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: other or unspecified
151 reports, newest first. Show all
Other or unspecified, Jul 7, 2025
Ford has a huge recall of Escapes due to back-up cameras malfunctioning. My 2016 has been working and not working intermittently for some time now. I would like the 2016 Escapes to be included in the recall as well, but I believe they have only included those going back to 2020. A generic diagnostic machine has picked up the issue repeatedly. I will be having a Ford diagnostic service appointment this Friday for a different issue. The dashboard has begun to intermittently read "temporarily disabled" and "4-wheel drive" at which time the car acts like it is not in the right gear. The Ford Dealership has stated that they will also look at the back-up camera. Thank you.
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Other or unspecified, Jul 2, 2025
The vehicle experienced multiple critical system failures within one week of purchase: Transmission failure (slipping, delayed shifting, and stalling during acceleration) Braking system malfunction (brakes jump or pulse when pressed, inconsistent stopping) Fluid leakage inside the cabin near the gas and brake pedals (believed to be either brake fluid or transmission fluid) The vehicle is currently undrivable and can be made available for inspection upon request. The vehicle became a severe safety hazard while I was operating it with my infant child in the car. The brakes were unresponsive and unpredictable, creating near-miss situations when trying to stop. The transmission failure caused stalling at intersections and hesitation when accelerating, putting me at risk of being rear-ended. The fluid leak near the pedals presents a possible fire hazard or the risk of further brake failure. I feared for my life and my child’s safety. The problem has not been confirmed by a mechanic yet because the dealership, Platinum Auto Sales in Arlington, VA, refused to take the vehicle back or inspect it after I reported the issues. I was dismissed when I returned to report the failures. I am currently seeking an independent inspection, but I want this formally documented as an urgent safety matter. I am in the process of filing reports with the Federal Trade Commission, state consumer protection, and local police regarding fraud and sale of a dangerous vehicle. I can make the vehicle available for inspection by NHTSA or a certified safety inspector. There were no warning lights or error messages at the time of purchase. The problems appeared within 24–48 hours of driving the vehicle: Difficulty shifting and hesitation when accelerating began almost immediately Brake issues and pedal fluid leakage appeared by Day 3 By Day 5, the vehicle became unsafe to drive altogether
Other or unspecified, Engine, Jun 28, 2025
Eco boost failure recommended replacement referred to a Ford dealership for service 1500.00 to 2000.00 for replacement
Other or unspecified, Jun 17, 2025
The rear back up camera invert and turn the vision upside down. I understand that there was a recall for this year and model for that problem, but mine does not show up on the recall, but my camera rear facing camera does not work because it inverts all the images upside down. I bought the car used with 128,000 miles on it so I don’t know actually how long this problem had been going on before I purchased the car but the rear backup camera now shows everything upside down.
Other or unspecified, Back over prevention, Jun 3, 2025
When I put my Escape in Reverse, sometimes the rear view camera works and sometimes it doesnt
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Jun 3, 2025
I saw a recall for newer years of Ford products where the camera wasn't working and it is a safety hazard. My 2016 Escape rear camera has not been working properly for many years. It appears to me that it is a software problem because the camera will be upside-down OR roll upside down. I updated the firmware on my car, but it still doesn't work. There are Youtube videos out there, because it is a common problem with the Escape. [XXX] Please add the 2016 Escapes to your current recall. Here is a link to the recall for the newer Ford Products.[XXX] I have attached recent still pics of my car-cam upside down and I tried to attached a (short )14 second video of it rolling upside down, but your website does not allow videos to be uploaded? So I made the video into a .gif and uploaded it so you could see the rolling camera that happened today. The rolling camera problems does happen a lot, but not as much as the upside down feed. As you can see from the photographs, the directional lines that are supposed to show the direction a driver is backing up, are NOT present either. A person backing up, using the upside down feed, will NOT see the direction they are backing up. The attached photos were all taken within the last couple days, you can check the date and time they were taken on each photo. Please contact me if you want me to send you the original video that I took today. Please help me with this problem. I am not the sole person to have this problem with older Ford products. Please enlarge the recall to older vehicles, this problem has been going on a long time. I appears to be a software problem that needs to be addressed. Having the back up camera feed be upside down or rolling so that nothing is visible in the camera, is a danger to others standing behind the car INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Other or unspecified, Back over prevention, May 30, 2025
While in reverse gear, during operation rear view camera stopped working and shows error that back up Camera is not available. Screen shows blue screen. It is very dangerous as it can cause an accident.
