10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 5 / 1
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 7 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 57,044 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.
« Read the previous 20 complaints
When driving the car at interstate speeds the transmission overheats after just a few minutes. When this happens it triggers the car-??s information system to send a message stating -??Transmission Fault Service Engine Now.-?? Just a moment or two later it sends another message stating -??Speeds Reduced To Lower Engine Temperature.-?? Once that message is received you no longer have any throttle control and speed will continue to decline, speed dropped from 70 mph to 30 is maybe an minute, until you pull over and let the transmission cool down. This is especially hazardous on the interstate if your in faster moving traffic with cars behind you and you can no longer accelerate with no way to signal this to the traffic behind you except the four ways. The problem seems to be the fan to cool the transmission never gets the signal to turn on and cool down the transmission. This is an ongoing issue with this vehicle and has been since I got it, there are also multiple site and forums full of this same year make and model having the same issue.
- Berkeley Springs, WV, USA
On November 14th, 2023, a red alert appeared on the dash that indicated an engine temperature warning indicating that there was a high temperature warning and that I should find a safe place to pull over and immediately stop the vehicle. The temperature indicator on the dash showed the needle move instantly into the red/high area and then drop down. This happened twice, back-to-back. I checked the coolant and it was below the minimum level indicator as shown on the reservoir. A day later, the service engine light illuminated. I took the vehicle to Advanced Auto and asked to pull the service code and was told there were two, P0303 and P0304 which indicated a cylinder three misfire and cylinder four misfire. I noted that the coolant was also low once again despite seeing no fluid on the ground after allowing the vehicle to run. Bill Collins Ford inspected the misfires and coolant and found the issue to be related to a flaw in the engine design which allows coolant to leak into the cylinders. I was told this could have allowed the vehicle to overheat and catch on fire as well as causing the engine to lock up while in operation. Bill Collins Ford provided an estimate of $13,000 to repair the vehicle stating it required a new engine. I purchased this vehicle used from CarMax on August 2, 2023 and have put less than 3,000 miles on it before experiencing this issue.
- Louisville, KY, USA
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the transmission inadvertently downshifted to a lower gear. The contact stated that the gear shifter became inoperable. The check engine and electronic throttle control system warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the motor mounts and transmission bushing cable needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 94,000.
- Fayetteville, TN, USA
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his daughter was at a stop light and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle failed to move forward. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, but the vehicle was not repaired. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact called three transmission specialists and was made aware of other vehicles with the same failure. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.
- Manheim, PA, USA
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 87,277.
- Friendswood, TX, USA
Randomly on10/26/23 my car started shaking while in the drive mode at a stop light. When I took off from the light the car stalled. This continued to happen all the way to my job. When I realized it would not shake when it was in neutral at a stop I would just do that. The stalls would continue. Next after one of the shake a wrench light came on saying "Engine Fault service now" I got to my destination. At lunch I went to take my car to Bobby and Erick at W.B Motors in Fairfax VA for a diagnostic thinking maybe a coil issue. I also noticed the wrench light was gone. No further lights ever came on. The evaluation from the shop was: "No codes or pending codes stored in the engine or transmission. The misfire counter shows zero misfires. Found engine idles very rough in gear. The actual slip RPMS under transmission data is less than 500 while desired is around 1000rpms. We believe the torque converter clutch may be sticking" They referred me to High Tech Transmissions. I called and spoke to a Gary before driving there. They could not get me in. Gary spoke to Bobby about the issue. I got back on the phone with Gary. He explained that I would have to leave the car. My only car had to get home. Here is where my complaint is. Gary said that he had 4 other ESCAPES IN his SHOP with the SAME issue. Being a female I didn't get into did he figure those out. I was so upset about mine. BUT 4 others. So I dropped it off at a ford dealer near my home for further diagnostic. That manager told me he has an ESCAPE with the same issue. I am guessing this isn't just an isolated problem. I will know more today on the exact issue. I feel this should be looked into. Was just confirmed I need a torque converter, valve body and solenoid.
- Woodbridge, VA, USA
When travelling on a surface roadway, we received a transmission failure warning. We were able to get to a safe area at reduced speed. I feel that if this had happened while on a freeway, our lives could have been jeopardized. The Ford tech said that the transmission needed to be replaced. The torque converter failed. The transmission has been replaced. I don't know where the failed component is now
- Canton, MI, USA
My vehicle has 57 thousand miles bought it at Ford Dealership with 48k miles and already having transmission issues. Tow truck driver who picked my vehicle up claimed -??Every Ford escape i pick up for a tow is always a transmission issue-?? Horrible car, Waste of money.
