2016 Ford Escape Complaint Log

Transmission failed while in motion; car slipped into reverse while at a light. Had to pull off and have car towed. It is now undrivable. Transmission must be replaced.

FORD 04/29/22: Brought my 2016 Ford Escape Titanium to dealership in Bremerton, WA when engine light was on and engine began shuddering on a cold start. Mechanic found P034 for a #4 engine miss. Removed #4 plug & found some buildup on coil boot. Replaced plugs &#4 coil boot. Installed SP550 spark plug, CB5Z 124402 A boot, ignition wire prot, replaced spark plugs and 2 worn coil boots. Completed fuel induction service & installed 201 fuel injection cleaner. Total: $1,097.31 05/13/22: Return to dealership to report engine light on again & intermittent shudder on cold start. Mechanic found P304 present. Passed relative compression test. After cold starting vehicle for a few days, mechanic verified reported concern. Pressure tested cooling system, removed #4 spark plug. Using bore scope, found coolant seeping into cylinder. Recommended engine replacement due to coolant intrusion into cylinder. Dealership submitting to Ford for good will. Awaiting response. Mileage: 51,158 Service manager informed me my car was “safe to drive”

While operating vehicle, it suddenly made a noise, almost like a bang. Then engine then revved to 8000 rpm. Immediately following that I could no longer advance forward while pressing the gas pedal. I had to get to the side of the road as best I could. I was in a dangerous situation. Once at the side of the road, the vehicle would not advance forward or backward. There were no warning lights illuminated on the console. I looked under the hood and did not see anything leaking or out of the ordinary. My vehicle had to be towed. I towed it to my usual mechanic who evaluated it and said the transmission was no longer functional and needs to be replaced or rebuilt. He checked the transmission fluid and stated it was at the appropriate level and the appropriate color/clarity. He checked for recalls and stated there were none, but saw there were many other complaints of this same issue.

I had no warning signs nor lights on dashboard; pulled to a stop and went to leave and put it in drive and heard a major clunking noise inwhich I thought I hit a rock, the car would not go in any of the gears. If I had been driving while the transmission went out or dropped I could have caused an accident or even worse killed someone or myself. The car is being towed to dealership now. I just spent $1100 replacing arms and outer tie rods ends yesterday at the dealership. I am extremely upset and I know there are over 350 complaints about the 2016 Ford escape transmission problems!

My shift control cable broke in someone’s driveway when I was picking up something for free by road. I was stuck in reverse and had to call a tow truck and with everything, cost me more than $700 with fixing my car and towing. Please help me get reimbursed! My email is [XXX]. Just a girl trying to pay off school and then a newly recalled part on my car broke back in April. I called Ford when it happened and there was not a recall then. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 15 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power, decelerated, and then stalled. The contact indicated that the vehicle would no longer drive forward or in reverse however, the engine was still running. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 100,150.

The Ford Escape has been a problem since I bought it the tranny went out at 110,000 and the head gasket blew at 140,000 still paying on the car with major problems

The contact owned a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that when the vehicle was in the park position on top of a hill and after they returned approximately a short time later they returned finding the vehicle rolled down the hill and crashed into a tree. The vehicle was towed and deemed totaled. A police report was not filed. There were no injuries. The dealer was not informed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

On April 10, 2022, I received the check engine light indicator on my 2016 Ford Escape. I took the vehicle to a local mechanic to be inspected on April 15, 2022. I was informed after a diagnostic that my Vapor Canister Purge Valve was malfunctioning. I was told that the part could be ordered, but it was on backorder in excess of 4,000 orders. I have had the following problems that continue to put myself and other motorist in danger: I am unable to accelerate past 50MPH due to air build up in my engine causing engine stall outs on major roadways and intersections with the inability to restart the vehicle, as well as the inability to safely refuel my vehicle due to restart problems. My car has stalled out on major state highways and interstates, creating unsafe situations for myself and other motorists. Over the past 4 months I have continued to call my mechanic and Ford, with Ford offering no ETA on the production of the needed part.

Engine failed while traveling on state highway Had to coast to a safe parking area Vehicle started after several minutes Engine lights visible before engine failure as engine ran rough Incident occurred twice before returning home. Informed by service mechanic that vehicle needed a purge valve which the local Ford dealer has several valves on back order with no replacement date. Vehicle cannot be driven as losing engine power would be a disaster if I was on a heavily traveled highway. This vehicle has less than 30,000 miles.4

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 68-70 MPH, the vehicle began to decelerate abruptly. The contact did not notice any warning lights being illuminated. The accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to respond and continued to decelerate. The contact stated that as she switched to the right lane, the vehicle began to surge while depressing the accelerator pedal and resumed speed. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer who was not able to duplicate the failure. The contact later received NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the coolant level was low every week and that coolant had to be added frequently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and he stated that there was leak in the water pump and that the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for a diagnosis, and they stated that the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 95,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a faulty driver's side air bag. The dealer informed the contact that the driver's side air bag needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA. The failure mileage was 78,972.

2016 escape rear camera displays upside down. Ford motor just recalled over a million of their vehicles due to safety hazard, Mine is not listed in recall but has exact same safety issue. Contacted FMC and said it's not on the recall list. I ask them to repair just like the others that are being recalled. We bought this new in 2016. They refused although it is an identified safety issue. Thanks [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

2016 Ford Focus SE check engine light code P1450 Malfunctioning Canister Purge Valve / Fuel Tank Vacuum. This error is common and known. This causes the engine to not start after fueling. And engine to buck / stall while in Motion / driving. Yet no recall notice on file for vin.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle and attempting to drive the vehicle, the transmission would hard shift, and the vehicle would hesitate while accelerating. The transmission fault warning message was display on the instrument panel. While driving approximately 70-75 mph, the transmission failed causing the contact to have to coast to the side of the road. The contact waited for a while and restarted the vehicle to see if the transmission would operate correctly. The contact stated that the transmission was shifted into reverse however, the vehicle drove forward instead; and while shifted to drive, the vehicle reversed instead. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who acknowledged that the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) however, the transmission failed and needed to be replaced. The contact was told that the transmission was not covered under warranty due to the warranty mileage being exceeded. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.

I had service at Corwin Ford and inspection showed my lug nuts were in bad need of replacements. We were told there was a defect that was causing them to swell and become unsafe. No recall yet, but we were told add your name to the complaint list so they know how frequent this was a problem.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at 5 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the vehicle was misfiring. Additionally, the independent mechanic diagnosed that cylinder #2 and the spark plugs needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred while driving. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic where cylinder #2 was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that coolant was leaking into cylinder #2 and the engine needed to be replaced. The independent mechanic informed the contact that it was a manufactured defect. The vehicle was being taken to a third independent mechanic for engine replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they were aware of the failure; however, they could not assist as the VIN was not included in a recall regarding the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.

APIM is currently inoperative - no rear camera view. No power to the unit.

Vehicle tire became flat after striking an object in the road. Using the Ford provided equipment in the vehicle I was unable to use the lug nut wrench to remove the original Ford lug nuts from the wheel. It appears the lug nuts had become swollen/deformed and would no longer fit into the provided wrench thereby not allowing me to safely remove the affected tire and install the temporary spare. The vehicle was brought to a Ford dealership for repair. The dealer stated this is a known issue. The lug nuts are at the dealership for inspection if needed. My safety was put at risk as I was unable to remove the flat tire and install the emergency spare. A complaint was filed with Ford Motor Company as well.

Turbocharger failed, leaking exhaust fumes directly into the car cabin. Turbocharger flange warped on the high heat exhaust side due to two of the three support bolts shearing off. Bolts failed because they were a dissimilar metal to the part they were threaded into, and the chemical process between the dissimilar metals weakened the overall strength of the bolts. Once the bolts sheared off, the flange face warped, allowing exhaust fumes to leak into the cabin. The exhaust fumes into the cabin were quite excessive, especially noticeable while parked, and caused headaches and lightheadedness for the occupants. This is a clear manufacturing defect, as any engineer knows not to mix metals in this fashion, and the result was very dangerous to the occupants.

Was with my children leaving a parking lot. Merged onto a busy highway and while trying to accelerate, the car wouldn’t move and RPM’s revved up. Cars were approaching the back of my car very quickly and we were almost rear ended at a high speed. I was able to pull off to the side and call for a tow truck. My very well maintained, 2016 Ford Escape had a transmission failure requiring a replacement with no warning! No warning lights illuminated and the car was not acting up before the failure.

Transmission failure transmission just quit pulling motor accelerated but transmission was like it was in neutral then started making a winning noise had to have vehicle towed home can’t drive it to have it checked calling Ford motor company tomorrow but according to other complaints about this issue probably not going to do anything about it unless somebody makes them recall it sure glad my wife wasn’t on the interstate could have caused a terrible accident so many complaints on the vehicles vehicle did give transmission fault but then went off

The contact owned a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated when attempting to park, the steering wheel locked and the engine accelerated independently fast. As a result, the contact crashed into a curb, over a snow-bank, down the ditch, and came to a stop crashing into a tree. There were no injuries sustained. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The vehicle was totaled. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 60,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle experienced jerking and hesitation while accelerating. Additionally, while on an incline, the vehicle would roll backwards. Eventually the vehicle stalled and was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 50,000.

TRANSMISSION FAILURE

APIM MODULE SHUTS DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING CAUSING GPS, RADIO, BACK UP CAMERA AND REST OF DASH TO GO BLACK

Had to change the front parking lamp. To do this it was necessary to remove the front wheel. Due to swollen lug nuts I could not remove the tire. Tried the wrench on all remaining nuts and found it would not fit on any of them. It is impossible to change a flat tire. Faulty design/manufacturing. I had to replace all 20 lug nuts.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention). The contact stated that on several occasions while in reverse (R), the rear-view camera image was either upside down, blank, or distorted. The vehicle was taken a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the rear-view camera needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

Car gets stuck in overdrive. I was told by someone it has something to do with the turbo boost

I was heading home when my vehicle stopped accelerating or kicking into gear. Fortunately, I was in the neighborhood when this happened, but there were no warning lights when the incident occurred. If this had happened on the interstate, I am sure I would not have been able to safely maneuver the car to the side of the road. I had to completely stop and restart my car for it to kick into gear again. I cannot go more than a quarter mile without it failing. It only has 113,000 miles on it, and the first fluid change was not required until 150,000 miles. I've been told by a mechanic that the entire transmission needs to be replaced. I have been waiting since January 1, and the part is STILL on back-order.

Check codes found B00C0, B00A0, U0455. Passenger seat occupant classification airbag sensor faulty. Affects both airbag passenger and drivers side airbag systems. Dealer service center recommends replacing failed airbag sensor harness system and system reset (approximate repair cost $2700).

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving the vehicle was shaking and failed to accelerate above 3 MPH. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. Additional while, driving the engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the bulb was touching a wire. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was contacted however, no further assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 106,000.

The airbag icon came on and I did not have an accident. I did not bump into anything. I took it to the dealership and they nothing about it. I also had problems with my transmission. The icon never came on about my transmission. I was driving home and the car stop shifting gears. My vehicle is only 5 years old and it should not have a transmission problem. I have only taken my car to the dealership. No other person or mechanic has ever worked on my car. Ford is selling cars that are not operable and safe for the consumer. Ford knows about this problem and they want to charge me over $6,000 for transmission fix. This 2016 Ford Escape should be recalled.

Blown head gasket. Class action lawsuit pending against current issue I am having due to setup of motor and allowing water to sit and deteriorate gaskets. Caused vehicle to overheat while driving. Confirmed by mechanic shop.

Ford Sync 3 system malfunctions randomly. GPS will show inaccurate location and inaccurate directions leading to misguiding down wrong street or wrong ways. Additionally, backup camera may not display on the screen which is a safety hazard when backing up. Problem may be related to the APIM which is a known issue in many of their other vehicles.

During routine oil change, the mechanic informed me that the tires could not be rotated due to swollen lug nuts. In order for other routine maintenance to be performed to ensure the vehicle is in safe operating condition, I had to purchase new lug nuts so the mechanic could complete the maintenance. The mechanic did not have the lug nuts available and I had to pay for labor. The reason the mechanic gave for not removing the swollen lug nuts was the lug nuts are likely to break during removal. In the event I have a flat tire, I would either be unable to remove the nuts myself or would drive with possibly damaged lug nuts. Damaged lug nuts could cause undue stress on other lug nuts, leading to breaks. Broken lug nuts mean tires can fly off cars. This seems like a major safety issue that Ford needs to address.

The ecm become disconnected driving down the road causing the car to loose complete power. 1 week later steering failure warning alert on info cluster immediately followed by complete steering failure alert on info cluster. Loss of steering and control of car. Towed to Asheville Ford & Lincoln in Asheville NC for inspection. Receipt from Asheville Ford & Lincoln provided. Confirmed steering failure. The vehicle was NOT in any accident since my purchase of the car. Prior to my purchase of this car, it was in an accident reported by previous owner and not disclosed by the dealership. I located insurance receipts in glovebox of car where a body shop had done repairs resulting from an accident. My car was under extended warranty at that time however my claim was denied because I used a zip tie to secure the ecm back to the car when it disconnected. I couldn’t get the car in the shop to have it repaired right away and while waiting for an appointment from Ford, the incedent with the steering failure happened. I have plenty of notes, receipts and documentation of this situation and previous repairs made to the car prior to me purchasing it. Please let me know if any further info is needed and I’ll be glad to provide it. Ford instead voided my warranty without any written or verbal notice to me about anything. Still haven’t received a reason my claim was denied in writing.

