2016 Ford Escape complaints

Vehicle check engine light goes on usually during hot weather. Vehicle stalls and hesitates on acceleration causing unsafe conditions with traffic, intersections, etc.

Back up camera does not work. Screen either goes black or multitude of colors. Sometimes it flips to just see ground.

Vehicle over heated and had to pull over to cool it down. Got vehicle home safe and check engine light was on. 116867 T1.0 for diag verified customer's concern. Quick test P1299, P0217, P0219 for over temp condition. removed spark plugs and found coolant intrusion into all the cylinders, WSM direction is to replace the long black. This same issue is happening with other Escapes and are on the recall list. I am requesting my VIN/car be added to the recall for the same issue.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that on numerous occasions while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle decelerated to 20 MPH while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The contact stated that while the accelerator pedal was depressed on an incline, the engine revved but the vehicle failed to accelerate. No warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised to call the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000.

I know Ford issued a recall for the backup cameras failing on 2020 year models, including the Ford Escape. However, I have consistently had this same issue with my 2016 Escape. In the middle of backing up, the camera will go completely out, and I am not able to see anything behind the car. This is extremely dangerous, as I have 4 young grandchildren, not to mention other kids in our neighborhood who ride bikes, etc. This should also be addressed in the Ford recall for backup cameras. This issue occurs every time I drive the car - it works for about 5 - 10 seconds, then stops working. So the date below is just today's date, but it happens almost every day.

Backup camera glitches and goes to the radio screen mid-reverse. I’ve nearly hit a tree. This has begun happening frequently. Sometimes the camera won’t even turn on.

Car suddenly stalled out and stopped. Restarted and stalled again, and several more times. Diagnosed with fuel pump failure.

Car wouldn’t shift properly. Had to drift off to side of road. Could then shut car off and restart but could only go a little bit and problem reoccurred. It was dangerous if other cars were around and not able to get to side of road. Check Transmission came on dash. Car has 68000 miles on this shouldn’t happen. Escape should have been recalled like other 2016 transmission problems! Needed to be towed! Dealer says new transmission is needed $7000! This is my 3rd escape and never had this problem. Car isn’t driven hard - pleasure use The consumer stated that this is a known issue with other 2016 Ford Escapes.

The contact's daughter owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced excessive coolant consumption. Additionally, upon starting the vehicle, the contact's daughter noticed a significant amount of smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that that there was coolant intrusion into the cylinders and the head gasket had failed. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to TSB Number: 19-2375. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000.

At about 57,200 miles, the NHTSA Safety Recall 22S43 - North America Non-FSA Multi Vehicle Line Shifter Cable Bushing was performed by Wright Ford of Redmond, OR. This recall was to prevent detachment of the shifter control line from the transmission. On July 17, 2023 at about 58,900 miles, the shift control line detached from the transmission. Thus, the exact scenario the recall was intended to prevent/fix, occurred about 1,600 miles after the work was completed by Wright Ford. The shift control line was then repaired by [XXX] Auto Repair of Baker City, OR. He said the shifter had become completely disconnected but that the parts were still intact and he was able to reconnect. He could see no reason for this disconnect to have occurred. This suggests that (1) the recall fix did not work, or (2) the recall fix work was done incorrectly by the local Ford dealer, or (3) the replacement parts from Ford were defective. There were no initial warnings other than while driving at about 25 mph we were unable to shift from S to D mode. Once we came to a full stop and turned off the engine, the shifter was moved to P. However, it would not then move to any other position. Attempts to start the engine gave a warning that the vehicle was not in Park. The brake-shift interlock reset, hidden under the shift bezel, was used to release the shifter and move it to the N position for towing 25 miles to a repair shop. The repair shop successfully reconnected the shift line at the transmission an

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 60 MPH, an abnormally loud sound was coming from the front undercarriage of the vehicle. The contact steered to the side of the road where it was observed that the undercarriage cover was detached. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the undercarriage cover needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 50,000.

DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY A VEHICLE PULLED IN FRONT OF ME STEPPED ON BRAKES AND PEDDLE WAS HARD, HAD NO BRAKES, GOT IT TOWED HOME AND FOUND THE PUMP DRIVE COUPLING PART # BB5Z-6K269-A, THE BOLT HEAD SHEARED OFF INSIDE THE cAM SHAFT HOUSING CAUSING THE VACUUM PUMP NOT TO WORK CAUSING NO BRAKES.

