2013 Ford Escape Complaint Log

The smell of gas is overwhelming. It reeks of gas and there was a recall on the 2013 Ford Escape for this reason, yet this vehicle isn’t associated with the recall. No mechanic will look at it due to the strong emission of gas.

Steering assist fault goes on and off in vehicle. Speedometer and odometer stop working.

December of 2022 - Took car to shop due to engine overheat light and oil smell inside vehicle as well as other "codes coming up. Vehicle was repaired. May 2023 had to take car back to shop due to cranking and it immediately saying engine overheating, low coolant, and various other codes as well as brakes not properly functioning. Repair shop said it was low on coolant and added fluid, stated no leaks and returned vehicle. But repair shop shows it pulled 15 codes, including loss of communication with ABS control module A as well as 3 other "lost communication with" codes and the engine overheating. The NEXT day we had the same issues and had to put it back in the shop. They flushed system and replaced motor because a bad head gasket caused oil to mix with the water (again). Got the vehicle back July 10th and the traction control and braking felt off as it had before in Dec 2022 but then was fine. Noticed on 7/11 that there appeared to be something in the fluid tank that shouldn't be there (like black chunks) and called the repair shop to see about scheduling another diagnostic. On 7/13 my son was driving from work and the engine suddenly stalled saying overheating when it wasn't showing overheating. Pulled over, started to crank it back up and it was fine. On 7/14 on his was to work, he pulled to the edge of the roadway to miss multiple deer in the road and was unable to steer the vehicle back onto the roadway. The traction control kicked in and he could not steer the car back onto the road, brakes did not work and ended up causing him to crash. I have driven the car a few times when traction control would kick in when it really shouldn't and it would not allow me to steer, accelerate, or really do anything until it shut back off.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while the vehicle was idling at a stop light, the engine temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that there was coolant mixing with the engine oil. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 110,000.

The contact's wife owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his wife was starting the vehicle, the message "Power Steering Assist Fault" was displayed, and the steering wheel was significantly difficult to steer. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the failure was related to an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was a coolant intrusion into the engine, and the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to tow the vehicle to another dealer for a second opinion. The vehicle was towed to Asheboro Ford, Inc. (1602 E Dixie Dr, Asheboro, NC 27203) who provided the same result. Additionally, the second dealer diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V551000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 76,236.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle shuddered abnormally before stalling. The contact waited for a while before restarting the vehicle; however, while driving, the failure recurred with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed and it was determined that coolant was leaking into cylinder #3 due to a fractured gasket, causing the engine to fail. The vehicle had since become inoperable. The contact was made aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V551000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 126,724.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message "Engine Overheated" displayed, and the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where an engine sensor was replaced; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was then towed to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the engine head had cracked and coolant had leaked into the engine cylinders. The contact was advised that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000.

“Steering Assist Fault - Service Required” Two weeks of intermittent loss of power steering, regained by turning the car on and off again, to complete power steering loss. Very difficult to steer and park the vehicle. Many online forum with ‘13 Escape owners experiencing similar issue with no resolution.

My 2013 Ford Escape, bought in September 2022 with a new engine, has been problematic. It initially worked well but lost transmission power less than a year later. I managed to drive it home, but it hasn't worked since. Two repair shops confirmed a needed new transmission, costing $6,000, and found metal shavings in the fluid. There were no warning signs before the failure. Before the transmission issue, the car needed repairs for a significant oil leak. I haven't driven it for two years due to high repair costs, yet I pay $500 monthly, causing financial strain. The dealership advised against a warranty, saying the new engine's warranty would cover issues for three years. I declined the warranty, but when the transmission failed, the dealership refused coverage, reflecting poorly on their practices. Similar complaints from other owners suggest a systemic issue, possibly warranting a recall. The lack of warning signs indicates a design or manufacturing flaw. This situation has caused financial hardship and inconvenience, turning the promise of a reliable vehicle into a nightmare. I pay $500 monthly for a non-functional car, money that could be used elsewhere. The dealership's refusal to honor the warranty feels like a betrayal, prioritizing profits over customer satisfaction. The pattern of transmission failures across vehicles suggests a need for a recall to address safety concerns and help affected owners. In conclusion, my experience with my 2013 Ford Escape has been frustrating and disappointing. From the oil leak to the transmission failure, the vehicle has been troublesome. The lack of warning signs, high repair costs, and the dealership's refusal to honor the warranty have worsened the issue. I urge Ford to take responsibility and initiate a recall for customer safety and satisfaction.

