2013 Ford Escape complaints

This Car has had non-stop coolant problems for years.Constantly looses coolant and low coolant light comes on and have to refill.I replaced coolant bypass valve 7/8/21,and again on 3/22/23.Its ok awhile then starts loosing coolant again.Few days ago low coolant light came on after refilling it just a week ago.This time the engine light came on code p1299,with a message to pull over because my car was overheating and it didn't have any power.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at approximately 20 MPH, there was steam coming from under the hood. The contact stated that the Low Coolant warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and checked under the hood. The vehicle was driven to a nearby independent mechanic where the contact was informed that coolant needed to be added to the reservoir. The coolant was added by the independent mechanic and the contact continued driving; however, approximately a week later, the message was displayed again. Due to the independent mechanic's diagnosis prior, the contact added coolant to the reservoir. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer confirmed that the recall repair for NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V551000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) was performed for the previous owner of the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.

My car will just shut off while I am driving without warning. It will restart but will continue to stop and then it won’t start back because now the battery is dead. Got a new battery and the next day it was dead. My mechanic said there is something electrical going on because there was a sparks coming for the battery when were disconnecting it to do coil packs and plugs

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle the message "Add Coolant" had been displayed and the vehicle began to hesitate and sputter. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the standpipe was faulty and needed to be replaced. The standpipe was replaced but the failure continued to occur. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 90,000.

Was driving on the interstate with cruise set and without warning it downshifted and vehicle quit in middle of the road almost caused a accident. Vehicle won't start up. While pushing car to safety popped up engine over heat but Guage did not show it being hot.

Losing coolant, engine light came on now vehicle lost exceleration.

On 03-17-24 My daughter was driving a few miles away from home, when the dashboard system states "High engine temperature, pull over safely." Within 30 seconds of pulling off the road, the flames came out near the windshield from under the hood. Within 5 minutes the car was fully engulfed and completely destroyed. I am so upset and frustrated that Ford is not taking this matter more seriously as this appears to be a common occurrence with these vehicles. Fortunately my daughter was uninjured.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the engine coolant low message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who replaced the engine sensor; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic, who replaced the coolant bypass valve, but the failure persisted. The contact added coolant to the reservoir. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle had previously been repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V583000 (Engine). The manufacturer advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle downshifted to first gear with the temperature gauge indicating that the engine was HOT. The check engine warning light flashed on the instrument panel and the vehicle shut off. The contact was forced to wait approximately 30 minutes to an hour before restarting the vehicle. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that there were no recalls on the vehicle. Several mechanics were notified of the failure and each informed that contact that the vehicle had sustained engine damage and that the engine needed to be replaced. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V583000 (Engine) which was linked to the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

Unknown because I cannot afford to have it looked at however I believe it has to do with the recall on the coolant issue

Carfax is reporting an odometer reset or rollover. I am looking to purchase this vehicle. What is the odometer issue?

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated when he started the vehicle in the morning, the vehicle was idling roughly, and clouds of white smoke was coming from the exhaust pipe. The contact stated that once the vehicle had warmed up, the smoke would stop. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that additionally, he would lose forward momentum and he saw that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that he checked the vehicle and became aware that the coolant reservoir was consistently low and needed to be refilled. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin Number: 19-2100 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, an abnormal squeaking sound was coming from the steering wheel while turning. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and was diagnosed with a defective steering gear. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The vehicle was not repaired and remained in the possession of the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

2013 Ford Escape Coolant system is experiencing major leak. No engine sensor is light is coming on. The coolant leak is causing vehicle to overheat. Coolant leak is seeping onto the belts and hoses that were also replaced. Engine seals are scheduled to be replaced on March 2, 2024. I was previously advised that this used vehicle I purchased was not involved in an accident. I researched, and there are over 7,000 complaints regarding coolant leakage in this Ford year model. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Safety recall 13S12 with a risk of localized overheating of the engine cylinder head that may lead to oil leaks and fires was not completed per the procedure provided by FORD motor company.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the message "Steering Assist Unavailable" displayed and the steering wheel seized. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and the message disappeared and the steering wheel regained functionality. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed that the power steering module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired but was in the process of being repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a complaint was filed. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The failure mileage was 60,000. The VIN was not available.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low-coolant warning light illuminated on the instrument panel, and the temperature gauge began to indicate that the vehicle was overheating. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the coolant hose. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was towed back to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the cooling and control systems. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V583000 (Engine) but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 100,000.

