2013 Ford Escape complaints

I took my car into the mechanic after the coolant was filled up multiple times and they diagnosed it as coolant leaking into cly 2. This is a major defect in the engine design that is a known issue with this type of vehicle.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at approximately 15 MPH, the steering wheel made it difficult to turn to the left or the right. The steering assist failure warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed by a local independent mechanic, and it was determined that the electronic steering assist had failed. The vehicle was towed back to the residence. The vehicle was diagnosed by another local independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the electronic steering gear had failed. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

Engine randomly stalls when pulling out into traffic. This has happened on at least 10 occasions in the last year, and 3 or 4 of those were extremely dangerous situations. Many parts have been replaced, but nothing has solved the problem. There are no codes or check engine lights, and since it only happens randomly, the service centers have not been able to reproduce the problem. There is no advance warning when this is going to happen. There are tons of similar reports that can be easily found with a google search of "2013 Ford Escape 1.6 stalling", but none have a clear fix. 1000's of these cars are on the road, and are ticking time bombs just waiting to cause an accident.

Coolant leak occurring from the engine.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact became aware that there was coolant leaking on the driveway. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V431000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 104,000.

In reverse, Steering locks up without warning, then the steering assist fault message comes up.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure powertrain control module. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V813000 (Electrical System), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 172,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon shifting the vehicle into drive, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact became aware that the vehicle responded as needed while shifted into reverse. The contact also stated that a message was displayed, alerting the contact of an air bag deployment. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V597000 (Air Bags, Seat Belts) and 22V413000 (Power Train); but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 141,000.

Bypass/heater hose connector cracked at T

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that immediately after driving into a parking space and stopping, the vehicle suddenly experienced unintended acceleration and drove forward over a median curb before crashing into another parked vehicle. During the incident, no injuries were reported and no police report was filed. The vehicle was driven to the home and later towed to the collision center for body repairs to be performed. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 33,437.

N/A

The vehicle had been almost overheating and warning lights to shut off engine would kick on. I took it to my mechanic and was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced or rebuilt. I was informed that Ford Company is fully aware that that the transmission in the Ford Escape is an ongoing problem. Why has the NHTSA not required a recall? This is not fair to consumers, and the work/parts/labor of this type of replacement are extremely expensive. Shutdowns on the highways or local roads can cause accidents and loss of life.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon inspection, the contact became aware that the coolant level was being consumed very quickly. In addition, the contact became aware of an unusual burning odor and saw white smoke coming from under the hood. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the coolant had leaked into the engine and that the long block needed to be replaced. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the engine was overheating. The temperature gauge increased to high(H). The engine overheating warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted and the engine overheated. The vehicle was driven to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the enjoy had overheated and the plastic cooling line was leaking. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 93,000.

While driving down the road the passenger seat floorboard began to fill with brown liquid (Coolant) the temperature of the vehicle increased and a distinct burning smell was coming from the engine compartment. Within 30 minutes (when I arrived home) the coolant tank was empty, and with the hood raised the burning smell was much stronger. The interior on the passenger side of my vehicle is ruined

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine idled incorrectly and was skipping. In addition, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a coolant leak and engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the transmission experienced hard shifting and hesitation while accelerating. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who discovered metal shavings in the transmission fluid, and a burning odor coming from the transmission. The contact was informed 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 provided. The failure mileage was 60,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the message "Low Engine Coolant" was displayed, and the vehicle started driving rough. The vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was later taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that coolant had leaked into the cylinders and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer and manufacturer were not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 96,000. The VIN was not available.

I have done research along with my mechanic and have found that models just like mine or are the titaniums, have the Shutter problem that I am having with mine that are due to the torque converter in the transmission once the vehicle hits 150,000 miles or more. Due to the fact that this is a common problem, I think it should be considered as a recall instead of having to pay $6,000 to have the transmission replaced or are forced to trade the vehicle in before 200,000 miles because the person does not have $6,000 just laying around! It seems to happen with the models that have the turbo & eco boost in them.

I get a steer assist fault code, and loose power steering at random points. It is very dangerous and almost crashed twice.

MY COOLANT IS LEAKING, i HAVE ALREADY FIXED THIS ONCE. WHY HAVEN'T I GOTTEN A RECALL LETTER ON THIS?