On more than one occasion, on vehicle start up. I have no power assist steering. If I wait 5 to 10 seconds it starts working.

Received Ford 2013 Escape recall #22S43. Took my car to Moon township Ford, Moon Twp PA on 6/27/2023 for PA inspection and recall repair. I was informed that the vehicle would not pass inspection unless I paid $612.00 for the bushing. They deny knowledge of recall even thought I left a copy in the vehicle when it was dropped off. Took car away from them today. In addition, my appt. was made 1 MONTH in advance of 6/27/2023 @ 8:30. I was informed at 4:00 pm it had not been looked at yet and asked for $612 for the bushing part. This is unacceptable and I will now seek legal recourse

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the message "Power Steering Assist Fault" was displayed, and the steering wheel was difficult to turn in either direction. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the steering rack was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 104,000.

On 6/15,2023, upon starting my car after being parked, a warning message appeared briefly about a "steering fault." The message quickly disappeared. Upon driving the car, I noticed I had lost power steering. I was forced to drive my car home without power steering. Fortunately, the distance was only a few miles, and with caution I was able to get home safely. This problem has been reported by other 2013 Ford Escape drivers, some of whom have lost power steering while driving, which is a significant safety concern. I will be making a service appointment at my local Ford dealer today. Other 2013 Ford Escape drivers have reported online that this repair may cost $1500-3000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled and lost motive power. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure had been persistent. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure could not be duplicated. In addition, the vehicle had been taken to the dealer several times in the past for the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 42,900.

Electric Power Steering system has had multiple issues including failing twice while driving in traffic. These vehicles are unsafe to drive.

While driving down the highway, I suddenly got an alert that my coolant was low, and then that my engine was overheating. My car started slowing down, and I got a warning message to safely stop as soon as possible. I was barely made able to make it off the highway - And I am very glad I was not in traffic or going faster when it happened. I towed the vehicle to a Ford dealer who told me that the water pump needs to be replaced. I checked online and saw that many other 2013 Ford escapes had this part recalled, but my vehicle is not part of this recall. I have kept good care of my car and the vehicle only has about 60,000 miles on it. It seems like this part is clearly defective and my vehicle should be included in this recall.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, a message that the engine was overheating and would soon shut down was displayed. The vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact was able to pull over on the side of the road and checked under the hood and noticed that the coolant level was low. The contact added coolant, and the vehicle operated normally. The dealer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V583000 (Engine). The manufacturer was contacted but provided no additional assistance and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 123,000.

Coolant leaks into the engine of my 2013 Ford Escape. This trips the coolant warning light on the instrument panel, prompting me to refill the coolant reservoir. I travel with a container of coolant and have so far been able to avoid fire or engine failure. But coolant leaking into the engine is an obvious, ongoing safety issue. The problem has been occurring for at least two years. I've taken the vehicle to two mechanics, who both have run pressure tests on the coolant system, have ruled out hose failures or other external causes of coolant loss and diagnosed the problem as coolant leaking into the engine. One of them said it is due to an engine design defect. I filed a complaint with Ford on June 2, 2023. The Ford representative I spoke with said there are no recalls on the vehicle and company has made no comment on the complaint. The case number is 43147023. This is a known problem with Ford's 1.6L EcoBoost engine which powers this vehicle.

Yesterday, while driving my Ford Escape, all of a sudden, my steering wheel became near impossible to steer - very difficult to be able to control enough to contain the vehicle and pull to a stop. It was so scary. I was just arriving home, but if this had happened on the Interstate or the State Highway I had just traveled, I am not certain I could have safely gotten my Escape off of the Highway without an accident. * Without prior warning, the steering wheel was so very hard to turn. * Trying to see what was happening, I looked at the Message which had popped up, ( There was not a message noted prior to the near inability to physically force the steering wheel to turn.) * The message said: Steering Assist Fault - Service Required (That is the 1st time that message had been

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that coolant was leaking from the vehicle. The contact added coolant, but the coolant continued leaking from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic however, the mechanic could not find a coolant leak. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that there was no recall on the VIN. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and advised the contact to take the vehicle to a dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was 113,000.