I purchased the Goodyear Assurance tires (235/55R17) when I purchased my Escape with the understanding that they had a life of 80,000 miles. They're barely through the halfway point and show signs of cracking and wire protrusion. We ran over a screw and they hole was beyond repair and the technician pointed out how the tire was failing. All four are being replaced for safety concerns.

The lug nuts on all of my tires are swollen beyond the size of the provided tire iron. This makes it impossible to change a flat tire and causes the nuts to become damaged when they tires get balanced and rotated. Two tire technicians have explained that this is common on Ford vehicles. I now have to buy replacements for all of my tires.

The engine does not always turn off when you press the start engine button. Although my vehicle is a 2016 Ford Escape it was most likely manufactured in 2015 and was manufactured in Lexington KY Ford has been unable to diagnose the problem although a recall already exists for the very same problem RECALL# 15V436000. Tallahassee FL Ford dealership is charging me for diagnostics (again) I have taken car to dealership before for this problem in June 2022 and they were unable to fix it . This is as serious safety issue for myself and my 2 toddlers both under the age of 3.

TRIED TO REMOVE THE TIRES ON MY 2016 FORD ESCAPE TO ADD BRAKE PADS. THE TIRE TOOL IN CAR WOULD NOT FIT ON ANY OF THE TIRE NUTS. THE TOOL WOULD FIT ON THE JACK CONNECTOR. ALSO TRIED 19MM SOCKET. GOOGLE SEARCH SAID A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE HAVING THIS PROBLEM. I HAD THE FORD DEALERSHIP REPLACE MY TIRES 2 MONTHS AGO AND THEY SAID NOTHING ABOUT THE SWOLLEN LUG NUTS.

My hazard lights start blinking Turn signals start blinking Doors lock and unlock all without warning Have not had checked out at dealer It costs $139.00 per hour to diagnosis BOUGHT CAR 5/25/23 The car had been in accident before I bought it

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while stopped at a stop light, the contact attempted to accelerate however, the vehicle failed to move. The contact stated that there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle with the Transmission Fault warning light illuminated. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle however, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact was able to drive the vehicle home. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) and that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 86,914.

My engine light came on today and the code P0299 popped. It’s for the turbo. I’m reading that this happens a lot and they have had to replace the turbo completely

I order a nav upgrade from Ford $299, was unable to install it Ford said go to dealer, car was going to dealer for abs sensor bad and vehicle collision sensor bad, dealer fixed other two problems but couldnt upgrade nav and while dealer tried they killed the whole radio/sync/nav/handsfree turn the touch screen black and unresponsive. Now they want $1000 plus for APIM replacement. I could live without the navigation update but now Ford's sync update killed my APIM/sync/radio/handsfree and I cannot live without that.

Rear camera dosnt always want to work at times when backing up, there will be times where it comes on and cuts out , or it cuts out and comes back on on all pixelised (distorted) , or it dosnt come on at all , then there are times where it works , ive had my mechanic look into it and couldnt figure out the issue ...i did buy an oem backup camera from the junkyard off an escape 3 years newer then mine but didnt fix the issue

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, while starting the vehicle, there was smoke coming out the exhaust pipe and the vehicle would not properly accelerate. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who stated that the engine was blown and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 144,000.

My 2016 Ford Escape was in park and when I tried to put it in drive it went backwards almost into the car behind me. Luckily they saw something happening and backed up or I would of hit them. It wouldn't shift into gear. I put it in sport mode to get it to move forward then moved it into a safe location and shut it off. It was a hot day so I thought maybe it was overheating. It started fine and went about a mile before shuddering and refusing to shift into gear. I managed to get it home but the Transmission Fault Service Now light came on as I was pulling into the driveway. Had it towed to the dealership and was told it wasn't the recall bushing that went but a part inside my transmission and it would be $8200 for a new transmission. What if I had been on the highway when this happened? This is a serious safety issue which could of caused a crash and injury.

I have a 2016 Ford Escape. Left the grocery store and the service engine soon light came on. The car went into safe mode and would only go 10 miles a hour. I was able to get it to the dealership and they told me it was the engine. They are waiting on the part. I was reading all these statements and ford needs to do better. 2 years ago the transmission went. The dealership that put the transmission in did not put all the bolts on when I took it to the dealership they told me the transmission was about to fall out! I wish I could get rid of this vehicle!

