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 / 9
Injuries / Deaths:
7 / 0
Average Mileage:
50,741 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.
When the car has run (the engine is warm, so not a cold start), starting it again will lead to a stall, usually within two minutes. The car can be idling or moving, and it sputters and dies. It will start again, but will often stop one more time. Re-starting is becoming more hesitant (slower) as my mechanic can find no way to repair this problem (yet). This stopping has put me in some very, very dangerous situations, such as crossing a road with traffic oncoming or merging on to a highway. The car also has stalled going up a hill.
Power steering seemed to failed driving, unable to turn. The mechanic said the steering wheel column needs to be replaced. There was no warning. This put me and my children at risk that could-??ve been fatal.
Shifter bushing is worn out and broken not allowing the vehicle to go into gear and lock to that gear. I was parked during this time but it didn't allow my car to go into park without force so wasn't sure if the car would rollback. I mentioned the open recall on certain models to Ford and was confirmed that the issue is re-occurring in multiple Ford Escape, Focus, and Fusion models to date. The vehicle has been repaired for the same open recall (18S20) but paid for by out-of-pocket expenses. There were no warning or indications that the vehicle had this issue the issue happened once on Saturday, October 30, 2021.
Intermittantly the car will stall after starting or driven short distance. Sometimes acceleration is not smooth, with a slight surge or hesitation as foot feed is pressed down. Ford dealers in Denver, CO., ignore request for assistance. Several times in slow traffic, car has died. Will restart immediately, but fear that it-??s an accident waiting to happen. No earring lights
- Rochester , NY, USA
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First our lights didn't work. We had them replaced last week and now it has burned out already. Several times the car stalls and will not go then mysteriously restarts itself. No warning lights come on when this happens, although the screen that is with the stereo system goes dim and then bright. We have had it at the shop where we bought the car and was told that it was fixed, but after having it back just over a day it did it again. This is definitely a safety hazard since we live in a very populated area and could easily be hit. I believe the problem is electrical and we can have this problem resolved at anytime. I would like to mention that I have only had this car since 09/02/2021. The mechanic was able to reproduce the event.
Vehicle will stall, die, when you restart it, it will die when put into gear, and sometimes not start back up for any where from a few minutes to a couple hours. This isn't just a one time incident it happens almost daily.
The passenger door latch-door came open and will not stay closed. My daughter was in the passenger seat when it happened which could have been really bad if We were on the highway instead of parking lot of a school going a slow speed yes/confirmed-safety recall # 16S30 no-stating they can only fix the one door in 1-2 days, when on the phone it is less than half a day procedure and up to 3 weeks for the other 3 doors. Which I need a safe vehicle to be able to work and drive until completed. They stated they don't have a rental. The car was just in there a shop a week prior for 3 1/2 weeks and I should have been notified of the recall and been fixed then and we would not be in this situation no- no warning or messages. It not says door not closed because I had to call for help and using a rubber strap to close it somewhat to get home
on 10 July 2021, while driving vehicle at approx 50 mph, I was in the S-Drive and placed it into Drive, however, my display still showed me in S-Drive. I did get home without incident, but was unable to get my vehicle into Park. After several attempts, gear shifter did slide into Park, only to realize that display still showed I was in S-Drive. I turned off vehicle, and attempted to re-start, only to find that since the vehicle was still in S-Drive, I am unable to restart. I have found that other 2013 Ford Escape Vehicles are dealing with this same problem and have identified this particular issue as a failure to the Shifter Cable Bushing, (19S16) that prevents gears to be shifted, that can cause a vehicle to roll since it is in gear and possibly injure someone. I feel this VIN should be covered in your recall, but have found out that since my Vehicle was made in May 2013, it was not covered, but clearly it is still a problem that Ford has identified within the 2013 year. I now have to tow vehicle to a Ford dealership and they advise they are 4-6 weeks out from making any repairs to my vehicle which is not under a recall advisory list. I must pay for all services. At this time, my vehicle is unusable.
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request" Loud noise from blower motor and no airflow from vents. Vehicle is available for inspection if needed. I believe this is related to the issue identified here: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2017/SB-10099087-2532.pdf. Many others have reported the same issue and I believe a recall should be issued. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The noise coming from the blower motor makes it difficult to hear traffic noise, sirens, etc. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? No Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear"
Fire started in engine compartment of 2013 Ford Escape around 2:30 a.M. of 5/10/2021. The engine had not been started and the car has not moved from the parking garage since 5/7/2021.
2013 Ford Escape 1.6 turbo using antifreeze with no apparent leak. Ford tells me there is no recall for this vehicle [xxx]. but I found many complaints online about same make. Is there a recall on antifreeze leaking out of cylinders head or other areas that cause fire or recall to fix under a recall warranty? it's been smelling of antifreeze and antifreeze needs added regularly. Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
My car was in park with the engine on. I put my car in drive and put my foot on the gas pedal. The engine loses power and stalls. Red oil lamp sign come on. No system check message shows. I turned the car off and on again and the same thing happened.
My wife and I recently purchased the pre owned 2013 Ford Escape at a dealership in cape coral, floida. We have just discovered that at the time of purchase, there was an incomplete recall on the vehicle that the dealer failed to inform us of. Ford recall #:20S30
My vehicle stalls and chugs. This happens while I'm driving and stationary.Ford did have a recall for a map sensor manifold issue back in October of 2014 for Ford Escapes with this description. The code is P0106. I am struggling to get help for any dealer because there is no longer an open recall for this issue. I could be driving and my car shuts off. This is a nightmare.
At least once a week my car is stalling out! I will start the car let it sit a few minutes, pull off and in about 50 feet or less RPM goes all the way down, and just shuts off. Had it looked at multiple times and nothing! this is very scary while pulling onto busy roads and not knowing if this is going to happen or not!
Loss of coolant approximately every 45 days. No visible signs of leaking and a pressure test did not show any non visible leaks. Yet I have to refill after a low coolant error as stated. A google search found quite a few owners with the same problem on the 2013 model.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Wisconsin Rapids, WI, USA