My coolant has been leaking starting early this month and I took it to my repair shop. My car has 94,347 miles on it. They told me it could be related to Safety Recall Notice 17S09/NHTSA Recall 17V-209. They put in Stop Leak to help. It did for a while but continues to leak. In searching the internet about this problem, I found that many other people are having this problem and are not getting satisfaction from Ford. In the end, they have to have the engine replaced. I'm worried that this problem will advance to more problems like other people are having. On March 11, 2024, I took the car to my repair shop.
2014 Ford Escape complaints
Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2014 record →
My daughter's 2014 Ford escape low coolant light came on today and the thermostat jumped straight to over heating and the check engine light came on. The coolant has been going down very quickly during normal use and she has to continually fill the coolant more and more recently. Today was the first time the light came on and it overheated.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the engine overheated immediately. The check engine and engine temperature warning lights were illuminated, and the "Low Coolant" message was displayed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who advised the contact to tow the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The manufacturer advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 107,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the high engine temperature warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The contact was informed about NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V209000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 94,000.
THE REAR BACK UP CAMERA IS ACTING UP. SOMETIMES COMES ON, SOMETIMES IT IS SHOWING UPSIDE DOWN. I HAVE COME TO RELY ON THIS SAFETY FEATURE AND NEED IT REPAIRED.
Transmission failed without warning while driving on March 18, 2024. There were no previous issues, warning lights, symptoms, etc. The acceleration suddenly stopped, and the car struggled to move. This put me and other drivers at great risk of physical harm. The problem has been confirmed to be a serious transmission issue by our master mechanic and now needs to be replaced.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled while idling after being driven for an extended period. There were several unknown warning lights on the instrument panel. The vehicle had been taken to several independent mechanics; however, the mechanics could not determine the cause of the failure. The dealer was then notified of the failure and the contact was given an estimate for a diagnostic test. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V005000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) which was linked to the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 162,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle overheated and was shaking abnormally. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a failed freeze plug. The contact was informed that the freeze plug needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed about NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V431000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owned a 2014 Ford Escape. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for a service appointment which included a system scan and replacement of the coolant valves. The contact stated that after the repair was completed and the mechanic was test-driving the vehicle, the engine caught on fire. A nearby Police Officer alerted the mechanic to pull the vehicle over to the shoulder of the road because the vehicle was on fire. The mechanic drove the vehicle to the shoulder of the road and exited the vehicle. The Police Officer extinguished the fire by using a fire extinguisher that was in the trunk of the officer's vehicle. No injuries were sustained. The vehicle was towed back to the independent mechanic. The contact was informed that the cause of the fire was the engine and the engine coolant. The vehicle was destroyed due to the fire. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.
Per mechanic, cylinder head crack causing to oil leak
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the rear driver's side door failed to open from inside and from outside the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the bottom center door panel retainer was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, the "Coolant Low" message was displayed. Upon inspection, the contact discovered that the coolant reservoir was extremely low, but no visible evidence of a coolant leak was present. The contact added coolant to the reservoir, but the failure continued to occur. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 60,000.
My engine coolant kept disappearing with no signs of a leak and no overheating. Then one day it was driving fine when I stopped at a red light and it stalled so I tried to restart it but every time I put it in gear it stalled so I had to get it towed to a mechanic and the diagnosed it as transmission failure. It never showed signs of transmission issues and never had a check engine light on or anything. Worst buy ever
I have an oil and coolant leak in my 2014 Ford Escape. My mechanic said there is a recall for this issue, but It is not coming up under my Vin. My mechanic says the car is dangerous to drive because it can catch on fire. I see that there was a big recall with the Ford Escape for this issue and I am disappointed that my vin # is not included. Very frustrating because this is an extremely serious matter that could result in loss of life and Ford does not want to fix it!!!! The issue has been confirmed with my service garage and online.
