2016 Ford Escape Complaint Log

Escape has developed water intrusion in cylinder #2 of the 2.0 ECOBOOST engine, with under 80,000 miles. continued driving of the car could cause overheating due to low coolant and potential motor seizing. check engine light has come on, with cylinder misfire but no low coolant warnings. Potential engine seizing will be a safety concern if the vehicle is in motion, causing loss of control and damage to passengers and other motorists. I have footage of the cylinder leak via inspection camera if needed.

2016 Ford Escape with 50,000 miles developed transmission fault codes P0741 and P1744, indicating torque converter clutch failure. A transmission fault alert appeared on the dashboard with erratic shifting and slipping while driving, creating an unsafe driving condition. The vehicle was taken to a Ford-certified dealer in Athens, GA, and service charges were paid. Dealer stated no transmission fault was found and confirmed other eligible recalls had been fixed. The dealer became unresponsive to multiple follow-up calls after collecting payment. Codes P0741 and P1744 were subsequently confirmed at an independent service center. Ford issued TSB 19-2100 acknowledging this exact issue on 2013-2015 Escape vehicles with the same 1.6L EcoBoost engine. The same manufacturing defect is present on 2016 model vehicles. Ford Customer Relationship Center was contacted and refused any assistance or goodwill repair coverage. A Ford-certified dealer collected payment, failed to diagnose a known transmission defect, and then became unresponsive. Transmission failure at 50,000 miles on a properly maintained vehicle is a manufacturing quality control failure. Component is available for inspection upon request.

After 104,000 miles Experienced Transmission issues. Been told this happens to several Ford Escapes' after 100k miles.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while in reverse(R), the rearview camera image displayed a blank image. Additionally, the rearview camera failed to alert the driver when an object or vehicle was nearby. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. Several dealers were contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. 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 approximate failure mileage was 58,000.

I went to the dealership to clear my recall with Ford for my 2016 Ford Escape. It has been 30 days but Ford has still not cleared the recall with NHTSA to clear my vehicle.

I received Ford's Safety Recall notice dated October 2025 regarding SRN 25SA9 / NHTSA Recall 25V695. It has been 6 months since this recall issue and Ford hasn't made any progress in resolving the issue??? I find that extremely hard to believe!!! Apparently Ford does not consider "saftey" a priority for their customers!!! Has Ford received any kind of penalty for not expediting the resolution for this issue??? Facing a STIFF penalty is the only way a company will take notice and force them to resolve the issue BEFORE someone gets hurt, or worse, dies!!!

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the rearview camera was inoperable while reversing. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. 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 issue. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION). However, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the rearview camera displayed a distorted image while the vehicle was in reverse(R). The contact stated that the failure obstructed the driver's visibility, which prevented the driver from safely operating the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, the alarm activated independently. The alarm was unintentionally activated during the day or night. Most recently, while the front driver’s side door was opened or closed, the alarm activated until the key was inserted into the ignition. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic; however, no cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. 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 issue. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while in reverse, the back over prevention camera image was distorted, or the screen was black. Additionally, the back over prevention system failed to audibly alert the contact when objects and or a person was behind the vehicle. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. While the vehicle was in reverse(R), the back-over prevention camera displayed a blank screen or completely lost power. The image in the rear of the vehicle was displayed on the screen, then shortly afterwards, the screen went black. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not yet available for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed the part was not yet available. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the display screen unexpectedly rebooted on and off even after the vehicle was shut off. Due to the failure, the battery was drained. The battery was replaced three times. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION). However, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the rearview camera intermittently displayed a black screen while the vehicle was in reverse(R). The contact stated that the failure obstructed the driver's visibility, which prevented the driver from safely operating the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. 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 issue. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the rearview camera image was initially blurry and then became inverted while in reverse(R). The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. 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 88,200.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the message "Transmission Fault" was displayed once. Additionally, the contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to respond as needed and shuddered abnormally. The contact stated that the vehicle decelerated and jerked forward while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the residence. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the transmission was replaced; however, the vehicle hesitated to shift into gears while driving. The contact stated that prior to the failure, the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000(Power Train), which the contact related to the failure. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

Transmission failed while driving vehicle.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION). However, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. In addition, the vehicle vibrated abnormally. The message "Motor Work Required" was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that three weeks after the vehicle was purchased, the transmission failed to operate as intended. The contact replaced the transmission. The contact stated that the failure persisted. 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 issue. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera system failure message was displayed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or a dealer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera image was displayed upside down, or there was a solid black screen displayed without an image. The contact stated that the failure caused a visibility hazard for the driver. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 60,000.

