2016 Ford Escape Problems

Statement in uploaded files

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle sputtered and intermittently lost motive power. The message "Transmission Fault" was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact was able to drive to her sister's residence. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with burnt transmission fluid, and the transmission was replaced with a rebuilt transmission. The contact stated that while driving after the repair, the RPMs fluctuated intermittently and the message "Transmission Fault - Service Now" was displayed. The independent mechanic was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the warranty company of the rebuilt transmission. The vehicle was in the process of being repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 173,000.

Statement in uploaded files

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a knocking sound coming from the engine, with the engine revving. The contact stated that while turning off the vehicle, the engine was knocking very roughly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer for failures with the bearings and the rotors. The contact stated that there were abnormal sounds coming from the bearings. The contact stated that the rotors were rusted, and there was a grinding sound coming from the rotors. The contact believed that the vehicle was a flood-damaged vehicle due to the rust on the rotors, bearings, and underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 113,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera was inoperable. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was determined that an unknown part needed to be replaced, but the part was u not yet available. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted but the vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention). The contact stated that while in reverse(R) on several occasions, the rear-view camera screen was black and blue. The contact stated that on one occasion while in reverse(R), the rear-view camera operated momentarily, but the screen then went black and blue, and the vehicle crashed into another vehicle driving by in the parking lot. The second vehicle sustained damage to the passenger’s side rear bumper. There were no injuries reported. A Police report was filed, but the information was not available. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the rear-view camera needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The rear view camera does not work at times and when it does the image is distorted and discolored and it is also upside down.

Safety recall issued last year for faulty rear camera and still no remedy available.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the message "Power Steering Assist" was displayed. The vehicle was restarted, and the message was no longer displayed, and the vehicle operated normally. Later, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the power steering message returned, and the steering wheel became difficult to turn in either direction. Additionally, the traction control warning light was illuminated. The cause of the failures was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 236,000.

While driving the car, the electronic power assist steering stopped working, making it extremely difficult to steer and drove straight into a curb. Was able to slowly back the car up then very carefully drove to the local shop. Thankfully, no pedestrians were walking on the sidewalk. Power assist unit failed which caused a very unsafe driving condition. It required two strong arms to muscle the steering carefully to drive the car to the shop.

I am the 2nd owner of my 2016 Ford Escape 1.6L ecoboost, my aunt and uncle were the original owners. Between us we have every maintenance record of every on time and professionally performed requirement the Escape has needed and it ran beautifully. Then, in February 2026 the idle started to get a bit rough and I was preparing to put in the OEM sparkplugs when 3/28/26 the engine overheated, I was stranded on the side of a 45 mph street waiting for it to cool so I could move to safety. Between that incident and 4/29/26 I went thru 9 gallons of coolant, replaced the sparkplugs, put the front end up and "burp' the system as there was constantly air bubbles being introduced from a source I could not find. I had the hoses and clamps inspected, replaced the coolant reservoir and the reservoir cap, the vehicle started to shutter upon starting even after it was warmed up and every day needed to be burped and topped off before and after driving in town but often had no coolant loss during freeway driving, finally 4/28/26 I noticed smoke from the exhaust when I started the car in the morning and that smoke was accompanied by a foul, burnt, electric smell. While burping the air and topping the coolant that morning, the engine sputtered and died 2 separate times. I decided that it was time for a cooling system diagnostics as I still could still see no evidence of an external leak. The Ford technician recorded this tech story. "The vehicle ran rough and smoked for a couple seconds after starting.the vehicle ran its self test and had p0316, b0303, p1299, and p0217. These dtcs relate to cylinder misfire on startup and cylinder misfire and cylinder 3 and over temp/protection being active. ... I suspected a possible coolant intrusion concern into cylinder 3, performed a pressure test on the cooling system and observed a drop in the pressure. I remove the spark plug and found coolant on the cylinder walls and the top of the piston in cylinder 3." Advise to replace long block assembly.