Other or unspecified, May 2, 2025
Backup camera will most of the time not work properly and will black out screen or blue screen.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Apr 30, 2025
Backup camera intermittently stops working. Some days, it works fine. Other days, whenever shift to reverse, the screen is either black or blue with the message that the camera is not available. It will sometimes go to the black/blue screen while I am reversing into/ out of my driveway, parking spot, etc. Shifting to park or neutral and then to reverse doesn't correct the problem. It started out as an occasional problem, but now happens multiple times a day. This is an extremely unsafe situation. If someone/something is behind me when I am reversing, it is likely that I would not have enough time to react to prevent an injury or worse.So many other Ford vehicles have a recall for backup camera issues, why is the Escape not included?
Other or unspecified, Jan 16, 2025
While operating my 2016 Ford Escape, I received a "Transmission Fault Service Now" warning on the dashboard display. It stayed on my dashboard for few minutes then disapeared. The vehicle suddenly jerked and became immobile, leaving me stranded in the middle of the street for approximately 5 hours, creating a significant safety hazard for both myself and other drivers. The vehicle's RPMs would increase but the car would not move forward properly. The transmission would only allow minimal movement immediately after starting the vehicle. A certified repair shop has diagnosed internal transmission damage. Similar transmission issues have been the subject of recalls for other Ford Escape vehicles, but my 2016 model year was not included after providing my vin despite exhibiting the same dangerous failure pattern. The transmission is available for inspection in Virginia Beach, VA. If needed, I can provide address details. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer.
Other or unspecified, Jan 5, 2025
Back up camera screen is blank.
Other or unspecified, Dec 23, 2024
The felt undercarriage cover keeps coming off the bottom of the vehicle. Completely fell off first time, and dealership screwed it back on. Approximately 60 days later it was hanging again. Dealer said it isn't needed if I don't drive on dirt roads and removed it. Not clear as to the safety concern to the under part of the vehicle and engine protection.
Other or unspecified, Nov 15, 2024
2016 Ford Escape rearview camera works only intermittently and sometimes not at all. On screen when the camera doesn't work it says Camera not available. Why is this vehicle not included in the Ford recall of faulty rearview cameras? The $165M penalty should be broadened to cover these failures in earlier model years. It is not just 2021 models.
Steering, Other or unspecified, Service brakes, Oct 3, 2024
The component that malfunctioned was my transmission according to the mechanic. I was driving and all the sudden my car stopped and wouldn't go, then the accelerator started going to the max but nothing happened. My first thought was a flat tire and after I checked my tires it wasn't flat. I started my car back up and it did the same thing eventually stalling and not moving at all. The wheel locked and would not move to steer or release. I had to get it towed. This is a huge safety issue concern because it stopped in the middle of the road while I was driving putting my life and others at risk. It's available for inspection upon request.The problem was confirmed by a mechanic in which he said there was a recall at some point on the transmission for my vehicle but he was unsure if it was still active. There were no warning lamps or signs and there still isn't present on my dash. Thus making there being no warning signs at all a safety issues for myself and others.
Other or unspecified, Sep 8, 2024
Rear gate comes down unexpectedly.