Power steering has gone out. There is a recall, but it is not attached to my Vin number.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the engine revved very high, but the vehicle would not properly accelerate. The vehicle also experienced a loss of traction and surging at highway speeds. The messages "Transmission Fault" and "Hill Start Assist Unavailable" were displayed. The vehicle was towed to the local service center to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 145,000.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Coolant system is experiencing major leak at the coolant stand pipe. Also vehicle is reading a protection code and vehicle appears to be overheating but it's not. Coolant leak is seeping onto the belts and hoses that were also replaced. Engine seals have also leaked and have been recently replaced several times. Vehicle is available for inspection. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Safety recall 13S12 with a risk of localized overheating of the engine cylinder head that may lead to oil leaks and fires was not completed per the procedure provided by FORD motor company. The dealership that was responsible for completing the recall located at 488 U.S 1 Highway in Vero Beach Florida in 2019 is no longer operating. Several components of the 64 page recall were not completed as verified by a copy of the work order I have in my possession. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes, my ford service advisor in Thomasville, GA has verified that this recall was not done properly and that my car falls under the manufacturer year that was negatively effected by this common problem with all cars produced within the same specific time frame by the manufacturer (FORD). The loss of coolant and potential overheating of the engine is a major common issue with this vehicle make/year/model. Has the vehicle or component been ins

I own a 2013 ford Escape sel. While driving on the road a message appears and states steering assist fault. When this happens the steering becomes very hard to steer. I feel like I can’t even pull over because it is very hard to steer. I feel is very unsafe. Another msg that appears is hill start assist not available and then with that massage 911 assist fault. All of these messages to me seem very unsafe and need to be looked at. I looked online and there are thousands of people complaining about these problems.

Car shaking when I accelerate. Car jerking at times upon accelerating. Major oil leak to the point that a car place refused to change my oil due to liability.

Vehicle will completely turn off while driving, battery indicator light comes on, once pulled over the vehicle can be restarted. Had it checked it out and it’s leaking coolant from a possible cracked block into #2 cylinder. Ford told me that they currently have no programs for me to get this replaced for free. These motors are dangerous and ford needs to address this.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH, the low coolant warning light illuminated. The vehicle was parked at the residence where coolant was added to the vehicle. On another occasion while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low coolant warning light illuminated again. The vehicle was taken to a dealer however, the failure could not be duplicated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 98,924.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, she smelled a gasoline odor on the interior of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who was able to smell a gasoline odor but was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V336000 (Fuel System, Gasoline), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the Coolant Low message was displayed, and the vehicle then lost motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact added coolant and was able to restart the vehicle; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

We replaced new battery and the wiper arms and motor act up and destroy the wiper arm and motor for 2nd time and now I have to order new one arms and motor and I think ford should recall that wiper motors and arms

I HAVE A 2013 Ford Escape THAT HAS HAD TO HAVE A NEW TRANSMISSION DUE TO ITS SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED AND WITH NO WARNING FAILURE. 6000 AT FORD DEALERSHIP. THEN THE PROBLEMS WITH COOLANT STARTED. IT WOULD SUDDENLY START OVERHEATING, AND START STALLING . DROPPED DOWN TO TWO MILE AND HOUR TILL YOU LIMP OFF THE ROAD. HAVE TO CONSTANTLY CHECK IT. WILL BE FINE AND THEN SUDDENLY START LEAKING AGAIN. REPLACED COOLANT CAP, COOLANT OVERFLOW TANK, NEW HOSE FOR COOLANT TANK, COOLANT HOSE THAT INSERTS INTO REAR OF ENGINE, STAND PIPE AND BYPASS VALVE.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the temperature gauge indicated that the vehicle was overheating, prompting the contact to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway. After a visual inspection of the engine compartment, the contact observed that the coolant reservoir was empty. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that coolant was leaking into the cylinders, resulting in damage to the engine and requiring the engine to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V583000 (Engine) but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 84,000.