Transmission went out at 101k miles - transmission needed to be rebuilt which I had done at a large cost. There was no warning, the trans went out while driving. Purge valve for gas (EVAP) also went out without any warning and when I would put gas in the car, the car would not start.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the instrument panel indicated that the engine was overheating. While driving at 35 MPH, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating. The contact pulled over to the side of the road, where the vehicle experienced complete engine failure. The vehicle was towed to a certified mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that coolant was leaking into the engine because of a fault in the engine block. The engine needed to be replaced. The mechanic informed the contact that it was a known failure with the vehicle and referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The engine block failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V011000 (Equipment); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was informed through an online complaint of the failure; however, the contact was not able to speak with a representative. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the rearview camera became inoperable. The rearview camera failure was intermittent. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention) and 26V011000 (Equipment); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 167,000.

Got in a wreck so bad it be t the frame she hit head on a d had seatbelt on and smacked her head on the dash the other cars airbags deployed hers did not

The air bag warning light illuminated when the front passenger seat was taken. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed air bag sensor. The contact was informed that the air bag sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the failure could be repaired, but it might not resolve the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a knocking sound coming from the engine, with the engine revving. The contact stated that while turning off the vehicle, the engine was knocking very roughly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer for failures with the bearings and the rotors. The contact stated that there were abnormal sounds coming from the bearings. The contact stated that the rotors were rusted, and there was a grinding sound coming from the rotors. The contact believed that the vehicle was a flood-damaged vehicle due to the rust on the rotors, bearings, and underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 113,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon opening the liftgate, the liftgate started closing unintendedly and struck the contact on the head. There was no injury sustained. The dealer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

I bought a 2016 Ford Escape SE 2 Days ago and just found out it had no back Brake Pads of any measurable thickness, and the Front Brake Pads were nearly as thin. Does not meet Oregon Used Car Sales Laws. Can you help me ? Call the Dealer so they fix them ? Thank you, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the ABS warning light illuminated intermittently. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the ABS was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to parts not being available. Additionally, while driving approximately 40 MPH, there was an abnormally loud sound coming from the engine compartment and the vehicle shuddered and lost motive power. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road, where a passerby assisted the contact in disconnecting and reconnecting the battery, and the vehicle was restarted but lost motive power while attempting to accelerate. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and the vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be rebuilt, and that the ABS system was defective and needed to be replaced. The transmission was replaced but the ABS system was not replaced because the part was discontinued by the manufacturer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The rear camera first started failing intermittently, and now occurs constantly. The camera goes black on the screen. I nearly backed into a child in a grocery store parking lot.

Unknown

I have 2 ford escapes a 2015 and a 2016 (2016 referenced in this complaint) both have experienced catastrophic transmission failure within weeks of each other. The transmission would slip and hard shift, eventually disable completely and would indicate the transmission needed to be serviced.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle shuddered and stalled. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to move upon depressing the accelerator pedal. The message "Insufficient Transmission Fluid. Service Now" was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the torque converter had failed, and the transmission fluid was leaking. The dealer determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 159,834.

rear camera doesn't work--also theres a problem with the rack and pinion

I paid to repair transmission. It kept dropping into gears really hard. It rolled backwards while in drive, if I took my foot off of brake. A year later, I'm going through it again The get engine checked light came on and it just stopped moving.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that within a year of purchasing the vehicle, the reverse lights failed to illuminate while shifted into reverse(R). The vehicle was taken to a dealer for service; however, the mechanic informed the contact that the dealer was unaware of how to fix the vehicle. The contact stated that the rearview camera occasionally displayed an upside-down image while the vehicle was in reverse(R). The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer, and the dealer was unaware of how to fix the vehicle. The contact then 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 repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

Around Aug. 3, I noticed that when I drove, the interior lights would not turn off. When the car was off, they went out as they should. But every time I started the car they came on and would not turn off. It made it very difficult to drive went it was getting dark. The dealership confirmed that it wasn't the knobs inside the car that were causing this problem. Later, I took it in for them to find out what was wrong. I scheduled an appointment and dropped off the car. That was Aug, 7. Today is September 1, and I have no idea when I might get my car back. Apparently, it needed a 'body control module'. They got a new Ford part, put it in and it solved the problem with the interior lights, but nothing else was working. They tried a second new, Ford part with the same results. So, I've been without a car, I have had a rental for a week, but will be turning it in, too expensive for me. I need a car I work mornings. What are my options now? It only has 52,000 miles. And while I am the 2nd owner, it belonged to a friend that I lived with and took care of and was the primary driver. How long before they should say we can't fix it?

