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: power train
285 reports, newest first. Show all
Power train, Oct 18, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting to operate the vehicle, the transmission failed to shift out of neutral. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that the axle became loosened. The vehicle was left at the local dealer for further diagnostic testing. In addition, the contact stated that the front wheel bearings were previously replaced at the same local dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000. The VIN was not available.
Power train, Engine, Sep 26, 2024
We bought this car used from the Ford dealership in Ellensburg WA in 2021. It had 79k at the time. We performed a lot of maintenance on the vehicle; new tires, alignment, coolant flush, transmission flush, spark plugs, and updated the Synce software. Then the turbo failed about 5 months later. And we replaced the turbo with a brand new one at the same dealership for 5k. Then we replaced the coolant system. We performed all the recalls as they came in, regarding the transmission shifter and something to do with a solenoid, and we never missed an oil change. In September 2024 the transmission failed and it needs a whole new one. There's a class action lawsuit in CA for the type of transmission in this year of Ford Escape, but it's only for CA residents. Too bad. It's been less than 3 years since we bought it, we've paid twice the price it's worth in repairs and on maintenance, and now it's junk. DON'T BUY AN ESCAPE!
Power train, Engine, Sep 20, 2024
At 120k the transmission went bad. Dealership charged $7k to replace. We chose to replace because it was cheaper than buying a new vehicle. A few months after the transmission was repaired, we started losing a lot of coolant. The dreaded coolant leak through the head gasket into cylinder 2 is the diagnosis. Dealer, told us $12k for a new motor. This is not okay!!!
Power train, Air bags, Sep 3, 2024, crash
The contact owned a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at highway speeds, the vehicle died without warning. Due to the failure, the contact was left stranded in the middle of the highway. While the contact was on the phone with 911, another vehicle crashed into the contact's vehicle from behind. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. The contact sustained mental trauma due to the accident, but no physical injuries. The police arrived at the scene and a police report was filed. The whereabouts of the other driver were unknown. No medical attention was rendered at the scene. No property damage was reported. The vehicle was towed to an independent tow yard where the vehicle was deemed a total loss. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Power train, Aug 2, 2024
My daughter borrowed my car and experienced a loud rattling noise. We had it towed to our local shop who recommended bringing it to a Ford Dealership for the issue. We had it towed there and I was informed after they looked at it that we had a cracked flex plate. It horrifies what could have happened while she was in the car. There was a check engine light on, but that was not connected to this issue apparently because I had to pay an additional cost to get that fixed. I have never heard of a cracked flex plate but when I googled it I found Ford had several recalls for it, but not attached to my VIN
Power train, Jul 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds up an incline, the vehicle shuddered and hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the transmission was defective and needed to be replaced. 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 125,000.
Power train, Jun 26, 2024
MY 2015 FORD ESCAPE SE HAS A DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION. WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE, THE CAR SUDDENLY LOST POWER AND WOULD NOT EXCEED 5 MPH. THE INTERSTATE WAS BUSY AND I WAS ALMOST HIT BY 3 DIFFERENT VEHICLES SWERVING TO GO AROUND ME UNTIL I COULD FIND A SAFE PLACE TO PULL OFF THE INTERSTATE. I HAD MY CAR TOWED TO A CERTIFIED MECHANIC AND THEY CONFIRMED THE TRANSMISSION HAD FAILED AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. REPAIR ESTIMATE $5000.
Power train, Jun 18, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the transmission malfunctioned causing the vehicle to jerk and lose motive power before the vehicle stalled. After restarting the vehicle, the message "Transmission Malfunction" was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the local transmission mechanic who rebuilt the transmission, and the vehicle was repaired. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.
Power train, Engine, Jun 7, 2024
Was driving normal, got an engine fault light then overheated. Engine has coolant intrusion. Ford won’t do anything about it!!
