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:
8 / 61
Injuries / Deaths:
14 / 0
Average Mileage:
55,047 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.
I just bought this car used after a week of driving I say a check engine light it was an engine misfire on #3 so I bought spark plugs and a new coil, I installed it, and it drove home fine. Then I took it to the dealer for an oil change, who missed it was low on coolant, a message came up saying low coolant the next day. I then kept going between low coolant and check engine until white smoke came out the tail pipe and the car started cutting off. Fyi bought all my parts from the dealer spark plugs, coil, coolant, and I tried to address everything right away.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced excessive coolant consumption. The contact had to refill the coolant every three days and the low coolant warning indicator illuminated. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer stated that there were no recalls on the vehicle and advised the contact to call NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. While driving at an unknown speed, the contact noticed that the vehicle began to overheat. The contact referenced an unknown recall regarding a coolant leak and the possibility of the engine head cracking, if not repaired. The contact had the recall repaired in October of 2014. In April of 2016, the vehicle experienced the same failure and drove the vehicle to the dealer (gary Ford, 1 beal pkwy nw, fort walton beach, fl 32548) where the technician informed the contact that the failure was caused by a hose that needed to be replaced. The failure was repaired by the dealer. After the vehicle was repaired, the failure continued. The vehicle was driven back to the dealer a few months later where it was diagnosed with an oil leak, a crack in the long block, and coolant in the cylinder. The contact stated that this was the same failure as mentioned in the recall in 2014, which was supposed to be repaired. The manufacturer was notified and stated that only the dealer would be able to assist due to the information on their end stating that the recall had been repaired. The failure mileage was 35,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. While driving 70 mph, the check engine indicator illuminated. The vehicle was pulled over to a shoulder lane and the contact noticed that the coolant in the vehicle was gone. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact also observed the leak. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified and stated that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 12V431000 (engine and engine cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
1/20/18 -driving vehicle to store with heater on, engine light came on, car temperature start going up as if it was over heating, and car started sputtering as if it was going to turn off. Made it home, checked coolant, and coolant was full. Drove car to Ford dealership, this is a known issue; however, my specific VIN was not part of the recall so now I am out of pocket $500. Service dept. Stated that if I did not correct issue asap then coolant could get on engine and start a fire. Part that needs to be replaced is the coolant bypass valve. Ford needs to extend this recall to all 2013 Ford Escapes since the issue is bigger than they first expected.
- Lakeland, FL, USA
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On 9/7/17 my car overheated due to no coolant in tank, the dealership where I purchased the car filled the coolant tank and gave me an oil change. On 12/29/17 car overheated again due to no coolant in tank and the check engine light came on. I went to winner Ford in cherry hill and was informed that the check engine light was on due to car needed a new coolant bypass solenoid valve, which I paid to have fix. The service department stated they did a pressure check and concluded that the car was leaking antifreeze due to a crack in the degas bottle. I paid for a new degas bottle and the paperwork states the system was refilled and car is no longer leaking coolant. Two weeks later (Jan 18th, 2018), I start my car and the overheat message is displaying, I check under the hood and the coolant tank is empty! now the dealership service department is stating the HVAC heater hose (cv6Z18472S) is leaking and the part is on back order with Ford until the end of February. This is unacceptable, I can not be without a car for an entire month. My car is only five years old, why are the parts on back order for such a lengthy time. Is there an issue with these cars? I have a renter car from the dealership, that financially I can't afford to have for a month on top of paying $285 for this issue. I need this part to ship asap and I need to speak to someone regarding having the loaner car as a courtesy until the part is delivered to the dealership. The dealership stated that your company would have to give the ok for the rental courtesy. I spoke to someone at Ford (reference #cas-13964173) and was informed that I couldn't speak to a manager and because I didn't have a warranty I would have to pay for my own renter car even though the only reason I need the rental is due to Ford not having the part.
Was driving on a cold snowy day temp gauge went from C to hot in five seconds then the car check engine light cam on and car limped at about 5 miles hour to side of road engine was cold. Checked coolent it was 2 ozs low started up call garage ran codes came up 1299 Ford said that normal it's okay to drive took it home every four days had to add coolent took it back. Had a part put on the coolent system threw more codes had to have wiring harness put on still leaked coolent ordered hose clamps through Ford suppose to be here 1/19/18. Now they are saying middle of febury so still with out car.
