 137,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that on several occasions the vehicle lost power steering functionality after starting the vehicle. The contact stated that after a few miles the power steering regained functionality, however, the failure was ongoing. The contact stated that an unknown warning light was illuminated and a "steering fault, service soon" message was displayed. The warning lights would turn off after several minutes however, the power steering functionality was not available. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 54,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle overheated and cannot simply be fixed. The check engine warning light illuminated with a message to stop the vehicle immediately displayed. The temperature gauge was on HOT. The contact turned the vehicle off for 5 minutes, then restarted and drove to the local independent mechanic. The vehicle was diagnosed with an expansion tank crack and sensor failure. The mechanic related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V209000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The expansion tank and sensors were replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 53,000. Mechanic changed 3 sensors and the expansion tank and has cost consumer over $400. Engine is overheating and can only be fixed by the manufacturer.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle began to downshift independently and stalled. The "Transmission Fault; Service Now" message was displayed. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle, shifted to drive and was able to continue driving; however, the failure recurred. The contact was able to drive to the parking area. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission had failed. The dealer also informed the contact that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 114,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting her vehicle, a coolant level low message was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact had taken the vehicle to four separate independent mechanics who were unable to diagnose the failure. The contact then took the vehicle to a dealer where the mechanic discovered that coolant had intruded into the engine cylinder and led to engine failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed her that there were no recalls on the VIN. The vehicle remained unrepaired and in the possession of the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
Coolant is being leaked into the engine, have to "top" off coolant every couple of weeks, no visible leaks underneath, engine light has come on, and there has been rough idling and driving experienced. Engine light will go off (on its own) and car will run ok, but happening more frequently and feel the inevitable is an engine replacement (was told that this is what will need to happen)
As of 6/10/2022 there is a ford recall on my vehicle for the transmission shifter cable #22S43. On 6/30/2022 my vehicle stopped working. The transmission is stuck in park and the gear shift is not registering that the car is supposed to be shifting gears. I had the car towed to Ford but they do not have the part and do not know when they will be able to accommodate me. They told me they cannot give me a loaner because they do not have any and I do not qualify for one, because of this I do not have a vehicle to get to and from work. This is causing me to lose out on money from work.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the rearview camera intermittently failed to operate as needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the rearview camera needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 123,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate. The contact stated that the transmission fluid was leaking from the vehicle. The gear box warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who suggested that transmission fluid be added to the vehicle. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was approximately 134,000.
My car gear is stuck it will not move My car literally will not move because I can’t switch gears
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle and shifting to the reverse, the vehicle failed to move backward. After restarting the vehicle, the failure was still present. The shifter was then shifted to the drive however, the vehicle failed to move forward. The local dealer was contacted and informed that the vehicle was included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) however, the part needed to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 104,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while her husband was driving approximately 55 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed and the vehicle failed to respond with a whooshing sound coming from the transmission. The contact stated that the check transmission warning light was illuminated. The contact's husband drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission had suffered multiple failures and determined that all transmission sensors, solenoids, and other parts needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
I'll be driving along and sometimes going 30 miles an hour sometimes going up to 65 70 miles an hour on the interstate And while I'm accelerating the car will start shaking like the the whole thing wil. In the only way that it stops is if I let off the accelerator and go slower speed accelerate you know what it means there's that magic speed but like if I have my cruise control on then it has to be at a certain speed because otherwise it will just start shaking and shaking and shaking
Vehicle tends to self accelerate and lunge forward after coming to a complete stop and shifts are very delayed. Car will not shift to the next gear if you don't let off on the accelerator pedal for a moment.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting pull out of the driveway, the vehicle was shifted to drive(D) however, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to move. The contact stated that the gear shifter had seized in drive(D). The brake pedal and steering wheel locked up. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact's father, an independent mechanic, diagnosed that the transmission shifter cable bushing had failed. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The contact became aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 166,414.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) sensor failure. The dealer informed the contact that the MAP sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V495000 (Electrical System) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 79,947.
There was a serious safety recall several months ago, but I have yet to hear from the dealer about the necessary repairs. The manufacturer has failed to remedy the issue in a timely manner.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start-up. The contact also stated there was an unusual smell coming from the vehicle, and the gears were jumping. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and diagnosed a failure with the ECM, PCM, and battery drainage failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the gear jumping failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) for which the VIN was included. The VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V813000 (Electrical System). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 84,900.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while stopped in traffic, he was rear-ended by another vehicle that was driving at 70 MPH. The contact applied the emergency brake to prevent his vehicle from hitting the vehicle in front of him. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. The contact sought treatment at a urgent care where he was treated for the pain in his neck and back. A police report was not filed. The contact drove the vehicle home and contacted a dealer who referred him to an independent collision center. The vehicle was towed to the collision center where the vehicle was repaired. Upon return of the vehicle, the contact stated that the instrument cluster screen was white and would flicker. The vehicle was taken back to the collision center where they towed the vehicle to the Ford dealer. The dealer informed that contact that the instrument cluster was an internal failure and would not cover the cost of repair. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V406000( Electrical System) which he linked to his failure. The manufacturer was notified and informed him that his vehicle was not included in the recall; he was referred to the NHTSA for assistance. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was unknown due to the failure.