Power train, Jun 3, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. While the contact's fiancé was driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact's fiancé stated that the vehicle was shaking, and the transmission failure warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the RPM was elevated; however, the vehicle decelerated to 5 MPH unintendedly. The contact's fiancé drove the vehicle to a parking lot and parked the vehicle. The contact arrived and connected a digital diagnostic scanner to the vehicle. The contact retrieved DTC codes P07AA (Transmission Override) and P0219 (Engine Over Speed). The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline and report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 97,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Power train, Jun 3, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact became aware of multiple leaks coming from the vehicle. The check engine and transmission warning lights were illuminated while driving. The vehicle was taken to several local dealers where it was diagnosed with coolant leaking into the cylinders. The contact was advised that the engine and transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Power train, May 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power and then stalled. The vehicle was eventually towed to the local mechanic who replaced the turbo and shifter cable bushing; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 130,000.
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, May 18, 2024
As I was driving my car started to jerk, drag backwards and stop. I put it in park in the middle of the road and turned the car completely off. It would start and drive, then jerk, try to slide backwards again then stopped. The car starts, but the shift freezes after try to go.
Power train, May 3, 2024
I have 2 ford escapes, a 2015 (referenced in this complaint) and a 2016. Both have experienced catastrophic transmission failure within weeks of each other. The transmission would slip, shudder and eventually disable and indicate service is needed. This happened while traveling highway speeds and the vehicle became disabled on the highway. As it was sudden, there was not time to get it safely off of the road and presented hazards to me and other drives until a tow truck could be engaged.
Power train, May 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting to shift into the drive, the gear shifter was shifted into the drive, but the transmission failed to shift out of the park. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 100,000.
Power train, May 1, 2024
The Transmission has failed and is available for inspection. I was concerned for my safety because one minute the car would move and then it was as if I lost all power and then boom it would throw it's self in gear and take off with no throttle response when you touched the pedal. No the vehicle has not been inspected by anyone listed above. There were no other problems or warnings before this took place the only time I got a warning was a day later when I went to go load the car up on the trailer to take it to my mechanic. The issue occurred on 04-25-2024.
Power train, Apr 30, 2024
The contact's wife owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle would jerk and hesitate upon depression of the accelerator pedal as an abnormal, grinding sound would emit from the vehicle. A yellow transmission warning light was illuminated. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to a dealer and was diagnosed with transmission failure. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and informed the contact that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The manufacturer referred to contact to the NHTSA Hotline for further assistance. The vehicle was not repaired and remained in the possession of the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 143,000.
Power train, Apr 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle was inoperable and undrivable. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the VIN had been included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) and 20V331000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages). The dealer confirmed that NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) had been completed. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired since the contact had taken ownership of the vehicle. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Apr 21, 2024
Ford has not fixed the recall or offered a solution resulting in our car's transmission shift cable breaking while my wife was driving, resulting in her being STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET blocking traffic. The car was stuck in the middle of the street blocking traffic and buses for about an hour until a tow truck could come. We could not shift the vehicle out of park - the shifter moved freely forward and back, while depressing the shift button, but without *actually* shifting to neutral, drive, or reverse. We could not move the car at all, despite pushing or trying to shift it. This occurred in front of our home on Friday, April 19th, 2024. A tow truck towed the vehicle to our local repair shop where they identified the broken transmission shift cable and repaired it which we paid out of pocket. This could have occurred anywhere or in a dangerous intersection with the potential to cause harm to her, others, or any of her passengers like our infant son. I was notified of this recall in 2022 by a Ford dealership and have yet to see a resolution. My concern is now that the replacement Ford transmission shift cable will exhibit the same problem as before unless they make a better cable or mechanism! This also cost us over 5 hours of labor equaling $546 + parts, which we should not have to pay for. Ford should cover this cost completely and give us a reliable transmission shift cable.
Power train, Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Apr 16, 2024
My cluster panel went dead and there was a recall for it but the first owner got it fixed and ford wouldn’t do it for me. I couldn’t afford to get it fixed and so it stayed dead. My car eventually broke down on me while driving because I was unable to read the transmission fault warning (because the cluster panel doesn’t work). I just had to buy a whole new transmission and ford is still refusing to fix their failed recall. Had it been taken care of, I would have seen the warning and not drove my car until it broke down.
