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CarComplaints.com Notes: The top problem trend for the 2014 Escape is transmission failure at around 70k miles.

This is relatively low mileage for an expensive transmission failure ($4,500 average to fix), but unless the trend becomes more established, we are only awarding the 2014 Escape our "Beware of the Clunker" badge for now.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
20,781 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.

2014 Ford Escape brakes problems

brakes problem

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2014 Ford Escape Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #26

Sep 142023

Escape

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

While driving down the interstate, this car started smoking and i was unable to use the brakes. Its like the braking system locked up. I couldn't push the brakes because it was down to the floor hard with NO intentions on stopping. Emergency brakes were needed to stop this vehicle. The gear shift does not seem to in the correct position. Seems to be some type of powertrain issue. The coolant was leaking and there was no vacuum on the motor. The drivers door latch is defective, when opening the door it doesn't retreat, the latch stays in the open position. The backup camera is defective, doesn't show you are backing up. Dashboard shows brake lamp default an brake lights not out.

- Tucson, AZ, USA

problem #25

Nov 242023

Escape

  • miles
Hello -- 1) My wife explained to me that the acceleration would rev very high on rpms but no power -- ( 1st & 2nd especially) then the check engine light came on -- I drove it to check and there was something very wrong -- unfortunately I could find no dealers w\o a full months wait or more -- Then on the Friday after Thanksgiving she came home & said she had no brakes -- I take it for a ride to investigate -- sure enough the vacuum booster failed -- like driving w manual brakes in the old days & u still need to use the emergency brake -- It failed as she drove (no idea) til she needed to stop -- fortunately we live in a rural area and she had space and time to try to figure out what happened -- otherwise there would have been at the least a deadly car crash from behind -- When the accelleration fails there will be death from being broadsided entering traffic -- what a choice !!!! -- Also it might not seem too big a deal but the A\C condensate drain line plugs up and there will be 2" of water on floor inside the cab on both sides -- I had to finally fix it because i couldnt take it anywhere because -- no parts -- too busy -- UNFORTUNATELY THE PERSON WHO DRIVES THIS VEHICLE HAS ASTHMA -- THE MOLD AND MILDEW WERE UNREAL -- How are there no recalls on these life altering situations ?? I work for this company and I'm thoroughly disgusted. The date for A\C & turbo was in August -- the failed brakes is the date below -- I just got the vehicle back today and the brakes work because of replacing vacuum booster -- then the dealer wouldnt read my notes and car still does what they charged me $1450 for -- westgate solenoid -- boost solenoid -- NOW -- BECAUSE OF THEIR DESIGN -- FORDS -- NOT ONLY DID I SPEND THAT MONEY FOR NOTHING -- THEY WANT TO REPLACE MOTOR & TURBO FOR ONLY $11500 -- ONLY 82000 MILES !!!! I do have bills from the dealer -- just no way to upload right now -- if u need them they can be uploaded in the next couple of days --

- South Rockwood, MI, USA

problem #24

Jun 082023

Escape

  • miles
Turned in the ignition. I heard air coming from the brake when i turned on the car. I then could feel resistance when pushing the brake after pushing to the floor. Brake booster fixed once and after a month. The air sound started again when not pressing the brake. I had to use my emergency brake to drive home from work.

- Clayton, NC, USA

problem #23

Mar 142022

Escape

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I was driving on I95 southbound with my 3.5 month old daughter when my cars engine failed, my brakes and acceleration failed, and my car started being engulfed in smoke. I had to veer off of I95 as far as I could with my breaks or gas working. Within 2 minutes my car was in complete flames. I was able to get my daughter and I out in time but everything in the car was demolished. Ford has refused to reimburse for any value of the car as well as any value of the items that were in the car. The value of the items in the car totaled more than $5,000. My husband and I were forced to sell our other car in order to afford to buy a new car. Both of our cars were paid off.

- Fredericksburg, VA, USA

problem #22

May 062022

Escape

  • miles
At 60 mph without any warning my brakes failed, the brake pedal was really stiff and it took both my feet all of my strength and the emergency brake to get the car to stop, Had there been other cars in front of me I-??m sure that I wouldn-??t have been able to avoid a collision as the only other place to drive would have been a gully. After I removed the vacuum pump for replacement, I found that the coupler bolt was broken off in what I assume was the camshaft. I used an easy out kit to remove the coupler bold. Then replaced with a new one I ordered from the dealership and also replaced the vacuum pump also purchased through the dealership total cost was about $350-400

- Troy, MT, USA

problem #21

Jun 012022

Escape

  • miles
The mechanical brake booster is connected to the overhead cam on Fords Ecoboost engine. This part is a vacuum pump that is powered by the overhead cam shaft. Over time the vacuum pump begins to have issues and becomes increasingly harder for the cam to turn. As the vacuum pump slows, it causes the brakes to be less efficient and increases stopping distance. As the pump degrades, it eventually will fail and freeze up. When this happens, the internal connection to the overhead cam shaft shears off. This cause a complete loss of breaking power leaving only the emergency brake to stop the vehicle. It also drops the internal connectors from the vacuum pump into the motor which damages the motor to the point where the motor must be replaced at a very high cost (it exceeds $10,000). Fords warranty does not cover this design failure. Owners of these vehicles are forced to replace the motor at their own cost or to scrap the vehicle. I believe that ford was aware of the possibility of the mechanical vacuum pump failure when they tested the design on F150s. Ford made a design change on the F150s to an electric vacuum pump. This may have been due to the F150s use as work vehicle and as a towing vehicle which exasperated the issue. Please investigate this issue, I believe you will find many other people who have this same issue with the eco boost engine design.

