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CarComplaints.com Notes: The top problem trend for the 2014 Escape is transmission failure at around 70k miles.

This is relatively low mileage for an expensive transmission failure ($4,500 average to fix), but unless the trend becomes more established, we are only awarding the 2014 Escape our "Beware of the Clunker" badge for now.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
10 / 3
Injuries / Deaths:
5 / 0
Average Mileage:
65,700 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.

2014 Ford Escape drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2014 Ford Escape Owner Comments (Page 13 of 21)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #177

Jan 172020

Escape

  • 80 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Transmission went at 80K miles, extended warranty doesn't cover. No warnings only warning I got was when it was took late. No way to check transmission fluid as it is a sealed transmission. It's going to cost me $6K to get it fixed.

- Bumpass, VA, USA

problem #176

Dec 312019

Escape

  • 71,000 miles
On 12/31/19 while driving on pch the the would not accelebrate it's like it in neutral very dangerous! had to pull over and get a tow home. Doesn't shift gears right. 2018 it was jerking fix the transmission now this. Only 71000 miles on it. !

- Inglewood, CA, USA

problem #175

Dec 272019

Escape

  • 90,000 miles
I was driving on a city street. I was stopped at a red light and could not accelerate past 33 mph with the speed limit being 45 mph. I immediately became concerned for my saftey and pulled off on a side street still going 33 mph and not able to accelerate any faster. Once stopped, I had a dashboard message appear saying "transmission fault". it would not go into motion at this point after pulling over to stop. I had the vehicle towed to a local Ford dealership, where I was advised by my service advisor that the fluid was broken down per their transmission technician and that there are metal shavings in the system. He told me I should have changed fluid every 30K miles. The complaint I have against Ford is that my drivers manual states to replace transmission fluid at 150K miles. I am now faced with high repair cost that does not line up with Ford's recommended maintenance. Following the service manual got me a high cost repair and Ford is not standing by their product. Additionally, this could have put me in a more dangerous situation if I was on the highway since I live in a major metro area of the country. If there is a faulty transmission going bad before their service schedule, they should recall them for the customer's safety.

- Lakewood, CO, USA

problem #174

Dec 232019

Escape

  • 60,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

While in motion, on either a city street or on a freeway. From either in a slow stop and go acceleration while in city traffic the transmission slips and then catches in a jerking a effect causing the transmission to pause and then catch. This is also will happen on the freeway in the event of a quick acceleration to avoid change in the traffic or something in the road.

- Kenosha, WI, USA

problem #173

Dec 072019

Escape

  • 79,000 miles
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. While driving and pulling into a parking spot, the vehicle shut off and was towed to the contact's home. The following day, the contact attempted to drive the vehicle, but it shut off again. The vehicle was taken to crossroads Ford of prince george (4500 whitehill blvd, prince george, va 23875, (877) 331-9405). The contact was advised to use rolling stops to avoid the vehicle shutting off. The vehicle shut off in the dealer's parking lot. The dealer replaced the oxygen sensors after performing a small test drive. It was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle remained at the dealer for almost two weeks. The total cost for the repairs was over $4,200. The vehicle was currently at the dealer awaiting repairs. The failure mileage was 79,000. The VIN was invalid.

- Hopewell, VA, USA

problem #172

Dec 132019

Escape 4-cyl

  • 92,000 miles
After pulling onto the highway, I attempted to accelerate my automatic 2014 Ford Escape. My engine revved, but I had no acceleration. It sounded as if I was in neutral. I tried to shift gears, but the issue persisted as my car nearly came to a halt on the busy highway. I was able to make it to the right lane even though it put me in front of an onramp and guard rail. I was beginning to lose any forward momentum to the point that my car was slipping backward. I pushed the brake. I was able to quickly turn off my car, turn it back on, and accelerate a few feet before I lost acceleration again. I did this 3 times before being able to safely pull off the highway past the onramp and guardrail. I was about 15 minutes from meeting up with my husband and two young girls to travel further onto a busy highway toward Friday afternoon boston traffic. I feel fortunate that the timing was what it was, but unfortunately, the issue was my transmission failed at only 92,000 on a vehicle from 2014. I just had the vehicle in the mechanic shop on the Tuesday prior to this Friday event, and was told there should be no issues taking it on the highway for a trip with the family. My vehicle was towed to the local vip for an assessment. We were told it was likely the transmission, which they said was a "known issue" in this make and model. Fuming at the thought of this being a "known issue" and understanding the implications of this cost, I did a quick search. Sure enough, there are myriad people that have experienced this at 40,000, 70,000 and 90,000 miles on this same make and model. We had it towed to our local mechanic who assessed it independently of vip and shared again that this is a "known issue" with this make and model. I have to wonder why this "known dangerous issue" has not prompted a recall. Happy to provide my bill for the repair, which will take place 12/30.

