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.
Took 2013 Ford Escape SEL 2.0L 4x4 in for noise in the rear end. There was vibration and howling/whirring. Passenger side rear wheel bearing was replaced by Ford Service under third party extended warranty - vibration gone. Howling/whirring still existed so Ford Service replaced driver side rear wheel bearing. Sound still existed. Technician suspected a problem in the differential. Differential was torn down and the noise was attributed to a bad pinion bearing. My third party extended warranty provider denied their claim stating a noisy bearing is not yet a failed bearing. There would have to be visible physical damage. The bearing is not serviceable so the only repair is to replace the diff entirely, which to be completed by Ford would cost over $2,500. I refused to pay it. I argued with my warranty provider but they did not care. Ford said had I had a Ford warranty it would be covered. Now I only have 4k miles left on my warranty and it is approaching a very expensive repair. It looks like I will have to try to find a used diff from a crash removal for around $500 and have someone swap it. The rear end should not have had both a bad wheel bearing and pinion bearing fail ay 80k miles.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
Took 2013 Ford Escape SEL 2.0L 4x4 in for noise in the rear end. There was vibration and howling/whirring. Passenger side rear wheel bearing was replaced by Ford Service under third party extended warranty - vibration gone. Howling/whirring still existed so Ford Service replaced driver side rear wheel bearing. Sound still existed. Technician suspected a problem in the differential. Differential was torn down and the noise was attributed to a bad pinion bearing. My third party extended warranty provider denied their claim stating a noisy bearing is not yet a failed bearing. There would have to be visible physical damage. The bearing is not serviceable so the only repair is to replace the diff entirely, which to be completed by Ford would cost over $2,500. I refused to pay it. I argued with my warranty provider but they did not care. Ford said had I had a Ford warranty it would be covered. Now I only have 4k miles left on my warranty and it is approaching a very expensive repair. It looks like I will have to try to find a used diff from a crash removal for around $500 and have someone swap it. The rear end should not have had both a bad wheel bearing and pinion bearing fail ay 80k miles.
- Travis F., South Riding, VA, US