RoadVitals

2016 Ford Escape Owner Complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full

Data refreshed

Complaints on fileComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
1,193
+35 complaints in 30 days
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
49
Filed in the last 12 monthsReports filed with NHTSA in the trailing 365 days. Recent volume reflects attention and vehicle age as much as anything else.
324
Reports on file since Oct 1, 2015

What this page shows

Our database holds 1,193 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2016 Ford Escape. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Complaints, most recent first

Showing 1–25 of 1,193 · page 1 of 48

Filed Nov 9, 2026

My back-up camera is not working properly. Sometimes it works. But then flips and the image is upside down. Sometimes it's black. It has become a safety concern. This recall was announced over 1 year ago and I have been waiting for it to be repaired.

NHTSA ID
11776680
Incident
Nov 1, 2025
Filed Nov 7, 2026

Ever since before the date of issuance of recall 25v695 for my rear view camera, I have had numerous incidents of the camera failing or being completely distorted. It has been over a year and is becoming a significant safety issue because there have been times where it has been working while reversing, and then will suddenly not work midway through backing up. This can easily cause a crash by working and then suddenly not working while reversing. I don’t understand why other vehicles under this recall have had a remedy, yet I have not heard anything about a potential fix in over a year.

NHTSA ID
11776458
Incident
Jan 1, 2026
Driver assistance
Filed Nov 6, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the rear-view camera displayed a blank image, nearly causing the vehicle to crash with another vehicle. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The approximate failure mileage was 171,237.

NHTSA ID
11776307
Incident
Nov 6, 2026
Mileage
171,237 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Nov 5, 2026

I received a notice in XXX that the rear camera was subject to a safety recall 255A9, and that parts were not available yet to fix it. Over 1 year later, I am experiencing more frequent intermittent issues with the rear camera not operating. I called the local Ford dealer today and was told that they still do not have the parts. This is unacceptable. Why can't the government lean on Ford and make them take care of this safety hazard? [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID
11776004
Incident
Nov 5, 2026
Driver assistance
Filed Nov 5, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to complete the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while in reverse, the rear-view camera screen displayed a blank or distorted image. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that parts to perform the recall repair were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer failed to repair the vehicle in a reasonable amount of time. The failure mileage was 90,000.

NHTSA ID
11775954
Incident
Nov 5, 2026
Mileage
90,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Nov 5, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. While reversing, the rearview camera displayed a distorted image. The manufacturer was notified of the failure by phone and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The failure mileage was 25,000.

NHTSA ID
11775944
Incident
Oct 13, 2025
Mileage
25,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Nov 4, 2026

The vehicle was diagnosed as being stuck in 3rd gear, with 2 transmission related codes. The vehicle seems to struggle to get up to speed between 15-30mph, and sometimes when accelerating from a stop such as at a stop light. It revs high, catches up and rpms drop to normal. I have reached out to Ford dealerships and was told they couldn't help me.

NHTSA ID
11775574
Incident
Nov 25, 2024
Driver assistance
Filed Nov 2, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in reverse(R), the rear-view camera displayed a blank screen. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.

NHTSA ID
11775174
Incident
Nov 2, 2026
Driver assistance
Filed Nov 2, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera failed to function as intended. The dealer was contacted and made aware of the failure. The contact was offered the option to pay out of pocket for the repair and be reimbursed by the manufacturer when the parts became available. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not available. The manufacturer was contacted and made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

NHTSA ID
11775140
Incident
Nov 17, 2021
Mileage
60,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Nov 2, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while in reverse(R), the rear-view camera failed to display a clear image. The local dealer was contacted on several occasions. The failure mileage was approximately 108,806.

NHTSA ID
11775111
Incident
Aug 15, 2026
Mileage
108,806 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Nov 2, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera flashed off and on. The failure was a persistent failure. The dealer was contacted and made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that parts were scheduled to be available by October 2026. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.

