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.
10.0
really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 14
Injuries / Deaths:
6 / 0
Average Mileage:
50,868 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.
While driving my 2013 Ford Escape (1.6L engine) on an interstate, I was traveling at 80mph on cruise control. Suddenly the cruise control was deactivated and I felt a jolt. I then observed a message on the dash which read engine overheating, stop safely. I then observed the engine light to illuminate, the coolant needle go to the red hot level, and I began to loose acceleration. The vehicle was not overheating and was later confirmed at a nearby car repair. Once stopped and attempt to restart, loss of steering had begun. Mileage during incident was 80,200. After taking it to Ford regarding newer recall msgs, they advised the steering rack was not communicating with their diagnostic and must be the reason for the repair. Repair has not been completed after reading incidents and complaints regarding similar issues/concerns. I believe this to be another recall issue.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. While operating the vehicle, the "engine fault" message suddenly displayed and the vehicle began to hesitate, shutter, and vibrate before reducing speed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer (Mahwah Ford on franklin turn pike, Mahwah, NJ) where it was diagnosed that the failure was due to insufficient compression in the engine wiring harness. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified and stated that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 15V813000 (electrical system). The contact stated that the vehicle experienced the same failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 20,000.
Freeze plug is leaking coolant and engine is stalling while driving coolant started leaking around 11/10/17 and the stalling started occuring 4/27/18 and no recalls have been issued to my vehicle but are having symptoms of the recalls that our present for other Escapes
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. While driving various speeds, the vehicle stalled. The contact had to coast to the side of the road to restart the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure recurred numerous times. The dealer (Ford of branford, 301 E main St, branford, ct 06405) stated that the vehicle was not included in a recall. The manufacturer was contacted and was unable to provide assistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 69,000.
Vehicle sold to me as part of military car sales program overseas. When attempting to fulfill recalls at overseas location, Ford dealership said they are unable to acquire the parts necessary for completing the recalls in the uk.
- Apo, AE, USA
Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...
1. engine standpipe faulty, which causes the Ford Escape sel to go into crawl mode and then you have to stop and leaves you stranded. The dashboard engine thermometer reads fully hot. This happened in motion on my way to work during winter in erie pa, the snow headquarters. 2. battery goes dead intermittently and leaves you stranded.
Was driving on a cold snowy day temp gauge went from C to hot in five seconds then the car check engine light cam on and car limped at about 5 miles hour to side of road engine was cold. Checked coolent it was 2 ozs low started up call garage ran codes came up 1299 Ford said that normal it's okay to drive took it home every four days had to add coolent took it back. Had a part put on the coolent system threw more codes had to have wiring harness put on still leaked coolent ordered hose clamps through Ford suppose to be here 1/19/18. Now they are saying middle of febury so still with out car.
I just bought a 2013 Ford Escape with 1.6.I purchased this on December 31,2017.the SUV was doing great until yesterday and it stalled on me in a parking lot but it started right back up and ran fine.got off work heading home stopped got food and got back in started fine.I was at intersection at light and without warning it lost power shutter and then died.it started right back but light had changed as I waited it start losing power again I jumped into turning lane and as I turned it died again.it did this 6 more times and it finally stayed running to get home.I have only had this Escape two weeks and now seeing all these problems I just want this corrected cause I almost got hit in the back due to this stalling.Ford needs to take care of this
In reference to recall number 13S12 back in 2013 with 2013 Ford Escapes low coolant sensor. My Ford Escape was "fixed" per this recall 6/3/14 by bomritto Ford in hazlewood mo. 3 1/2 years later the exsact part used to fixed the original recall has now become faulty and caused my vehcile to go into limp mode. Ford is refusing to replace this part and saying it is the customer responsibility for us to replace a part that was faulty originally and 3 1/2 years later faulty again. I have already replaced my vehicles transmission and computer module in the past year and spent over 3 grand in replacement and labor and this is putting me over the edge. This company does not replace their faulty parts even though they stand behind them. How am I supposed to believe these parts were validly replaced and are not made to last. The engine codes that we are getting are caused from the recall kit that was used to replace the faulty product originally. This kit costs 759 to the consumer and that does not include labor. Ford refuses to sell the parts to fix the problem and makes the customer purchase the entire kit. This issue needs to be handled properly because innocent customers are being taken advantage of. My vehicle only has 100K miles and I have already replaced the transmission which was 2700! now this, which was a recall 4 years ago. The issue began on 1/16/2018 out of nowhere. No warning, no light I was driving on a busy road and my car went into overheat mode and I was told by the computer screen to stop my vehicle immediately which I did. I then had to have the car towed to a trusted mechanic that was able to diagnose the vehicle directly to the recall from 2013 as the same exact issue these Ford's were having in 2013 which is a fire hazard. Ford did not handle this properly, I was hung up on multiple times, I was ignored.