Camera keeps cutting out even in the middle of backing up

While using my rear backup camera, because the car was set to reverse, the image will be distorted, flip and distorted, or not display at all.

Rear view camera fails and gives blank display. Problem has happened for more than two years and Ford will not fix it. says it is not required, but it is a huge safety risk.

Rear camera image is distorted in a manner probably similar to 25V-270 and 25V-272. This is one of the few vehicles where a flipping of the image or no display occurs on reverse.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who determined that there was coolant intrusion in cylinder #3, resulting in damage to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 54,000.

Rear camera keeps blinking out. Multiple times when shifting into reverse.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera displayed a white screen. The contact stated that it was difficult to see what was behind the vehicle. The failure was a persistent failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

rear camera doesn't work--also theres a problem with the rack and pinion

We were driving on the expressway in our 2016 Ford Escape in the far left lane (4 lanes) and when my husband pushed on the gas, it revved up. Then it seemed like we started to lose power. A red exclamation point error came up on the dashboard, but I couldn't tell what it said. My husband was somehow able to get us across the highway (in busy traffic) to the right lane, where we wer able to get off the exit and pull into a parking lot. If the car has lost full power on the interstate, there's no telling what would have happened. Our car was towed to the shop and they're saying the transmission needs replacing ($7200). There is a known recall for 2013-2019 Ford Escapes concerning the power train / transmission. Our VIN is not listed, but I find it highly suspect because we had no warning messages or symptoms before hand.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not repaired. 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 issue. The contact stated that the rearview camera displayed a blank and distorted image. The failure mileage was unavailable.

According to Cleburne Ford, my 2016 Ford Escape had a coolant leak that makes the engine malfunction and they quoted me a price for a new engine installation. My safety had been impacted because now I don’t know when my engine will stop working but I need a car to get to work. An independent mechanic I took it to told me he could not find a leak or see anything wrong with it, but of course he isn’t a Ford dealership employee. I had a check engine light to which then I contacted Cleburne Ford and they were able to diagnose it and give me the bad news.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the instrument panel indicated that the engine was overheating. While driving at 35 MPH, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating. The contact pulled over to the side of the road, where the vehicle experienced complete engine failure. The vehicle was towed to a certified mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that coolant was leaking into the engine because of a fault in the engine block. The engine needed to be replaced. The mechanic informed the contact that it was a known failure with the vehicle and referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The engine block failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V011000 (Equipment); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was informed through an online complaint of the failure; however, the contact was not able to speak with a representative. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The back-over prevention camera displayed a distorted image. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the camera needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 47,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating before the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failure persisted. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that coolant intrusion into cylinder #4 had resulted in engine damage. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 65,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the camera had started failing months prior to receiving the recall letter. The local dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 104,000.

I was driving the car and I was having issues with it shutting off when I was driving the car it shut off in the middle of me driving and it just wouldn't move after that until a tow truck driver came and gave me a jumpstart that happened a number of times, but in the middle of traffic was the worst and very dangerous when my kids are in the car

Around Aug. 3, I noticed that when I drove, the interior lights would not turn off. When the car was off, they went out as they should. But every time I started the car they came on and would not turn off. It made it very difficult to drive went it was getting dark. The dealership confirmed that it wasn't the knobs inside the car that were causing this problem. Later, I took it in for them to find out what was wrong. I scheduled an appointment and dropped off the car. That was Aug, 7. Today is September 1, and I have no idea when I might get my car back. Apparently, it needed a 'body control module'. They got a new Ford part, put it in and it solved the problem with the interior lights, but nothing else was working. They tried a second new, Ford part with the same results. So, I've been without a car, I have had a rental for a week, but will be turning it in, too expensive for me. I need a car I work mornings. What are my options now? It only has 52,000 miles. And while I am the 2nd owner, it belonged to a friend that I lived with and took care of and was the primary driver. How long before they should say we can't fix it?

Backup camera shuts off and on when backing up at first. Then would get lines across the screen when backing up after a few weeks. Now does not turn on at all and if it pops on for a second the screen is blue or says not detected.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while shifted in reverse(R), the rearview camera system failure message was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

My review camera goes in and out and says unavailable

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that coolant intrusion into various cylinders had resulted in damages to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 70,000.

