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:
3 / 14
Injuries / Deaths:
6 / 0
Average Mileage:
50,868 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.
My Escape likes to stall going like 10 mph. The vehicle starts to hestistate and wont go anywhere. It stalls and like it shutting off with the oil light and the battery light comes on. I restart the vehicle and it does it again like it dont want to move. It stalls like three to four times and it would run like normal. It's very dangerous cause it stalled right in the middle of a intersection. If there was cars coming which I was lucky I wasn't I would had hit on both sides. This is not normal for a car to do this. No one knows what is wrong with my vehicle and this is a very safety issue. It is to a point where I am scare driving my Escape cause of this issue. The stalling and hesitation issue. I was in motion when this does this. You can having idle and it wont stall only when you put it in drive. The turbo is also losing power when this does this.
After parking for 20 minutes or less, I begin driving and lose acceleration and my gas pedal won't work. I end up coming to a stop and stalling. This sometimes happens again after I restart my vehicle. My oil light and battery light come on when it comes to a complete stop/stall. This is a huge safety issue. I took it to two mechanics and since there isn't anything to diagnose (no check engine light, fluid levels normal), nothing can be done. Need help please. Honestly frightened for my safety.
The information panel on my SUV is starting to get dark or shall I say it goes slightly dark. I cannot see mileage and can barely see that my lights are on. Sometimes there are white lights going up and down on screen
- Lawrenceville, GA, USA
Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...
Car is completely dead when it rains and it takes several try's and it finally starts. Going down the road all dash lights including radio goes out and the off and on. This happens when it rains. When going down the road the car will shut off and then start back up. Happens on city and hwy. His has been happening for about 4 months now.
I had to replace all the lug nuts due to swelling, because the design of the original is defective. There was a recall on the PCM and map on Jan.7 2016, I purchase this vehicle in April of 2018, the vehicle is still hesitating and wanting stall this happens when in park or coming to a stop. So the problem was not fixed. Also, the myford touch screen sometimes will not respond, won't connect a phone or the radio will not work, this happens when first getting in to start the vehicle. This all started shortly after I purchased the vehicle. I took it back to the dealer but they wouldn't fix it.
Electrical fire in engine compartment. Car was parked for 10 minutes started smoking and then caught fire. Totaled car. Had recently had check engine light come on and say warning high temp. Stop safely. Took to Ford they said it was a sensor on backorder. Told me the car was not really overheating
The vehicle is stalling. In motion, typically just after applying gas or while slowing down to a stop. Firestone auto repair stated that the alternator was producing high voltage and causing issue with the battery. They repalced the alternator and battery, but the issue still remains.
The engine will stall while driving. It has been doing it after being off for 0-60 minutes. I won't be able to accelerate and then the car starts shaking and shuts down.
Car ecelerates on its on, transmisin jerks when U put it in gear after disengaging the hand break, rolling while in park with engine off, transmission jerks when charging from 1st to 2nd gear especially when pulling a hill. Brakes not holding properly; I almost rolled back into a car today. Check engine light randomly comes on & stays on. Omw TL the shop to have a diagnostic done it goes back off.
After driving car 30 minutes then parking for 15-20 minutes upon restarting car & moving into traffic the car stutters then stalls. Originally was intermittent problem now is a daily occurrence. Taking car to mechanic today to get a diagnostic done. 1/25/2019.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle made an abnormal noise upon starting. In addition, the check engine indicator randomly illuminated and there was a constant loss of motor power upon starting the vehicle. The dealer (sunrise Ford of North hollywood, 5500 lankershim blvd, los angeles, ca 91601, (877) 510-8967) was notified of the failures; however, the dtc was not present to replicate the failures. The vehicle was serviced by an unknown dealer for a failure regarding the throttle body prior to being repaired by Ford of North hollywood. The unknown dealer inspected the vehicle, but was unable to determine a remedy to repair the throttle body failure. An independent mechanic diagnosed that the fuel line hose fractured onto the intake manifold near the engine, which caused fumes from the engine and fuel system to enter the cabin of the vehicle. The independent mechanic tested the vehicle and was to provide further technical guidelines to the vehicle owner. The vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign numbers: 15V813000 (electrical system), 14V495000 (electrical system), 13V584000 (engine and engine cooling), and 12V336000 (engine and engine cooling), as well as NHTSA action number: PE18007 (engine and engine cooling). The vehicle was not repaired and was unable to be driven due to the failures. The manufacturer was contacted to address the multiple failures as well as the two service campaigns (field service action number: 12M02 and 14N02 that had not been received by mail from the manufacturer. The failure mileage was not available.