- Owls Head, ME, USA

problem #171

Dec 122019

Escape

  • 79,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

2014 Ford Escape-79K miles- while driving the car wouldn't give power and hesitated when trying to take off. Also puttered and eventually didn't want to drive at all. I had to shut off the car in the middle of the road and restart it to get it to move and eventually made it home doing this several times. Thankfully I was not on the highway as it would have been a complete disaster. Took the car to my mechanic the next morning, mechanic informed me the transmission fluid level was full but transmission had failed. Said this is rare for a fairly unused car with low miles but common problem in Ford Escapes. I left the mechanic in tears with a $125 fee and a $3,500 quote to have it repaired. Working on those funds now to repair the car, which is not yet paid off. If it was I would trade it in and never get another Ford again. Incredibly frustrating. I've had a Honda Accord with 200K+ miles and this never happened. Along with my Toyota highlander. Ford needs to do something and recall this issue along with reimbursements because this is insane.

- Lawrence, MA, USA

problem #170

Dec 122019

Escape

  • 74,000 miles
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. While the contact's daughter was pulling into a parking lot, the transmission did not shift into park, which caused the vehicle to roll. The contact stated that the gear shift was in park at the time of the failure. The contact applied the emergency brake to stop the vehicle. There was no warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle shut off and was towed to romano Ford (315-637-4491, located at 5431 N burdick St, fayetteville, NY 13066) where it was determined that the VIN was not included in a recall and not under warranty. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that there was no recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 74,000.

- Syracuse, NY, USA

problem #169

Nov 132019

Escape

  • 131,000 miles
2014 Ford Escape transmission failed while driving in traffic, it lurched had we been on a freeway we are certain this would have been catastrophic.

- Raleigh, NC, USA

problem #168

Dec 052019

Escape

  • 150,000 miles
Wastegate solenoid needs replaced, we have replaced so many parts on this vehicle and had to have the transmission replaced as well. We should not have this many problems with a vehicle that's only 5 years old. We also had to replace the transmission shifter cable after it left our vehicle completely disabled in a town an hour away from our home. We've also replaced the coolant bypass solenoid. These are all known issues and should have been covered by a recall but our vehicle, even though it matches the recall specs exactly, our VIN # was not listed on the shops oasis sheet so we've paid for all of this out of our own pocket. Ford needs to do the right thing and reimburse everyone that has had to deal with these issues and pay out of their own pocket for a known issue that have been recalled on several of their vehicles already. The recalls obviously need to be expanded to reflect the true numbers.

- State Center, IA, USA

problem #167

Nov 202019

Escape

  • 41,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the transmission indicator illuminated while driving and the vehicle decelerated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who checked the vehicle and provided technical service bulletin number: 192100, P1744. The mechanic stated that the torque converter performance circuit was high. The vehicle was taken to bob gillingham Ford (216-398-1300, located at 8383 brookpark rd, parma, oh 44129) where it was determined that an unknown module needed to be replaced. The part was on backorder. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 41,000.

- North Ridgeville, OH, USA

problem #166

Nov 192019

Escape

  • 51,000 miles
A check engine light came on and I took it in to have looked at. The dealership told me the torque converter went bad - even though I only have 51,000 miles on my vehicle. Basically the clutch slips when I drive. They told me to replace that it would be almost $5000 but that they recommended just replacing the whole transmission since it's only $900 more. I asked if this needed to be replaced immediately and they said it was just a matter of time before the whole thing goes out completely. Now I am trying to figure out whether it is safe to even drive to try to get a second opinion. Parts of a transmission should not go out on such a low mileage car. Clearly there is an issue with the transmissions in this model as numerous other people have reported similar issues. The dealership said this would normally be covered under the powertrain warranty - because I am under 60,000 miles - but they said it isn't covered because that expired in August. I called 'Ford customer care' and they just said there was nothing they could do, no explanation. Ford needs to fix this.

- Jacksonville, FL, USA

problem #165

Nov 152019

Escape

  • 70,000 miles
Transmission failed at 70,000 miles while traveling 60 miles per hour on a state highway. Lurched 2 - 3 times then transmission failure light went off. No power at all. Fortunately there no were vehicles behind me or surely I would have been rear ended. Was able to get off road. Need total replacement $3,700. 5 payments left on original loan. Extended warranty at dealer was too expensive.