- Southgate, MI, USA

problem #20

Jun 032022

Escape

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I was on my way home, turned On my turn signal to turn left. Went to apply the brakes and they were very hard to push I was unable to stop for about a mile luckily there was no traffic ahead of me if there had I either would-??ve gone off the road or hit someone. Finally when I came to a stop using both feet to apply pressure to the brake I finally stopped then drove about 5 miles an hour all the way home. After A lot of investigations online I narrow down that it was the brake booster vacuum pump. I ordered the part and when it arrived I proceeded to remove the old one when I did I found that the coupler was broken off inside the camshaft, I was able to get it out with an easy out kit so I ordered a new one of those from Ford dealerships. I have since replaced those items completed today but I have not test drivenñ

- Troy , MT, USA

problem #19

Oct 102020

Escape

  • 140 miles
Shifter cable broke. Would not allow to shift in any gear. This has recalled on several thousand vehicles, unfortunately my VIN # was not honored. Also brake booster has failed. This is ridiculous.

- Gaylord, MI, USA

problem #18

May 152020

Escape 4-cyl

  • 87,000 miles
Transmission is failing. I'm literally waiting for it to drop dead. When driving, the vehicle has multiple hard shifts into different gears. This occurs no matter what gear it goes too. The power acts like it wants to give up and rocks the car back and forth while accelerating and shifting gears. Sometimes the shift doesn't even occur. Move the prndl lever too fast from any setting, the car makes a loud jerking noise. Also when parking on any hill with the E-brake on, the car makes a very loud noise sounding like the brakes are going to giveaway and the car moves. Its barely noticeable, but I sat in the car to test it, and while sitting in the car you could totally tell it moved. It does this 3 times minimum when parked.

- San Diego, CA, USA

problem #17

May 012019

Escape

  • 58,000 miles
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. While driving 30 mph, the contact heard an abnormal noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to sellers-sexton Ford Lincoln Mazda (located at 341 vfw memorial dr, St robert, mo 65584, (573) 336-2000) where it was diagnosed that the brakes needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but continued to experience the failure. The vehicle was diagnosed again and it was determined that the rear differential needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 58,000. The VIN was not available.

- Saint Robert, MO, USA

problem #16

Aug 132019

Escape

  • 64,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Vacuum pump failed on the engine causing the brakes booster to fail instantly. Lost all brake assist and had to use both feet with all the pressure I could muster to safely stop the vehicle. Vehicle is out of warranty for attaching parts, searched for parts. Parts required are vacuum pump and pump drive coupling, coupler was sheered off causing damage to camshaft internally. Searched for parts call 5 dealers nationwide and they are out of stock, searched all over the internet. No parts available in the world. Local Ford dealer has 4 cars in shop waiting on pumps, parts won't arrive for 30 days. Called another dealer in the midwest that showed parts availability(6) all those pumps are for on-going repairs in shop and none of them are for sale. This pump failure is deadly, dangerous and not being address by the manufacturer. Plus even to repair within 30 to 45 days I had to use a salvage part (I may have bought the only one in the nation) called 12 salvage yards and they are out of stock as well. You can be driving along and then bam. Your brake assist boost will be gone and you do not know it. Luckily I was able to get the vehicle safely stopped. Part number is bb5Z-2A451-C and other similar Ford vehicles and experiencing this issue with the 2.0L engine. Thank you.

- Iron Station, NC, USA

problem #15

Jun 072019

Escape

  • 110,000 miles
Brakes not engaging when the vehicle was going at a very low rate of speed (under 15mph). Could only stop with pedal to the floor and utilizing the emergency brake. Took it to the shop and it's the vacuum pump, no big deal except the part is on a 2 month back order because it seems everyone's has gone bad but no recall. My mechanic is baffled!!

- Lakewood, OH, USA

problem #14

May 022018

Escape

  • 40,000 miles
At around 40K miles I started to notice pulsating when I apply the brakes. More pulsating the harder brakes are applied. At slower speed, near stopping I can hear clicking souind as well in the brakes. At 45K miles the rear brakes and "warped" rotors were replaced by the dealer. The front brakes have sufficient thickness so they did not require replacement. But the front brakes continue the problem of pulsating / vibration upon applying the brakes. This is not normal and should not be happening after only 40K miles. Dealer says it is not dangerous and warped rotors should be replaced when brake pads are replaced. I should not have to put up with vibration, noise and inconvenience of this problem. I do mormal street and highway driving.