NHTSA ID
11775087
Incident
Oct 14, 2025
Mileage
68,000 mi
EngineFuel systemPowertrain (other)
Filed Nov 1, 2026

We've been having check engine light on "Cylinder 2 misfire". We had the spark plugs replaced and the ignition coil replaced, which fixed it for about a month, but it returned. We had further diagnostics done with video into cylinder 2 and found that we have engine coolant leaking into the cylinder. Apparently, this is a known, unrecalled issue from Ford on this engine with the coolant intrusion. Only fix is to replace the motor. Car has about 120,000 miles on it, but well taken care of. Works great otherwise, but with this issue, the engine could lock up or catch on fire on the road.

NHTSA ID
11774939
Incident
Sep 15, 2026
Filed Oct 29, 2026

The back up camera failed three years ago and no longer works. This is a safety hazard when backing up, or parallels parking. A recall was issued more than a year ago. And the remedy is still unavailable.

NHTSA ID
11774560
Incident
Oct 1, 2023
Driver assistance
Filed Oct 29, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V69500 (Back Over Prevention). The manufacturer was contacted and the contact was informed that a letter would be sent when parts were available for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted but provided no additional assistance.

NHTSA ID
11774362
Incident
Oct 1, 2025
Engine
Filed Oct 28, 2026

Was sold a 2016 ford escape that apparently has a known coolant leak issue that is caused by a bad engine block. When I bought the car in 2021 I had to wait two weeks to get the car so they could fix a cylinder misfire issue. Had several issues with it overheating and was told that it just needed coolant added. In 2026 was told that the head gaskets was blown and to repair would cost $9000 at the same ford dealership where I bought it. I had another Authorized NAPA Garage replace the head gaskets for $5000 and with in a week had misfire on cylinder #4 again while on the freeway doing 55 MPH which caused the car to stall on the freeway in traffic! Started investigating the issues to find out that it is a well documented issue with 2016 fords having a bad engine and the only fix is replacement of the engine!

NHTSA ID
11774294
Incident
Oct 28, 2026
Driver assistance
Filed Oct 28, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. While reversing, there was a delay in the back over prevention camera displaying an image, almost causing the contact to reverse into a pole. The failure mileage was 119,000.

NHTSA ID
11774236
Incident
Oct 28, 2025
Mileage
119,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Oct 28, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. While reversing, the rear-view camera intermittently failed to display an image. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The failure mileage was 80,000.

NHTSA ID
11774192
Incident
Oct 13, 2025
Mileage
80,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Oct 27, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.

NHTSA ID
11773970
Incident
Oct 27, 2026
Driver assistance
Filed Oct 26, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the back over prevention camera was blank and failed to operate as needed. The message that the camera was unavailable was displayed. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 109,540.

NHTSA ID
11773766
Incident
Sep 1, 2024
Mileage
109,540 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Oct 26, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that while reversing, the rearview camera displayed a black screen. The failure mileage was 100,000.

NHTSA ID
11773748
Incident
Jun 26, 2025
Mileage
100,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Oct 26, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera was intermittently inoperable. The contact stated that the failure posed a significant safety hazard due to a pre-existing neck injury. The dealer was contacted several times and confirmed that parts were unavailable and referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.

NHTSA ID
11773696
Incident
Oct 26, 2025
Mileage
55,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Oct 23, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera flickered. In addition, the contact stated that occasionally the rear-view camera displayed an upside-down image. The dealer was contacted and made aware of the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with the rear-view camera failure. The contact was informed that the rear-view camera needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that parts were not available. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

NHTSA ID
11773191
Incident
Oct 23, 2023
Mileage
50,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Oct 23, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue.

NHTSA ID
11773176
Incident
Oct 15, 2025
Driver assistance
Filed Oct 22, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while reversing, the rearview camera displayed a distorted image or a blank screen with the message "Camera Not Available" displayed. Two dealers were contacted about the recall and informed the contact that parts were only available for Mustang model vehicles. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

NHTSA ID
11773041
Incident
Oct 22, 2024
Mileage
50,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Oct 22, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V69500 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. While reversing, the rear-view camera intermittently displayed a blank or distorted image. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The failure mileage was 45,100.

NHTSA ID
11772990
Incident
Oct 13, 2025
Mileage
45,100 mi

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

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