2016 Ford Escape Complaint Log

This is not a report of an incident but is a report of an ongoing failure of the rear back up camera system. Recently there has been recalls (two that I’m aware of) of specific Ford vehicles for this specific problem, however, my vehicle has not been included as of yet. I have checked on your website for my vin number but it only says no recalls due. I have had a failure of this nature for at least 6 months with the camera saying it is not available, within seconds showing upside down flashing images, etc. it is unusable as a reliable guide. It has been inspected with an advisory to take it to Ford dealership which I am not able to afford at this point.

Car has been checked for coolant loss and pressure tested coolant system. Was told coolant is leaking internally. Car is at 120,000 miles.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while in reverse(R), the rearview camera displayed an upside-down image. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The contact then received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part for 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 made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 78,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon reversing out of the driveway, the power steering assist failed with the "Steering Assist Fault Service required" message displayed on the instrument panel. The dealer was notified of the failure and instructed the contact to bring the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the steering angle sensor module was defective. The mechanic replaced the part and then discovered that the steering was not operating as needed. The manufacturer was notified by the dealer about the issue and the contact was informed that the gear assembly needed to be replaced. The contact reached out to the manufacturer and was informed that the VIN was not under recall. The contact was then provided an estimate for the repair. The vehicle remained with the dealer unrepaired. The failure mileage was approximately 33,000.

Driving for about two weeks with a "sticky" steering wheel. Driving down the road one night, received Steering Fault, Service Now message. Power Steering was barely responsive. Parked car overnight, came out to car in morning, received Steering Loss, Stop Safely message. Power Steering was not functioning in the vehicle at all. Complete loss of power steering is a safety hazard while driving down the road. The problem was reproduced at the dealer and an independent shop. Recommendation to replace steering rack and outer tie rods.

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 shifted to reverse, the screen displayed an upside-down image. No warning light was illuminated. Several local dealers were contacted, including Chalmers Ford (2500 Rio Rancho Blvd SE, Corrales, NM 87048), Rich Ford Sales (8601 Lomas Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87112); however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to parts not being available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

While operating my 2016 Ford Escape, I received a "Transmission Fault Service Now" warning on the dashboard display. It stayed on my dashboard for few minutes then disapeared. The vehicle suddenly jerked and became immobile, leaving me stranded in the middle of the street for approximately 5 hours, creating a significant safety hazard for both myself and other drivers. The vehicle's RPMs would increase but the car would not move forward properly. The transmission would only allow minimal movement immediately after starting the vehicle. A certified repair shop has diagnosed internal transmission damage. Similar transmission issues have been the subject of recalls for other Ford Escape vehicles, but my 2016 model year was not included after providing my vin despite exhibiting the same dangerous failure pattern. The transmission is available for inspection in Virginia Beach, VA. If needed, I can provide address details. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle downshifted as the transmission warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 98,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera screen displayed a blank image. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The dealer was contacted; however, the contact was informed that parts were not available. In addition, the contact stated that the manufacturer had enough time to fix the vehicle. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

While in reverse gear, during operation rear view camera stopped working and shows error that back up Camera is not available. Screen shows blue screen. It is very dangerous as it can cause an accident.

Rear view camera is not working properly. Will either flicker on & off while reversing, display upside down, or just show a black screen. This has been going on for a while. There seems to be a recall for this malfunction for several Ford models, however not one for my model.

Antifreeze leaks in cylinder, Ford says need to replace engine only 75k on the engine.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted and the vehicle jerked abnormally with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The manufacturer also referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 108,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stopped the vehicle, and the vehicle failed to respond while in drive(D) and reverse(R). The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. In addition, the contact stated that in 2022, prior to the vehicle being purchased, the dealer had replaced the transmission bushing cable. The contact stated that the repair was performed under an undisclosed recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under any unknown recall or special program. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 113,000.

2016 escape. Was driving vehicle without incident. Stopped at traffic light. Upon light turning green, gas pedal depressed, engine operational RPM needle working but vehicle would not move. Would not engage. No fault lights illuminated. No check engine light came on. Was able to limp off main road. Had vehicle towed to Ford dealer. Upon diagnostic they said nothing at all was wrong. Until they checked transmission fluid and found metal in it. They stated the transmission fault sensor should have engaged long before this happened. It never did. Vehicle has 123k on it. Pristine condition otherwise. Quoted 8k by Ford to put it rebuilt transmission. Can't afford that as a single, public educator, mom. Had recalled bushing replaced in Dec 2022 after similar thing occurred and had to have it towed.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the rearview camera was inoperable. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention). The local dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that parts were on backorder. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds uphill, the vehicle was shuddering, hesitating, with an engine misfire. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that there was a coolant leak into the engine, causing a misfire. The mechanic referred the contact to the local dealer for assistance. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine block was cracked. The dealer recommended an engine replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed there was no recall on the VIN for the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.

Coolant leaks into engine. Not repairable and requires full engine replacement.

