2014 Ford Escape complaints

The right side rear door latch assembly broke. The rear door will not latch and stay closed.

I was driving up a hill on the highway with my father in the car with me when my car began to rattle slightly. I looked down and saw that my engine heat dial was somewhat higher than its standard setting, which was weird because I had just put engine coolant in a day or two prior. A second later, my dash said, "Severe engine failure. Pull over." At the same time, the smell of smoke wafted into the car, and soon after, smoke began billowing into the vehicle as well. We pulled to the side of the highway and got out to check what was happening with the engine. At this point, tons of smoke was coming out of the hood. I tried to lift the hood to inspect the engine, but I couldn't because the metal was too hot. I peered through the slit of the hood and saw flames. At this point, we began grabbing all of our belongings from the car and moving out of the way. A few minutes later, the fire became much larger and ended up jumping onto the side of the hill next to the highway. It then continued up the hill and spread to 8 acres before the fire department was able to halt it. I am not sure exactly what part of the engine failed, but I suspect it was the coolant. I had always had issues with the coolant leaking or running out fast, but figured nothing of it, as there was no recall and whenever the car was serviced nothing was said. I don't know where the car is but I do know the front half was completely destroyed by the fire. My dad's and my safety were at risk due to the car we were dri

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH, the messages "Temperature High" and "Pull Over Safely" were displayed. In addition, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was able to pull to the side of the road. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the coolant was leaking. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that, on a separate occasion, the coolant reservoir was constantly low. The vehicle was taken to a different independent mechanic who diagnosed coolant intrusion into cylinders 2 or 3, causing 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 approximately 140,000.

Backup camera goes blank when you put the car in reverse. I have no visual. It has been this way for over a year and it has been reported to you before. Now there is a ford recall for this exact issue but my year car isn’t included.

My car loses power, I’ll go to get in interstate or just pull out of somewhere and I’ll press the gas and it’ll barely go. I’ve almost got hit multiple times. I take it to have it looked at and all I get is they can’t seem to see the problem but it’s there and extremely dangerous. After talking to several people apparently ford escapes are known for this problem yet ford doesn’t want to acknowledge there faulty parts. I have two small kids and this is dangerous and going to kill people

Left my home and drown about 1 mile and car Oil light came on then battery light came on then car started rolling I had no control of the speed and car stopped in middle of street got it towed to mechanic . Mechanic advises known issue with fords and should be under a recall. coolant leaking from turbo lines

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust pipes. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that there was coolant inside the cylinders. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V209000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) and was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 117,000.

Vehicle keeps slipping in and out of lower gears.

Vehicle overheated caused the cylinder head that crack. I am concerned it may catch fire as others before the recall. When I key in the VIN it shows no recall. However the NHTSA recall no 17V-209 or 17S09 shows all Escapes produced 2/12/13-9/2/14 have this issue and should have gotten a part to prevent this. With a production date of 5/14, shouldn't this vehicle be included?

Engine overheated, lost power, and smoke came from the exhaust. Mechanics opinion is the engine block is cracked and what had caused the heating is a blown head gasket.

1. The transmission has continuously slipped and stuck in gears when significantly outside of standard RPM:Speed standards for the vehicle. 2. The vehicle has recently started leaking oil via a lower pressure valve. 3. The engine thermostat and/or sensor need to be replaced with faulty internal temperatures being registered. 4. The rear collision warning and camera system started malfunctioning after an update that happened middle of 2024. The camera won't work at all approximately 50% of the time. 5. The brake issues haven't been fully diagnosed, but I'm aware of the model year/series of vehicle having several faulty components that could have a hand in the weakened braking. 6. I recently had AAA come diagnose the vehicle (reference the photos provided). My objective is to have my vehicle included in the widespread recalls that were released for my car model, year, and overall series. For some reason my VIN in registering as a vehicle that qualifies for the recalls but seems to have the exact same issues. I'm more than happy to take part in an investigation and or third-party inspection to expedite the process as well. I've also included the reports I've found when searching for the 2014 Ford Escape recall/repair list (via your website and others).