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 rear-view camera displayed a distorted image while the vehicle was in reverse(R). The contact stated that the failure obstructed the vision of the driver, preventing the driver from safely operating the vehicle. The message "Rear-view Camera Unavailable" was displayed on the screen. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, the front passenger’s side seat belt retractor failed to function as intended. The contact stated that after unbuckling the seat belt buckle, the seat belt failed to retract. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. Recently, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. After several attempts, the vehicle was restarted, and there was an abnormal fuel-burning odor entering the vehicle through the A/C vents. The contact stated that the engine was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The vehicle was refueled, and the contact checked the oil dip stick, and the oil level was extremely low. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 FORD ESCAPE. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT FAILED TO LOCK, WHICH CAUSED HIM TO BE EJECTED FROM HIS SEAT. THE CONTACT STRUCK THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE DASHBOARD. ALL THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A RIGHT SHOULDER INJURY AND THE LEFT ULNAR NERVE WAS SPLIT IN TWO AND WAS SMASHED. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS REQUIRED. THE CONTACT DROVE TO THE HOSPITAL AFTER THE CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE MUFFLER, THE RIGHT QUARTER PANEL, THE BOTTOM HALF OF THE TRUNK, THE REAR BUMPER, AND THE STRUCTURAL FRAME BEHIND THE BUMPER'S REINFORCEMENT BAR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000.

I purchased the Goodyear Assurance tires (235/55R17) when I purchased my Escape with the understanding that they had a life of 80,000 miles. They're barely through the halfway point and show signs of cracking and wire protrusion. We ran over a screw and they hole was beyond repair and the technician pointed out how the tire was failing. All four are being replaced for safety concerns.

MICHELIN GREEN X 55R17 ALL FOUR TIRES HAD THE BELTS SEPARATE FROM THE RUBBER AT LESS THAN 34,000 MILES. NO CRASH AS IT WAS CAUGHT IN TIME BUT VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM. DOT NUMBER IS NOT ENTIRELY LEGIBLE BUT LOOKS LIKE X3 JJ 0J0X 2115. PURCHASE NEW ON A 2016 FORD ESCAPE.

THE HEATED SEAT MECHANISM STOPPED WORKING ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. A BURN MARK APPEARED ON THE BACK PORTION OF THE SEAT. ACCORDING TO THE FORD DEALER WHERE IN TOOK THE CAR FOR SEAT REPAIR, THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL SHORT WHICH CAUSED THE BURN. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A FIRE BUT LUCKILY IT WAS NOTICED RIGHT AWAY AND WE TOOK THE CAR IN FOR A COSTLY REPLACEMENT.

I WAS DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 75 NEAR BRADENTON IN FL. 1:00 P.M. PERFECTLY CLEAR & DRY DAY. I WAS HIT FROM BEHIND, SENT MY FORD INTO THE GRASSY MEDIAN, CAR CAME TO A STOP AT A WIRE GUARD RAIL. I DIDN'T HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. I WAS KNOCKED UNCONSCIOUS, SO I HAVE NO RECALL. THIS HAPPENED NEAR A CONSTRUCTION AREA & ALL I REMEMBER IS TRAFFIC SLOWING, PERHAPS I WAS GOING 45-50 MPH, & IN PROCESS OF SLOWING DOWN. ALTHOUGH THERE WAS EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO LEFT FRONT & SIDE NO AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. MY HEAD/FACE APPARENTLY HIT THE STEERING WHEEL. THEREFORE SEAT BELT RESTRAINTS DID NOT HOLD ME TIGHT TO THE SEAT. I WAS TAKEN TO E.R. - HAD A CONCUSSION, THEY DID LOTS OF TESTS, KEPT ME OVERNIGHT IN ICU, DISCHARGED THE NEXT DAY. ALSO, LATER I WAS TOLD BY AUTO COLLISION COMPANY & INSURANCE INVESTIGATOR THAT THE DRIVER SEAT WAS DAMAGED & HAD APPARENTLY COME LOOSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED.