10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 68
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
52,495 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2014 Ford Escape:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #251

Mar 122019

Escape

  • 58,000 miles
Vehicle had a recall for coolant sensor fixed in 01/2018. Since then coolant has run low, been checked numerous times, had hoses replaced, several diagnostic tests looking for problems, car has since overheated, and is now in need of a new engine because of coolant system problem not fixed by a sensor alerting you to a level of fluid. No leak exists so cooling fluid is working its way through the engine system some other way. The problem has persisted for nearly 7 months now. The vehicle ran emergency messages on the dash mere minutes after starting stating that the engine was overheating and to immediately exit the vehicle.

- Olney, MD, USA

problem #250

Mar 142019

Escape

  • 49,000 miles
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. While driving 35 mph, the check engine warning indicator illuminated and the coolant level was low. The contact drove the vehicle to sam leman Ford (located at 1508 morrissey dr, bloomington, il 6170, (309) 663-1331) where it was diagnosed that the coolant bypass valve needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and did not assist. The failure mileage was 49,000.

- Bloomington, IL, USA

problem #249

Mar 062019

Escape

  • 150,000 miles
Manufacturer name : Ford Motor Company NHTSA recall no. / mfr recall no. : 17V-209 / 17S09 recall subject : engine cylinder head may leak oil when sitting at a stop light, a message came up on my message board "service engine now". the vehicle started to shudder and then smoke came out from under my hood. I turned the vehicle off immediately, while still sitting at the light, and got out. The vehicle was inspected by a Ford dealership and stated the head needed to be replaced due to a cracked cylinder head with an estimated of $3500. I did not receive notice of the recall referenced above. My vehicle has been "losing" coolant, which I had been refilling quite often with no visible leaks or puddles. If I had known of the recall this could have been prevented. Due to an issue by the manufacturer, I am now somehow responsible to fix their problem. This has happened on many other vehicles and should be corrected by the company. I am thankful I did not have my young daughter with me at the time.

- Clear Brook, VA, USA

problem #248

May 082017

Escape

  • 39,000 miles
There was a recall on the coolant system, to add a sensor due to Ford having cars blowing motors. After this recall was done, I had the car in the garage on and off for over a month, to find out that th coolant was leaking into the number 4 cylinder. So, they replace the motor, not sure about the heads. Then with in weeks trouble with the transmission.

- West Gardiner, ME, USA

problem #247

Nov 092018

Escape

  • 49,000 miles
Car occasionally died at stop lights, signs and once on the exit ramp while exiting a highway. Occasional to often rough running especially at low speed and odd shifts from the transmission. Surging in the engine while at highway speed and when slowing to stop. Engine fault message would come up in display and I took a picture, showed it to service manager with no success. Computer would not store codes when these problems occurred so on 4 separate trips to the dealership I was told there was nothing that could be done and to continue to drive it and bring it in if it happened again. Vehicle finally died and check engine light came on and stayed on. Had it towed to the dealership and a signal return for map wiring problem was diagnosed and repaired. After some reading I believe there have been service advisories and possibly a recall for certain VIN's. I told the dealership I did not feel safe driving the vehicle with the problems it was having but it made no difference.

- Tequesta, FL, USA

problem #246

Mar 062019

Escape

  • 75,000 miles
The contact owned a 2014 Ford Escape. While driving approximately 50 mph, the "service the engine" indicator illuminated. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road. The contact exited the vehicle and noticed flames underneath the hood. The contact called 911 and two police vehicles and a fire truck immediately arrived at the scene. The fire department extinguished the fire. A police report and a fire report were filed. The vehicle was completely destroyed and towed to a tow yard. There were no injuries. The dealer was not called. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and did not assist. The contact was unaware of NHTSA campaign numbers: 17V209000 (engine and engine cooling) and 18V471000 (power train). The failure mileage was approximately 75,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

- Comfort, TX, USA

problem #245

Mar 052019

Escape

  • 70,000 miles
I was driving down the highway at a normal rate of speed (65), as by vehicle began to stall out. The car stopped driving right on the highway, and I was barely able to pull it to the shoulder without getting hit by other cars. Once I pulled to the shoulder, the car began smoking. Smoke quickly filled the inside of the vehicle. Before I could roll all the windows down, the engine had burst into flames.