Car rolled backwards down driveway dragging driver, car was in park and keys were out of ignition. I have the entire incident on video, it was recorded by a security camera.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle started jerking, lunging, and was continuously shifting in and out of gears. The contact stated that the instrument panel displayed that the vehicle was shifting from one gear to another independently. The contact was able to continue driving. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred while driving. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 70-75 MPH, the vehicle began to overheat. A message indicating that the engine was overheating was displayed. The contact veered to the side of the roadway until the engine cooled down. The contact then pulled into a gas station where he refilled the coolant. The contact later noticed that coolant was leaking from the vehicle. The contact replaced the coolant reservoir, coolant hoses, and two coolant temperature sensors himself. Additionally, the contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated and the oil pressure warning light was illuminating intermittently. The contact pulled into a gas station and inspected the vehicle. The contact noticed that oil was leaking underneath the vehicle and onto the ground. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the cylinder head was cracked and was leaking oil. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact associated the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V209000 (Engine and Engine Cooling).The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the gear shifter was hard to shift. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission was slipping out of gear. The contact stated that no warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the cause of the failure was not diagnosed. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) the vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall repair however, the dealer informed her that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown.
Car is losing coolant. Had pressure tested and am told there is no leak but the issue is a blown head gasket. No warning signs were present regarding this issue, posing a huge safety risk. Coolant is leaking into engine due to faulty gasket. I am told that this issue is extremely prevalent with other Ford EcoBoost engine models as well.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the rear driver's side door failed to open from inside and from outside the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the bottom center door panel retainer was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that prior to receiving the recall notification the transmission had been previously replaced after exploding at a drive-thru. The contact stated that the vehicle rolled away after the failure and she lost all control of the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the transmission was replaced under warranty. The dealer had been notified of the issue and confirmed that parts for the recall repair were not yet available. The manufacturer had been notified of the recall. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Unknown. This is the 2nd time now that my vehicle is just stopped because of electrical issues use the 1st time the Ford dealership said that there is nothing wrong with the electrical and I told that there still was after I got to repair the last there's the last time and now it's the same issue same toll truck coming out to get it bringing it to the same dealership tell me the same stuff
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle was shaking abnormally. The vehicle then started losing motive power with the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over and stopped the vehicle and noticed that smoke was coming from the exhaust pipe. The vehicle was towed to a dealer and diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 108,000. The contact has stated that the vehicle is still being held at the dealers and has yet to be fixed.
I was on my way home, turned On my turn signal to turn left. Went to apply the brakes and they were very hard to push I was unable to stop for about a mile luckily there was no traffic ahead of me if there had I either would’ve gone off the road or hit someone. Finally when I came to a stop using both feet to apply pressure to the brake I finally stopped then drove about 5 miles an hour all the way home. After A lot of investigations online I narrow down that it was the brake booster vacuum pump. I ordered the part and when it arrived I proceeded to remove the old one when I did I found that the coupler was broken off inside the camshaft, I was able to get it out with an easy out kit so I ordered a new one of those from Ford dealerships. I have since replaced those items completed today but I have not test drivenñ
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle started stalling and reversing while the gear shifter was in drive(D). The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle. The contact was able to continue driving however, the failure recurred the next day with the transmission warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was not drivable. The contact became aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) which she associated with the failure; however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 127,000.
NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V209000 This current recall, is not attached to the VIN for my Ford Escape and the car is in the shop for the exact issue. Ford said the NHSTA would have to attach the known recall to the VIN Ford Repair order 787886
IN THE FIRST FEW MINUTES OF OPERATION THE TRANSMISSION/ENGINE SPEEDS UP AND IF NOT EXPECTING IT A SURGE FORWARD COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. SIMILIAR PROBLEMS ALMOST EVERY TIME THE CAR IS STARTED.
I've brought my car in to the 4 dealership in Detroit Lakes and they charge me a 150 bucks to tell me that there's nothing wrong with my rear rear camera but it goes in-and-out and then like the a warning will come on and say that the transmission is in park when it when it's clearly in reverse but then the rear view camera goes out and then it will just come back but ford says it's nothing you know and I can't even update my car or my Ford's sync mytouch whatever cause they tell me it might mess up the whole car.