Coolant leaks due to hole in cylinder head causing overheated engine.

While driving vehicle it would start shuttering. Took it to dealer who stated the transmission was bad. Vehicle had 91000 miles on it. I asked why the transmission was not serviceable and was told it was a sealed unit. The repair cost $8900.00 for new transmission. Took 3 weeks to get it repaired. Asked several times when in for oil change to service the transmission, each time I was told it was a sealed unit and couldn’t be serviced. Had it been able to be serviced I don’t think the problem would have been as bad to have to have transmission replaced.

From the day I bought the vehicle, it had coolant leak issues. I read that Ford knew this so they installed a feature where the vehicle will shut down/not move if there is low coolant, so as to avoid fires. An abrupt stop is very dangerous as well depending on location. $1000s later and years later, the leaks turned into not being able to hold any coolant at all. I took it to FORD they kept for 6 months and when I got the car back, it no longer drove. I took to another shop and they said there is a class action lawsuit for the issue and that the turbo needs to be replaced. That would almost $5k in repairs… due to labor costs. I loved this car even thought it’s been problematic. I would love nothing more than to have it working again, but not for that price.

Started my car and had no steering with no warning. Thank God I wasn’t driving the car when this happened. Spoke with Ford Dealership and they knew exactly what the issue was. They said it was a malfunction of the rack and pinion steering which they said was common on the 2013 Ford Escape. Cost for Ford Dealership to repair was $2,700.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that coolant was leaking from the vehicle. The contact added additional coolant, but within a week half of the coolant had leaked out. The engine was hot, and a message to “Pull Over” was displayed. The vehicle stalled. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to locate the leak. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed about a recall however, the contact declined the repairs. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 89,621. The VIN was not available.

Since we bought the car we have always had problems with the steering locking up. Was told the whole rack and pinion which is electric needed to be changed. I have read that this is a huge problem with FORDS. My wife was driving on the highway and it locks up and she can’t steer. Please check into how many ford vehicles have this problem. Someone is going to get killed

I received an alert on the dash that says "steering assist fault service req'd" I have received this alert in the past, in the middle of driving. When the alert comes on, the power steering completely goes out, making it impossible to turn the wheel. It's scary knowing that I can be driving and the power steering can go out at anytime, due to evident poor engineering on Ford's behalf. There have been a plethora of other Escape's that had reported this exact issue. For whatever reason, Ford decided to not recall the 2013 model, even though it experiences the same issue that the other year models were recalled for. This is putting myself and others' at danger and currently the vehicle is stuck and I am not able to turn the wheel at all. Ford is unwilling to cooperate. This is easily something Ford should be willing to look at and FIX for zero cost. An engineering issue within the electrical components of the car is not something I should be held responsible for. I didn't build the car. Nor was I given any sort of warning when the steering just all of a sudden went out, while I'm driving on a busy highway. What can we do to get Ford to cooperate to FIX the issue at no cost on my end? Thank you in advance.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH the messages "Engine overheating" and "Coolant level low" were displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle decelerated from 40 MPH to 5 MPH. The contact had coasted to the side of the roadway and waited for approximately an hour for the engine temperature to cool down before continuing to drive. The failure had occurred 3 times. The contact stated that during one failure, in addition to waiting, the coolant level was refilled above the suggested fill line and the vehicle regained proper function. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was determined that coolant was leaking into the engine. The mechanic informed the contact that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 12V551000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) and 12V431000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact was referred to the dealer. The dealer was contacted and it was confirmed the VIN was not included in the recalls. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000.