- Clinton, MD, USA
I was driving home in 2016 Ford Escape and I noticed the RPM's getting higher and higher, but car's speed was actually declining. All maintenance work has been done at Maxwell d in Austin TX. Never had any problems with the transmission and no warning lights, nothing. Until this day....Transmission fault, Service Soon. I was close to being home, so somehow I made it. Be then, everybody wanted know what was going on so did i. I called the dealership, talked to Andrew and made arrangements for car to be towed to Ford on Tuesday, October 3rd. They finally looked at it the car on Monday the 9th....new transmission and labor, almost $8,000. I can not afford that. Having it towed to another repair shop. Getting an estimate from second shop. Why is this not a recall. It should be. Call me [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
- Austin, TX, USA
Transition suddenly failed when under normal driving. No symptoms were present when driving. Failed out of nowhere.
- Long Beach, MS, USA
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds the vehicle would jerk, lose power, and would not properly accelerate while pressing the accelerator pedal. Also, a warning message to "Turn the Vehicle Off" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was later taken to an independent service center that replaced the transmission but the failures continued to occur. The manufacturer was notified of the failures but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 100.
- Redford, MI, USA
Stalling in the middle of highway twice
- Apple Valley , MN, USA
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 65-70 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact coasted to the side of the roadway. The "Transmission Fault" message was displayed. The vehicle was towed to a transmission specialist, who diagnosed that an unknown pump 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 Hotline. The failure mileage was 72,566.
- Chapel Hill, NC, USA
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train). The contact stated that while the gear shifter was shifted to drive the vehicle jolted forward violently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the transmission shifter cable needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
- Mount Pleasant, TX, USA
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle failed to shift into gear as needed and stalled. The vehicle failed to go forward or reverse. The driver was able to shift into park, and the transmission service needed message was displayed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a transmission shop and the contact was informed that the transmission needed to be repaired. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.
- Fort Valley, GA, USA
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that on numerous occasions while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle decelerated to 20 MPH while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The contact stated that while the accelerator pedal was depressed on an incline, the engine revved but the vehicle failed to accelerate. No warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised to call the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000.
- Penn Run, PA, USA
At about 57,200 miles, the NHTSA Safety Recall 22S43 - North America Non-FSA Multi Vehicle Line Shifter Cable Bushing was performed by Wright Ford of Redmond, OR. This recall was to prevent detachment of the shifter control line from the transmission. On July 17, 2023 at about 58,900 miles, the shift control line detached from the transmission. Thus, the exact scenario the recall was intended to prevent/fix, occurred about 1,600 miles after the work was completed by Wright Ford. The shift control line was then repaired by [XXX] Auto Repair of Baker City, OR. He said the shifter had become completely disconnected but that the parts were still intact and he was able to reconnect. He could see no reason for this disconnect to have occurred. This suggests that (1) the recall fix did not work, or (2) the recall fix work was done incorrectly by the local Ford dealer, or (3) the replacement parts from Ford were defective. There were no initial warnings other than while driving at about 25 mph we were unable to shift from S to D mode. Once we came to a full stop and turned off the engine, the shifter was moved to P. However, it would not then move to any other position. Attempts to start the engine gave a warning that the vehicle was not in Park. The brake-shift interlock reset, hidden under the shift bezel, was used to release the shifter and move it to the N position for towing 25 miles to a repair shop. The repair shop successfully reconnected the shift line at the transmission and thereafter the vehicle was able to be driven. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
- Redmond, OR, USA
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while stopped at a stop light, the contact attempted to accelerate however, the vehicle failed to move. The contact stated that there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle with the Transmission Fault warning light illuminated. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle however, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact was able to drive the vehicle home. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) and that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 86,914.
- Citrus Heights, CA, USA
My 2016 Ford Escape was in park and when I tried to put it in drive it went backwards almost into the car behind me. Luckily they saw something happening and backed up or I would of hit them. It wouldn't shift into gear. I put it in sport mode to get it to move forward then moved it into a safe location and shut it off. It was a hot day so I thought maybe it was overheating. It started fine and went about a mile before shuddering and refusing to shift into gear. I managed to get it home but the Transmission Fault Service Now light came on as I was pulling into the driveway. Had it towed to the dealership and was told it wasn't the recall bushing that went but a part inside my transmission and it would be $8200 for a new transmission. What if I had been on the highway when this happened? This is a serious safety issue which could of caused a crash and injury.
- Manchester, NH, USA
- Westfield, MA, USA