- Pittsburgh, PA, USA

problem #13

Mar 252018

Escape

  • 38,000 miles
Brake vacuum pump locked up while driving causing loss of brakes. I was going 70 on interstate at the time had to use both feet to get the car to slow down. Lucky there was no traffic on the exit because I was unable to stop running the stop light.

- Harahan, LA, USA

problem #12

Sep 152017

Escape

  • 57,000 miles
Breaking makes knocking sound

- North Easton, MA, USA

problem #11

Jun 072017

Escape

  • 0 miles
"takata recall"......I stopped by 7-11 atm to get some money and other items...upon returning to my vehicle I noticed it would not start. The dashboard said it was in reverse even though it was in park mode. I spend approximately 3.5 hours on the phone with the Ford Motor Company trying to get some real help. After no success, I went thru three different customer service reps who were not knowledgeable on how to handle a vehicle that was disabled, stuck in reverse and would not start. I ended up calling aaa and had it towed to my own mechanic because I called three Ford dealership stated that it would be at least 2-3 weeks before someone could check out my vehicle. In addition, they were not cooperative in helping me get a rental car either and stated they would not cover the cost of renting a car. My own mechanic who has serviced all my vehicles and there has never been an issue... advised me that the brake cable or something to that effect was broken. I just don't understand how that is possible since I just purchased the vehicle 10/2016. This is the second time in 9 months I've had issues with Ford and their faulty products. April 2017 Ford motors settled with me over my 2013 Ford Focus which was in an out of the shop since March 2015. I've had to go thru numerous agencies to get any real help. I've spoken with my mechanic today and was given an approx estimate of $700 to repair and my car won't be available until next week. In addition, it's costing $170 to rent a car to get back and forth to school and work until Monday. I am looking for Ford to reimburse me for my expenses and cost to repair my vehicle. Or the other alternative is to buy back the vehicle. I will never purchase another vehicle from Ford again.

- San Leandro, CA, USA

problem #10

May 302017

Escape 4-cyl

  • 27,000 miles
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. While driving approximately 45 mph, the contact's vehicle was involved in a front end collision with another vehicle because the brake pedal failed to function. The failure occurred without warning. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to an unknown dealer, but the cause of the failure could not be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle status had not yet been determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The driver sustained minor bruises and scrapes, which did not require medical attention. The failure mileage was approximately 27,000. Updated 06/23/17 *** customer request immediate deletion of complaint.

- Van Nuys, CA, USA

problem #9

Dec 072016

Escape

  • 3,200 miles
My Ford has only 3200 miles purchased 01/28/2015. The dealer set the back brake rotors needed to machined down. I did not agree and demanded new rotors be installed due to my bumper to bumper warranty 3 years or 36,000 miles. The Ford dealer refused said this is not Ford's policy. Dealer said maybe I do not drive it enough. I said than why aren't the front rotors the same way. This Ford dealer was hoffman Ford in harrisburg pa. I went to another dealer and had a discussion about my brake rotor problem. That dealer stated that many of the parts are manufactured overseas and sometimes the rotors are not hardened enough. To satisfy the customer they would have put new rotors on the vehicle. My concerned is a possible recall should be made on these vehicles due to a possible safety issue I am demanding my Ford Escape have new rotors on the rear of the vehicle due to low mileage of only 3,200 miles when the car was taken into the dealership because I told them the rotors are most likely too soft and that is causing the problem. Again, they refused and machined the rotors down now I have the same problem with the rotors. I also asked them to replace the brake pads but they refused. Any vehicle repair shop knows if you machine the rotors you also need to replace the brake pads. I consider this a major safety violation and I also want to file a complaint against hoffman Ford dealership for failure to follow Ford warranty work. I believe customers all over the country are having the same issue but Ford is covering up the soft rotor problem due to cost of replacement, you can contact me at *** *******. the problem was hear by a passenger in the back seat as I was driving from pittsburgh pa to harrisburg pa, the vehicle was in motion.

- Harrisburg, PA, USA

problem #8

Jan 182017

Escape

  • 3,400 miles
My Ford had 3200 miles on the car and both back brake rotors had to be machined. I wanted new rotor and brakes on the car but hoffman Ford refused to put new rotors and brakes on the vehicle. I think the rotors are soft material and not harded enough from the factory. Remember it only had 3200 miles and this should be on a recall list for possible safety violation and extra costs to the customer. Soft rotors from the Ford motor and hoffman Ford in harrisburg pa could be a national safety problem and expensive repairs for vehicle owners. I will go to the new paper if not corrected. I want new rotors and pads on my car whilr its under bumper to bumper warranty 3 years or 36000 miles.

- Harrisburg, PA, USA

problem #7

Dec 052015

Escape

  • 22,100 miles
After only 22,000 miles, I had to pay for new pads and rotors on the rear brakes. The dealer repaired the brakes but refused to cover the cost under a warranty claim. The service ticket blamed the failure on a "found left rear inside pad metal to metal, found slide rusted up"!

- Whiting, NJ, USA

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