2015 Ford Escape
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Power train is the leading concern among 1,102 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 12th highest complaint count among 26 Escape model years with reports.
Of the 2015 reports, 29 involved a crash and 20 involved a fire. 34 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Equipment, electrical, engine block heaterJan 15, 2026
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Focus, 2013-2019 Escape, and 2015-2016 MKC vehicles equipped with a 2.0L engine. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.
An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed March 6, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S01. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on January 16, 2026.
Campaign 26V011000 on NHTSA.gov
Back over prevention, sensing system, cameraOct 13, 2025
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Flex, 2015 Explorer, Lincoln MKT, Lincoln MKZ, 2015-2016 C-Max, Escape, Taurus, 2016 Fusion, 2018-2019 Taurus, 2019 Lincoln MKT, Fiesta, and 2020 Mustang vehicles. The rearview camera may display a distorted, intermittent, or blank image when the vehicle is in reverse.
A rearview camera that fails to properly display an image can reduce the driver’s view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model and model years. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on October 25, 2025. Additional letters will be mailed once the final remedy is available on each phase. Mustang owner notification letters were mailed January 2, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA9. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 14, 2025.
Campaign 25V695000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, automatic transmission, gear position indication (prndl)Jun 10, 2022
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2019 Escape, 2013-2018 C-Max, 2013-2016 Fusion, 2013-2021 Transit Connect, and 2015-2018 Edge vehicles. The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach.
A damaged or missing bushing may prevent the vehicle from shifting into the intended gear, and cause the vehicle to move in an unexpected direction. Additionally, the vehicle may roll after the driver selects the 'Park' position. Either scenario increases the risk of a crash or injury.
Dealers will replace the under hood shift bushing and add a protective cap over the shift cable bushing, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters, informing owners of the safety risk, were mailed July 1, 2022. Remedy parts are expected to be available in 4th Quarter 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed October 27, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S43.
Campaign 22V413000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, automatic transmission, gear position indication (prndl)Apr 14, 2022
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015 Escape vehicles equipped with 2.0L engines. The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach.
A damaged or missing bushing may prevent the vehicle from shifting into the intended gear, and cause the vehicle to move in an unexpected direction. Additionally, the vehicle may roll after the driver selects the 'Park' position. Either scenario increases the risk of a crash or injury.
Dealers will replace the under hood shifter bushing and add a protective cap over the shift cable bushing, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 27, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S25.
Campaign 22V254000 on NHTSA.gov
Latches/locks/linkages, doors, latchJun 8, 2020
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Fiesta, 2013-2014 Fusion, 2015 Mustang, 2013-2015 Escape and C-Max, 2012-2015 Focus, 2014-2016 Transit Connect, 2013-2014 Lincoln MKZ, and 2015 MKC vehicles. These vehicles were previously recalled and repaired under recalls 15V-246, 16V-643 or 17V-210, however the repair may not have been completed properly. A component within the door latches may break making the doors difficult to latch and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.
A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the latch date codes to confirm if the repair was done correctly, and replace the side door latches if necessary, free of charge. Owners will also have the option to inspect their own vehicle's door latches and enter the date codes into a website to determine if the latches are correct. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 27, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S30.
Campaign 20V331000 on NHTSA.gov
Seat beltsJul 25, 2017
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014 Ford F-150 and E-350, 2014-2015 Ford Escape, and 2015 Lincoln MKC vehicles. Improperly manufactured bolts may have been used to install certain seats, seatbacks, seatbelt buckles, or seatbelt anchors on these vehicles.
The improperly manufactured bolts may fracture. If a seat, seatback, or seatbelt anchor attaching bolt fractures, the affected component may not be properly secured, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected bolts, free of charge. Interim notices informing owners of the safety risk were mailed September 8, 2017. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available in the fourth quarter of 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S17.
Campaign 17V472000 on NHTSA.gov
Latches/locks/linkages, doors, latchSep 6, 2016
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2012-2015 Ford Focus, 2013-2015 Ford Escape and Ford C-MAX, 2015 Lincoln MKC and Ford Mustang, and 2014-2016 Ford Transit Connect vehicles. A component within the door latches may break, preventing the doors from latching and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.
A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the door latches with an improved part, free of charge. The recall began on January 27, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S30.
