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, Jun 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while parking the vehicle, the gear shifter was shifted into park(P) however, the intended gear was not recognized, causing the contact to apply the parking brake to park the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission shift cable bushing was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 179,000.
Power train, Jun 13, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 15-25 MPH, the vehicle began to hesitate and started stalling. The contact pulled to the side of the roadway and waited before continuing to drive. The contact stated that the vehicle then stalled four times while driving. The contact was in the middle of the road. The contact turned off the vehicle and was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The contact drove to her residence. The contact stated that upon restarting the vehicle and attempting to reverse, the vehicle moved forward instead. The transmission warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was inoperable. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that she would be responsible for towing and repair expenses of the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist as the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V254000 (Power Train). The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
Power train, Engine, Jun 6, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at low speeds, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact waited for 45 minutes before restarting the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed the contact that the failure was due to the starter and steering column. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V254000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The failure mileage was approximately 156,597. Parts distribution disconnect.
Power train, May 31, 2022, crash
The contact's wife owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated while the vehicle was on and parked, the vehicle rolled forward about 3MPH and crashed into the house. The air bags did not deploy and no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not destroyed and the house was slightly damaged. The police was not called. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle will be towed to a dealer. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 123,082.
Power train, May 29, 2022
The bushing connecting the shifter to transmission broke and popped off causing the car to not go into park and not be able to turn on again after shutting the car off. Had to attempt to push broken bushing down to get it into park and have the car towed due to safety concern.
Power train, May 26, 2022
The vehicle is showing that it is in Neutral, indicated in the VIC. However, the shifter is all the way up in the park position. Being in neutral, this allowed my daughter to start the vehicle, as soon as it was started, she took her foot off of the break and she rolled her 2015 Ford Escape into our home fence. Now she is terrified. This seems very similar to the 2013-2014 recall. When I checked this vehicles VIN, no recalls are showing required due. Dangerous!
Power train, May 17, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle lost normal transmission functionality. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 81,000.
Power train, May 11, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon shifting into drive(D), the vehicle started reversing instead of moving forward. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle then shifted into drive(D) for a second time however, the vehicle slowly moved forward and started to reverse. The dealer was notified of the failure and an appointment was scheduled for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist as the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V254000 (Power Train). The manufacturer referred the contact to NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.
Power train, May 9, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the gear shifter was not able to shift out of park(P). The vehicle was towed to a dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V254000 (Power Train) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 131,000.
Power train, Apr 27, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 20-25 MPH, the vehicle stalled inadvertently. The accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to respond. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was unable to veer to the side of the road. The contact continued to depress the accelerator pedal until the vehicle responded. The contact was able to drive to her residence. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the torque converter needed to be replaced; however, the parts were not available. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.
Power train, Apr 4, 2022
On 12/29/2020, Angela was driving the 2015 Ford Escape with Mileage at 133926 in Beverly WV on the main street of 219/250 and the Escape suddenly lost power and slowed down to 30mph and the vehicle shuddered and shook. It picked up speed again for about 30 seconds and then lost power again, this continued for about 2 minutes and then the Escape stopped moving in the middle of the highway in front of the Elementary School and the dash stated “Transmission Fault/Service Now” and Angela was suddenly stranded on the busy highway. Her husband Johnie drove his truck to the area where the Escape was setting and engine was still running but had no power to move. He turned the ignition off and restarted the Escape, the message was gone and vehicle ran and moved fine for about 30 seconds and then did the same actions again with shuddering , shaking, lose of power and “Transmission Fault/Service Now” on the dash. The vehicle had to be towed to Elkins Fordland, Inc in Elkins WV. On 12/30/2020 Elkins Fordland ran the diagnostic on the Escape at the cost of $111.30, they observed transmission pump making whinning noise and vehicle wouldn’t move, recommended new transmission per code (See attached documents and Bills for diagnostic test and replacement of transmission). On 01/01/2021 to 01/15/2021 Elkins Fordland, Inc had the Escape for transmission replacement. The cost to replace the transmission in the 2015 Ford Escape at Mileage 133926 was $5294.10 after tax. This is a Safety Issue due to the no warning of Transmission Fault and the sudden loss of power in the busy highway. The total cost of diagnostic test and replacement of the transmission was; $111.30 diagnostic $5,294.10 transmission Total Cost $5405.40 I have attached copies of the diagnostic and replacement paperwork.