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 50 MPH, the RPMs started to increase however, the vehicle lost motive power and decelerated to approximately 35 MPH. After restarting the vehicle, the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed 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 offered. The failure mileage was 74,959.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who retrieved a code indicating a failure of the fuel separator sensor. Further investigation determined that the sensor was stuck in the open position, potentially exposing the vehicle occupants to toxic fumes. The contact stated that the diagnosis was confirmed by a second independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 32,825.

Rear passenger door came open while driving with my granddaughter in vehicle. No warning just flew open while driving. Vehicle is at dealer getting door latch replaced. There were recalls for the exact same problem on several ford escapes but apparently mine is not in that recall. I want this looked into please. As this could have caused injury or death if my granddaughter had not been properly restrained. Do not have any report from dealer as is still in shop being repaired.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while his wife was driving approximately 35 MPH and accelerating to highway speeds, the vehicle started to overheat. The contact stated that the high engine temperature warning light was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that coolant was added, and the vehicle was able to be driven to the intended destination. The vehicle was turned off and was unable to be restarted. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. 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 100,000.

Engine control computer malfunction is causing the engine, SYNC, bluetooth, brake lights, and rearview camera to malfunction.

Rear view camera stopped working almost a year ago, and out of no where the transmission stopped working. I recently just got an oil change and asked for the works to get my whole car checked out and that report as all the reports before it came back with no issues. So found it surprising that this happened.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated to accelerate and then lost motive power. The "Transmission Failure, Service Now" message was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) recall repair was performed; however, the dealer determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that she had not received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train). 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 150,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the back over prevention camera had started to lose functionality intermittently. The contact stated that he previously had the camera replaced. The contact stated that the camera inoperable warning light was also illuminated intermittently. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was not diagnosed but not repaired. The dealer advised the contact to call the manufacturer for assistance. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V082000 (Back Over Prevention). The failure mileage was approximately 165,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the back over prevention camera failed to display the rearview of the vehicle correctly. The image appeared upside down or was flashing the image quickly. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who was not able to find the cause of the failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 89,547.

Today- 5/22/2023 - Ford dealer attempted to perform sync3 software update from version 1 to version 3 as promoted and advertised by Ford Motor Co. This was performed by dealer after personal attempts at Wi-Fi and flash drive update processes failed. Following dealer attempted sync 3 update, no update could be accomplished and the synch 3 system is now not active- no radio, Bluetooth( hands free phone usage), no rear camera or safety alarm for potential obstacles when backing up. I was informed the issue is a common result due to defective APIM module. Yet Ford promotes/ provides the software updates ( free) thru their website/ dealers. I have filed a claim with Ford today and initially told there is nothing they can do, but I can purchase a new APIM module ($750) and have it installed ($300) that may correct this.

My engine suffered the coolant intrusion issue that many ford eco boost engines are experiencing. I reached out to ford because its a part of their ford TSB (which I have copies of and sent Ford). I was quoted 12,249$ By the ford dealership to fix my engine, when this is an on going issue with ford ecoboost engines. There were no warnings other than my car overheated once and kept losing coolant into the engine (white smoke from tailpipe) the check engine light finally came on 2 days before I took it into the dealership (my husband assumed it was head gasket). The dealership has diagnosed engine failure, it wasn’t until then we started doing research and realized there is even a lawsuit against ford for this issue. My car insurance will not pay for it because it is not an issue caused from collision. I am a mother of 2 with no vehicle now, I cannot put 12,249$ for a new engine, and shouldn’t have to when this is an issue on Fords part. I have reached out to Ford directly who also refuses to take responsibility even though they as a company have posted the TSB regarding the issue. I bought my car certified pre owned with 30k mikes. It’s under 100k with a failed engine. A ford representative at the dealership made the comment “most people trade their cars in every 2-3 years” when I mentioned I thought I bought a reliable vehicle to buy and pay off. Basically they know it won’t last when they sell it is what that boils down too, and count on people trading it in.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his daughter was stopped at a stop light, she depressed the accelerator pedal however, the vehicle failed to respond. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact then stated that he received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train). The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where the recall repair was completed; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, she heard an abnormal sound under the hood. The contact then instructed his daughter to steer the vehicle off the roadway. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the transmission failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in a recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided the number to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

The transmission failed at 116,00 miles with no warning. The warning light went on after the transmission failed and the car would not move. The dealer replaced the transmission at a cost of $5600. Also, the lug nuts swelled and could not be removed with the lug wrench supplied by Ford.