I have experienced many issues with my vehicle that have been recalled in other vehicles of the same make/model/year but have been denied the assistance in fixing me car and preventing and further damage or risk of my safety due to my VIN not showing any recalls. I do believe that my safety has been disregarded and that my car needs inspection to further show that I should be assisted in getting the recalls identified and fixed to improve my safety and others on the road. The first issue I noticed that was recalled on other 2013 Ford escapes was a recall on the control arm which was caused by the separation of the control arm from corrosion which increased the risk of crash. I had an incident where my car all of the sudden would not return from the right turning position after I heard a clunking noise which caused me to run into a curb. After further investigation it was found that my control arm failed and locked which wouldn't allow me to avoid hitting the curb. I suffered a concussion and had to pay for this to be fixed due to being denied from the recall. Secondly, Ford has issued many recalls on 2013 Ford escape engines due to overheat and cylinder head malfunctions many of them my car has been diagnosed and proven to have. I have pulled codes from my check engine that are direct codes that was recalled about the overheating of the cylinder head causing cracks and leaks into the oil. This code I pulled from my car was P0117 and it was traced to the recall from ford ( 13V

I bought the vehicle and February of 2020 and didn’t even have it for 6 months before it needed major repairs. In any other state, lemon laws would have applied and I wouldn’t be driving a dangerous vehicle. This model should not be on the market anymore, period. There have been countless failures: the transmission has been changed 3 times in less than 3 years, the purge valve has been changed twice and is going bad again, which has caused more problem for the engine cooling system. A coolant hose EXPLODED just yesterday, which I had changed not even 3 months ago. The electrical system has been “fixed” by countless mechanics, including Ford, and continues to malfunction and I assume is showing incorrect codes or not showing them at all, as there was NO ENGINE HEATING ICON that appeared prior to the hose exploding, as would normally be expected. Every problem I have just described is a recall that Ford has acknowledged on my same year, model and even manufacturing date, but they not only claim it’s not their responsibility, but they have bullied me any time I attempt to bring this up. As I stated, this car should never have been allowed to be sold. It began to dangerously malfunction less than a year after buying it. This included the overheating issues I described above, and major drivability issues that have caused the car to lose power and or acceleration while driving at highway speeds. As also stated, the coolant system is extremely flawed leading to a hose exploding, whi

My coolant keeps leaking and car is constantly overheating. I replaced the coolant tank and replaced hoses however it’s still doing the same , overheating and fuming !

I was driving my vehicle home and as I was turning to the street I live on the power steering went out and I almost lost control of the car. I had to use all my strength to turn the wheel and barely miss an oncoming car in the turn. If my wife would have been behind the wheel Im certain it would have caused an accident. After getting home I searched for what may have caused the loss of power for the steering and I read this has been a reported problem but the NHSTA has not issued a recall. Why? Does someone need to die or be injured before it is investigated and issue a recall?

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the Emission failure message was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle lost motive power and then stalled. The contact had to depress the accelerator pedal continuously to regain normal acceleration. The failure occurred four times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that there was a fracture on the canister purge valve resulting in the fuel failing to power the engine correctly. The contact was informed that the canister purge valve needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report a failure. The failure mileage was 108,206.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the engine was extremely hot; however, the engine did not overheat. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact's brother, who is an independent mechanic, performed diagnostic test and retrieved DTC code: P26B7. The contact stated that the code indicated that the failure was due to an engine coolant bypass valve failure. The contact was informed that the engine coolant bypass valve needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 148,900.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with transmission failure; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

My 2013 Ford Escape SEL FWD has been having warning light to "check engine" for a while. Mechanic read a misfire and changed thing. As it continued, Mechanic said computer needed to be "flashed" since it was not an engine problem they found. It went into check engine between 48-55 mph. Later the engine just quit with hot engine warning and antifreeze was empty. Refilled, drove home. The car continually runs our of fluid without obvious signs of leakage. This antifreeze problem continues, occasionally we see smoke from the engine but cannot find a source when we pull over to look. Smells like antifreeze. The car can drive 50-60 miles on a full antifreeze reservoir before getting too hot. I see multiple concerns over this issue but no recall.

Steering wheel locks up intermittently. Never know when the steering wheel may lock up. When able to use steering wheel there is no power assist to help with turning the steering wheel. Hesitant to use car out on the road because I don't know when the power steering may go out and make it very difficult to turn the steering wheel to get off the road to somewhere safe.