- Camden, OH, USA

problem #244

Dec 192018

Escape

  • miles
My 2014 Ford Escape, with a 1.6L gtdi ecoboost engine, built in louisville, ky in March 2014 leaks engine coolant. I purchased this vehicle on June 6, 2014. I have put my VIN into the NHTSA national recall site and it says my car is not recalled. However, Ford safety recall 17S09 supplemental #1, dated December 13, 2017, and NHTSA campaign number 17V209, affecting 230,000 2014 Escapes clearly states that my vehicle, manufactured in March 2014, should be in the recall since it was built in louisville between Feb 13, 2013 and Sept 2, 2014, the recall timeline. My car, leaking engine coolant, is exactly that described in Ford safety recall 17S09. In the past 10 weeks or so I have noticed coolant on my garage floor and have filled the coolant reservoir at least 8 times. At one time the heater did not work and the reservoir was nearly empty. I am concerned about the possibility of an overheated engine causing the cylinder to crack and spew oil resulting in a possible engine fire. I currently have approximately 39,000 miles on this vehicle. If this vehicle VIN is not recalled, I certainly would like a detailed answer why it is not since it meets all the parameters of safety recall 17S09 supplemental #1 and NHTSA campaign number 17V209. Thank you.

- Carlsbad, CA, USA

problem #243

Feb 012019

Escape

  • 64,000 miles
Car losses all power while accelerating over 40 mph. Getting on the highway is the worst. Motor will rev up almost redlining before slamming into a random gear with again no power so I'm not gaining any speed. Just rpms are screaming like I'm in neutral. It's very unsettling to have my car practically stopping in the highway.

- Bristol, CT, USA

problem #242

Feb 202019

Escape

  • 57,000 miles
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. While reversing out of the driveway, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact had to turn the vehicle off and back on for it to operate. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact to call NHTSA to file a complaint. The failure mileage was 57,000.

- Tarpon Springs, FL, USA

problem #241

Feb 152019

Escape

  • 100,000 miles
On my way to work this morning I was in motion when all of the sudden all the lights in my car came on a message came up that said service engine now the car would not go at all as I turned off of the highway onto a city street I noticed the car smoking I got out to lookif there was fire there was I got my 3 children out of the backseat and got away from the car I watched as my car burnt to the ground.

- Sioux City, IA, USA

problem #240

Jan 032019

Escape

  • 60,000 miles
Purge valve failure. Purge valve was experiencing a leak and required replacment. Car would shut off on road when idling. Mechanic noted he has seen similar issues in other Ford Escapes, and even noted the part is identical to the purge valve that has been recalled on the Ford Focus.

- Washington, DC, USA

problem #239

Feb 132019

Escape

  • 127,000 miles
Ford had a recall on the 2014 Ford Escape in twothousand 17 for an engine coolant sensor I bought the car six months ago the recall was fixed by the old owner at a Ford dealership now that the car belongs to me the sensor is bad again now I'm stuck paying for a bad sensor I believe the sensor was defective and so does mechanic why should I have to pay for it defective part Ford is no help

- Plymouth, WI, USA

problem #238

Feb 012019

Escape

  • 89,000 miles
"takata recall". my vehicle has lost 2 tanks of antifreeze in 3 months. It is not leaking onto the ground, because there are no drips or puddles ever visible under the vehicle. Other 2014 Ford Escapes were recalled for this same thing, which could ultimately cause a fire. My particular vehicle was not included in the recall, but is having the same issue, and dealerships won't fix it as a recall. Must my vehicle catch on fire before something is done!!

- Watervliet, NY, USA

problem #237

Mar 022017

Escape

  • miles
I bought my car in February 2017. Soon after purchasing this (used) I began losing engine coolant rapidly and my car would not get warm when I had the heat on. Also, blue smoke would come from the exhaust. I have taken to my brother-in-law for a look-over and they said this looks like a lemon car. Well, upon research, I see a recall which matches a lot of the symptoms of my cars issues, but no recall has been issued on my VIN. I believe that whatever is going on with my car is a direct result of the same issue being recalled and I need this investigated as soon as possible.