My Escape sel 1.6L 6 months ago after getting a full tank of gas my car started and then started to shake and stopped. Car would not restart for 10 mins and only if I press the gas pedal to the flood. Call dealership and they said they had not heard of a problem and let them know if it occurred again. My car is stalling making a noise, shaking and then no power just dies. I am scared for my safety. It does it now while I am driving. I have found where there is a recall for the same year built and type car for this issue. Just not for the 1.6 engine but the 2.0 engine. I have had the car checked at to car places and they can not find the issue.... this car is not safe please help!!!! please look at the nva-215sm 15V-813 agian this happens while I am driving down the road at 45 miles an hour or pulling our from a stop!! I have looked on line an there are at least 40 other complaints about the 2013 Escape 1.6L stalling while being driven! this is a safety issue!! and clearly the same issue as listed above on the 2013 Escape 2.0 engine they were made at the same plant in louisville, same year etc... I am concerned I will be hit or my car. I can not let me teenager drive this car!!!! help help help
When driving this vehicle, it ser me like it is not running right, and think it is going to die on us in traffic. The front seat belt does not go back in the area where it belongs and sits on the front seat. The passenger driver side door does not close right when you open it. It will stay open until you push the handle down and then it will close and lock. We are afraid to travel long distance with the vehicle because of the way the car acts and run. We just want it fix or replace vehicle.
Takata recall: While my vehicle is in motion the heat is coming out normal but will start to smell like something was burning but as I slow down or come to a complete stop the car starts blowing very cool then the tempature gage moves to H then the safety light pops on showing "overheating stop safely" but the car will never show any smoking from the hood. The car has been doing this for the past month until 12/17/2018 I started the car up to warm it before I left work, and it wouldn't defrost and immediately the temperature gage moved to H and on the dash it said overheating stop safely and the car wasn't in motion neither had it warmed up properly but when the light went off I was able to drive, as I approached my destination the car started slowing down on its own and the safety light came on again that's when the burning smell started getting stronger and it wouldn't let me give the car gas to go the odometer wouldn't move pass 5miles so I stopped the car and shut it off, but then when I started it up again before work the car would allow me to shift gears but not give it gas due to the car saying it's is overheating but the vehicle has never had a leak and has not physically showed leaking on to the ground I have had oil and fluids changed by professionals and authorized dealerships like valvoline and where I purchased the car and nothing was ever reported to me of a leak any where but somehow my coolant reservoir is staying empty after being refilled. I believe the only place the fluid could be leaking is within the motor because I have parked the car in several dry spot and it showed absolutely no leaking signs.
The car hesitate or the engine stall soon after starting, if you don't drive off immediately the car will shut off and has to be restarted. This happens on cold starts but mostly after the car has been running.
This car showed a problem around March 2017 when it randomly stalled and did while in park at a parking lot. After that it would run fine for months at a time and then I would have the same problem of it stalling out and dying while parked or when the car was in park. I have replaced the battery 2 times in the last 2 years and something keeps frying my battery. The problem has escalated in the last 6 months to the point where the car now just dies while driving without any real warning and is unsafe to drive. I tried taking it to a Ford dealership and they could not figure it out and had a hard time recreating what I had described was happening. They told me to replace the fuel pressure sensor, but it had already been replaced 2 weeks prior to it going to that dealership. They basically told me to throw money blindly at the engine to the tune of 3K to 4K or trade it in on something else. Those were the options given to me by Ford. The problems did not really start until after 80K miles and the car is worse once it has been running for a little while, gets worse when you run the heater and game over if the ac or defrost are on. My mpg are horrible but I dont even know for sure because I will look at the gas gauge turn the car off and when I come back from letting it sit the amount of fuel showing has gone back up considerably. Also my mils to empty randomly went from the gas light turning on at 30 miles to empty to 50 miles to empty. My car acts like it has a traumatic brain injury and one moment it seems ok and the next is all over the place. We cant even drive it anymore because it is too dangerous and unpredictable.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Fort Meade, MD, USA