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the rear camera was not displaying an image. The message the “Camera was Unavailable” was displayed. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the rearview camera needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V442000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened a case. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 125,000.

Ford Motor Company should issue a recall and replace the known faulty manufacturing defective lug nuts since 2019. The lug nuts swell and can not be removed by standard lug nut wrench. This is a safety issue because recommend tire rotation is impossible with standard tools. Dealerships are requiring owners to replace faulty lug nuts at an exorbitant cost. Vehicle owners are not performing the routine tire rotation thus creating a safety hazard resulting from tire failure, roadside safety issues and crashes due to excessive tire wear. This has been a known manufacturer fault since 2019. It is immoral and unprofessional to allow this practice to continue.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while reversing, the pedestrian alert system was inoperable. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 83,000.

While doing oil change, I realized car has rear seal oil leak. Transmission experiences slippage in cold weather. Car has a very good maintenance record.

The factory-installed rear backup camera image flips upside down while in the car is in reverse and some times won't even turn on. Ford knows about the defective cameras.

-Electric power steering system. Yes, it is available for inspection. -My safety is high risk with this issue. -No. -No. -Yes. A message saying "Steering Assist Fault Service Required" few time would pop up and the steering wheel couldn't move. I would turn off the vehicle and turn it back on, the message would go away.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while reversing, the back over prevention camera failed to function as intended with the back over prevention warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed back over prevention camera system. The contact was informed that the back over prevention camera system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not included. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 58,850.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the rearview camera displayed a distorted image while the vehicle was in reverse(R). The contact stated that the failure obstructed the driver's visibility, which prevented the driver from safely operating the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the electrical system on the rearview camera had failed. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The rearview camera display a blue image, compromising the back-over prevention system. The message "Back up camera not available" was displayed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired after the most recent failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided the contact with a case number and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the coolant level was low; however, there was no warning light illuminated. The contact added coolant to the coolant reservoir; however, after driving for approximately 20 minutes and then parking the vehicle overnight; however, while attempting to start the vehicle the following morning, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that there was engine failure due to coolant intrusion into cylinder #4. The contact was informed that the cylinder head gasket had melted, causing the engine to seize. The dealer informed the contact of the failure and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V209000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and opened a case. The manufacturer confirmed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V209000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 83,900.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel became very difficult to turn in either direction. The contact stated that the message "Service Vehicle" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the steering rack 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 79,000.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while reversing, the back over prevention camera system failed to function as intended. The contact stated an error message that the rear-view camera was unavailable was displayed. In addition, the rear-view camera screen occasionally displayed a blue screen or failed to activate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failure of the back-over prevention camera system. The contact was informed that the back-over prevention camera system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that on several occasions while in reverse, the back over prevention display screen was black, with the message "Back Over Prevention Camera not Available" displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 84,400.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that on several occasions while in reverse (R), the rear-view camera failed to work as intended. The contact stated that the message "Camera not Available at this time” was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer however, the cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 56,000.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the driver's side rear passenger’s door independently opened. The contact drove back to the residence but was unable to securely lock the door. The contact stated that when the door opened, the "Door Open" chime sounded, and the " Door Ajar" symbol was displayed on the instrument cluster. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the rear driver’s side door latch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was advised by the dealer that there was a recall related to the failure, NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V331000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages); however, the VIN was not included. The contact informed the manufacturer of the recall and was informed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 99,000.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while reversing, the rearview camera failed to display an image of the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the rearview camera. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V315000 (Back Over Prevention), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated and jerked, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was an oil leak. However, the source of the oil leak was unknown. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that recently while the vehicle was being repaired, the dealer found an oil leak by the rear turbo and diagnosed that the solenoid valve was damaged and needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (POWER TRAIN), and the vehicle was repaired. The vehicle was not repaired a second time because the VIN was no longer under recall. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 129,000.

