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.
10.0
really awful
Crashes / Fires:
10 / 6
Injuries / Deaths:
12 / 0
Average Mileage:
66,874 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
Transmission gave out twice while driving, causing the car to stop in an unsafe area. (in 2022) Gasket issue again causing he car to overheat, driving, car felt like it was going to explode, had it towed and they now say car needs a new engine. I have spent 15,000 to fix this car in the last two years something is seriously wrong with the quality of this car. Ford needs to stand behind their vehicles better, their recalls need to be for all the cars built in this timeframe not just certain vins, it's apparent it is pertaining to my VIN number even though Ford is telling me it's not.
I have had 3 unidentified coolant leaks of unknown origin. SUV is losing coolant. After driving approximately 120 miles the car is losing coolant. Mechanic could not find. Transmission had to be re[laced at 100k miles Also, the low tire light stays on when correct pounds are in the car.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled, with the transmission slipping. The contact pulled over, turned off the vehicle, and stated that multiple attempts were needed for the vehicle to restart. The check engine and transmission failure warning lights and messages were illuminated. The VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train). The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic, where the transmission was replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 139,320.
2019: cooling temperature sensor failed. Brought to ford dealership and paid $5000 for new computer and sensors. 2023: radiator overheated with no warning and messed up engine. Now radiator won-??t hold fluid and continues to get over heat warning. Brought to Ford dealer and they said the engine needs replaced now. Same issues are reported all over the form forums with these similar issues.
The shift gear got stuck. It appeared to be in park while it was not in park. So the shift gear was stuck in park while the car was in Standard mode and it moved when I lifted my foot off the breaks. This put me and my friend at risk as we were stuck on the road trying to shift gear to -??Drive-?? but it wouldn-??t. Also we couldn-??t stop the car. During that time the engine light and the battery lights were on. It seems that Ford dealerships have recalled millions of cars in 2022 for the same problem. Why was my car not recalled and fixed? This has placed my life and my friends life who was with me in danger.
- Knoxville , TN, USA
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The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling at a railroad stop, she depressed the accelerator pedal; however, the vehicle failed to respond. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact then stated that after several attempts, the vehicle accelerated at a slow speed. The contact pulled into the parking lot of a transmission shop and turned the vehicle off. The vehicle was inspected by a technician and the contact was informed that the transmission failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that prior to the failure, upon taking the vehicle for an oil change, she was informed by the technician that there was a leak in the transmission and that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised to call the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000.
Long Block replacement due to design flaw with 1.6L eccoboost engine. Engine failure occurred at 59,000, despite having every safety recall addressed and regular servicing by Ford. The design flaw, as I have leaned is due to a channel carved into the block between the cylinders. The resultant notch in the head gasket, reduced the gasket surface contact. This engine has a history of overheating, subsequent gasket failure, cracked engine blocks and ultimately Ir-reparable cylinder wall scoring. Because the car is no longer under warranty, Ford has refused to cover any part of the replacement cost. This issue has occurred with many hundreds of eccoboost engines--all related to the early defective design in Escape models 2010 - 2021. It took six months for Ford to deliver the new long block. The repair and associated costs to rent a vehicle, prior to the dealer making a loaner car available exceeds $10,000. With so many fatal failures over the entire line of eccoboost engines and several class action lawsuits for this very issue, this should have been a recall.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting to drive from a complete stop, the vehicle failed to respond while the gear shifter was shifted to drive (D). There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not under an Extended Warranty. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 76,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled inadvertently. The contact stated that the failure also occurred while at a complete stop. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure occured on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to a local PepBoys, where the failure could not be duplicated. An unknown dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 64,900.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while her husband was driving 30 MPH, the vehicle failed to respond upon depressing the accelerator pedal. The brake pedal was depressed but failed to respond. Additionally, the gear shifter was stuck, and the contact's husband was unable to change gears. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact's husband veered to the right lane and the vehicle stopped independently after several yards. The contact stated that the vehicle rolled forward while parked. The contact's husband restarted the vehicle and drove to the nearby residence. However, upon driving the vehicle to the dealer the following day, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the recall repair of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) was completed; however, the failure reoccurred the same day. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to take the vehicle to another dealer for second opinion. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 122,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the transmission warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not restarted. The contact stated that the failure had occurred after an unknown recall repair was performed on the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 125,365.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The transmission temperature warning light was illuminated. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 12,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal sound. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train). The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.
In early July, while driving to work, the transmission suddenly shifted out of Drive and into neutral. I pulled over and shifted into park. After checking under the hood, I attempted to put the car into Drive and it wouldn't shift and grinding noises were heard. I called for a tow truck and took the car home. After checking NHTSA website, came across the transmission bushing recall. I just towed my car today to a dealer to have the recall worked on and they said I needed a new transmission. They refused to admit the transmission bushing had anything to do with the transmission not working.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that coolant was leaking from underneath the vehicle. The coolant detector would not accurately detect the coolant level. The coolant reservoir needed to be refilled weekly. The ABS warning system would chime and illuminate whenever the vehicle was started, and the vehicle would fail to move. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle several times, the ABS warning light turned off and the vehicle operated as needed. The contact stated that the transmission was slipping out of the park(P) into drive(D). The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the wheel hub bearing needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the wheel hub bearings were replaced four times and the front axles were replaced twice; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that on separate occasions while his granddaughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to shift into the intended gear. The contact stated that while he was driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle lunged forward. The contact then stated that he was able to turn off and restart the vehicle. The service transmission light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a transmission shop where it was diagnosed that the fluid was darker than normal and needed to be flushed and refilled. The transmission fluid was flushed and refilled. The vehicle was then taken to another transmission shop where it was diagnosed that the torque converter had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that vehicles were not being taken in until parts were available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 56,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal noise detected. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that oil was leaking and that the transmission needed to be serviced. 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 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. Parts distribution disconnect. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle started jerking abnormally. Additionally, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle with the transmission fault service warning light illuminated. The dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train); however, the failure occurred. The dealer suggested that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 105,817.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Merrimack, NH, USA