2015 Ford Escape Complaint Log

On 4-13-26 an unknown subject hit my wife head on causing significant damage to our vehicle. None of the airbags deployed causing injury to my wife’s forehead, right foot and left knee

Vehicle has 126,000 miles on it and has a coolant intrusion into the engine. This has also caused my heater to go out with a weird smell and making the engine shake when driving.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact was concerned about driving the vehicle due to a potential fire risk. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention) and 26V011000 (Equipment). An appointment was scheduled with the local dealer who confirmed that the parts were on backorder. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Additionally, the vehicle was scheduled to be towed to the local dealer. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.

(1) What happened? Suddenly the rear camera screen went blank. It took me half a second to realize the problem and to react and automatically stepping the breaks. Luckily, there was no one behind the car. (2) What component or system failed or malfunctioned? Rear Camera View/Screen. (3) Is it available for inspection upon request? Yes. (4) How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Other people and my self was in very high risk! (5) Has the problem been reproduced? Yes, many times after the first incident! (6) Confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? There is an open recall for this problem already, but Ford dealer refuses to fixed it! (7) Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No warnings, no messages. Rear camera view/screen goes blue and then a warning is shown on the screen.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse(R), the rear-view camera became inoperable. The rear-view camera intermittently failed, with the image fluctuating and failing to properly operate. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The approximate failure mileage was 180,000.

THE FORD ESCAPE WAS PARKED IN A PARKING LOT AND THEN APPROXIMATELY 10-15 MINUTES LATER IT CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDER THE HOOD.

Took care & kept up with car maintenance quite regularly, including oil and transmission fluid drain & fills. No signs of any issues. Going uphill and suddenly transmission starts slipping and pump is suddenly whirring loud. No urgent lights or dash messages. Drove it a little further (i was already super close to my destination) and within a minute the car is violently jerking. Loud metal bangs and clank sounds and lost power. RPMs up but can’t get into gear. It will jerk & move by itself at idle because can’t stay in park either. Still no warning message. Got it towed—dealership found NO transmission codes, but found one code, p0219, engine over speed; most likely from the RPMs spiking due to the slippage. The trans fluid level was ok but it was black and burnt, despite being serviced months ago. They confirmed it will need a total replacement transmission.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while reversing at an undisclosed speed, the rearview camera was intermittently distorted or was inoperative. The failure had occurred on several occasions. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 2569V5000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the rearview camera became inoperable. The rearview camera image failed to function properly and intermittently failed to display. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact was informed that parts were only distributed to repair Ford Mustangs associated with the recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The approximate failure mileage was 92,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the rearview camera became inoperable and the image appeared blank. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the remedy parts required to complete the recall repair were not yet available. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time to provide the recall remedy. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

The contact owned a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V331000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages); and requested to be removed from the recall distribution list because she no longer owns the vehicle. The vehicle was deemed a total loss. The dealer and the manufacturer were not contacted.

The back up/rear view camera display a blank or distorted image while in reverse and has reduced and distorted my view of what is behind in not one, but on both my 2015 Fords which have been recalled. I have come close on several occasions to having an accident. I got a letter from Ford confirming both cars are in a recall in October of 2025. We are now 6 months later and the service department at my Ford dealer has no answers. This is insane - 6 moths for both cars and they have no answers!! This is dangerous and it is infuriating that there is still no fix?!?!?!?!? This problem has been going on in both cars now at least 24 months. I want to dump them and never drive a Ford again, but I cannot afford to at this time. HELP!!!

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while reversing, the rearview camera was inoperative. The failure had occurred on several occasions. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was not available.

Transmission failure in traffic. Just stopped engaging the gears. Transmission has failed and needs to be replaced.

The rear-view camera hasn't worked for several months. I was going to get it repaired until I received the recall letter in October of 2025. I use this when backing up and need to see how far from the vehicle behind me is. Just curious, how long before this has been resolved?

I recently purchased this vehicle. The driver seatbelt does not retract snugly when fastened. The tensioner is not working. I am afraid it will not hold me if I crash. I will fix this. It is a serious safety issue!

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the rearview camera became inoperable. The rearview camera intermittently failed to function properly, and the screen was blank. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 61,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the rearview camera was intermittently inoperable, but the failure became permanent. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the recall part was not yet available. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was unreachable. The failure mileage was approximately 96,478.

Service engine warning light came on. When checked, coolant was found to be leaking into cylinder 3 due to the engine block being porous. Service center said they see this a lot in this particular engine.