Power train, Feb 12, 2022
My wife was driving the vehicle and without warning, the vehicle lost power to the drivetrain. Engine was running fine without issue but upon pressing the accelerator, the engine revved but no movement. No warning or noise from the transmission of a pending issue. Proper regular maintenance has been done on the vehicle since ownership on time. Vehicle had to be towed to a repair shop at which time it was diagnosed with failure of the transmission. My wife does a lot of highway driving so luckily it happened in the city close to home and not on the expressway.
Power train, Feb 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and running, she attempted to shift to drive however, the gear shifter would not go into drive. The contact stated that the gear shifter would move but would not go into any other gear. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who diagnosed that the transmission shifter cable bushing had failed and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V471000 (Power Train) because her VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to NHTSA for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.
Power train, Dec 30, 2021
The transmission shift cable fell off the transmission shift lever in the engine compartment. The plastic bushing that holds the shift cable in place is worn out or defective. Ford has a replacement part (#DG9Z-7K340-A) and a new cover cap to protect the bushing now. Wondering why this is not a safety recall. The linkage fell off while my wife was parking the vehicle in sub-zero weather. She had the shifter in park, but the vehicle was actually in neutral or reverse. The vehicles engine could be started or stopped, would not drive, but could roll. Luckily it was on level ground when it happened. Ford has the same problem on earlier year models but not on our model year. The Ford dealer told me that there were no recalls or TSBs for my VIN model.
Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Dec 9, 2021
- When pushing start, the car cranks but no start. Failed to start with new battery. - I took the car to Ford dealer maintenance shop and couldn't identify the problem and contacting Ford Engineering for further investigation. - There is no any message or warning on the dashboard and also what the maintenance shop informed me. All the lighting system is Ok, even the radio is working. - According to the mechanic, the issue is new one and not has been seen before.
Power train, Nov 18, 2021
On 11-8-2021, my transmission failed out of nowhere, there were no warning lights or noises or check engine codes or anything. When I backed out at work the vehicle shook a little and when I pulled out on to the road it hit second gear kind of hard. When I got close to the stop sign it just shut off. I started it back up and when I put it in drive it shut off again. It did this 3 times before I could get it off the road. I had it towed home and started it up and attempted to put it in gear again it shook hard and shut off again. The last drivability/performance check was 6/18/2020 at 112,560 miles done by Summerville Ford. My vehicle is available upon request for inspection. Mine and others safety was put at risk by the vehicle not working properly, on a very busy highway. Although there was not a crash, there very well could have been. The problem has not been confirmed by a dealer or independent service center nor has it been inspected by anyone other then my husband and myself. The problem first appeared that afternoon, I have only owned the vehicle since May 2021, I haven't even gotten to my first oil change. I bought it from Berkeley Ford in Moncks Corner SC.
Power train, Nov 18, 2021
Was driving down the road and the car started to sputter and shake. Was able to pull into a gas station parking lot and when I stepped on the gas nothing happened and the transmission fault light kicked on. Got parked and called a tow company to tow it to the nearest transmission shop to which they told me the transmission is shot and needs replaced.
Power train, Nov 14, 2021
There was a recall for 203-2014 Ford Escapes (18S20) for the bushing on the shifter cable breaking and requiring repair. However our vehicle is a 2015 Escape and we were told it was not covered by the recall although we experienced a similar issue. Upon putting the vehicle in reverse the gearbox stuck in reverse and was not able to shift to neutral, drive, or any other gear. Since the vehicle was stuck in gear and not able to move until the tow truck arrived it put others at risk. We had the car towed to Merrill Ford in Okemos Michigan where they confirmed the bushing failed however due to Ford's protocol they had to replace the entire shifter cable at an estimated price of $950. I did some investigation and found another cable and requested the dealer remove the bushing from the new cable and install it on the vehicle. I could have purchased just the bushing however the dealership advised against it. In addition, the shifter cable was not available for approximately another week since 1,400 were on backorder which makes me believe this is a bigger problem than just our vehicle. There were no prior warnings to the bushing failure. Although the dealership knew there was an alternative solution of only replacing the bushing they originally refused to do it. I find this practice of not replacing the failed part (bushing) negligent and trying to create more revenue for Ford and the dealership.
