2013 Ford Escape complaints

I have coolant leaking into oil-intrusion on #3 cylinder so far and gas into oil and car has been in dealership today and claim started. Ford issued a recall for this issue years ago but my vin isn’t included but has all same problems and I want Ford taking accountability and financially paying for new motor! I want a loaner car because mine is too dangerous to drive

Steering assist fault

The car automatically quits steering, Found out that it has electric steering. already replaced it once and now it needs it again, good thing I wasn't heading toward a person or another car. How can you put a steering system in a vehicle that probably runs off a fuse.

My 2013 Ford Escape SE is part of an old recall that is a 1.6 L 4cyl motor and I bought the car used 1.5yrs ago and have coolant leaking into motor and has destroyed it! I wasn’t made aware of this when I purchased it!

11507580 – Consumer attempted to use the website to file the complaint. Attempt was not successful. The consumers computer battery was depleted. The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle stalled with several unknown warning lights illuminated. Additionally, there was a "Stop - Service Engine Immediately” message flashing on and off. The contact stated that she was able to add some water from a water bottle to the coolant reservoir and the engine temperature lowered and the vehicle operated normally. The contact stated that the failure had become a recurring failure and occurred at various speeds. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the heater control valves needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that coolant was leaking from the coolant lines and caused the stalling. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V551000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

The engine temp light came on. Checked the coolant level and it was low. Coolant was added to correct the low coolant level. This happened several time and now the engine barely runs. This happened over a period of a week. Dealer stated that the engine needs to be replaced at a cost of approx $8000. The car has only 59,000 miles on it.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle overheated while driving up an incline. The check engine and high engine temperature warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, a message to “Pull Over Safely" message was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact then stated that while driving at 55 MPH in the snow, the vehicle stalled while driving uphill. The vehicle failed to accelerate up the incline after multiple attempts. The contact stated that with the assistance of a friend the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The mechanic then informed the contact of NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V584000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) which he linked to the failure. The contact called the dealer and informed him that the recall was repaired previously and that no other assistance could be rendered. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and provided the contact with a case number. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.

The contact's mother owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while his mother driving approximately 55 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle started to lose motive power. The contact stated that his mother also noticed that the heater had stopped blowing hot air through the vents. The contact stated that his mother drove the vehicle to a local dealer, where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the mechanic determined that coolant had intruded into the engine block and that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the dealer stated that it was a known failure for similar vehicles. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed. The contact stated that there was a message stating that the engine was overheating and to pull over. The contact was able to pull over safely and turned off the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and the water pump was replaced, but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and the contact was informed that coolant was leaking into the engine, and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V583000 (Engine). The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 98,256.

Took my 2013 Ford Escape SEL to a Ford dealership to have a recall repaired. The dealership completed a Service Inspection of the car as standard practice. The service manager told me that all of the lug nuts have swelled and if I get a flat I won't be able to change the tire because the lug wrench won't fit the lug nuts. He also told me this is a common problem with Fords. I was not previously aware of this problem as I just bought the car last year. When I got home I tried my lug wrench on the nuts and verified the problem. I read a previous complaint on-line in another forum, where the problem is that the lug nuts are chrome plated, but not sealed causing moisture to get between the lug nut and plating and causing it to swell. I don't know this as a fact, but regardless of the cause, the lug nuts are clearly defective and I feel that Ford should replace them free of charge. This will cost me $250 in repairs. This would create a safety hazard if I get a flat and have to pull off to the side of the road and call for a tow truck to tow my car.

Oil is pouring out of the bottom of the vehicle. i believe the cylinder heated up and cracked causing oil leak ,which is a serious fire hazard.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the engine overheating warning light illuminated. The contact checked the coolant level, and the coolant reservoir was full. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed and the contact was informed that coolant was leaking into the engine and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V551000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 130,000.

Low coolant levels indicated by error trouble code caused by leaking freeze plug on top of the cylinder head. Leak is hard to detect because all coolant is burned on the top of the engine which releases odor into the cabin of the vehicle and could lead to possible engine fire.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the temperature gauge began to rise rapidly. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that after he parked the vehicle, he noticed coolant leaking underneath the vehicle. The contact was able to continue driving to his destination and added coolant to the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 169,000.