MY ANTENNA CAME OFF. CAN'T LISTEN TO RADIO. STATIC

After making a turn on multiple occasions, an error code appeared that said ‘power steering assist’ had failed, and immediately my steering wheel locked and I was unable to steer to get to the side of the road. It caused danger to myself and other drivers on the road, having many near misses when these incidents occurred.

This 2000 Ford escape only has 23,111 miles on it. The transmission is whining like crazy and sometimes slips. I feel it is a faulty transmission and should be replaced with such low mileage. I cannot afford to pay for this, so it Hass to be under a recall.

My coolant is disappearing daily. I’m putting at least three containers a week in the engine is overheating. I took my vehicle in for service. They had it for five weeks and told me nothing was wrong with it and did all kinds of diagnostic testing. I found a recall 13S12 which pertains to the exact situation. However, when I put in my Vin number, this recall is not coming up I don’t know if my vehicle was serviced for this. It states that the eighth digit of the Vin number will be a letter X, mine is a letter X potential outcome can be my engine, catching on fire and nobody will listen to me.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the low coolant warning light was displayed on the instrument panel with heavy white smoke coming from the tailpipe. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was discovered that coolant had leaked into cylinder #3, causing engine failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The contact was given a case number and was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for further assistance. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.

The gear shift is locked in the neutral position. I took my baby took the aquarium the car drove fine we live 2 hours away. Upon leaving I was unable to shift the car into the drive position. The gear shift moved from park to neutral and would not move. The car displayed it was in neutral even though the car seemed like it was in the parked position. Applied emergency break but was unable to fix gear shift. Had to Uber with a baby 2 hours home because we were stranded.

Escape was overheating and coolant leaking onto engine and transmission. Repaired coolant line. Oil leaking. Transmission codes showing all over. Need transmission. Dealership and other mechanics not understanding why my 2013 isn’t part of the recall. I can’t afford a transmission.

I have had 3 unidentified coolant leaks of unknown origin. SUV is losing coolant. After driving approximately 120 miles the car is losing coolant. Mechanic could not find. Transmission had to be re[laced at 100k miles Also, the low tire light stays on when correct pounds are in the car.

My steering is suddenly bad. Rack and pinions.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an unknown speed, the low coolant warning light illuminated. The contact stated that two days later while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed the contact that coolant was leaking into the cylinder block causing a blown head gasket. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and provided the contact with a case number and referred her to the NHTSA Hotline. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V551000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.

The shift gear got stuck. It appeared to be in park while it was not in park. So the shift gear was stuck in park while the car was in Standard mode and it moved when I lifted my foot off the breaks. This put me and my friend at risk as we were stuck on the road trying to shift gear to “Drive” but it wouldn’t. Also we couldn’t stop the car. During that time the engine light and the battery lights were on. It seems that Ford dealerships have recalled millions of cars in 2022 for the same problem. Why was my car not recalled and fixed? This has placed my life and my friends life who was with me in danger.

I was in an accident on 5/13/2023 and I got hit head on in the front. None of my airbags came out.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, both a check engine light and a warning message instructing her to pull over immediately appeared on the instrument panel. The contact pulled into a parking lot as white smoke began to fill the engine cabin. The contact opened the hood and saw that a flame had ignited inside the engine. The occupants inside the vehicle exited as the police officers who happened to be on scene were able to suppress the fire with fire extinguishers. The fire department later arrived and managed to fully extinguish the fire. No injuries were reported and a police report was filed. The vehicle remained at the scene and had yet to be towed. The dealer nor the manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The contact stated that those same warning lights had flashed two months prior to the failure. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where an unknown hose had burst which led to the overheating failure. The contact was informed that the hose was replaced and that the failure was remedied. The vehicle had yet to be deemed a total loss. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000.

The water pump failed and it caused my head gasket in my engine to go.