I just bought a 2013 Ford Escape with 1.6.I purchased this on December 31,2017.the SUV was doing great until yesterday and it stalled on me in a parking lot but it started right back up and ran fine.got off work heading home stopped got food and got back in started fine.I was at intersection at light and without warning it lost power shutter and then died.it started right back but light had changed as I waited it start losing power again I jumped into turning lane and as I turned it died again.it did this 6 more times and it finally stayed running to get home.I have only had this Escape two weeks and now seeing all these problems I just want this corrected cause I almost got hit in the back due to this stalling.Ford needs to take care of this
Stalling risk / engine overheating /fire - our 2013 Ford Escape is currently "grounded" per the dealership because the part we need to repair it is not available indefinitely. It is currently back ordered indefinitely due to a recall of other 2013 Ford Escapes (safety recall 12S41) that are experiencing the same issue but we are being told that our vehicle is not being covered because of the VIN & date of assembly yet it is experiencing the same issue as other 2014 Ford Escapes. My 17 year old son was driving the vehicle when it powered down and started to overheat. The part in question is 7M5Z12A648B sender-asy. I am irate to think that this is a known problem and Ford is not covering this under a recall just because of the date and location our vehicle was assembled does not match the current recall. If my 17 year old son was hurt or killed then they would have to step up to the issue. I need help asap. This is a safety hazard and I am paying for it! do we need someone to be killed to identify this as an issue!
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that engine coolant constantly had to be added to the coolant reservoir every ten days. The contact stated that there was no visible evidence of a coolant leak on the ground under the vehicle or any odor of burning coolant. The "engine coolant low service required" warning indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer (atchinson Ford, 9800 belleville rd, belleville, mi 48111). The dealer replaced the coolant, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was contacted at 800-392-3673 and stated that nothing could be done since the VIN was not included in a recall. The manufacturer asked the contact to call NHTSA. A case number was not provided. The approximate failure mileage was 74,000.
In reference to recall number 13S12 back in 2013 with 2013 Ford Escapes low coolant sensor. My Ford Escape was "fixed" per this recall 6/3/14 by bomritto Ford in hazlewood mo. 3 1/2 years later the exsact part used to fixed the original recall has now become faulty and caused my vehcile to go into limp mode. Ford is refusing to replace this part and saying it is the customer responsibility for us to replace a part that was faulty originally and 3 1/2 years later faulty again. I have already replaced my vehicles transmission and computer module in the past year and spent over 3 grand in replacement and labor and this is putting me over the edge. This company does not replace their faulty parts even though they stand behind them. How am I supposed to believe these parts were validly replaced and are not made to last. The engine codes that we are getting are caused from the recall kit that was used to replace the faulty product originally. This kit costs 759 to the consumer and that does not include labor. Ford refuses to sell the parts to fix the problem and makes the customer purchase the entire kit. This issue needs to be handled properly because innocent customers are being taken advantage of. My vehicle only has 100K miles and I have already replaced the transmission which was 2700! now this, which was a recall 4 years ago. The issue began on 1/16/2018 out of nowhere. No warning, no light I was driving on a busy road and my car went into overheat mode and I was told by the computer screen to stop my vehicle immediately which I did. I then had to have the car towed to a trusted mechanic that was able to diagnose the vehicle directly to the recall from 2013 as the same exact issue these Ford's were having in 2013 which is a fire hazard. Ford did not handle this properly, I was hung up on multiple times, I was ignored.
I have been smelling a burning smell when I run my A/C and then a month later it froze up while driving to Kansas. Then winter time came and now my heater is not heating properly. Well I took it to one of the Ford dealerships and they said it was fine even though they cleaned up coolant. I was also smelling coolant in my garage and under my hood of my Escape. So today I took it to another Ford dealership and they said the heater hose is broke. And it's on back order. I could of lost my car due to negligence. There has been a lot of recalls/work already on the cooling system in it. There needs to be a recall on these cars. It's not safe. It sends up red flags since the part is on back order.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. On several occasions, the engine coolant indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to carriage Ford Inc at (812) 284-4444 (908 E lewis and clark pkwy, clarksville, in 47129) where it was diagnosed that the radiator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. On another occasion, the contact noticed coolant had leaked onto the ground. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer where the diagnosis was unknown. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred and the coolant engine indicator illuminated. The contact returned to carriage Ford Inc, but the vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign number: 12V551000 (engine and engine cooling). The manufacturer was notified and stated that the VIN was not included in a recall. The approximate failure mileage was 52,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. Within a week of owning the vehicle, the rear passenger door failed to properly close when opened. The contact had to constantly double check to ensure that all of the doors were secured due to the failure. The contact later received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16V643000 (latches/locks/linkages). The dealer (brandon Ford, 9090 E adamo dr, tampa, fl 33619, (813) 246-3673) scheduled an appointment for the recall repair and was to diagnose the cause of the failure. In addition, the service engine and coolant warning indicators randomly illuminated. The vehicle hesitated and stalled without warning. Also, the driver's side floorboard area was not structurally sound and began buckling. The manufacturer was notified of the failures. The failure mileage was not available. Parts distribution disconnect.