Power train, Sep 14, 2021
In April 2021 I was stranded due to the degradation of the bushings on a cable connected to the transmission. The car was repaired. However, now in September 2021, a “transmission fault service now” error popped up while I was on the way to work. The diagnostics have come in and Ford is telling me I need an entirely new transmission. The car has less than 93K miles and should not be having a transmission issue, especially when a majority of the miles driven were freeway miles. Ford has quoted a repair cost of $6600, but I find it hard to believe that the incident in April is unrelated to the transmission failure today.
Power train, Sep 13, 2021
At approximately 100,000 miles, the transmission blew out while my son was driving the vehicle on a bridge of a freeway. The engine, sputtered, locked up, would not stay in drive and died. He had to maneuver to safety in the middle of the road on a dangerous bridge. We had the transmission supposedly replaced at Future Ford of Concord. This repair took close to three weeks. Upon return of the car, the same thing happened again. We returned the car to the dealer. It stayed for another four weeks while they ran diagnostics, and supposedly fixed the car. Not more than 100 miles later the car experienced the same thing as the original incident. My son was once again on the freeway, the car lost all power, the transmission light went on and the car is again currently at Future Ford of Concord. Cars should not have transmission problems such as this with only 100,000 miles. And, if the problem was fixed, then we should not have had to take the car back two additional times for the same thing. I believe there exists a significant problem with the transmission of this 2015 Ford EXCAPE.
Power train, Sep 8, 2021
The bushing in the shifter cable fell out or somehow was no longer attached and could not be located. This prevented the vehicle from going into any gear and stranded me until the repairs could be made.
Power train, Sep 7, 2021
Earlier this year my car began shaking while I was driving it and when it was time for me to park, I couldn't move my shifter. I had to use the emergency break to keep my car in place. I noticed that my shift linkage had eroded and I had to place a temporary one from Auto Zone on there so I could continue driving. Ever since then, my new shift linkage continues to pop off and I am constantly having to use the emergency break to keep my car from going anywhere and placing the temporary shift link back on. I looked up recalls for my vehicle and noticed that other Fords had the same problem and were issued a recall, however, my particular vehicle did not fall under the recall list. There has been no warning signs that come on my dash which is very alarming. The only reason I ever know that the link is about to pop off is because my shifter becomes very loose and wiggles. This incident has happened several times dating back to around April 2021, and the most current time this has happened is today, September 7, 2021.
Power train, Sep 2, 2021
Yesterday while driving across a 5 mile long expressway bridge, my car started jerking and the RPMs reved up but I was unable to accelerate. It kept shaking and jerking and barely getting above 30 mph. When I was able to get over to the side, it would no longer move forward. I shut the car off, turned it back on, and it moved forward but I could not re-enter the highway speed traffic. My car was flatbed towed to the closest Ford dealer, who today said the transmission has failed. They quoted me $7000 for a new transmission. My car is a 2015 with 85,000 miles on it. The transmission is no longer under warranty and it gave no indications of beginning to fail before this happened. Having the transmission fail at highway speeds on a 4 lane bridge put my life and the lives of those around me in danger.
Power train, Aug 27, 2021
January of last year I was driving on the highway and the car started shaking and jerking, slipping in and out of gear. It eventually reved to 5000 rpm and wouldn't move. Once at the transmission shop they said it would be over 5,000 dollars to get another transmission from the ford dealer. Now about a week ago I was driving on the highway again and the same thing happened this time with my 7 month old in the car leaving us stranded 20mi from home. Both times the transmission light came on after the car became disabled.
Power train, Aug 19, 2021
Flywheel cracked/broken on 1.6 liter engine. University Ford North confirmed failure and replaced. They have/had part. Ford Motor Company was contacted on 8-19-2021 regarding this and refused to open a case to investigate. No warning lamps or indications were displayed for this failure. Issue was noticed on approximately August 3rd.