In the summer when I run the A/C we smell burning smell and the dealership that we bought it from told me to just let it catch fire and then they will look at it, and now that I'm running the heater it starts leaking oil. It smells like oil in my garage now. Sometimes while pressing on the gas pedal it doesn't go. Friday my engine coolant light came on and then went off and then came back on. I'm not sure what's going on but I want a good look at everything.
The contacts wife owns a 2013 Ford Escape. On several occasions, while driving, the vehicle idled, stalled, and lost power. The vehicle was taken to joe myers Ford (713-766-3600, 16634 northwest fwy, houston, tx 77040) where it was diagnosed that the oxygen sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The contact took the vehicle back to the dealer, but it was not diagnosed. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign number: 15V813000 (electrical system). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The approximate failure mileage was 78,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled several times without warning. The contact stated that there was an unspecified warning indicator that kept illuminating. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who was unable to replicate and diagnose the failure, and the code was cleared. The vehicle was not inspected and diagnosed by a dealer. The manufacturer was notified months later about the failures. The failure mileage was not available.
Our 2013 Ford Escape sel has been stalling out while driving. Our VIN was not included in the previous recall but the symptoms ate exactly as described in 2.0 liter recall. This event happens every couple days sometimes twice a day. It tends to happen shortly after starting and merging/turning from a stop/intersection. We've taken it to a Ford dealer but they weren't able to fix it. Seems like a big safety issue to stall while driving.
The vehicle continuously sputters, and then dies while in driving mode - normally pulling out into traffic. We have been almost hit numerous times. In an hour time span, yesterday, it happened 10 times, today in a 15 minute timespan, 3 times. Am an uber driver and cannot put their lives in jeopardy - going to get someone killed. This happens in all situations - whether idling in line to pull out into traffic at a light, or while driving. Has even happened while traveling down the highway. It starts to sputter, and then just shuts off. Sometimes you can place in neutral and restart, but other times, you must coast to side of street, place in park, and then try to restart. There are 100S of incidences on the internet showing the same symptoms. Please help resolve this. Going to the Ford dealership is not the answer - they tell me they cannot "duplicate" the issue and therefor do not know how to "fix" it. In the meantime, this is extremely unsafe, and a lawsuit waiting to happen. This has been occurring the entire month of December - on the 18th - 10 times in a 3 hour timespan - today, the 19th - 3 times in a 15 minute timespan. This is an everyday issue and getting work. This is preventing using this vehicle as an uber driver, and seriously impacting our income. There needs to be a recall. There is a tech service bulletin - tsb-13-12-12; NHTSA-10054363; dtc PO106, PO236.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the wiring was installed incorrectly when the vehicle was manufactured. The contact was concerned that the failure could cause a fire or the vehicle to break down. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the brain box failed. Homer skelton Ford of millington (9030 us-54, millington, tn) was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.
The vehicle will shutdown during operation and lose electrical power. This has occurred 3 times over the last year. The vehicle's ECU will show overheating and engine overheating during operation and shutdown. The dtc have been checked and cleared several times with no answers for the issues.
While driving I will get hill assist and 4WD warnings while on flat ground my instrument panel looses power my heater turns off and door locks click some times its just the warning lights this has happened on the interstate going 65mph and rural areas going slow have had three occasions where the dash lights come on but car would not try to start until several tries this started Oct 2017 63000 miles on car
In 7/2017 we had alert lights of engine default, hill assist go on. It had a replacement part ABS that didn't correct problem. Next time on my way to the dealer lots of lightw went on and I went into safe mode a few hundred feet from dealer, five minutes earlier and I would have been on the freeway. A diff part was replaced. Same problem then next time it went into safe mode and I had it towed. This vehicle and year apparently had electrical/electronic issues. I feel this is an unsafe situation! I took from 7/26/2017 to 10/18/2017 to get things corrected and I don't know if they are
I was driving down I49, shreveport, la. At approximately 65 mph, high tempature warning came on followed by engine failure warning, as I was making my way to the roadside engine shut down. Steam started coming from under the hood, when the vehical came to a stop, I popped the hood, as I got out of the car I noticed a small amount of blue smoke, followed by black smoke, I did not open hood, 30 seconds latter flames were shooting from under the hood, I called 911 as the flames engulfed the front of the car
Greetings, I have a Ford Escape 2013, 2.5 liters, and I almost crashed because the vehicle suffered an electrical malfunction. In the screen of the car it said: "motor damage, turn off". this almost caused me to loose my life, because the car lost all the energy, stopped in the middle of the highway, and the motor was hesitating. I looked for a recall and I found a Ford number 14S17-S1 but that recall is for 2.0 liter and my Ford Escape 2013 is 2.5 which means that it doesn't have the same electrical wire that is recalled from the 2.0. I went to the dealer to find an answer, but the car does this malfunction intermittently and once you turn it back on the code disappears like if nothing would have happened. I took the paper of the recall to the dealer and they said that they cant do anything because the code disappeared and my car doesn't have the same system of the 2.0 liter.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Tampa, FL, USA