Coolant system leaking continuously causing overheating; frequent issue in 2014 ford escapes
2014 Ford Escape Power Steering failure while on the interstate in fast moving and heavy traffic. Almost caused a pile up and barely got out of the way of a semi truck going 70 or more mph to the safety of the edge of interstate. The power steering had been working fine. Until a couple days prior to the incident, I cranked it up and it seemed like it was in manual steering mode. I cut it off re cranked it and it was fine. So i thought just a randon glitch when starting it. Always loved and relied and trusted ford vehicles until the incident on the interstate. I got it off the interstate cut it off and started it again, it was no longer power steering and felt it was in manual steering mode all the way on the back roads getting it home. I contacted Ford and told them of the problem, they instantly said they had repared vehicles and also numerous complaints on this problem and that there was not a recall on it, only on vehicles up to 2012. Then after further research I found tons of folks who were experiencing the same problem and some in the process of lawsuits or in process of filing one against Ford for the problem. I ask on line and researched others complaints about their experience, for some it was just the battery, so I replaced it with a new battery, it was not the problem and soon after had someone put a scanner on it and it shows the electric steering rack as the error. the dealership when called about the part stated that Ford had several problems with the steering p
Vehicle has been to Ford dealer several times for loosing coolant. The error message for low coolant is always on, even after verifying the level. The dealer states not to worry about the error message and that they cannot locate the leak. Recently the vehicle warnings for overheating went off and found that the coolant reservoir was low. The dealer maintains they are unable to find a leak or root cause of the problem.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle made a popping sound and then lost motive power. An unknown message was displayed. The contact pulled over and restarted the vehicle, but the transmission failed to shift into reverse(R) or drive(D). The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 99,000.
I have had coolant issues with this car for 7+ years. No matter what work I have done to it, it still looses coolant. I'm currently topping off the reservoir every 3-4 days. Pressure test does not find a leak but it must be going somewhere!! Within the past 3 months I have had: - heater hose replaced ($500+ at dealership) - valve cover gasket and turbocharger wastegate control solenoid replaced ($800+) - coolant tube and vac system replaced ($1000+ at dealership) I have had other extremely expensive repairs done over the years, including recalls, and the car still looses coolant somehow.
Coolant circulation as part of recall 17S09. Not sure if my car was affected but it’s not right. We have change coolant bottle and coolant seems to be going somewhere and can’t figure out if my car was with this recall. Also already had to rebuild transmission. It was destroyed. $5000. Will never buy a ford again
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while the vehicle was idling, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that several attempts were needed to restart the vehicle while depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact became aware of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 14V495000 (Electrical System) and 15V005000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the VIN was not included in the recalls. The failure persisted and occurred more frequently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the fuel injector line had failed as well as there was a wiring failure causing the battery and engine to engage or disengage unintentionally by the driver. The alternator and battery had been replaced; however, a third repair had not been completed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure where it was confirmed that the failure was related but was not included in the recall with the NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V495000 (Electrical System). The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The failure mileage was 65,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the rear driver’s side and rear passenger’s side doors were inoperable and could not be opened from inside or outside the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who stated that the door plastic panels had slid down and became stuck inside the door trim. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired for the same failure, but the failure reoccurred. The failure mileage was 30,000.
The rear door panel gets stuck in the door frame, preventing the door from opening. This happens with all of the screws and clips firmly in place but the problem does eventually loosen and dislodge clips. It seems to be that the panel is a little too big for the door frame. Looking for solutions, the problem is very common and many people have attempted to fix it with little success. We have two small children who sit in the back in car seats and we have to put them both in and out from the one door that doesn’t get stuck. This has been an issue for about two years now and has damaged the panel so much that it nearly rips off when attempting to open the door. I have read that Ford has acknowledged the problem but has not issued a recall. Clearly a safety issue to not be able to open a door.
Coolant intrusion around 130,000 miles. I swapped the motor from a 2013 Escape that had 107,000 miles on it and the coolant intrusion is happening with that one after driving 15,000 more miles.