I was driving in the snow and the wipers had stopped completely . The passenger doesn’t move at all. The drive side goes up and stays completely up. As I’ve done research I’ve noticed a ton of 2013 escapes have wiper problems. I took it to the dealership. They arnt 100 percent sure what is wrong with it. They think it’s the wiper switch. I’m gonna take it to ford aswell tomorrow. No warnings, just started happening & seems to be a common issue with ford.

On or about June 17, 2022 my suv caught fire as I was driving. I pulled over at a convenience store and someone there had a fire extinguisher and extenguished the fire.

When coming to a stop the vehicle suddenly and unexpectedly accelerated making it very difficult to stop. I had to put the vehicle in neutral and turn off the engine. When I restarted the vehicle, the problem no longer existed and has not happened since but this problem could easily cause an accident, resulting in one or more injuries. Have not had the vehicle inspected and likely won't, unless it happens again.

Car went down on Friday. Won't start. Brand-new battery and the starter and alternator was tested and they both are good. Looked up VIN and was not notified that there was a recall on a certain part on my vehicle. I'd like to get this issue fixed because now my windows won't even go up or down.

With a cold engine approximately 1-2 miles after beginning driving, the engine coolant low warning comes on quickly followed by the engine temperature rapidly rising, engine overheat warning and engine shutdown. This has occurred periodically since owning the car, 65,000 miles to 85,000 miles. It used to occur only when driving uphill which was mitigated by manually shifting but now occurs on a cold engine. The coolant leaks and requires additional coolant approximately every two weeks but engine shutdowns do not always correlate with low coolant. Mechanic ran a pressure diagnostic for coolant and claimed no leaks (Sept 2022). Problem seems consistent with other NHTSA complaints.

The engine shut off going down the road. The car started to beep letting me know that my transmission was not in park. I had to put my car in park and proceed to restart it. I could have been rear ended and my life could have been taken. I noticed it in September when I first got the car.

The contact owned a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a local dealer for the repair of three previously unknown recalls. The vehicle was repaired; however, the contact stated that while parked, the front of the vehicle caught on fire. The fire department extinguished the flames and determined the origin of the fire came from the engine compartment. A fire department report was filed. The vehicle was then towed back to the dealer, where it remained awaiting further diagnosis. The contact was made aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V583000 (Engine); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was unknown.

While driving the vehicle it started to overheat and before I could safely pull off the highway and stop it started smoking so I stopped it immediately and when I opened the hood the engine was on fire. Fire department was called a report was filed. I called ford after being informed by the fire department of a possible recall for this issue and ford denied any issues and hung up the phone on me on numerous calls.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was shaking and the overheat fault message was displayed. Additionally, an abnormal antifreeze odor was detected while driving, and the contact had to keep adding antifreeze occasionally. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the cylinder head cup plug was leaking antifreeze. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V431000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 58,900.

On a few separate occasions beginning in the summer of 2022, my steering wheel has locked up after turning the ignition on. Each time this happened, I had to wait for it to "unlock", which is usually just seconds. However, on January 22, 2023 WHILE DRIVING I received a message on the dashboard that said "steering assist fault" and I had to pull over because the steering wheel was too hard to maneuver, whether it be turning left or right. I felt like it was going to break I had to turn it so hard, and with my entire body. Once I pulled over I turned the car off and let it sit for a couple of minutes and then re-started it. The message went away but the steering was really sloppy, to the point where it felt like I could turn the wheel 180 degrees with the tires barely turning themselves. Once I got home and parked it for the night, I took it to a local mechanic and they were unable to get any messages from it but did discover I'm not the only Ford who has had issues with this message and/or steering. I talked to my Ford dealer and they have heard about the problem with other Fords. I would like someone to check into it because it could become a real liability for Ford if this problem is not resolved. By googling the search terms "ford steering assist failure" I was able to bring up a big forum wherein other Ford owners were complaining of this issue .