Campaign 16V643000 on NHTSA.gov
Electrical system, ignitionJul 8, 2015
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2015 Ford Escape vehicles manufactured April 1, 2014, to June 12, 2015, Ford Focus vehicles manufactured June 17, 2014, to June 12, 2015, and Ford C-Max vehicles manufactured April 22, 2014, to June 12, 2015. In the affected vehicles, the engine may continue to run after the key or the START/STOP engine button is turned to off. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
If the engine does not turn off as expected, someone could move the transmission shifter out of park and the vehicle may move unintentionally, increasing the risk of a crash.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the body control module software, free of charge. The recall began on July 27, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15C06.
Campaign 15V436000 on NHTSA.gov
Electrical system, instrument cluster/panelJun 24, 2015
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Ford Escape vehicles manufactured May 19, 2014, to February 6, 2015, and Transit Connect vehicles manufactured May 11, 2014, to July 2, 2015. Due to a software incompatibility issue, the instrument panel cluster be inoperative including a blank multiple functional display (MFD), and non-functional warning chimes, messages and warning lights. Specific warning chimes, messages and warning lights. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 101, "Control and Displays."
If the instrument cluster is inoperative, the driver of may not be warned of safety related issues such as low tire pressures or disabled air bags, increasing the risk of personal injury or a crash.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the instrument panel software, free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15C03.
Campaign 15V406000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: back over prevention
150 reports, newest first. Show all
Other or unspecified, Back over prevention, Sep 16, 2025
The rear back up camera is malfunctioning/not working intermittently. Sometimes it works, and then glitches out and is gone, other times it is a completely black screen. This started approximately 4-6 weeks ago. It says "Camera is unavailable. Please contact your dealership". I have since seen that 1.5M Ford vehicles are being recalled for this exact issue, but my car is not on the list. I've called Ford and the Dealership, and they've said I will have to have it diagnosed and pay out of pocket. It's oddly peculiar that this would be the same issue, and it just started at the same time of the recall. This has put others at risk because I cannot see them behind me, the car is not alerting me to people behind me, and I have gotten used to that function. I have to check to see if the camera is working, and then make sure to look behind, but even then it is hard to see. The vehicle has not been inspected by anyone just yet. I am hesitant to take to dealer, as I will be without car for 2 days and have to pay the diagnostic fee, and potentially repair fee. There were no warning messages or other symptoms. One day it just started glitching.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Back over prevention, Sep 9, 2025
backup camera is not working. says to call dealership. dealership says they dont know what is wrong with it. safety hazard for backing up.
Back over prevention, Aug 13, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while reversing, the back-over prevention camera displayed a solid black or blue screen without an image. The contact stated that occasionally the image was displayed upside down, creating a hazard while reversing. The cause of the failure was not yet determined, and the vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V442000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 120,000.
Back over prevention, Jul 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the rearview camera became inoperable. The contact stated that the rearview camera image was blank or distorted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.
Back over prevention, Jun 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the rearview camera was intermittently inoperative and displayed a dark screen. No warning light was illuminated; however, the "Rearview Camera Not Available" message was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed; however, the diagnosis was unknown. The contact researched and became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V315000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 84,893.
Back over prevention, Jun 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while reversing, the back-over prevention camera malfunctioned, and displayed a blue screen, creating a visibility hazard for the driver. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the back over prevention camera needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 50,000.
Back over prevention, Jun 6, 2025, crash
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact was in reverse (R) and backing into her driveway at approximately 4 MPH when the rear view camera failed. The contact stated that she crashed into her mailbox. The contact stated that there were dents and scratches on the rear bumper on the driver's side under the left tail light assembly. The contact stated that before the crash, she had had intermittent loss of the rear view image, but now there was no image at all, and the screen was black. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed and was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact to call the Safety Hotline to file a complaint. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.
Back over prevention, May 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that, while in reverse, the back-over prevention camera displayed a black screen. The back-up prevention camera alarm sounded off, and the safety system advised the driver to look out for objects in the rear of the vehicle, without the transmission being shifted into reverse. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Back over prevention, Apr 30, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated while reversing, the rearview camera image was upside down. There was no warning illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the rearview camera could not be reset, and the dealer determined that the rearview camera needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 112,000.
Back over prevention, Apr 16, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the back-over prevention feature was activated; however, the back-over prevention system failed to function as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed back-over prevention camera and that the back-over prevention camera needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. 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 90,000.