My car has 15 recalls. I was only notified of 2. According to one of the letters I received It states that repairs were done but not completed and that is a lie. I have never had any recall work done, mainly because the first letter said they didn't have parts. I was only made aware of the latest 2 and no work has ever been done that I am aware of nor have I ever been notified until recently. So why are they saying work was done when I know it wasn't? One of the recalls says my car should not be driven for safety reasons. How can they be trusted? I know the repairs were not done even though the letter says it has been done. How can they claim it was fixed, when I know for a fact it wasn't. What can I do to prove they are lying? Shouldn't there be records? I would love to see these records. My name is [XXX] [XXX] . or [XXX] . My car is a 2014 ford escape. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
My 14 Escape will not turn off. This is a standard start not push button. Been running for an hour without key in ignition. Recall for this issue is not for 2014 models it seems. Does have factory dealer installed remote start that was put in years ago.
Information/Instrument cluster has gone blank. I cannot see mileage, or any warning information. This problem was on a previous recall.
The contact's girlfriend owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at approximately 10 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The transmission warning light illuminated later. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the high temperature gauge alert was red and the notification to stop and the turn off engine soon warning light was illuminated. The contact's wife parked the vehicle and turned the vehicle off. The engine had overheated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 112,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that a message indicating that the coolant level was low was displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive coolant consumption because he was adding coolant to the vehicle more frequently than usual. Additionally, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that coolant was leaking in a cylinder. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where no coolant leak was found; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the water pump was leaking and needed to be replaced. The dealer provided an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 116,000.
After remote starting the vehicle, the vehicle timed out. Upon entering and starting the vehicle, a check engine light and overheating notification were received. The vehicle was undrivable and this occurred during single-digit temperatures. The vehicle was left overnight (single-digit cold weather) and upon return the following day, the vehicle was started and still had a check engine light and engine overheating notification. The vehicle was towed to the dealership for diagnosis. The dealership determined that coolant was leaking into cylinders 1 and 2. The dealer indicated that the necessary repair would be an entire engine replacement and was quoted $10,000 dollars. The repair estimate was declined and the vehicles check engine light was cleared and ran fine.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle overheated. The contact stated that a year ago, the vehicle was serviced under an engine recall repair due to coolant leak. The contact stated on several occasions, the vehicle had been taken back to the dealer due to the failure after the recall repair had been completed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and remained at the dealer since the beginning of January 2024. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while she and a guest were driving at 35 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power, with unknown warning lights flickering. The contact stated that she observed white smoke coming from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road where the vehicle was shut off. On another occasion, that engine started to overheat. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road where coolant was added; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was turned off and was not able to operate. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the cylinder head was cracked, and coolant and oil were leaking into the engine. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 132,000.
While driving down the interstate, this car started smoking and i was unable to use the brakes. Its like the braking system locked up. I couldn't push the brakes because it was down to the floor hard with NO intentions on stopping. Emergency brakes were needed to stop this vehicle. The gear shift does not seem to in the correct position. Seems to be some type of powertrain issue. The coolant was leaking and there was no vacuum on the motor. The drivers door latch is defective, when opening the door it doesn't retreat, the latch stays in the open position. The backup camera is defective, doesn't show you are backing up. Dashboard shows brake lamp default an brake lights not out.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while having new tires installed on the vehicle, the tire dealer was unable to remove the lug nuts because the lug nuts were swollen. The contact was informed by the tire dealer that the bolts and the lug nuts needed to be removed and replaced to properly mount the new tires. The contact called a dealer and was informed she had to pay out-of-pocket to have the lug nuts and mounting bolts replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle started to blow white smoke out of the exhaust PIPE. The contact stated that the low coolant level warning light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that there was a coolant leak and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V209000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 161,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the service engine warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was initially taken to an independent mechanic where a coolant leak was discovered between cylinders #2 and #3. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer and the failure was confirmed. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The engine was replaced out of pocket. Recently, another coolant leak was discovered during an engine inspection. The vehicle was repaired; however, there was a strong fuel odor coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and the contact was informed that the fuel odor was not detected. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 124,173.