Power train, Apr 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the "emergency transmission service" warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle lost motive power while depressing the accelerator pedal and the engine revved but the vehicle failed to respond. The contact was able to pull off the roadway and while attempting to shift into park(P), the gear shift lever failed to respond. The contact waited for approximately 30 minutes and the vehicle was able to shift into park(P) and the contact turned off and restarted the vehicle. The contact stated that when he turned the vehicle on and shifted into drive(D) he heard an abnormal banging sound under the floorboard and had the vehicle towed back to the residence. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle had not been diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 136,000.
Power train, Apr 9, 2024
THE DEALERSHIP CAME AND CHANGED THE RECALLED TRANSMISSION PART ON MY CAR WHILE I WAS AT WORK. WHEN I GOT OFF I LEFT WORK TO GO HOME AND HAD ONLY DROVE ABOUT 5 MILES WHEN MY CAR RPMS WENT ABOVE 4000 AND THE CAR DOWNSHIFTED REALLY HARD AND DROPPED FROM 65MPH TO BARELY MOVING. I PULLED OVER AND CALLED THE DEALERSHIP WHO CHANGED THE PART SINCE MY CAR HAD NOT HAD ANY TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS BEFORE THIS. THEY COME TO WHERE I WAS AND BEGAN DRIVING MY CAR AT 4000RPM OR ABOVE FOR SEVERAL MILES AND SHIFTING THROUGH GEARS MANUALLY. ONCE THE CAR WOULD BARELY MOVE HE PULLED INTO A CHURCH AND HAD IT TOWED STATING I NEED INTERNAL TRANSMISSION WORK AND IT IS NOT THEIR FAULT. NO WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON IN THE DASH EVEN WHEN HE PUT A COMPUTER TO IT HE SEEN THAT IT HAD NO CODES IN IT AT ALL. THIS RECALLED PART BEING CHANGED HAS LEAD TO ME HAVING NO WAY TO GO BECAUSE THEY SAY IT IS NOT THIER FAULT YET I HAD NO ISSUES UNTIL THEY TOUCHED MY CAR. AND WHY DIDN'T I HAVE A WARNING LIGHT????
Power train, Apr 1, 2024
My transmission failed on 12-22-23 not the recall that is on it already i mean completly failed just stipped working all together with no warning of a problem until 2 days later when I got it to the transmission shop 2 weeks prior my thermostat failed with no warning the transmission shop made me aware they have alot of ford escapes with failed transmissions my vehicle only had 83,794 miles at the time I have always done regular oil changes I would like to have this issue further investigated for recall issue as I have driven vehicles with over 200,000 miles and never had a transmission issue
Power train, Mar 21, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving the vehicle, it made a loud noise and went into limp mode. The transmission fault service soon light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local mechanic and a diagnostic was performed and the contact was informed the transmission failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to cost. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 139,000.
Other or unspecified, Power train, Mar 8, 2024
I drove at 60 MPH during rush hour on a very crowded highway. I tried to accelerate, but I was losing speed. My RPM was working, but I was not accelerating. I took my foot off the accelerator and tried again, and then the car accelerated briefly (without continuous pressure--it accelerated without me--- and again lost power. I had nowhere to stop. I got off at a ramp one mile away, coasting at 17 MPH. The "Transmission Fault" warning appeared as we entered a gas station. $190.00 tow bill. Our mechanic of 18 years diagnosed total transmission failure. My car has been well cared for, with recommended check-ups/oil changes. There were zero warning signs of trouble. The mechanic recommended this car be evaluated by a Ford dealership. The approximate cost from the Ford dealership is $6000.00. This was a VERY very dangerous situation with children in the car in rush hour traffic on a highway. I have 91,163 miles on the car with a total transmission failure.