- Gladstone, OR, USA

problem #236

Dec 012018

Escape

  • 65,000 miles
There was a leak from the radiator fluid into the engine block that resulted in a blown head gasket. There was no warn light suggesting that the coolant level was low, which may have prevented the problem. There has been a factory recall for this exact situation on the exact same make model and year of my vehicle, but somehow my vehicle was not included. Please see attached recall letter from Ford's site. This is my only car I have saved up to get and repairs of the head gasket would be $3000. However, Ford will not repair it because they said they can not guarantee the repair due to the issue with the leak. They have seen this several times. They will only do a full engine rebuild or replacement for $8000 because they admit that this is a factory defect. The vehicle is currently at the shawnee mission Ford (11501 shawnee mission pkwy. Shawnee, ks 66203) in desperate need of a recall. This happen while driving down interstate 35 from omaha to Kansas City

- Omaha, NE, USA

problem #235

Jan 232019

Escape

  • 113,000 miles
This car has had 13 recalls since manufactured for different mechanical and safety issues some even resulting in spontaneous eruption of fire to the engine bay. While replacing my battery the delearahip notified me of several recalls that required attention, so I had them replace each item that had been recalled, one of which was a sensor within the transmission. After I took the vehicle to have it replaced subsequently, maybe 6 months later I had driving issues while operating it on the expressway. The vehicle would go in and out of gear while driving and I could not control the speed of the vehicle. This occurred the entire drive home to the point where I had to drive with hazard lights on so that I would not get rear ended for having intermittent speed/driving issues. The car would literally over rev the the engine as if I was flooring the pedal when I wasn't even touch the gas at all. The sensor literally took control of the engine as if it was driving itself. I didn't drive it until the next morning then the next day, the only way to drive it was if I slowly transitioned speeds. I had to take the vehicle to have the same sensor replaced. After replacing the sensor it stills seems to need to be driven slower than when I first bought it or it might break again. This is a safety hazard. I'm afraid to drive the vehicle with my daughter in it due to the fact that I might have mechanical issues while driving again & be on the highway to have a high speed collision with a toddler would kill one or both of us. This model in particular has had more recalls than any car I've ever had or even heard of having. I have to continue making payments on it due to my negative equity yet it isn't reliable enough to get me to work everyday. Ford needs to replace this model for all owners.

- Jax, FL, USA

problem #234

Jan 302019

Escape

  • miles
Recalled 17S09 repaired, May 2018. Coolant light on hot, everything locked down. Vehicle stationary, remote used to start car.

- Wheelersburg, OH, USA

problem #233

Jan 292019

Escape

  • 59,000 miles
On Jan 29th driving down the street and out of know where car starts stalling and then smoke and then the 💡 came on saying engine overheating..... I left up the hood the container filled..... parked car and never got back in smoke was pouring out of the hood.... in the middle if harbson and argamino..... mr my daughter 1month old grandson and neice.... the most scariest thing ever in my life....

- Philadelphia, PA, USA

problem #232

Jan 222019

Escape

  • 96,000 miles
Engine fire driving on a highway the car engine stopped and I coasted to the right shoulder. I made phone calls for help and assistance. The nysdot, highway emergency local patrol (help) truck pulled after about 15-20 minutes after stopping. The help operator looked inside the engine and saw that the coolant reservoir was low and offered to put some coolant in my vehicle from a supply in his truck. Then he had me run the engine in idle on the side of the road. The car seemed to run fine. In an effort to get the car off of the highway and to get some more coolant, I drove the car to the parking lot of a local store approximately 1.5 miles. When I pulled into the parking lot, the car was steaming up again so I parked it out a ways from the store. I noticed that the smoke was a bit black and thick, so I opened the hood and saw the plastic engine cover was on fire. I started throwing snow on it when someone came by with a fire extinguisher, so I used it to put the fire out. A tow truck driver took the vehicle to the closest Ford dealer about 1 mile from the parking lot.

- Webster, NY, USA

Read the next 20 complaints »