- Wake Forest, NC, USA

problem #164

Oct 132019

Escape

  • 91,000 miles
My family and I (wife and newborn) were driving on the highway and I noticed a lack of power when trying to accelerate. Suddenly the Ford Escape began shifting up and down rapidly. The rpms would increase when trying to accelerate, and the engine was working, but there was a total loss of power and slight grinding noise. It felt as if the vehicle shifted into neutral. We coasted to the shoulder and waited for a tow truck. The shop that received the Ford Escape found internal transmission failure and quoted us for a replacement. The price for the replacement is over half of what the vehicle is worth! (according to kbb)

- Mount Joy, PA, USA

problem #163

Oct 242019

Escape

  • 81,000 miles
My wife and kids were driving home from her sisters home and about 5 miles in a line of traffic on a 2 lane roadway crossing a bridge when she lost power an the vehicle would not reach over a speed of 10mph. This in turn put my wife and children in danger with traffic moving at a rate of 40mph dropping to 10 mph with rpms jumping to between 6 an 7 rpms. She luckily made it across the bridge where she found a wide spot to pull off. When I arrived I checked for fluid on the ground there was none. I put the car in drive and reverse and it was abundently clear it was the transmission. When shifting into drive the transmission would make a slamming/booming sound as it tried to engage. When I tried to accelerate there was no power behind the vehicle to pick up any acceleration. We had it towed to a transmission specialist the next day where he was quick to let me know we needed a new transmission.

- Morgantown, WV, USA

problem #162

Oct 292019

Escape

  • 93,000 miles
While in motion, the vehicle shudders and/stumbles between 1800 and 2000 rpms causing the vehicle to become unstable. The dealership was not able to address any issue. I then contacted 2 other dealerships. I suggested that it may be an issue with the transmission and I was told that they were not looking at any transmission issues. "this came down from management" the service technician shared. My teenage driver is driving the car and I am concerned that an accident is eminent.

- East Liberty, OH, USA

problem #161

Oct 282019

Escape

  • 120,000 miles
Every time I get gas the car have trouble starting back up. The vehicle accelerate on it's own while driving, and randomly stops. Today 10/28/2019 I was on the eway going West of 465 indianapolis and the car slowed down nstopped before I can even pull over. I sat there for 5 mins car off and it turned back on. I have to shut the car off N start back up. Engine light battery and trans light have all came on amd it shuts off and come back on like nothing ever happened yet auto shops can not find a diagnostic for the problem. This is an ongoing issue and I have only had this car for a month

- Indianapolis, IN, USA

problem #160

Oct 142019

Escape

  • 77,000 miles
The transmission of my 2014 car with 77,000 miles needs to be replaced per my Ford dealer. I was driving on the highway at about 60 mph when suddenly I was unable to accelerate. I was luckily able to coast to a nearby exit without harming myself or anyone else. The dealer said that my torque converter 'grenaded' and then blade pieces blew through the entire transmission and were not present in the transmission fluid. I asked if this was normal for a 5 year old car to need its transmission replaced. The service representative at Ford said 'honestly...no, but it is something we have seen before' I then said 'you mean with Escapes"' and the representative said 'yes'. he said that the transmission tech has rebuilt several transmissions in the Escape that were even still under warranty. It is a known problem yet the company has not issued a recall. What about the safety of the drivers? who will hold them accountable"

- Aurora, IL, USA

problem #159

Oct 112019

Escape

  • 28,800 miles
While driving the car exhibits an engine high hear and enters safe mode and rapidly decelerating. This happened once and was diagnosed by the dealer as a bad part from a previous recall 17S09. It occurred again just recently and was supposedly repaired (coolant hose problems) and did it again immediately after leaving the dealer service department. In both cases the vehicle was traveling at 50 mph on a busy road and we were lucky to exit the road to a safe area. The original recall was related to engine fires but this is another safety hazard. It is also possible that the recall action by Ford is inadequate to correct the condition.

- Valencia, CA, USA

problem #158

Oct 012019

Escape

  • 66,000 miles
While shifting the transmission from drive to park the bushing that attaches the transmission shifter cable to the transmission did degrade over time and caused the bushing to detach from the transmission. The condition did allow the driver to move the shift lever to park and remove the ignition key, while the transmission was in reverse. There was no warning message or audible chime. The vehicle had to be towed on flat bed. The bushing degraded to the point where it fell out of the cable housing. Documents are available upon request.

- Fenton, MI, USA

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