I had the bushing recall done. My interior lights no longer work. I keep getting brake lamp bulb warning. AutoNation dealer Amherst stated it was the battery. Charged me $100 to run diagnostic. Took vehicle to Walmart for battery replacement. Did not fix the issue.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle was not shifting correctly. The contact stated that the service transmission warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to pull over and turn off the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and the dealer stated that the transmission needed to be replaced and that NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) was repaired properly and that the recall repair was not the cause of the transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was filed and the contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 118,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the message "Transmission Fault - Service Now" was displayed and the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that engine coolant had leaked into the engine cylinder causing severe damage to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously serviced for the same failure and the transmission and engine was replaced. The failure mileage was 100,000.

I had just got done driving for about an hour and stopped for about 5 minutes. i left the car running and came back out to it. when i put it in reverse it wasn’t going so i put it back in park and waited a few minutes. i tried it again and it worked a little bit but it still wasn’t shifting right. i was able to get reversed but when i shifted to drive and it wouldn’t drive/shift. So i decided to just park it and leave it.

Defect in the coolant system which caused leaking into my cylinders

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed by the dealer that the engine and the turbo needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the manufacturer stated that the warranty had expired. No additional assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 109,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. Additionally, several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the transmission was replaced twice; however, the failure recurred. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, or while starting the vehicle, the vehicle would shudder and shake. The contact stated the shaking was intermittent but became constant. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that coolant had leaked into cylinder #2, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle and attempting to drive the vehicle, the transmission would hard shift, and the vehicle would hesitate while accelerating. The transmission fault warning message was display on the instrument panel. While driving approximately 70-75 mph, the transmission failed causing the contact to have to coast to the side of the road. The contact waited for a while and restarted the vehicle to see if the transmission would operate correctly. The contact stated that the transmission was shifted into reverse however, the vehicle drove forward instead; and while shifted to drive, the vehicle reversed instead. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who acknowledged that the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) however, the transmission failed and needed to be replaced. The contact was told that the transmission was not covered under warranty due to the warranty mileage being exceeded. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.

As I was driving going approximately 35 mph, the transmission suddenly disengaged and I nearly got in a serious car accident which could have resulted in serious injuries. My vehicle has only approximately 80,000 miles on it. I called several dealerships and was told by multiple Ford dealerships that it is likely transmission failure and specifically torque converter failure. All the dealerships say this shouldn't be happening and they are fixing many of these, but this is ultimately Ford's problem and there is nothing that they can do. I had vehicle towed to one dealership that I trust and they confirmed the diagnosis and suggested I call Ford because "I have seen many of these unfortunately and it shouldn't be happing with your mileage". Other mechanics and transmission specialists confirmed the same thing, that it is a known Ford Escape defect. Multiple identical cases exist on NHTSA and internet. This is a widespread and known manufacturing defect issue. Other similar Ford years and models were recalled for the same transmission failure. The 2016 Ford Escape hasn't yet for some reason. I called Ford who said there is nothing they can do because there is no recall.

Shot up to 5k RPM several seconds after I let off the gas pedal, then dropped down to 1k, then fluttered between 2k and 3k for a few seconds. I managed to get onto the first side road on and completely lost any power in drive or reverse for several minutes. It finally shifted super hard into reverse, I got turned around, shifted hard into drive, got to a stop sign, hit the gas, nothing for a few seconds until it jerked really hard and shot forward. Diagnosed at local Toyota dealership with supporting documentation as my partner works for them. Scheduled to be taken to and diagnosed again at the Toyota dealerships partner Ford Dealership in April and hopefully repaired, however I have owned the vehicle less than 8 months and between both dealerships have spoken to 3 people who know of or have worked on 4-6 of the same model with the same exact issue.

The specific problem is the ignition switch. Car suddenly shut down the first time while in park, after testing determined it was the ignition switch. Replaced with non OEM switch, same exact problem happened the next day. Replaced with Ford genuine part. Problem still happening, now the car is dying while in motion. Car will not restart once it stops, all lights on dash come on and flicker and then everything dies at once, all electrical components. Vehicle was inspected by mechanic. The problem has been reproduced multiple times even after the ignition switch was replaced. There were no warning lamps or messages or any other symptoms prior to the problem. Nobody can seem to fix this problem and the car is a danger to drive.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power. The contact stated that she depressed the accelerator pedal and the engine revved, but the vehicle failed to properly respond. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. Additionally, the contact was advised that there was a recall for the vehicle under NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train). The transmission was not repaired; however, the recall repair was performed under NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train). The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 127,000.