Other or unspecified, Sep 3, 2024
There were issues with shifting in the cars transmission. The mechanic that fixed it claims there were faulty parts in the original transmission.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Aug 21, 2024
At 116k miles the Turbo had to be replaced, immediately following by the transmission failed and needs to be fully replaced.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Engine, Aug 15, 2024
Vechile showing transmission not in park
Other or unspecified, Aug 5, 2024
Checked the Ford Sync and Navigation Updates webpage to see if there was an update available for my car that would enable Apple CarPlay and the associated safety benefits in interacting with the infotainment console. The website indicated an update was available. I attempted to connect the car via WiFi to my phone in order to process the update, but even with the automatic updates button on it would not update. I took the vehicle into a Ford garage and asked them to update it for me while getting my oil changed. When I received it back, the software was the same. I then called a different Ford garage and asked if they could update it. They said that they could so I made a second appointment. I took it in and they at first took it back but then a technician came to talk with me about the multitudinous problems that were likely to occur if they updated my software to the newest version (screen going black, car not starting, electrical issues, driving issues) and said that if any of those occurred it would then be thousands of more dollars to replace the messed up components. I asked if he had a software version prior to the most recent one that wouldn’t cause those problems, and he said no he did not. He asked if I wanted to continue with the upgrade, with it implied that I would be responsible for any further issues that occurred because of the update. I did not want to risk something happening to the car while I was driving by applying the update.
Other or unspecified, Aug 5, 2024
The liftgate just opens on it's own! It'll say it's ajar while driving and will completely open on it's own while parked and while the key fob is just sitting on a table with nothing touching it.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Jun 26, 2024
This car is an accident waiting to happen. 1st car kept on shuddering or pulling while driving over 40 miles per hour. Took it to Ray Price Ford in Stroudsburg PA 4 times they couldn’t diagnose or replicate what I was talking about. I had to pull over a few times because I thought a cable popped or I hit something. Took it back the 5th time 6/2020 92,000 miles just out of warranty they finally diagnosed it with a bad transmission. $6,000. I fought with them and was able to get them to split the cost because they weren’t able to diagnose it when it was under warranty. I thought I was past the nightmare called Ford Escape. However around 5/2024, 115,00 miles my daughter was driving the car on the highway. Cruising at 60mph, when she had to press the gas pedal to speed up to get to her exit. The car lost power, she floored it and it wouldn’t move. She pulled over and called us. She said the check engine light came on and the car had no pickup when she stepped on the gas pedal .I told her to drive it home with the hazards on. We took it to Ray Price and they said the turbocharger was on the way out and cleared the code. I called Ford customer service to complain again about the piece of garbage that they sold us and their answer was if the car is over 7 years old and 100,000 miles they can’t help. I think that’s total [XXX]!!! I have never had a car that the transmission went before 100,000 miles. Ford customer Service is a joke. There was just a huge recall on their F-150’s for transmission problems. They are making dangerous vehicles and they need to fix them. It’s not fair that you buy a vehicle for $30,000 or more and then you have to replace the transmission and turbocharger just over 100,000 miles. These vehicles should be recalled and fixed once and for all. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Other or unspecified, Jun 24, 2024
On June 21,2024 the transmission on the vehicle prevented the shifter from moving the transmission into the intended gear and caused the vehicle to think it was in park. Due to car unable to move forward accidents could have been caused.
Other or unspecified, Back over prevention, Apr 12, 2024
Rear view camera displayed view upside down or blurry lines flashing on the screen. Entire camera assembly replaced due to failure.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jan 5, 2024
While driving home going about 40 mph my Ford Escape lost acceleration and then completely shut off IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD! I was able to "limp" it to the side of the street where it would not start at all. I then placed it in reverse (as I was on a hill) to roll it backwards into a neighborhood to get it out of the way of on coming traffic. It was 10 PM at night! I waited for a few minutes and was able to get it to start but not change gears. I was able to get it to my neighborhood with hazards on going barely 10mph. It literally rolled into my driveway where it has been since (November 2023).
Other or unspecified, Nov 10, 2023
I was pulling out onto a major highway and my car quit shifting. Which caused me to be stranded in the middle of a busy highway.