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:
0 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
85,069 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.
11507580 -?" Consumer attempted to use the website to file the complaint. Attempt was not successful. The consumers computer battery was depleted. The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle stalled with several unknown warning lights illuminated. Additionally, there was a "Stop - Service Engine Immediately-?? message flashing on and off. The contact stated that she was able to add some water from a water bottle to the coolant reservoir and the engine temperature lowered and the vehicle operated normally. The contact stated that the failure had become a recurring failure and occurred at various speeds. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the heater control valves needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that coolant was leaking from the coolant lines and caused the stalling. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V551000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
The contact's mother owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while his mother driving approximately 55 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle started to lose motive power. The contact stated that his mother also noticed that the heater had stopped blowing hot air through the vents. The contact stated that his mother drove the vehicle to a local dealer, where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the mechanic determined that coolant had intruded into the engine block and that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the dealer stated that it was a known failure for similar vehicles. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the engine overheating warning light illuminated. The contact checked the coolant level, and the coolant reservoir was full. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed and the contact was informed that coolant was leaking into the engine and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V551000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 130,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the temperature gauge began to rise rapidly. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that after he parked the vehicle, he noticed coolant leaking underneath the vehicle. The contact was able to continue driving to his destination and added coolant to the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 169,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was shaking and the overheat fault message was displayed. Additionally, an abnormal antifreeze odor was detected while driving, and the contact had to keep adding antifreeze occasionally. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the cylinder head cup plug was leaking antifreeze. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V431000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 58,900.
- Bronx, NY, USA
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The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the check warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that coolant was leaking into the engine and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V551000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 72,000.
The contact called on behalf of his son who owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the engine was constantly overheating, with the coolant and engine oil level constantly low. The coolant level warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was it was diagnosed that the engine block was cracked, and that coolant and oil was leaking into the engine block. The independent mechanic informed the contact that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V551000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
My car stopped moving at full power while driving due to the engine overheating. My engine coolant warning came on that it was low. This has happened several times since I have owned this car. I have been given many different reasons for my engine coolant dropping over the years when I take it for service including the following: 1. Turbo line 2. Turbo unit 3. O-ring 4. couldn't find the leak, likely the cap was loose... This time when I brought it in they say it is an internal engine leak. Over the years, I have smelled burning and as I look into other recalls, it appears I have the same issue that was addressed with recall 13S12-S2. This incident started in 2015, happened twice in 2018, 2020 and the last incident and most severe happened 1/
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the engine temperature gauge suddenly indicated the engine had overheated and an audible alarm was activated. Additionally, the check engine warning light illuminated and the vehicle independently decelerated. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the coolant control sensor was faulty and needed to be replaced. The sensor was replaced; however, the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that the sensors were replaced three times however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 79,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that she smelled antifreeze upon entering her vehicle. The contact opened the hood and discovered that the coolant level was low. The contact added coolant and resumed normal driving. The contact then stated that while driving at slow speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact opened the hood and saw that the coolant reservoir was nearly empty. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic who discovered that the engine coolant bypass valve was defective. The mechanic then informed her that the part was under warranty and referred her to the dealer. The dealer and the manufacturer were contacted, and both informed her that the vehicle was not under warranty or recall for the defect. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V551000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) which she linked to the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 76,000.
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 while driving at various speeds, the vehicle overheated and stalled. The message "Warning. Pull Over" was displayed. The contact stated that she waited 10-30 minutes for the vehicle to cool down. The vehicle was then restarted and operated as needed. However, the failure reoccurred several times while driving. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed several times due to the failure to restart. The vehicle was taken to several independent mechanics where an unknown valve and the coolant flange housing were replaced, and other unknown repairs were completed; however, the failure persisted. The independent mechanic informed the contact that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V551000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that her VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the low coolant service soon warning light illuminated, followed by a message stating that the engine was overheating before the vehicle stalled and lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over and waited for the vehicle to cool down and then was able to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the coolant level sensor needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was not under recall for the failure. The contact was advised to file complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 138,300.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the low coolant level message was displayed, and the vehicle experienced rough operation before stalling. After adding coolant to the reservoir, the failure continued. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 99,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the temperature sensor indicator and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact then stated that while the accelerator pedal was depressed, the engine failed to engage. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that coolant had leaked into the engine over time and caused a blown head gasket. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to call the manufacturer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000.
The contact's daughter owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her daughter was heading out to start the vehicle, there was a leak coming from underneath the engine compartment. The contact also stated that her daughter needed to refill the antifreeze very frequently. Additionally, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the coolant hose and another unknown component needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The contact was made aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V431000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 135,000.
The contact's mother-in-law owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the while his mother-in-law was driving at an undisclosed speed the temperature gauge increased and she pulled over and called for assistance. The son-in-law inspected the engine and discovered an antifreeze coolant leak. The contact stated that he placed cardboard under the vehicle and found that the back side of the engine block was leaking. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer who stated that the failure was related to a recall. The contact stated that he called the manufacturer who stated a case was opened and he was informed to call the NHTSA Hotline to be added to the recall. The contact stated that the vehicle was not included in an unknown Ford coolant recall. The approximate failure mileage was 102,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated the vehicle was taken to the local dealer for an unstated recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The transmission warning light was flashing. The vehicle was able to be restarted and was taken back to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 149,000.
The contact's daughter owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that he noticed a leakage on the ground underneath the engine. The contact stated that an unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the failure could not be determined; however, the radiator, radiator hose, and coolant reservoir was replaced; however, the leak was still coming from the engine. The contact refenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V431000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unavailable.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle then started losing motive power and would not accelerate properly. Additionally, the vehicle experienced bucking, and hard shifting, and there was white smoke coming from the exhaust. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 100,000.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Paducah, KY, USA