Upon putting car in reverse backup camera screen shows upside picture. Upon putting car in reverse backup camera screen goes completely black Being a senior driver the backup camera system is a huge safety necessity

See attached document for complaint. I am writing regarding the above-referenced recall for my 2015 Ford Escape. In October 2025, I received notice of the recall related to my vehicle. However, prior to receiving this notice, in September 2025, I opted to have my local Ford Dealership replace the camera because I felt very unsafe without the feature after becoming accustomed to it. At the time of service, the dealership informed me that there were no recalls posted for my vehicle, so I paid a total of $531.39 out of pocket for the replacement. I would like to inquire if it is possible to receive a refund for some or all of the charges I paid for the replacement. The dealership advised me that they were unable to process this request and that I needed to contact you directly. I have attached a copy of my invoice for your review. Thank you in advance for your consideration of my request. Contact

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while reversing, the back over prevention camera displayed a distorted or upside-down image. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The contact had previously received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION); and was informed by the local dealer that the part for the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

Transmission failure at 79211 miles. Vehicle has been serviced and maintained regularly. Transmission shop stated this is a "very common issue" with this specific transmission, that they see failures frequently. This occurred just a month or two after the recall repair for the shifter cable bushing. Front left wheel speed sensor also went bad around the same time, causing traction control to engage specifically when turning left even on dry roads and at lower speeds. Also occurred when vehicle was in reverse, at low speeds. This also caused the "intelligent 4WD" (hill assist and acceleration assist) to fail/shut down and all indicators on the dashboard went to blank/dashes. This occurred the first time while stopped at a stop sign facing uphill. It occurred as second time days later WHILE DRIVING 35MPH.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was notified about the recall and confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that while in reverse(R), the rearview camera display either a blank or a distorted image. The failure mileage was unknown.

MIL activated, reported misfire in cylinder 2. Attempted to replace spark plugs but they had seized. Took to dealership: was told coolant leaked into cylinder and entire engine needed to be replaced. Technician said this was common with Ecoboost engines for this model year, but not enough to merit a recall. Cost to replace engine more than the vehicle is worth

- The car loses coolant while the engine is running. This coolant loss is nearly imperceptible, except that the car's heat stopped working reliably. If the car is left idling with the heat on, it does not become warm. It only begins to become warm at higher speeds, then loses heat after slowing down.There are no easily visible coolant leaks. - If I had not caught it in time, the car could have overheated, causing a breakdown and emergency stop. - I have reproduced the problem, but it has not been brought to a dealer. - It has not yet been inspected. -There were no warning lights, I only noticed the coolant loss because I observed the radiator not working and checked under the hood. - The car is still available to be inspected, and is safe to drive short distances if the coolant is topped off.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 75 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly started to decelerate even though the RPM was extremely elevated. There was a high-pitched whine coming from the vehicle, and the tires screeched before the vehicle came to an abrupt stop, ceasing all functions. The contact turned off the vehicle in the middle of the interstate because the vehicle could not be moved to the shoulder. A passerby assisted with pushing the vehicle to the side of the road using a push bar. The contact stated that the steering wheel had seized. The vehicle was restarted, and the message “Transmission Fault - Service Immediately” was displayed, followed by the check engine warning light becoming illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 132,000. The VIN was not available.

The transmission just failed. No warning lights or anything. I was just driving along and it started to flutter then it hesitated and went into limp mode. Took it to the shop and it they said it needs a whole new transmission.

Drivers side, front seatbelt buckle is not latching properly without multiple attempts. Release latch seems to stick when depressed to release the belt, so then will not latch the next time it is inserted.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the rearview camera was inoperable. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.

When are the parts available for back up camera and block heater I don’t want my car to start on fire so I want it fixed

Unknown coolant leak. Coolant is being lost somewhere in the engine no visible leaks. Added coolant several times.

Cabin lost heat November 2025. Brought it in to the local Ford dealership right away and they said replacing replacing the oil cooler hose will probably fix it. Car worked fine for a couple of weeks but the cabin heat tapered off again. Made another appointment with the Ford dealership, but the first available appointment wasn’t until 2/23/26. I tried to drive anywhere as little as possible after this because I live in Fairbanks, AK and it’s commonly -30 this time of the year. Tried to leave work on [XXX] and a warning came up as I started driving away that the engine was overheating and power was reduced to minimize damage. I put my car back in my work parking spot and plugged it in until I could get an appointment at a local mechanic shop. Had the car towed to a local shop 1/6/26 and they inspected it 1/7/26. The report came back saying there was an internal coolant leak and found hydrocarbons in the cooling system. The recommended fix was to replace the entire engine with a quote for $12,000. That is more than I paid for the vehicle and way over the Kelly Blue Book worth. I did some research and found that there is a common coolant leak issue damaging engines of a certain range of Ford vehicles that has not become an official recall yet. I looked at other Ford Escape owner complaints and it looks like my 2015 Escape 1.6L has the same engine defect. I’m afraid if I pay for the engine replacement, this will just happen again. If I don’t pay, I still owe for my lease and will only get pennies to sell it as is for parts. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact pulled over to the side of the road, and after several attempts, the vehicle restarted but continued to stall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not available. The contact stated that occasionally, while shifted in reverse, the rearview camera failed to display as intended and was possibly impacted by severe weather conditions. No warning light was illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that during colder weather, the heater failed to operate as intended while activated. After further inspection, the coolant reservoir was abnormally low. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was determined that the coolant level was extremely low. The coolant reservoir was refilled; however, the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