See attached document for complaint.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed and the contact was informed that the engine rod had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the cylinders, causing the engine to fail. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure recurred, and the contact parked the vehicle. The vehicle was no longer driven due to the safety concerns. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the back-up camera was intermittently inoperable. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to Dealer Bulletin: 20C19. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed there were no recalls associated with the VIN. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000.

Transmission failed around 81,000 miles resulting in a costly repair. Luckily I was not on a busy highway at the time so I was not in imminent danger.

The transmission failed on the highway. I put a lot of money in repairs on this vehicle since purchased in 2022 and stopped working in 2024. The vehicle has the defective 6f35 transmission. Paid almost 5k to repair the transmission alone. Ford has issued no recalls for thos claim but they knew it was defective.

Leaking coolant and heat only blows hot when reving at consistent speed , and ac not blowing cold

Engine light came on and over heates

The drivers seatbelt does not retract. The seatbelt is extended all the way loose in your lap. In an accident i don’t think it would work at all. Something is broken inside that doesn’t allow it to retract on its own at all.

The car has been in the shop on and off for two years because of coolant leaking but the coolant pressure test show no leaks. As of March 2025 the car was checked again and showed no pressure leaks. Over the course of time, The radiator was replaced and several other things have been attempted. We are at the point where we don’t want to put more money into the vehicle because we are afraid it is the classic coolant intrusion situation with this car. I have read many reports of this problem. I am only reporting on the most recent incident below. I do not have an invoice for the March, 2025 visit for coolant pressure test.

My wife was driving the car on the interstate, when suddenly a "TRANSMISSION FAULT SERVICE NOW" message was displayed on the screen. Immediately after the message, the vehicle lost power. She managed to limp the vehicle off the interstate to an access road, and eventually into a parking lot. We had the vehicle towed to a local transmission shop. The independent shop told us that the torque converter had failed, causing damage to the transmission. We paid to have the transmission replaced. Three or four days prior to this event, my wife had noticed that the engine seemed to be revving higher than normal when accelerating. There were no warning messages displayed at that time.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the coolant temperature warning light was illuminated, and upon checking the coolant tank, the coolant level was low. The coolant reservoir was refilled; however, several days later the coolant level was low again. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the engine started overheating, causing the engine to seize. The contact was forced to pull over onto the side of the road, and the vehicle was towed to a local independent mechanic and was inspected. The contact was notified of coolant intrusion into the engine and that the engine needed to be replaced. A local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the engine was overheating and there was oil leaking from the top of the engine. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was contacted and scheduled an appointment, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the A/C system was blowing warmer air than intended. The vehicle was taken to Tire Kingdom, where the contact was informed that a leak was found near the A/C evaporator core. The contact was concerned that failure could lead to electrical failures. The mechanic recommended applying a sealant to stop the leak. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 43,695.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated and the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic but was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact had received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V331000 (LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES); and the vehicle was taken to a local dealer to be repaired. The contact stated that the failure occurred after the recall repair. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the rear driver’s side door failed to open properly. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where the vehicle was inspected; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact was informed that the vehicle had already received the one-time free repair under the recall. The vehicle was not repaired a second time. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 185,000.

Was traveling for work in Ohio. On a major highway at night. The road was under construction and therefore had merging lanes and a reduced speed limit coming up. I passed 5 trucks before the merge to get ahead them before the tight lines. As I was passing I was losing power. Very dangerous in the left lane! I eventually was able to cut some people off with my flashers on to get to the right lane. There was no shoulder! My car continued slowing in 55mph construction zone. I was finally able to get on a shoulder. I was able to turn the car on and off around 8 times to limp off the highway to a near by Loves truckstop. No leaks or smoke. There was no warning. The transmission failed. Towed to a local Ford dealer. 370 miles from home. They were zero help. Had it transported to a dealer at home. Total catastrophic trans failure. Around $6700 to Ford with no discounts from them.