Total engine failure at 73269 miles. Vehicle has been recalled multiple times for engine coolant low/engine overheating warnings. Recall work was completed on vehicle; however, still had issues with engine coolant low/engine overheating warnings where the car had to be towed in to a dealer. Prior to the holidays, took car in to local shop for a new battery and air filter. This vehicle is a personal vehicle that isn't driven much. I have a company car. On December 23, 2017, leaving amarillo, Texas, entered feeder road to access interstate. Engine coolant low warning came on and then immediately followed by engine overheating warning. Towed to Firestone -- they said it was a temperature sensor and they didn't have the part. Towed to gene messer Ford -- they had it for two weeks, and just informed me that the entire engine will need to be replaced -- due to overheating - cylinder head warped -- $6,800 for the repair. This particular engine has been cited for safety concerns because of 29 fires. I contacted Ford prior to this to ask for help and they declined. These engines have had multiple recalls for cylinder head problems and the recall didn't fix the problem, as my vehicle still had "engine coolant low and engine overheating warnings" after the recall was completed. The continuous engine coolant low warning resulted in the vehicle also receiving a new radiator in 2016.
1/11/18 - throughout the driving of our vehicle as a rideshare vehicle, the engine stopped over 20 different occasions while in the drive gear, going down the street, or when trying to pull into traffic. This is becoming an extreme safety issue to all passengers in my vehicle. Please do something regarding this issue. The check engine light never comes on, therefore no diagnostic test is able to "recreate" the issue will someone need to die because of this constant stalling before Ford will fix the problem? we are extremely frustrated with the non-acknowledgement of there being an issue, when there clearly is, and no one has a solution to fix the constant stalling issues. We are ready to find an attorney an sue, prior to this being a wrongful death suit.
TL-contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape SE ----- December 2017 -- error message came up on dash stating pull over unsafe engine temperature ---- contact went online and saw there is a recall on the 2013 Escape ---- called Ford dealership and they took vehicle in to replace water pump due to being under warranty. Dealership stated engine and hoses are no longer under warranty. Vehicle has 38000 miles on it---- contact was told her vehicle is not included in recall---- Ford manufacturer was recalled....
My 2013 Ford Escape has been randomly shutting down reading "high engine temperature stop safely", this has occurred 6 times in the past 4 months. The upper heater hose was replaced at the dealership on 12/27/17 for the same issue. However, today when I was going 40 mph I had the same issue occur on the highway. This time smoke was pouring out of the engine and coolant was obviously leaking out of the car. I was on the side of the road with my 4 year old daughter fearing that the car would catch on fire. This car has had 14 recalls, 3 of which are related to engine/coolant problems but Ford has explained that they do not understand why my car keeps doing this.
TL-contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape ----- contact tried to file a complaint online and complaint would not go through---- vehicle is leaking coolant and Ford stated there is nothing wrong with vehicle --- vehicle has been in and out of repair shop numerous times for a coolant leak that dealership cannot find- 76000 miles on vehicle. 0 recalls on vehicle
My check engine light would come on and off intermittently for a couple of weeks then came on and stayed on. I took it to a Ford dealership and they said it was my coolant bypass valve. The check engine light would come on if I accelerated at a normal speed, I didn't floor it but my car would shift hard. I had to accelerate extremely slowly and it would shift ok. But after that happened off and on for a couple weeks, now it sporadically shifts hard. I haven't noticed a pattern to it. I am waiting on he Ford dealership to get the parts in.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Pompano Beach, FL, USA