The felt undercarriage cover keeps coming off the bottom of the vehicle. Completely fell off first time, and dealership screwed it back on. Approximately 60 days later it was hanging again. Dealer said it isn't needed if I don't drive on dirt roads and removed it. Not clear as to the safety concern to the under part of the vehicle and engine protection.

I have a 2016 Ford Escape SE with the Ecoboost engine. I have been experiencing the same issue with misfires in port 4 which also shows an open circuit every time as well for over the past year. The dealership has replaced everything underneath including but not limited to my spark plugs, wires, coils, and even my entire wiring harness. The issue is still happening and they do not know what is causing it. I think my vehicle may fall under the complaint failure FORD currently has on their 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5 Ecoboost engines. It has been to the dealership for the same repairs over 8 different times. When is enough actually enough. I have lost power several times in traffic and it's like slamming on my brakes. This is how bad the misfire is. My check engine light has been flashing due to this issue as well as being on solid. Please help or advise.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while at a stop light, "The engine was overheating" warning message illuminated. The vehicle was taking an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 84,100.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH the check engine light began flashing, and the vehicle began misfiring. When the contact reached their destination the check engine light turned from flashing to solid. The vehicle was taken to the dealer diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion due to coolant leaking in cylinders 1,2,3 and 4. The dealer stated the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 79,780.

I was driving down the road with my wife and friends when my vehicle started to lose forward power. It then started to jerk. i was able to make it off the road where I then turned the vehicle off and restarted it then began to drive again it did not make it much further before completely being unable to drive. There was no transmission light on. I was on the interstate just minutes before and if had happened while i was driving there I would have been stranded and in an unsafe situation. I had it towed to a shop and they told me a part of the transmission must have broke inside and ot would need to be replaced. I then took it to a transmission shop and they said the same thing. My car is available for inspection. I did not get it inspected by the manufacturer or anyone else besides those two shops. The problem has been reproduced. Once the engine raches a certain temperature the transmission stops working while the transmission does work it only drive 18mph before giving out. Last time I drove it home it abruptly stopped and jerked. The transmission light only comes on once the car stops moving.

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 image while the vehicle was in reverse(R). The contact stated that the failure obstructed the driver's ability to see the roadway. The contact was unaware of any warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was contacted. 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 approximately 54,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at approximately 25 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that there was an internal coolant leak into the engine and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that there was no recall on the VIN for the failure. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 44,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate, the vehicle started to roll backwards, with the transmission fault message displayed. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, but the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The contact stated that the failure occurred immediately after the vehicle was serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (POWER TRAIN). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 198,465.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, there was a loud knocking sound coming from the engine. The engine overheated with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the flex plate and Oxygen sensors had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 113,918.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed, however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that when the brake pedal was depressed the vehicle failed to stop as intended. In addition, the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle did not restart. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was advised to tow the vehicle to an independent mechanic who specialized in transmission replacement. The vehicle was towed to a second independent mechanic that specialized in transmission replacement. The vehicle was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 97,000.

The car is releasing large amounts of white smoke when starting the car in the morning, and shows declining levels of coolant (way below MIN when I checked). I suspect this is due to a leaking gasket.

Transmission problem. Car slow down drastically. Cannot back up.

Since October 2022, we have had to replace the front signal wiring harnesses on the car four (4) times due to the wiring being coated with a substance that rodents are being attracted to. It seems that is has happened again. We have not yet taken it to our repair shop for confirmation this time, but we had an incident with our Kia (Vin [XXX] ) in November 2024. In this case the clutch assembly wiring had been chewed and the assembly had to be replaced. We had the Kia towed to the dealer for repair, so all incidents are documented by repair shops. Not having proper signaling can cause accidents, but I think chewing of other wiring such as the clutch assembly can be an even greater cause for concern. What part will be chewed next. With the clutch assembly we were shown a check engine light and with the signals, the signals sounded different. I know from being on the Next Door website that other people in the area have had the same problems. I think this problem of the coating on wiring should be checked before it causes a serious accident. I put the date of the Kia incident on the bottom because I considered this the most serious. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

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 determine that the canister purge valve was stuck in the open position. The vehicle was not repaired. 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 80,000.

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 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. In addition, there was an abnormal sound coming from the camera. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, after the vehicle was purchased, the liftgate failed to function as intended. The liftgate occasionally opened and closed independently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, the message "Transmission Fault - Service Now" was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact had the transmission fluid changed. However, the message was displayed again. 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 stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the instrument panel became inoperable. The traction control, the ABS, the brakes, and the knee air bag warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the Police Department mechanic VIPD Motor Pool, where it was diagnosed and determined that the ABS module had failed, causing other electrical failures. The mechanic determined that the ABS module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 63,000.

2016 Ford Escape rearview camera works only intermittently and sometimes not at all. On screen when the camera doesn't work it says Camera not available. Why is this vehicle not included in the Ford recall of faulty rearview cameras? The $165M penalty should be broadened to cover these failures in earlier model years. It is not just 2021 models.