A few months ago I received a letter in the mail concerning my vehicles backup camera being requested for a recall and that a replacement will be sent over. At this time I still don’t have the replacement backup camera.

Vehicle Information: 2015 Ford Escape – approximately 165,000 miles Incident Description: During normal operation while backing out of a parking space, the vehicle unexpectedly slipped out of the drive gear immediately after I shifted from reverse to drive. There were no warning lights, messages, or prior symptoms indicating a potential issue. After restarting the vehicle, it briefly engaged drive but was only able to travel approximately ten feet before abruptly shifting through multiple gears without any driver input. During each occurrence, the engine surged to unusually high RPMs despite no acceleration being applied. Safety Concerns: The unintended gear changes were accompanied by loud whining noises, and the vehicle was unable to remain in any gear long enough to be operated safely. This failure left the vehicle immobilized on a main roadway, causing a traffic backup and creating a hazardous situation for myself, my children, and surrounding motorists. Current Vehicle Condition: After the vehicle was towed home, I attempted several restarts. At no time did any warning indicators or a check‑engine light illuminate. Each attempt resulted in the transmission immediately disengaging from gear when shifted into either drive or reverse, accompanied by continued loud whining noises and repeated engine surging to high RPMs without throttle input. The vehicle is currently inoperable. Additional Details: I plan to take the vehicle to Keith Hawthorne Ford for diagnostic evaluation. I am concerned that this failure may be related to a previously repaired transmission recall, as the recall documentation states that the defect may recur and could require additional corrective action. The dealership is currently requiring a diagnostic fee of $199.95 to inspect the vehicle.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost automotive power. The contact stated that while shifting the gear shifter, the current gear did not appear on the instrument panel. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The "Transmission Fault Service Now" and "Low Temperature Will Reduce Power" messages were displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that the vehicle was turned off and restarted and returned to normal operation. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the alternator needed to be replaced. The contact was concerned that it was an inaccurate diagnosis. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.

We had to replace the engine about 4 years ago and we’re still getting gas smell into the cabin. About 3 years ago, we broke down on the road because the transmission quit. All our repairs have been done through Ford service department. We are now broke down again because of the transmission. Something has to be done with the Ford Escape!

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while in reverse(R), the center digital screen failed to show a clear rear-view image as intended, with a blank white screen displayed. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed at the owner's expense that the rear-view camera needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the expense. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

The 6F35 transmission in my vehicle is shuddering and it seems like it’s going to possibly mess up my engine or anything else soon. It also jerks a bit forward from 0-25 along with gears slipping. This has almost caused an accident for me.

I purchased this vehicle $9000 cash from Toyota Morgan City in Morgan City Louisiana the end of September 2025 on a Saturday, not even a week later the car shifts real hard and it’s an automatic. You can see the rpm going up but the car steaks and then shifts hard to where it jerks. I called the car dealership where I purchased, they “looked” at the car and told me that it was not a problem they could fix because it was the transmission that Ford put in the cars. And proceeded to tell me that they were sorry that I need a new transmission but that’s not there problem and for me to take it to a Ford dealership even though I purchased from them. Why is this not a recall if you’re putting faulty transmissions in?

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. The VIN was not available

The back up camera I just picked the date I don’t know what the date was

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated while reversing, the rearview camera failed to display a rearview image. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by the dealer or an independent mechanic. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention), which included the VIN, but the part was not yet available for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 42,910.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the rear-view camera system displayed a blank screen. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part for the recall repair was not available. The contact stated that parts were not available, and the unrepaired recall was costing him money for his business. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION). However, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the rear-view camera displayed a distorted image or a black screen while the vehicle was in reverse(R). The failure obstructed the driver's visibility, which prevented the driver from safely operating the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera displayed a blurry image. The contact stated that the image was foggy. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while shifted into reverse(R), the rearview camera displayed an upside-down image. No warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 16,000.