With no warning or indication the car would not go into gear. When put in reverse the car went forward. The car then bucked and the wheels kept spinning. I shut the car off and turned it back on. I had my children in the car. I was able to drive up the road and then the car made some crazy noises and would no longer accelerate. The car then indicated it needed to be serviced due to the transmission. No warning. No indication. Just died. I got this car a month ago.
My power steering locks up on Frozen mornings and will not turn this has happened numerous times since 2023 and it is now January 21st 2024 and is becoming more frequent
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine misfired. The contact stated that occasionally, the vehicle failed to start. Additionally, the contact stated that coolant had been leaking out of the reservoir and the contact noticed a burning odor coming from under the hood. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that coolant leaked into the engine and caused engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while her daughter was driving 55 MPH, the vehicle shut off inadvertently. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact's daughter was able to veer to the side of the road. The contact's daughter inspected the coolant level and noticed that the coolant level was significantly low. The contact's daughter added coolant to the vehicle and was able to continue driving. The contact stated that coolant was being added to the vehicle every two weeks. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that coolant was leaking into the turbo, and the turbo needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V209000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the VIN was not included. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
I've had to send this car into the shop multiple times since I bought it 2 years ago. It has cost me thousands. Every time it gets 'fixed' the same issue pops up a month or two later. Disaster of a vehicle.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the head gasket overheated, and the vehicle shut off. The contact was able to veer off the highway. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the orange antifreeze caused the head gasket to fail. The mechanic advised the contact that the head gasket needed to be replaced. The local dealer was contacted but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 164,000.
A repeated low coolant light continues to show up after refilling the system and having it flushed. The system message center presented a message that said "Stop Safely Now" due to low coolant. The engine temperature gauge was reading completely cold.
Backup camera on my Ford Escape works only intermittently, sometimes it shows a black screen and error message, at other times it shows an upside down images. Please include this model year (and perhaps others) along with the recent backup camera recall you recently issued. Thanks for considering my request.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the "High Engine Temperature - Stop Safely" message was displayed on the instrument panel with the temperature gauge indicating that the engine was hot. The contact pulled over and allowed the engine to cool down. Upon inspection, the contact discovered that the coolant reservoir was empty. The contact replenished the coolant and drove the vehicle home. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated and jerked upon the depression of the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and it was initially discovered there was a leak in the expansion tank as well as a defective thermostat. The contact stated that both parts were replaced. Despite the repair, the contact continued to experience failure with the check engine warning light displayed on the instrument panel and an abnormal burning odor was coming from the vehicle. After several visits to the dealer, it was discovered that coolant had leaked into one of the engine cylinders. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V209000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was not repaired and remained in the possession of the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving uphill at 35–45 MPH, there was white smoke coming from the tailpipe. The vehicle went into LIMP Mode and lost motive power. The engine temperature rose to a HOT level. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to veer off the roadway. The contact stated who is an independent mechanic completed a diagnostic test and indicated that there were codes for the cylinder head, overheating, and cam position sensor fault. There was coolant entering the cylinder head and exiting through the tailpipe. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact about a software program and referred the contact to the local dealer and the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 153,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the "High engine temperature, stop safely" message was displayed before the vehicle lost motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was coasted to the side of the road. Upon inspection, the contact discovered that the coolant reservoir was empty. The contact had to add water or coolant to the coolant reservoir for the vehicle to restart. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic; however, the cause of the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle previously had two unknown repairs for coolant intrusion; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The contact was advised to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 112,000.
After no signs of overheating or leaks the coolant level of the car has dropped significantly after topping off several times. The heat stopped working and the coolant reservoir never stayed filled. We took it to the dealership for diagnosis. The service representative told us the coolant was leaking directly into the engine and the only solution is to replace the cracked engine block.
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NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
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