My engine suffered the coolant intrusion issue that many ford eco boost engines are experiencing. I reached out to ford because its a part of their ford TSB (which I have copies of and sent Ford). I was quoted 12,249$ By the ford dealership to fix my engine, when this is an on going issue with ford ecoboost engines. There were no warnings other than my car overheated once and kept losing coolant into the engine (white smoke from tailpipe) the check engine light finally came on 2 days before I took it into the dealership (my husband assumed it was head gasket). The dealership has diagnosed engine failure, it wasn’t until then we started doing research and realized there is even a lawsuit against ford for this issue. My car insurance will not pay for it because it is not an issue caused from collision. I am a mother of 2 with no vehicle now, I cannot put 12,249$ for a new engine, and shouldn’t have to when this is an issue on Fords part. I have reached out to Ford directly who also refuses to take responsibility even though they as a company have posted the TSB regarding the issue. I bought my car certified pre owned with 30k mikes. It’s under 100k with a failed engine. A ford representative at the dealership made the comment “most people trade their cars in every 2-3 years” when I mentioned I thought I bought a reliable vehicle to buy and pay off. Basically they know it won’t last when they sell it is what that boils down too, and count on people trading it in.

Rear view camera doesn't always work when putting the car in reverse. It doesn't go blank, the monitor just remains as if it was going forward. Sometimes when it does work, it remains on while moving forward momentarily.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle failed to exceed 25 MPH while attempting to accelerate. The contact was able to get to her destination; however, the vehicle became difficult to move forward or backward. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed a failure with the transmission. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train). The approximate failure mileage was 110,000.

Right rear differential - 2016 AWD Ford Escape - Titanium Version - 2L engine Long story short: I had the rear brakes replaced in November 2021 at Fox Ford in Traverse City, Michigan. After having the rear brakes replaced, my husband noticed fluid leaking from around the right rear wheel. I returned the vehicle x 3 to Fox Ford; told it was the vent tube. Service advisor unable to find any reason for the right rear vent tube to be leaking. Since then, I have had my Silver Bullet looked at by my local, independent mechanic. He confirms the right rear vent tube is leaking. He noted during one of the visits the rear differential fluid was very low. Subsequent to re-filling the differential fluid, the vent tube continues to leak. Short of tearing into the rear differential, the cause is unknown, but a reported problem with Fords. I am requesting 1) additional information on this issue, and 2) a request FORD fix this issue in my beloved Silver Bullet (paying homage to fellow Michigander Pete Seeger and The Silver Bullet Band).

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. Additionally, several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the transmission was replaced twice; however, the failure recurred. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

Vehicle caught fire while sitting in my driveway after being driven 30-45 minutes prior. No prior issues with the vehicle. No warning lights or messages while driving vehicle home. Drive home from work was approximately 1 hour drive time. I heard car horn blowing and looked outside to find car engulfed in flames. Local fire dept and police responded. Claim filed with insurance company who towed vehicle to salvage lot the next day. Car deemed a total loss.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the steering wheel was significantly difficult to steer. The message Steering Default was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Additionally, the contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and continued driving. However, the failure reoccurred and the vehicle was towed to an unknown dealer where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic where the transmission was rebuilt; however, the contact stated that upon attempting to drive the vehicle, she shifted into drive(D) however, the vehicle failed to respond and remained idling. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) 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 failure. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

My vehicle stopped shifting as I was on the highway. I had to pull over to the side. The vehicle had to be towed to the dealership where I bought it and I've been told the transmission needs a total rebuild. The is a 2016 Ford Escape with under 100,000 miles. There was no warning prior to this happening. Once the transmission stopped working I finally received a warning to have the vehicle checked.

Yesterday we experienced a complete engine fail in our 2016 Ford Escape because coolant leakage caused a hole in engine block. We have about 80000 miles in our vehicle and regularly maintain it. Going to cost about 6,000 to replace entire engine.

THE LUG NUTS ON MY FORD ESCAPE ARE DEFECTIVE. I DISCOVERED THIS AFTER A FLAT TIRE. THE "OVERCAP" ON THE LUG NUTS WIGGLED. THEY WERE ALSO ENLARGED AND WOULD NOT FIT ANY STANDARD LUG NUT WRENCH. THEY COULD NOT BE SAFELY REMOVED AND REPLACED ON MY VEHICLE. I HAVE SINCE HAD THEM PROFESSIONALLY REPLACED. THIS APPEARS TO BE ALL OVER THE INTERNET.

While driving the vehicle suddenly deccelerated. Pressing the gas peddle did nothing. It acted as if it was in neutral. Transmission fault light illuminated. This blocked all traffic as there was no shoulder and no time or place to get off the road. It was an extremely dangerous situation on the curve of a road. Vehicle was towed to dealer. Dealer verified abundant metal particles in transmission and recommended replacement ($6,247.69). Regular maintenance was done and mileage is only 61,537 so only recently out of the 60,000 mile warranty. There was never a warning or symptoms. Light came on later during the incident.

Rear door on drivers side will not open from the inside after it has been locked and unlocked unless it has been opened already. It something is wrong with the child lock. This is a major safety issue. Someone on the outside has to open the door to let the person out. If there was an accident or some type of incident and the person needed to get out quickly they would not be able to.