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:
8 / 62
Injuries / Deaths:
14 / 0
Average Mileage:
54,321 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.
2013 Ford Escape SE. Consistent low coolant warnings in the winter. Needs coolant added every 4-5 weeks in colder months. Neither Ford service dept of my personal mechanic have been able to locate the issue. Has twice overheated after being driven approximately one mile; low coolant light displays and almost immediately overheats and goes into limp mode. Approximate mileage 57,700
Vehicle was attempting to merge onto a freeway, speeding up, and the vehicle stopped accelerating at a normal rate of speed around 30 mph. It took an unacceptable amount of time for it to get up to a safe merging speed, but I could have died trying to merge. There is something wrong with the design of the power train on this car.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. When the vehicle was started, the engine coolant low warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to apple Ford Lincoln of york (1801 whiteford rd, york, pa 17402, (717) 755-2911) where the contact was informed that coolant was leaking from behind the engine and that a hose needed to be replaced. The contact mentioned that the failure occurred three times. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 40,000.
My info light came on in car saying my engine coolant was low. I filled it 10 days later the same thing happened again. I took it to the mechanic because there were no leaks under my car so I didn't know where the coolant could be going to. The mechanic printed out a recall sheet for the exact problem and tole me I should call the dealer service center. I called and they said there was no recall on my car for that problem. The recall covers my car model, engine size, and manufactured date. I called Ford customer service and they said the same thing as the service center. The first recall on this problem didn't include my cars manufactured date, but 3 months later the recall was updated to include more cars and my manufactured date was then included.
Driving to work one morning in a 40 mph zone, about 1.5 miles, warning lights appeared and stated that the vehicle was overheating and to pull over safely. The temperature gauge had shot up to H for hot. The vehicle immediately slowed down, regardless of pressing the gas. I was able to pull off of a us highway and find a safe place to park just a short distance. The vehicle needed to be towed to the dealer.
- St Augustine, FL, USA
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This car showed a problem around March 2017 when it randomly stalled and did while in park at a parking lot. After that it would run fine for months at a time and then I would have the same problem of it stalling out and dying while parked or when the car was in park. I have replaced the battery 2 times in the last 2 years and something keeps frying my battery. The problem has escalated in the last 6 months to the point where the car now just dies while driving without any real warning and is unsafe to drive. I tried taking it to a Ford dealership and they could not figure it out and had a hard time recreating what I had described was happening. They told me to replace the fuel pressure sensor, but it had already been replaced 2 weeks prior to it going to that dealership. They basically told me to throw money blindly at the engine to the tune of 3K to 4K or trade it in on something else. Those were the options given to me by Ford. The problems did not really start until after 80K miles and the car is worse once it has been running for a little while, gets worse when you run the heater and game over if the ac or defrost are on. My mpg are horrible but I dont even know for sure because I will look at the gas gauge turn the car off and when I come back from letting it sit the amount of fuel showing has gone back up considerably. Also my mils to empty randomly went from the gas light turning on at 30 miles to empty to 50 miles to empty. My car acts like it has a traumatic brain injury and one moment it seems ok and the next is all over the place. We cant even drive it anymore because it is too dangerous and unpredictable.
Vehicle has stalled many times when first proceeding into traffic after a cold start or has even stalled after cold start before proceeding(while parked). Vehicle has been taken to a Ford dealership for service. They did not fix the issue due to the fact that there was no check engine light showing and they could not recreate the problem.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. When the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle failed to move. The contact had to turn off and restart the vehicle in order for it to operate normally. Also, the check engine indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to frio Chevrolet (6919 I-35, dilley, tx 78017, (830) 469-1209) where it was diagnosed that coolant was needed. The dealer printed failure code number: P26B700 regarding the coolant. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated the same thing as the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 90,000.
Engine shuts down in traffic due to engine coolant warning, car has history of this repair starting in 2012, 2014 and 2015 recall repair, September of 2018, I paid $1250 to have coolant sensor repaired only to have engine shut down 2 months later for same problem, this is a serious safety issue since engine literally starts shutting down in traffic so quickly it is impossible to safely pull over. Contacted Ford and they confirmed history of repairs and even had record of repairs but denied responsibility even though it is same 5 repairs and same part.
