CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2013 Ford Escape has been in the news quite a bit and for all the wrong reasons. Within a few months of its release the SUV was recalled three times, twice because of engine fires.
In July 2012, due to a fuel line that could split and leak, Ford told owners to park their cars because even driving to the dealership for repairs was deemed too dangerous. Instead, in a somewhat unprecedented move, Ford sent tow trucks to pick up the affected vehicles and handed out rental cars while the owners waited for repairs.
A few months later the Escape was recalled again because antifreeze could leak out onto the engine due to a freeze plug becoming dislodged. As the coolant hit the hot engine there was, once again, a threat for fire.
The 2013 is the first model year of the Escape's 3rd generation and proves once again that you want to avoid the first model year when at all possible.
Almost immediately after purchasing, there was an issue with the car holding coolant. In restrospect, I should have returned the vehicle to Ford and asked for a refund.
In May 2019, the water pump went bad and coolant was leaking. The mileage at that time was 54,968. The vehicle would not hold fluids and was immediately taken to a nearby reputable, mechanic. The water pump and serpentine belt were replaced for a total of $722.86. I contacted Ford and went back and forth with them to no avail. They stated that if I took the vehicle to a Ford dealership they would have covered the repair. The closest Ford dealership was much further than the local, trusted repair shop which was within 1.5 miles from my home. I would have needed to have the vehicle towed in order to get it to the dealership. I made the right choice yet sadly, Ford would not stand by their warranty. Elder Ford would not do anything and I also contacted Ford Corporate. They would not do a thing. Horrible and unethical!
Our water pump failed and by the time (about 1/8 of a mile) we found a safe place to pull over, water was leaking under car. Had car towed to Legacy Ford in Rosenberg, TX, and have since found out that we may have total engine failure. Keep in mind, this car has 58,000 miles on it. Evidently, when water hits the engine block and engine, this can cause engine failure. The car is still in the shop and we are looking at at least $5000 to fix it. Now, should a water pump fail at 58,000? Should the failure of a water pump cause massive damage to engine? We know that these newer engines are made of a much lighter metal than previous engines but what if the next water pump that failures at 50,000 miles causes another catastrophic engine failure?? We believe this needs to be brought to the attention of the Ford Motor Company and some sort of recall or reimbursement of these huge expenditures be made. Of course, our extended warranty expired in March. This just shouldn't happen.
I have always been a Nissan owner. Sadly, I was financially strapped and in need of a vehicle. I purchased this vehicle September 19, 2017 and it is May 14, 2018 and I incurred a water pump failure. Ford sucks!!!! It is hard to be loyal to a company that is not loyal to its customers. Searching the web showed and proved that this was a problem with this car. However, Ford selectively chosen only a certain number of them to replace. Thank God that I was smart enough to purchase a separate warranty.
Well, here it goes! It's done for. My family and I had thought either the belt or the water pump would be the first to go... and we were all correct. I dropped my kids off to school yesterday and heard a low squealing/screeching sound. Yes, it's as terrible as you could imagine. I thought at first it may have to do with my A/C, but I turned it off and it was worse than I thought. The sound would start as I went from idle to slowly accelerating to 35 MPH. and the car is very noisy sounding when it runs.
I had done my research at the time when purchasing this car, and there were not as many complaints as there are now! With that being said, I am a bit weary about keeping this car for long term. I am now purchasing a water pump and belt. FOUND THE PUMP! NOT THE BELT!
I've owned 10 cars over the past 40 years and I've never had a water pump fail at so few miles( failed at 75Kmiles) - I'm Very Disappointed with the 36K mile warranty - The price of labor for a $65. pump was $900. and it took a full day to replace -- Rediculus!!-- No wonder so many people end up buying Toyota's and Hyundai's that provide a standard 100K Mile warranty- These pumps should last at least 140K miles minimum -- The only good thing was that the car did automaticallyshut down/limit speed to prevent further overheating damage
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
ELDER FORD OF TAMPA SOLD ME A LEMON!!!
Almost immediately after purchasing, there was an issue with the car holding coolant. In restrospect, I should have returned the vehicle to Ford and asked for a refund.
In May 2019, the water pump went bad and coolant was leaking. The mileage at that time was 54,968. The vehicle would not hold fluids and was immediately taken to a nearby reputable, mechanic. The water pump and serpentine belt were replaced for a total of $722.86. I contacted Ford and went back and forth with them to no avail. They stated that if I took the vehicle to a Ford dealership they would have covered the repair. The closest Ford dealership was much further than the local, trusted repair shop which was within 1.5 miles from my home. I would have needed to have the vehicle towed in order to get it to the dealership. I made the right choice yet sadly, Ford would not stand by their warranty. Elder Ford would not do anything and I also contacted Ford Corporate. They would not do a thing. Horrible and unethical!
- dili, Clearwater, US