2016 Ford Escape
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Power train is the leading concern among 1,124 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 11th highest complaint count among 26 Escape model years with reports.
Of the 2016 reports, 36 involved a crash and 10 involved a fire. 19 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
Air bags, knee bolsterJun 26, 2017
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016 Ford Escape vehicles. The driver's knee airbag modules installed in these vehicles were produced without the inflator gas generant material, and, as a result, the air bags may not inflate properly in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
In the event of a crash, if the driver's knee air bag does not inflate as intended, the driver has an increased risk of injury.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace driver's knee air bag, free of charge. The recall began on August 8, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17C11.
Campaign 17V398000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: back over prevention
217 reports, newest first. Show all
Back over prevention, Jul 30, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse the vehicle, he is unable to see the backup camera image; the image is either upside down, distorted, or completely blank. The contact received a notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the local dealer stated that the parts required to complete the recall repair were not yet available. The contact feels that the manufacturer has exceeded a reasonable amount of time to provide a remedy for the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 103,000.
Back over prevention, Jul 29, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while reversing at an undisclosed speed, the rearview camera was inoperative. No warning lights were illuminated. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and informed the contact that parts were available for the Mustang vehicles. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
Back over prevention, Jul 28, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while in reverse, the back-over prevention camera displayed a blank screen, with the message that the camera was not available displayed. The dealer was contacted and confirmed the part for the recall repair was not available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown.
Back over prevention, Jul 28, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while in reverse, the back over prevention camera failed to display an image behind the vehicle. The screen flashed a light or show a blank screen intermittently. The dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.
Back over prevention, Jul 27, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while reversing at an undisclosed speed, the rearview camera was inoperative. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and stated that parts were available to repair Mustang vehicles only. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 50,020.
Electrical system, Back over prevention, Jul 27, 2026
The rear view camera does not work at times and when it does the image is distorted and discolored and it is also upside down.
Back over prevention, Jul 24, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the display screen and camera shut off without warning, and the camera failed to operate while in reverse. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); 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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 125,000.
Back over prevention, Jul 23, 2026
See attached document for complaint.
Back over prevention, Jul 23, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the rear-view image glitched and eventually failed to display. The failure mileage was 102,000.
Back over prevention, Jul 22, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while vehicle was in reverse(R), the rear-view camera displayed a blank screen with the message "Camera Unavailable". The contact received notification of NTHSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); and associated the failure with the recall. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
Back over prevention, Jul 22, 2026
See attached document for complaint.
Back over prevention, Jul 22, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while shifted in reverse(R), the rear-view camera failed to display a clear view image. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000.
Back over prevention, Jul 17, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while reversing, the rearview camera intermittently failed to display an image. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.
Back over prevention, Jul 17, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the rear-view camera was occasionally inoperable. While reversing, the camera turned off without warning. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention). The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.
Back over prevention, Jul 15, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention). The contact stated that while in reverse(R) on approximately five separate occasions, the screen was inverted, and the proximity alert notification chime failed to alert the driver, and the vehicle nearly struck persons behind the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, but was not repaired because parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 99,800.
Back over prevention, Jul 15, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the rearview camera was intermittently inoperative. When functioning, the camera image was displayed upside down. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who confirmed that parts were on backorder. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.
Other or unspecified, Back over prevention, Jul 14, 2026
My rear camera and therefore cross traffic and parking indications fail almost every time I turn my car on. Ford acknowledges that this is a problem and that there is a recalled part, but they do not have replacement parts and so I must continue to drive with faulty parts.
Back over prevention, Jul 13, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while in reverse(R), the back over prevention camera displayed a blank screen, and there was no image on display. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not yet available. A second dealer, Brad Deery Ford (1178 200th Ave, Maquoketa, IA 52060); was contacted and confirmed that the part was not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure was approximately 111,000.
Back over prevention, Jul 9, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while reversing, the rearview camera intermittently failed to display an image. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Back over prevention, Jul 8, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to complete the recall repair was unavailable. Additionally, while reversing, the rearview camera displayed a blue image, and the message "Camera Unavailable" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the parts were unavailable. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
Back over prevention, Jul 7, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the rearview camera became inoperable. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
Back over prevention, Jul 6, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while reversing, the rearview camera persistently flickered and displayed a black screen. The dealer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the parts were unavailable. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. No further information was available. The failure mileage was unknown.
Back over prevention, Jul 2, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera displayed a black screen. Additionally, the contact stated that occasionally the rear-view camera displayed an upside-down image. The failure was intermittent. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or a dealer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Back over prevention, Jul 2, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. While the contact's wife was reversing out of a driveway at approximately 1-3 MPH, the rearview camera displayed a white image and failed to operate as needed. The contact stated that due to the failure, the vehicle almost struck a child riding a bicycle behind the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention). The vehicle was taken to a Ford dealer where the contact was informed that the rearview camera needed to be replaced; however, the parts was not available. The contact declined to pay out of pocket for a replacement rearview camera and was waiting for the part to become available. The manufacturer had not been notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 56,000.
Back over prevention, Jul 2, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention). The rearview camera was turning on and off, but the vehicle became inoperable. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was contacted and informed the contact that parts were only available for Ford Mustang vehicles. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact called the manufacturer but was unable to navigate the prompts to speak with a representative. The failure mileage was approximately 66,000.