My Ford mechanic states that my lug nuts are swollen. This would make it impossible for me to change my tires if something happened and I had a flat tire on the road. This seems a like a clear manufacturing defect and should be addressed at their expense not mine. Ford is quoting a price of $276 (without taxes) to replace all lug nuts. This is ridiculous.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, there was thick white smoke coming out of the exhaust pipes, and the engine was running rough while driving. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the cylinders. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 63,500.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle intermittently hesitated while accelerating. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the engine block was cracked, and that the engine 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 Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

On October 16, 2022, I purchased a 2016 Ford Escape from the Stowasser Buick GMC car lot. I have had numerous problems with this vehicle since the beginning. On November 1, 2022, I took my car to their service department because it was running poorly. The mechanics worked on my vehicle and returned it to me. However, on January 8, 2023, I had to take my vehicle back to Stowasser shop because it was again running poorly. This time, they had to install a new motor. At that time, my mileage was 49,000, but when the vehicle was returned to me, it had 75,000 miles on it. I asked why the mileage had increased so significantly, but they kept changing the subject and never provided an answer. When I went to pick up my vehicle, the salesperson who sold me the vehicle whispered to me that my vehicle needed new tires badly. I feel this was something the dealer should have addressed. I had not put many miles on my vehicle for the tires to be so worn. On January 18, 2023, I had to put new tires on this vehicle, which cost me $756.00. It was difficult for me to come up with this money, but I had no choice if I needed reliable transportation. I had traded in my older vehicle because I needed transportation, I could count on in my retirement years. On October 2, 2024, I needed new brakes, which were badly worn down. This expense cost me $900.00. The mechanic told me the oil level was very low and asked if a red light had come on to warn me. I said, "No, there was no sensor light." If it had not been for the thoroughness of my mechanic, I would have driven off with no oil in the engine. Right now, my car is parked because another senor light came on and I was told that it is the catalytic converter. I am distraught because I trusted Stowasser that they would take care of me because they knew I was retired and needed a reliable vehicle. I have lost my job, exhausted my unemployment benefits, and now live on Social Security. I cannot afford to fix this lemon of a car I was sold.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the heater failed to operate with the check engine warning light was intermittently flashing on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was discovered that coolant was leaking into cylinder #3. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The vehicle was not repaired and remained with the dealer. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact’s father owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the engine overheated, with the message “Engine Overheated – Stop Vehicle” displayed. The vehicle was shaking and hesitating while driving at various speeds. The contact stated that coolant needed to be added to the coolant reservoir weekly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that a leaking gasket had caused the engine to fail. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 120,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed, and the vehicle failed to respond. The oil warning light was illuminated with an abnormally loud whirring sound. The contact then turned off and restarted the vehicle and the vehicle started working properly. On another occasion while driving into school parking lot, the brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard and the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact struck the curve and the vehicle drove onto the grass and came to a stop. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with internal gear failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 148,611.

With no warnings the automatic transmission went into like limp mode. Shifted hard then no acceleration when pressing on gas. Faulty transmission light came on. I bought extended warranty when I purchased this car in 2020 from dealer. The warranty expired in August 2024. The transmission tore up in Oct. 2024. Took it to transmission guy who put it on code reader. 3 codes came up and he said it was bad. I bought the car at 55,000 miles and it tore up at 104,000 miles. Don't know if dealer ever changed fluid before I bought it but they never said anything to me about changing the transmission fluid. Transmission guy told me the filter was internal and couldn't be changed. The dealer said fluid should be changed around 50 to 60,000 miles and I guess they didn't do it. I went to them for 4 years for servicing and they never mentioned it to me. I lost my husband in 2021 so I was uneducated on things of that nature. I feel Ford should have to fix it or compensate for it.

65,000 miles, coolant intrusion into #1 cylinder confirmed by Ford service center. First signs were Check Engine Light, rough idle. Replaced all spark plugs and coils. Check engine light returned the following day with loss of coolant in tank. Engine runs rough and overheats with coolant loss and continued intrusion into engine, endangering occupants

Transmission abruptly failed on train tracks no warning nothing

Transmission suddenly loosing power without any signs on highway , car has only 93k miles , at highway speed I lost all power without warnings .

Has internal coolant leak

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the transmission shifted gear independently with the "Shift to Park" message displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that several icons on the instrument panel were blinking intermittently. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 121,312.

The component that malfunctioned was my transmission according to the mechanic. I was driving and all the sudden my car stopped and wouldn't go, then the accelerator started going to the max but nothing happened. My first thought was a flat tire and after I checked my tires it wasn't flat. I started my car back up and it did the same thing eventually stalling and not moving at all. The wheel locked and would not move to steer or release. I had to get it towed. This is a huge safety issue concern because it stopped in the middle of the road while I was driving putting my life and others at risk. It's available for inspection upon request.The problem was confirmed by a mechanic in which he said there was a recall at some point on the transmission for my vehicle but he was unsure if it was still active. There were no warning lamps or signs and there still isn't present on my dash. Thus making there being no warning signs at all a safety issues for myself and others.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after parking in the vehicle, the odor of fuel was present inside the garage. Upon inspection, the contact discovered fuel leaking from under the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the fuel lines had rusted and failed causing a fuel leak. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 23,000.