Engine Stalls while driving down the road at low RPMs This is a known problem with 2013 Escapes but only limited number of Recalls were given. Very dangerous

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized, and the vehicle became difficult to maneuver. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that there was an abnormal rattling noise and an abnormal fuel odor coming from the vehicle while the vehicle was idling. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the contact was informed that there was a leak in the fuel line. The mechanic referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall. The contact was then referred to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while test-driving the vehicle at various speeds with the vehicle in sport(S) mode, the vehicle jerked, was hesitating, and failed to shift as intended. The dealer advised the contact to not drive the vehicle in sport(S) mode. The contact followed the instructions; however, the failure persisted while driving. The dealer was notified, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that there was stagnant water in the spare tire wheel well in the trunk. The contact also noticed that there was water leaking on the front driver's side seat belt and on the front driver's side floor. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where an intensive water entry testing was performed, and unknown related repairs were made. The vehicle was taken to several transmission specialists, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 151,000.

It wouldn't steer it ran hot it stalls everytime I was on hwy system fail to warning system not display not updated

Tire 235/55 R-17 99 T. the steering wheel started to shimmy while driving. I took the vehicle into the service shop found that the a section of the tire was indented and the inside of the tire had a bubble. The repair shop stated this was caused by the tread separating. The tire had to be replaced. The tire is 2.5 years old and the tread on the inside was heavily worn while the outside tread was in good shape. The replace tire indicator was still intact. I purchased this tire at the same time i purchased the driver side tire.

235/55 R-17 99T This is one of a set of two tires I purchased in Oct. 2021. The passenger side front tire had the same issue discovered a few weeks earlier. The steering wheel started to shake while driving. I took the vehicle to the shop who informed me the tread was separating like the passenger tire was separating a few weeks earlier. Again the tire was more worn on the inside versus the outside tread. The replace tire indicator was still in place. It seems very odd that both tires purchased and installed at the same time had the same issue with the tread separating. I have both tires in my garage if anyone wants to inspect them.

Coolant leaked into the cyclinder heads, causing overheating, misfiring and engine damage that necessitates a full engine replacement.

I started my Escape to come home (about an hour and half from home). I immediately got a message that said Steering Assist - Immediate Service Required . I turned the car off and restarted it and got the same message. I got really nervous, but thought maybe it would steer like a vehicle without power steering - which I have driven long ago. But the wheel would not turn at all. I could only go forward. I turned the car off and went to the bathroom thinking I was going to have to call my husband to have him come and get me and have my Escape towed home. When I got back in the car and started it up, the message was gong and the vehicle was working. I drove home, scared all the way, that it was gong to happen again and the road was very mountainous with uncountable turns. Thank God I made it home.

On Tuesday July 30,2024 I started to notice the smell of gasoline inside my car, did not drive for 2 days, then on August 3rd the fumes were so strong they were making me sick. Parked car and called dealership Monday morning July 5. Not able to take me in until August 15, 2024. There were no warning lights on dashboard just the smell of gasoline, This problem could start a fire under the hood, hope to get it to dealership and they can resolve the problem.0

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the rear liftgate door erroneously became unlatched and opened. The contact later discovered that the rear liftgate locking mechanism was faulty and the liftgate door would not remain closed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 119,000.

My car battery is dying for no apparent reason. After 1 mechanic and 2 ford dealerships, it may be my auto control module slowly draining my car battery. I replaced the battery 3 weeks ago and the car has died at least 3 times since then.

A wheel bearing is unsafe to drive on. Yes my safety and those in the car with me has been at risk. The problem was confirmed by a Ford Dealership and has been inspected by a suspension tech. There was no light in the dashboard or anything to notify me of this issue.

Constant coolant leak and not sure where the coolant is going. Have replaced the reservior, valve cover gasket, cylinder head and valves, coolant level bottle sensor, coolant thermostat, and engine coolant temperature sensor. Check engine light is still on and Coolant is still leaking and engine overheating. Can't find where the leakage is and there is no visible evidence on the floor of the garage. Losing coolant obvious because the level is low ever 2-3 days of highway driving. Car will shut down because of the overheating. Mechanic doesn't know what else to do. Car was purchased on June 4, 2024. Have not received the title or license plates. Tried to return it to the company who sold it to me; however, owner of the company refused to refund my money.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power with the low oil pressure warning light illuminated. The contact also stated that there was fuel leaking underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the fuel leak was coming from the engine compartment fuel line. The contact was informed that the engine compartment fuel line needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The dealer was not contacted, and the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 96,399. The VIN was not available.

*car shakes as it brakes *coolant leaks (i see in the ford escape recalls there is one for coolant leaking) *upon opening doors it feel a slight stuck before opening. the doors don’t feel intact properly. *rubbers around windows appear loose. windows may not be secured.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle sputtered. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion and engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 189,000.

Coolant leak

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after restarting the vehicle, it was discovered that the power steering had failed, and the steering wheel was very difficult to turn in either direction. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that steering rack was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 113,000.