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.
7.4
pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
No data
Average Mileage:
45,700 miles
Total Complaints:
7 complaints
Most Common Solutions:
not sure (5 reports)
as soon as reported correct and repaint if nessary (1 reports)
I noticed less than a month into owning the vehicle that there was rust showing on the bottom of my drivers door and the bottom of the driver side passenger door. Looks like the dealership threw a quick coat of paint on the problem to try and cover it up for a quick sell. Should have known when the sales manager kept trying to push the anti rust warranty that there was an issue.
Driver door is rusted under and inside space covered by the lower plastic cover... Was told by the dealer that they can do nothing as this is not ''perforeted as stated by waranty''... A cleaning by their body shop, would had stop this and, prevented later prematures perforations for very low cost... 2.5 year old car,... rusted to the point that it is drouling on exterior paint ????! So is the hatch back under lip rubbing on the bumper to the point that paint is worn to the metal... Dealer adjusted it twice since 2 years but reocurence of the problem happened!
All and all it seem that the dealer posponed probllems to the owner responsability until warantee expire. I might be wrong but all this makes me look for replacing this ''KIA or LADA disquised into a Ford'', contemplating buing something else with real ''Bilt-In Quality''. At least if Ford would acnowledge their problems and correct them, would ease my urge to switch after 55 years of loyality to Ford products!!!
I just bought this car from a Ford Dealer in Fergus, Ontario. The service has been outstanding and I can't complain about their response. However, the rust is located just under the hood and should have been caught. I noticed it when I went to close the hood and I felt loose paint. I looked up and saw a lot of rust, paint pealing, and bubbling. Fortunately, I'm still covered by warranty...just 1500 km to go and 1 month before it's 3 years old. Otherwise, I might have been euchred!
I bought a brand new Ford Escape Titanium (2013) a month ago.
During the third week of ownership, we had a few inches of snow. No big deal, the car handled well, overall I was very pleased with the performance of the car and the remote start, etc. I pulled my Escape into the garage on a Friday night…Saturday morning I noticed that my garage floor, where the snow had melted off from the night before, was stained a bright orange rust color under each of the rear wheels on my concrete floor. The stain ran from underneath the rear wheels down towards my garage door. I got on my hands and knees and found that my “brand new carâ€, with less than 1K miles on it, had rust on the undercarriage, exhaust system, the rear wheel assembly (rear suspension knuckles, etc.). I was told by the dealership that Ford said "that's how it is - AND IT’S HOW IT’S ENGINEERED – IT’S A CHARACTERISTIC OF THE CAR!", and that Ford, in order to save a few bucks and pass the aggravation and cost onto the consumer, no longer put a protective coating under the car OR even offered it at time of purchase. So, both the DEALER and FORD’s recommendation/remedy for me was to just deal with the mess, the ruining of my garage floor and driveway, clean up after the car and pay AT MY COST for replacement of parts and aftermarket undercoating if I should so choose.
That’s not the only issue. With all of this rust falling into my wheel well, it’s getting on to my rotors and coming off in higher quantities than typical rail dust. I have a white SUV…and it’s now pitted with orange dots. Also, the rust that it is leaking/flecking off onto my rotors is also staining my BRAND NEW wheels/rims as well. This rust-dust-pitting is on my rear tailgate and I guarantee that within a few months, these specs will make their way onto my rear window and when the wiper is activated, will grab those particles and then scratch the window as well! How am I to prove that those damages should be covered under warranty??? Oh sure, it will be blamed on me! Again, not even a month old, not more than 1K miles.
Again, I repeat…I have a brand NEW car that I am supposed to clean up after and worry about like it’s a 15 year old car that's rusting out. Not only is that unacceptable, but highly embarrassing when a mark is left on a friend’s driveway from my rust-bucket of a car. Oh…and Ford has no problem collecting my monthly car payment…sure…sell me an unprotected car at your cheap expense, cost me money, time and aggravation dealing with a BRAND NEW CAR!
I refuse to chase around my BRAND NEW 2013 FORD ESCAPE TITANIUM and worry about putting down a piece of cardboard or something in order to park it in my garage so it won’t continue to ruin my floors or concrete driveway.
How is it the consumer’s duty to scrub out a garage and buy chemicals in order to clean up after a new car?
This is unacceptable and unfair to spend my hard earned dollars and only to be told, "We know we sold you a subpar, cheaply made, uncoated car for close to $40K, but you should just deal with it". It's absolute garbage. NEVER EVER EVER WILL I BUY ANOTHER FORD!! I regret that I bought this one and now have no idea how to break free from it!
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
My Ford Escape driver door paint is bubbling and rusting at bottom. I missed it while under warranty. It's expensive to repair...
- Ryan M., Madison, US