Visibility/wiper, Back over prevention, Apr 14, 2024
2023 my back up camera was only working 75% of the time. I took the car into the Ford dealer and they said it is a known problem and the waiting period for the replacement takes up to a year. They recommended I keep checking back to see if it's in stock. The fee to replace is about $350. I was told I could prepay, but they couldn't give me a date for arrival of the part. They openly admit, some have waited up to a year. Here we are 6 months later and now the camera works less than 50% of the time. Ford knows this is an issue but it's not a recall item. To me this is a safety issue. I still view my surroundings in total prior to backing up, but the back up camera was always an added safety feature. I feel that this is not a cost the consumer should bear. Ford should recall faulty backup cams. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Back over prevention, Feb 16, 2024
The image in my reverse camera on my dashboard is upside down when I put the gearshift in reverse. Impossible to see if anything is behind me. I have not had it looked at yet by a dealership. Just began happening a few days ago. No warning lights at all came on. There are examples of this happening to other cars on YouTube. Seems like a common but dangerous problem with certain Fords.
Back over prevention, Oct 26, 2023
Backup camera not working at times. Has been going for 3 years
Electrical system, Back over prevention, Sep 17, 2023
The back up camera started appearing upside down at times or black. Then it was constant upside down for a couple weeks so we were co sidering flupping tje camera but it switched to a normal view for about a week or 2 and now it is usually upside down. This can be a safety issue. It's hard to not look at a camera that you're used to using and it's right in front of you. I know other models were re alled so this should also be recalled. I called the dealer and they said they would fix it for around $900 so it's not fixed
Back over prevention, Aug 24, 2023
The rearview backup camera is glitching and at times shows blank screen. Not being able to reliably used the rearview backup camera can cause injury and/or death. the vehicle has not been checked as of this time. During an intermittent disabling time, the screen showed a message to take to dealership for service.
Back over prevention, Aug 11, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated when the vehicle was shifted into reverse(R), the back over prevention camera screen was blue. Occasionally, the “Camera not Available” message was displayed. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but had become a recurring failure. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
Back over prevention, May 23, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while in reverse, the rear-view camera failed to illuminate. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the rear-view camera needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 64,000.
Back over prevention, Feb 13, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the back-over prevention camera image became distorted. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 35,727.
Back over prevention, Jan 30, 2023
My back up camera started messing up and now when put my suv in reverse I can see the tag and a little bit of pavement and that’s it
Back over prevention, Jan 27, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while in reverse, the back over prevention camera was blank. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure however, the contact was transferred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 116,000.
Back over prevention, Oct 22, 2022
My 2015 ford ecspe se back up camera just stop working it would show a white screen flickers back and forward then all of suddenly it go to a black screen at first it look like it was some kind of message but couldn't really see what it said because of the flickering we thought it was the fuses but that's not the case it is a safety hazard for the back up camera not working.
Back over prevention, Apr 19, 2022
Ford has already recalled a large amount of vehicles due to rear view camera electrical issues. My camera has always worked very intermittently often turning to a blue screen when in Reverse. After a few year this stopped working all together. When taking to Ford dealership and my local mechanic I was informed it is due to the poor/ lack of sealant placed around the camera when manufactured causing the inside to corrode whenever exposed to water/snow. I was quoted over $500 to get the camera and harnessing replaced. This is a safety issue and excessive cost to repair when this is a KNOWN defective issue and already recalled on many other years and models.
Other or unspecified, Back over prevention, Nov 9, 2021
The vehicles rear view camera works intermitantly - sometimes it is blank, or upside down and sometimes it works - as I saw they are recalling 2019 models with the issue I think my 2015 model has the same issue. Please issue a recall on this model aswell thank you
Back over prevention, Oct 5, 2021
The back-up camera in my vehicle will operate for a few moments - if the weather is below 50 degrees or if you are parked in a shady area - but it will just cut-off. The system is working and all the fuses are good but the back-up camera only works intermitted. I am reporting this as an issue on the 2015 Ford Escape since I found there is an active recall for the same problem on new models. This needs to be addressed- when backing-if you use the reverse camera and it goes out in the middle of the back-up it can be dangerous.
Back over prevention, Aug 10, 2021
Backup camera blanks out and goes upside down below is the approximate start date, still doing it. Only reporting due the current recall that doesn't go back to 2015 models