Vehicle suddenly goes into limp mode and almost stalls out. Warning lights and sounds alert driver that engine temp is dangerously high and to pull over safely. This has happened 4 times in last year. Each time it was towed to mechanic and something coolant related has been replaced. Hoses, thermostat, sensors, coolant solenoid. Once again here we are and it has happened again. I had to try and safely pull off the road with no power and hesitation on a 65mph highway.
Intermittent check engine light (happens when in park or when driving). Hooked up to code reader and got P026B7; found online that the the engine coolant bypass valve is defective, but not recalled (tsb 13-02-15). Dealer confirms code and that engine coolant bypass valve is defective and should be replaced but referenced tsb 16-0052. The dealer claims it isn't covered under any form of warranty/recall
While driving low coolant light came on followed by engine over heating warning, to shut down when safe to do so. This happen twice. Each time complete loss of power. I was informed by Ford mechanic loss of power is Ford way of not damaging engine. Highway driving is a surely a life & death situation. First time issue on city street September 14 2015. Repair replace water pump. Second time on highway November 19, 2018. Second repair pending. Big concern is total loss of power to save an engine with little concern for people. Something seriously wrong with this thinking. Another on going issue is vehicle hesitate when accelerating from stop position or while moving. Always have to be sure there is plenty of space, never know when it will happen.
Coolant low light and engine will shut down. Have to add coolant about every 6 weeks or this will happen. I'm a female college student and this shouldn't be happening!! has been doing this for about 18 months. Have taken twice to Ford to have fixed and they replaced a sensor once I know don't think they did anything the first time I took it. Since it only does this about every 6 weeks I guess they aren't going to do anything about it. Thanks (xxxx) parts of this document have been redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the engine coolant and temperature warning indicators kept intermittently flashing. The contact refilled the coolant fluid and the warning indicators went off. As the failure progressed, the vehicle hesitated, there was a loss of power, an abnormal noise was heard, and the temperature high warning indicator illuminated. The contact made an appointment with maxwell Ford (512-916-2661, 5000 S ih 35 frontage rd, austin, tx 78745) on November 19, 2018 to have the vehicle diagnosed. The manufacturer was notified of the failures. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 56,000. Consumer stated there were signs of engine overheating. The engine coolant has been issue since purchasing the vehicle.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. While driving various speeds, the engine stalled while driving various speeds. The dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 90,000.
I came to a stop at sign. The engine stalled. I put it in park and restarted the engine. It took an extra amount of time to start but did restart. I then proceeded to turn onto a busy road. Upon acceleration the vehicle hesitated and would not accelerate or respond to throttle input. I was able to pull to the side of road and narrowly avoid an accident. The check engine light did not illuminate nor are there any obd codes. Doing a little research, I have noticed that there are other year make and models that are having the same issue. I urge you to rectify this situation with Ford. This is not only a danger to me and my family but also to other drivers on the road.
I bought my Ford Escape 2013 in March 2016 as used car. From the beginning I have problems with engine coolant. Coolant just disappears. I went to the mechanic and he said that heater hoses have to be replaced. I did it. But still I have to add coolant because it evaporates somehow. Nobody knows how to fix it and what is wrong, because it looks that cooling system is ok, but is not. I'm afraid to travel long distances because of this problem.
Since purchasing this Ford Escape sel 1.6L, I've had repeated issues with coolant loss. Every time I've flagged it to the dealer, they brush me off and have filled up the coolant, saying they can't source the issue. I've been concerned that I've had a cracked cylinder head ever since the 13S12 recall in 2014. In recent years, the coolant loss issue had accelerated dramatically. It is unpredictable. And when it happens, the coolant will suddenly go from an ok level to substantially below minimum. Furthermore, the engine has a persistent burning smell over the past couple of years. I've had to drive around with a jug of coolant and a plastic solo cup to refill the coolant tank whenever the low coolant light lights up. Over the past 2 years, I've had to refill the coolant at least a dozen times. Overall, I am concerned this was a fundamental flaw from the very beginning, and instead of doing the proper thing and rebuilding/replacing engines back in 2014 when the 13S12 recall occurred, Ford put a band-aid over it and now the issues are re-arising just when so all the vehicles have had their warranties lapse. I do hope the NHTSA forces Ford to do the right thing here.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. While driving 30 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 98,422.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. While operating the vehicle, a burning odor was present inside the cabin of the vehicle. In addition, the check engine and low coolant level warning indicators remained illuminated. The contact indicated that coolant was constantly leaking from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the coolant bypass valve needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The dealer was not notified. The failure mileage was 92,000.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Derby, CT, USA