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the check warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that coolant was leaking into the engine and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V551000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 72,000.

The contact called on behalf of his son who owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the engine was constantly overheating, with the coolant and engine oil level constantly low. The coolant level warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was it was diagnosed that the engine block was cracked, and that coolant and oil was leaking into the engine block. The independent mechanic informed the contact that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V551000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

My car stopped moving at full power while driving due to the engine overheating. My engine coolant warning came on that it was low. This has happened several times since I have owned this car. I have been given many different reasons for my engine coolant dropping over the years when I take it for service including the following: 1. Turbo line 2. Turbo unit 3. O-ring 4. couldn't find the leak, likely the cap was loose... This time when I brought it in they say it is an internal engine leak. Over the years, I have smelled burning and as I look into other recalls, it appears I have the same issue that was addressed with recall 13S12-S2. This incident started in 2015, happened twice in 2018, 2020 and the last incident and most severe happened 1/

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the transmission warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not restarted. The contact stated that the failure had occurred after an unknown recall repair was performed on the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 125,365.

The PTU is leaking and it needs to be replaced ASAP. It’s a 2013 with less than 60k miles.

I was on the interstate late, car stopped immediately. warning light said overheated. had vehicle towed. hose in back of motor had to be replaced. This has happened twice. this time water is streaming from lower motor mount was told this is coming from an internal water pump. That this is common for the 1.6 ford eco boost. The antifreeze could also cause a fire on a hot engine. Ford knows of this problem but will not do recalls. to fix this is very costly.

Drivers side rear door failed to close after opening/ would not latch. Took the car to a local dealership and after a week of being told it was being fixed was then told the parts were not available until 5 weeks later and that no loaner car was authorized by the dealer. So 7 weeks wait for parts is not reasonable by any std for a domestic car made within the past 10 years.bad faith, no repair no remedy offered.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The transmission temperature warning light was illuminated. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 12,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the steering wheel became stiff and lost power steering functionality. The power steering assist warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the power steering system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the VIN was not under recall for the failure. There was no further assistance provided. The failure mileage was 147,000.

My car only has 44K miles on it. It has stalled out in traffic 3 times in the past 90 days. There are NO check engine lights. If I put it in neutral it will start back up just fine and continue to run fine. I took it to my local mechanic and he said it appears to be due to a recall on some Ford vehicles with the wiring harness. I contacted a Ford Dealer and the Ford motor company and they tell me that this recall does not affect my car. The recall is (14S17-S1.) I am reporting to you because I believe this recall affects more vehicles than what Ford originally had listed for this recall.

I have a 2013 Ford Escape purchased used in October 2017. I recently took it to a dealer to have the tires rotated. The mechanic told me that he could not perform the rotation because the lug nuts were swollen and would cost it would cost 200.00 to replace the lug nuts. I am a senior citizen and on a fixed income. I did not have the money and told him to not do the rotation. I was also told that if I would have a flat tire while I was out on the road I would have to have to have it towed to have the flat tire changed..

While accelerating the car repeatedly hesitates, but keeps on going. It is like a hiccup, never stopping. Called the dealer he wanted to charge me for a diagnosis and could not promise me that my care would be serviced in a timely manner. (this was not the dealer I purchased the car from)It was one closer to my home. I have a warranty from the Purchasing Dealer. I purchased the car on 8/2/2022.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his brother was driving at an undisclosed speed, he depressed the brake pedal however, the brakes failed to engage. No warning lights were illuminated. As a result, the contact’s brother swerved off the road but was able to engage the parking brake. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 161,905.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the engine temperature gauge suddenly indicated the engine had overheated and an audible alarm was activated. Additionally, the check engine warning light illuminated and the vehicle independently decelerated. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the coolant control sensor was faulty and needed to be replaced. The sensor was replaced; however, the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that the sensors were replaced three times however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 79,000.

Around 6,000 2013 Ford Escapes were recalled for a coolant leaking / hose issue that could cause a fire in the engine. My car, according to your site, was not one of them. However, I have experience the coolant issue and tried to repair it on multiple occasions, but yesterday the issue caused my car to leak coolant all over the engine and shut down completely. I am confident this is the same issue the other cars were recalled for.