Transmission gave out twice while driving, causing the car to stop in an unsafe area. (in 2022) Gasket issue again causing he car to overheat, driving, car felt like it was going to explode, had it towed and they now say car needs a new engine. I have spent 15,000 to fix this car in the last two years something is seriously wrong with the quality of this car. Ford needs to stand behind their vehicles better, their recalls need to be for all the cars built in this timeframe not just certain vins, it's apparent it is pertaining to my VIN number even though Ford is telling me it's not.

This car constantly stops in mid traffic. I have taken it everywhere and they can’t seem to find anything wrong. I’ve call ford a hundred times and nothing.

Rear view camera image suddenly turned upside down when backing and image remains upside down. This disables my parking assistance and safely backing up. Ford agency can’t fix it and new cameras are so backordered they don’t know when they can get it. Why didn’t recent camera recall also cover the 2013 Escapes?

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle was leaking engine oil. The contact stated that after leaving the vehicle running for an extended period, there was smoke coming from the vehicle. The check engine warning light and engine overheating message was displayed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where they diagnosed that the failure was with the cylinder block. The vehicle was then towed to a dealer and the contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall related to the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the vehicle was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 86,136.

The car is loosing cooling fluid. I need to fill every weeks at least or every couple days in the hot days

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number 16V643000 (Latches, Locks, Linkages) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. Part distribution disconnect.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that coolant was leaking into engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 108,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling at a railroad stop, she depressed the accelerator pedal; however, the vehicle failed to respond. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact then stated that after several attempts, the vehicle accelerated at a slow speed. The contact pulled into the parking lot of a transmission shop and turned the vehicle off. The vehicle was inspected by a technician and the contact was informed that the transmission failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that prior to the failure, upon taking the vehicle for an oil change, she was informed by the technician that there was a leak in the transmission and that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised to call the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000.

Ford two-piece lug nuts distort during installation/removal as a result of regular vehicle servicing, tire replacement or rotation, brake maintenance, and other maintenance requiring removal of tires. “Swollen” lug nuts with Ford vehicles is a well known safety issue. Many service outlets, including dealers refuse to service tires due to lug nut issues. Due to this issue, it is impossible to determine if appropriate torque requirements are met during installation. This may result in broken lugs, improperly torqued nuts, stranded drivers on major roadways causing traffic hazards, or complete failure resulting in vehicle crash. This is a safety critical issue that should be addressed by FoMoCo, and not be a cost burden passed on to the consumer. Please take necessary steps to enact a recall campaign for these improperly designed two-piece lug nuts.

When turning right my steering locked up randomly. It felt like resistance when turning but then would suddenly break free and turn. It didn’t do it again so far. If there was a car there I would have hit them.

Fords recall 22V413000 was not repaired the shifter thing cause me to send my car into the unknown hands of two different texas dealerships after the 1st dealerships service on that recall ford sent me a letter stating after a quality assessment they were not sure the tech completed the job they were billed for and ask me to take it to a dealer to have it checked for that issue and was told I needed a new alternator less than 30 day later while driving the car quit shifting correctly would not shift into reverse. Transmission fault service soon lite up and the same second dealership told me the transmission clutch had burned up and it would cost me $ 5,700.00 to replace it with a new transmission. Now I’m totally without transportation

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle for routine maintenance, she was informed by the technician that the coolant overflow bottle was low. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low coolant warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The contact was informed that the VIN was previously included in an unknown coolant leak recall and the vehicle was repaired under the recall. The vehicle did not receive a second repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 94,000.

Steering assist fault in motor. Ability to steer vehicle went out while driving. This occured without warning while driving on the road in traffic.

Steering assist light comes on when I turn vehicle on without warning. It makes it very hard to turn the wheel when it comes on. The light turns off when I restart the vehicle, but comes on again 24-32 hours later. It has not been inspected. There were no warning lamps or messages, or symptoms of the problem appeared 04-17-23

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the coolant low warning light illuminated. The contact stated that she refilled the coolant reservoir; however, the coolant low and the check engine warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the Auto Zone and was diagnosed with a cylinder misfire. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the head gasket failed to seal properly letting coolant into the combustion chamber causing misfire to the engine and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 139,000.