My steering wheel became loose on my 2016 Ford Escape while driving the car. I went home due to this safety hazard so not to cause a major accident. I went online to see if there was a recall on my car for this safety item. I found out my car had no recalls however, the 2014-2018 Ford Fusion and the Lincoln MKZ were recall for steering wheels detachments. I went to Coggin Ford (Jacksonville, FL) to inspect my car. Ford did not find a recalls on my car and found the steering wheel bolt that holds the steering wheel to the steering column was loose. They removed the bolt and installed lock-tight just like in the recall of the other vehicles. I have a video of the loose steering wheel prior to delivering the car to Ford, Ford sent a video on the required service to fix the loose steering wheel, and I have invoice showing Ford repaired the loose steering wheel. I scanned the invoiced into the system. Ford service video is in an MP4 format and unable to change, if you give me an email address, I can forward the service request video to you to view. I took a video of the loose steering wheel with my cell phone however, the video is too large to forward in this document. If I could get a cell number, I could forward this video to you.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the rear-view camera displayed a black screen while the vehicle was in reverse(R). In addition, the alarm to warn the driver when a pedestrian was walking behind the vehicle or if an oncoming vehicle was behind the vehicle, failed to function as intended. The message "Rear-view camera Unavailable" was displayed. The contact stated that the failure obstructed the driver's visibility, which prevented the driver from safely operating the vehicle. The local dealer was not contacted. 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 issue. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the rear-view camera displayed a black screen while the vehicle was in reverse(R). The contact stated that the failure obstructed the driver's visibility, which prevented the driver from safely operating the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. Most recently, the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the radio displayed a black screen. No warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. 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 issue. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. 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 issue. The rear-view camera failed to display properly and was blank or displayed a distorted image. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention). The contact stated that occasionally there was no image displayed on the screen, or the image was frozen. The failures had occurred several months before receiving the recall notification. The local dealer was contacted several times, and the contact was informed that parts for the recall repair were still not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the rearview camera displayed a black screen intermittently while the vehicle was in reverse(R). The failure obstructed the driver's visibility, which prevented the driver from safely operating the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not yet available. 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 issue. The failure mileage was unknown.

Ford has a huge recall of Escapes due to back-up cameras malfunctioning. My 2016 has been working and not working intermittently for some time now. I would like the 2016 Escapes to be included in the recall as well, but I believe they have only included those going back to 2020. A generic diagnostic machine has picked up the issue repeatedly. I will be having a Ford diagnostic service appointment this Friday for a different issue. The dashboard has begun to intermittently read "temporarily disabled" and "4-wheel drive" at which time the car acts like it is not in the right gear. The Ford Dealership has stated that they will also look at the back-up camera. Thank you.

Rear view Camera not displaying when put in reverse frequently or camera displaying but goes blank in the middle of backing up. This has been occurring for at least 3-4 months. It is very frightening as it takes my mind a second or two to comprehend the rearview camera has gone blank in the middle of backin up. The camera does not always have a problem but is too frequent. I have been I’ll so have not driven too much last 2 months but I am better now. Please add my vehicle to the Rearview recall.

The contact called on behalf of her father who owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon her father starting the vehicle, the transmission failed to shift into drive, with the “Service Vehicle Soon” warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the transmission assembly was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.

The vehicle experienced multiple critical system failures within one week of purchase: Transmission failure (slipping, delayed shifting, and stalling during acceleration) Braking system malfunction (brakes jump or pulse when pressed, inconsistent stopping) Fluid leakage inside the cabin near the gas and brake pedals (believed to be either brake fluid or transmission fluid) The vehicle is currently undrivable and can be made available for inspection upon request. The vehicle became a severe safety hazard while I was operating it with my infant child in the car. The brakes were unresponsive and unpredictable, creating near-miss situations when trying to stop. The transmission failure caused stalling at intersections and hesitation when accelerating, putting me at risk of being rear-ended. The fluid leak near the pedals presents a possible fire hazard or the risk of further brake failure. I feared for my life and my child’s safety. The problem has not been confirmed by a mechanic yet because the dealership, Platinum Auto Sales in Arlington, VA, refused to take the vehicle back or inspect it after I reported the issues. I was dismissed when I returned to report the failures. I am currently seeking an independent inspection, but I want this formally documented as an urgent safety matter. I am in the process of filing reports with the Federal Trade Commission, state consumer protection, and local police regarding fraud and sale of a dangerous vehicle. I can make the vehicle available for inspection by NHTSA or a certified safety inspector. There were no warning lights or error messages at the time of purchase. The problems appeared within 24–48 hours of driving the vehicle: Difficulty shifting and hesitation when accelerating began almost immediately Brake issues and pedal fluid leakage appeared by Day 3 By Day 5, the vehicle became unsafe to drive altogether