I took my car to Ford they said it was leaking oil into the turbo and I will need a total engine replacement no oil low indicator light came on my car started knocking and I shut it off right away at the dealership they said oil was leaking into the turbo and when they drain the oil there was metal in my oil plan total engine replacement will cost me $10,000

Our 2013 Ford Escape was recently taken in to a Ford Dealership for recall 22s43 transmission shifter cable bushing. The service team performed a replacement of shifter cable bushing, installed a protective cap, and adjusted the shifter as per recall. A few weeks later the transmission fault signal came up on our dashboard and the car would not shift into gear and it had to be towed home. Could the replacement have been faulty or not installed correctly, considering there were no reports of transmission issues when the vehicle was taken in to the dealership.

The fuel line caught fire while driving under normal load. There is no active recall on this model any longer, but had one years ago for same issue. This vehicle has 89k miles, serviced regularly, and fire

Turned vehicle on and steering wheel would turn with clicking but front tires would not move. Problem was fixed by turning vehicle on and off. No warnings from display. If problem occurs while driving I would have no steering which is clearly unsafe.

Power steering loss on start up. When starting the power steering is absent for the first 2 min. then it operates fine with one instance of brief stiffness. taking to independent mechanic and will consult with loacl dealer.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal sound. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train). The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.

My wife and I bought 1 new 2013 Ford Eco Boost 1.6 liter Ford Escape in 2013. In the last 2 weeks the engine/ cylinders went bad. upon further investigation, I found numerous online complaints and a Class action Lawsuit filed against Ford for coolant leaks that infiltrated the motor and destroyed #2 and #3 cylinders. The cost of repair is more than the value of the car. Ford has known about this problem according to the online articles and has failed to fix or recall the engines based upon this problem. My engine experienced the same problems posted online. Ford told me nothing about the engine except for the cylinder failure but not the possible causes. I had to walk away from the car, Both my wife and I are retired and on a fixed income. I think Ford should bear some responsibility for thier lack of concern over the quality of these engines! There were no prior warnings to this engine failure until the actual incident occurred!

In early July, while driving to work, the transmission suddenly shifted out of Drive and into neutral. I pulled over and shifted into park. After checking under the hood, I attempted to put the car into Drive and it wouldn't shift and grinding noises were heard. I called for a tow truck and took the car home. After checking NHTSA website, came across the transmission bushing recall. I just towed my car today to a dealer to have the recall worked on and they said I needed a new transmission. They refused to admit the transmission bushing had anything to do with the transmission not working.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that she smelled antifreeze upon entering her vehicle. The contact opened the hood and discovered that the coolant level was low. The contact added coolant and resumed normal driving. The contact then stated that while driving at slow speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact opened the hood and saw that the coolant reservoir was nearly empty. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic who discovered that the engine coolant bypass valve was defective. The mechanic then informed her that the part was under warranty and referred her to the dealer. The dealer and the manufacturer were contacted, and both informed her that the vehicle was not under warranty or recall for the defect. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V551000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) which she linked to the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 76,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that coolant was leaking from underneath the vehicle. The coolant detector would not accurately detect the coolant level. The coolant reservoir needed to be refilled weekly. The ABS warning system would chime and illuminate whenever the vehicle was started, and the vehicle would fail to move. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle several times, the ABS warning light turned off and the vehicle operated as needed. The contact stated that the transmission was slipping out of the park(P) into drive(D). The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the wheel hub bearing needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the wheel hub bearings were replaced four times and the front axles were replaced twice; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000.

This vehicle is a 2013 Ford Escape with a 1.6 Turbo Engine. This vehicle has coolant leaking into cylinder number 4. Ford Motor Company has recalled other 2013 Ford Escapes and Fusions with this same engine for this same problem but refuse to recall my vehicle. The engine runs ruff and has quit on occasion. This is a dangerous situation if I am driving in traffic and could cause an accident.