1# My fuel system is causing a problem My vehicle will not pass emissions it's been several tries of rejection. It is giving me recall syptoms and I know that this type of vehicle has had fuel issues recalled in the past. The sensors on the car are giving out codes that don't allow me to pass emissions and it's saying something about the( fuel system.) #2 I am having an issue with the electrical system in the radio it flares up and causes a deafening crackling noise and I have to pull over and turn the car off in order to shut the noise off sometimes the noise starts on its own when you're driving I have shut the car off and exit the vehicle only to hear the crackling noise coming from the electrical system while the car was off, at times I was afraid it would cause an electrical Fire! I feel I am having (recall issues )with this vehicle and because it is older the Ford motor company will not allow it to be inspected at one of their shops. I have contacted the better Business bureau where the Ford motor company is located in Michigan and they still do not want to help me. I cannot drive my car legally because it cannot pass emissions because of the fuel issue. Yes the engine light was on the dash back in November but the codes were cleared and it has not come back on but the vehicle still will not pass emissions. And I feel that Ford motor company does not want to assist me because there's no factory warranty anymore and the vehicle is older but that is not fair to the consum

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the back over prevention camera screen had displayed the message “Rear View Camera Not Available” on a blue screen while attempting to reverse. The contact stated that while shifting into park, the vehicle intermittently displayed a message that the vehicle was not in park. Additionally, while shifting into drive, the RPM increased, and the transmission felt like it was stuck between gears. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V159000 (Back Over Prevention) and 22V413000 (Power Train), and the repairs were completed. The vehicle was not repaired a second time because the VIN was no longer under recall. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,100.

The vehicle make model and year has had recalls in the past with regard to the transmission and I recently purchased the vehicle a few months ago and the transmission started slipping and is now not operational.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The message that coolant was needed was displayed. The contact added coolant to the reservoir. While driving 25 MPH, the vehicle was driving rough. The contact was concerned about the vehicle catching on fire. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer for NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V209000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that a pressure test was needed to check for leaks. The mechanic informed the contact about potential codes and referred the contact to Ford and the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The manufacturer was contacted but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 38,268.

A few months ago, Engine coolant light came on and had more coolant added. Then the week after my card stopped in the middle of the road because the engine was over heating, I had to get it towed. Took it to mechanic and there was a hole and coolant leaking. My engine coolant light just came on again, requiring further inspection.

Initially diagnosed as a coolant leak due to requirement to constantly add coolant. There was no evidence of a leak. Shortly thereafter the car began experiencing hard starts and illumination of the check engine light (CEL). Code showed number 3 cylinder misfire. Subsequent starts had white smoke in conjunction with rough idle and CEL. Took to my mechanic and he said this is a known issue with this Engine and quoted me 9K for repairs. I did some searching online and found that this issue is VERY well known and Ford is currently in litigation over it.

Driving along at 60 mph suddenly my car stops going in heavy traffic and won't move,, then it accelerated to high RPMS and was stuck, then it hard shifted into gear and it lundged forward fast and went about 5 feet then it wouldn't move. Almost got killed on a busy hwy. because of it accelerating on its on out into traffic while it was in park, then just came to a dead stop. The only way I can describe is it was not moving in park, then it was like it shifted by itself and lundged forward and stoped like it was slammed into park from a high speed but it did it this on it's own while the shifter was in park. It took off again and I drove it to the side of the hwy, and turned it off. Called and got a friend who has a trailer to come tow me. I Cranked my car to see if it would move to get it on the trailer. I Slowly drove it up on the ramps and got about half way up, then it stopped wouldn't move again, still in drive it rolled back down the ramps on its own, I was just sitting there and it was idling was like the rpms were higher than normal so I shut it off for a minute. Got back in it cranked it up put it in drive and it wouldn't move, put in in reverse it backed up but it was revved up and shifted hard, so I put it back in park and it spit and spuddered so I shifted to neutral an then car just shifted into drive and took off on it's on and drove up missing the ramps and ran into the back of his trailer, crushing my front end. Then it wouldn't move again. Winched it on the tr