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:
83,530 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.
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.
- Cuba, MO, USA
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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.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the daughter was driving approximately 35 mph the vehicle would not properly accelerate and experienced jerking before eventually stalling. upon inspection, it was discovered that the coolant had leaked from the vehicle. The contact replaced the coolant temperature sensor and the coolant tank and the vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced the engine water pump. Eventually, the failures reoccurred and the local dealer advised that the coolant lines were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The failure mileage was 178,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that on several occasions, the engine coolant was low. The contact would have to continuously put coolant in the engine. The engine coolant light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the coolant plug needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall. The failure mileage was 161,825.
August 8,2022 my 2013 Ford Escape displayed my engine temperature was high temperature & to stop safely. Had the truck towed & the dealer stated it codes were coolant hose C value, coolant hose & sensors. They fixed it all it drove good for 2days & the same thing happen again saying the engine was over heating but it wasn-??t. It had coolant in it & was not leaking anywhere. Did another diagnosis it still saying the same thing. Problem not fixed
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, a low coolant warning message appeared on the instrument panel. The contact pulled over and checked the coolant reservoir which indicated that the coolant was low. The contact attempted to resume normal driving; however, the temperature gauge indicated that the vehicle was hot as the vehicle began to stall. An engine warning message appeared on the instrument panel as the contact pulled over. The contact walked to the nearest store to purchase coolant and replenished the reservoir; however, the stalling continued as the check engine warning light appeared on the instrument panel. The contact was able to reach his destination despite the many engine stalls and vehicle restarts. The contact continued driving the vehicle; however, he noticed that coolant had started to leak from the engine. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V551000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) which he linked to the failure. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer had been notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 128,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine and low coolant warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who performed a pressure test; however, no leak was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 115,300.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the low coolant level message was displayed. The contact veered to the side of the road and noticed that the antifreeze was leaking from the radiator onto the ground. The contact looked underneath the vehicle and saw smoke. The contact then opened the hood and noticed that there was no antifreeze in the coolant reservoir. The contact contacted an independent mechanic who advised her to refill the coolant reservoir with water and to then take the vehicle to his location since she was 5 minutes away. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the heater hose assembly, the coolant return, and the vent tube assembly needed to be replaced. The parts were replaced. Additionally, the independent mechanic diagnosed that the fuel line hose directly connected to the ignition system was spraying out fuel. 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 they could not assist as the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V584000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) due to the vehicle manufacture date. The failure mileage was approximately 121,805.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH uphill the vehicle started overheating and fluid started leaking onto the exhaust manifold. The contact stated that the coolant temperature warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was restarted but was towed to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V583000 (Engine). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 79,000.
There is something that has been making my coolant go low in my vehicle I took it to the mechanics two times and they fall suggested to take it in to dealership for a recall because they have dealt with this exact same kind of car many times and that's the same problem it given other owners.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, she smelled smoke and that a "stop driving" warning light illuminated. The contact safely pulled off of the roadway and turned off the vehicle. There was smoke coming from under the hood. The contact raised the hood and observed that steam was coming from the radiator and the radiator hoses. The contact had the vehicle towed to her residence and had it diagnosed by an independent mechanic who related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V431000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.
Bought vehicle with around 65K miles, started having issues with coolant level low and causing the engine warning light to come on. Then the car would go into -??limp-?? mode to get the car to a safe place. There was no visible loss in coolant level. This happened on and off for about 3 months. Called local ford dealer about a coolant recall for 2013/2014, was told my VIN not included in that. Ended up replacing the coolant level sensor in this vehicle and was the part mentioned in the above recall conversation. This part was fixed at an independent service center and was disposed of.
The contact owns a 2013 Focus Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 MPH or exceeding 25 MPH, the oil pressure warning light illuminated on the instrument. The vehicle was also consistently overheating. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed of an oil and coolant dispenser failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.
The contact's daughter owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that her daughter's vehicle would overheat while driving at various speeds as the low engine coolant light would appear on the instrument panel. The contact had taken the vehicle to several independent mechanics where they discovered that coolant had leaked into the engine. After several repairs, the failure persisted. The contact then stated that while her daughter was driving 65 MPH, the vehicle shut-off without warning. Due to the failure, her daughter had the vehicle towed to a dealer where they informed her that her vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V431000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer had been notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was referred to the NHTSA for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Aubrey, TX, USA