Cars is losing antifreeze with no visible leaks in engine compartment or under vehicle. Strong smell emitted around vehicle when driven.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated after starting the vehicle, he noticed that coolant was leaking significantly onto the ground. The contact stated that he added coolant to the vehicle and drove to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the cylinder head plug was fractured. The mechanic determined that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V431000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact stated that the manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed him that the NHTSA was responsible for the VIN selection. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

I have been reaching out to ford for over 9 months my SUV started having issues with shifting at 90,000 and I took it to my local ford dealer 2 (Jefferson Ford Motors) Jefferson Georgia and then once to the Ford office in Winder Georgia both said that until the vehicle broke down they did not see what the problem was however the last time I took it to Jefferson Ford Motor they said they can tell its showing signs of some type of transmission failure at which they could not tell why because they said it was not enough miles to cause that fast forward to November of 2023 I was driving down a busy intersection and the suv stops shifting completely and slammed to a stop in the middle of 6 lanes all coming at my vehicle and nearly causing a horrible accident and unsafe environment to even have it towed ford had recalls on the shifting that caused this very same issue with the same model as my vehicle and they should be liable for this I have wrote letters and called ford spoke to the NHTSA multiple times with absolutely no help from anyone how is this fair to me I can not fix my SUV because I can not afford it I am not asking for ford to cover anything else but do the right thing and fix the issues with the vehicle that caused a near death accident I NEED HELP for someone instead of being ignored!

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that on two occasions while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal gasoline odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated on another occasion while driving at various speeds the vehicle lost power. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 127,000.

The transmission will sometimes fail to engage immediately after putting the vehicle in drive or reverse. If the driver steps on the gas pedal, the transmission jerks violently to engage. Also while driving, the transmission will have a slight slipping before allowing acceleration. No OBD codes appear and no dashboard warning messages appear. In addition to the transmission problem, I obtained a P0234 and P0299 OBD code. This code is for the turbocharger overboost solenoid, which I had replaced, but the code has returned.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, the engine was running rough. Additionally, the contact stated that she was continually refilling the coolant reservoir due to an excessive coolant consumption. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with an internal coolant leak. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be taken apart for a full diagnostic test. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 144,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the message "Power Steering Assist Fault" was displayed, and the steering wheel was difficult to turn in either direction. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the steering rack was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 104,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the "Coolant Level Low," message was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and it was discovered that there was a hairline crack in the coolant reservoir. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that there was blueish-colored smoke coming from the vehicle upon a cold engine start. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the engine was misfiring, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that he drove to the residence. The contact stated that he used an OBD reader and retrieved DTC code: P0304 (Cylinder #4 Misfire). The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 144,618.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while accelerating at slower speeds, the steering wheel would severely shake and vibrate. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 45,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while the vehicle was at the dealer having the tires rotated, the contact was informed that the lug nuts were swollen. The contact was informed that the lug nuts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to report the failure to NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000. The VIN was unavailable.

Vehicle started to overheat. It now will not move. Car has sat for two days and as soon as you start it the overheating warning comes on

Steering Assist Fault - Contact Dealer is what appears on my vehicle screen. No power steering in vehicle - unable to drive, have to have it towed to dealer. Vehicle worked perfectly fine one hour before going back out to vehicle to start and run an errand. Vehicle on has 84,500 miles. There are recalls on 914,000 Escapes and Explorers up to 2012. The same component is in my 2013 vehicle that is in the vehicles in the recall. Ford needs to be responsible for these components in their vehicles that could cause a major accident, injury or death. This component should be paid for in full by Ford, not the customer.

Water Pump is leaking which could cause a fire in the engine bay. This vehicle has a known history of this and my VIN search shows 0 unrepaired recall issues, but it still exists. Problem was inspected by and verified by my mechanic of 35 years.