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
1,124 reports, newest first.
Engine, Nov 21, 2025
Water leaking into cylinder number 3, causing misfires and loss of coolant/ overheating
Electrical system, Back over prevention, Nov 21, 2025
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 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 the image behind the vehicle. The failure became more persistent over time and caused additional electrical failures. The contact was unable to connect devices to the vehicle, and the radio failed to operate as needed. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part for the recall repair was not available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 17,000.
Power train, Back over prevention, Nov 18, 2025
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 driving 60 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. In addition, the vehicle vibrated abnormally. The message "Motor Work Required" was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that three weeks after the vehicle was purchased, the transmission failed to operate as intended. The contact replaced the transmission. The contact stated that the failure persisted. 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 unknown.
Power train, Electrical system, Back over prevention, Nov 18, 2025
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 rearview camera displayed a distorted image while the vehicle was in reverse(R). The contact stated that the failure obstructed the driver's visibility, which prevented the driver from safely operating the vehicle. In addition, there was an abnormal sound coming from the camera. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, after the vehicle was purchased, the liftgate failed to function as intended. The liftgate occasionally opened and closed independently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, the message "Transmission Fault - Service Now" was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact had the transmission fluid changed. However, the message was displayed again. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not 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 unknown.
Other or unspecified, Nov 17, 2025
I went to the dealership to clear my recall with Ford for my 2016 Ford Escape. It has been 30 days but Ford has still not cleared the recall with NHTSA to clear my vehicle.
Back over prevention, Nov 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera system failure message was displayed. 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 available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Electrical system, Back over prevention, Nov 14, 2025
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 rearview camera displayed a distorted image while the vehicle was in reverse(R). The contact stated that the failure obstructed the driver's visibility, which prevented the driver from safely operating the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, the alarm activated independently. The alarm was unintentionally activated during the day or night. Most recently, while the front driver’s side door was opened or closed, the alarm activated until the key was inserted into the ignition. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic; however, no cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was not 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 unknown.
Back over prevention, Nov 12, 2025
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 rearview camera displayed a black image while reversing. The message "Camera Unavailable" was displayed. The local dealer was not contacted. 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 failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
Electrical system, Structure, Nov 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon opening the liftgate, the liftgate started closing unintendedly and struck the contact on the head. There was no injury sustained. The dealer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
Steering, Nov 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver became aware that the electric power steering was not functioning properly, which required the driver to increase the efforts to steer the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure had been recurring while driving. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by the dealer or an independent mechanic. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall that did not include the year of the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 122,000.
Power train, Nov 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the message "Transmission Fault" was displayed once. Additionally, the contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to respond as needed and shuddered abnormally. The contact stated that the vehicle decelerated and jerked forward while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the residence. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the transmission was replaced; however, the vehicle hesitated to shift into gears while driving. The contact stated that prior to the failure, the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000(Power Train), which the contact related to the failure. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
Power train, Back over prevention, Nov 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon refueling the vehicle and resuming driving 55 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power in bumper-to-bumper traffic. The contact was unable to pull over to the side of the road. The contact shifted to neutral(N) and shifted back to drive(D), but the vehicle failed to respond and started rolling backwards on leveled road surface. The contact activated the hazard lights and continuously depressed the brake pedal while steering the vehicle on the busy road. The contact was able to coast to the side of the road. The contact stated that the vehicle made two abnormal loud popping sounds and came to a complete stop. The vehicle was towed to Firestone, where the contact was informed that the failure could be related to the transmission, and that the transmission could not be serviced. The vehicle was then towed to Autohub, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure, and the contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The auto warranty company was contacted and confirmed that the vehicle was no longer covered. Additionally, the contact stated that the rearview camera image was inverted and distorted while reversing. 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 vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failures. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
Back over prevention, Nov 4, 2025
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 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 contact had not experienced a failure.
Power train, Engine, Nov 4, 2025
The fuel injector and the one of the cylinders has gone bad and has been available for inspection. My safety has been put to rest due to engine overheating. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer police or any insurance representative. The check engine light did appear on November 1, 2025. The car started overheating on November 4, 2025. According to other owners that I have spoken to, this is a constant problem with this make and model. I believe it is a manufacturer defect since so many other owners are experiencing the same issue.
Back over prevention, Nov 4, 2025
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 rearview camera was inoperable while reversing. The local dealer was not contacted. 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 unknown.
Power train, Nov 4, 2025
With no warnings the automatic transmission went into like limp mode. Shifted hard then no acceleration when pressing on gas. Faulty transmission light came on. I bought extended warranty when I purchased this car in 2020 from dealer. The warranty expired in August 2024. The transmission tore up in Oct. 2024. Took it to transmission guy who put it on code reader. 3 codes came up and he said it was bad. I bought the car at 55,000 miles and it tore up at 104,000 miles. Don't know if dealer ever changed fluid before I bought it but they never said anything to me about changing the transmission fluid. Transmission guy told me the filter was internal and couldn't be changed. The dealer said fluid should be changed around 50 to 60,000 miles and I guess they didn't do it. I went to them for 4 years for servicing and they never mentioned it to me. I lost my husband in 2021 so I was uneducated on things of that nature. I feel Ford should have to fix it or compensate for it.
Engine, Nov 3, 2025
Transmission failed at 62,000 miles with no prior issues or indication to this matter.
Power train, Engine, Oct 31, 2025
After 104,000 miles Experienced Transmission issues. Been told this happens to several Ford Escapes' after 100k miles.
Power train, Oct 16, 2025
The transmission failed at 88,000 miles with no warning. The transmission started whining, and suddenly started slipping, and ultimately gave out, leaving me stranded on the side of the highway. After contacting a transmission specialist, I was informed this is a common problem with this vehicle, and they had seen multiple of the same model for the same issue, saying it was a manufacturer defect. I had to spend 6,000 dollars to have the transmission rebuilt. The check engine light came on after the transmission had completely failed.
Other or unspecified, Oct 2, 2025
My review camera goes in and out and says unavailable
Other or unspecified, Oct 1, 2025
Transmission failed while driving vehicle.
Other or unspecified, Sep 30, 2025
This is not a report of an incident but is a report of an ongoing failure of the rear back up camera system. Recently there has been recalls (two that I’m aware of) of specific Ford vehicles for this specific problem, however, my vehicle has not been included as of yet. I have checked on your website for my vin number but it only says no recalls due. I have had a failure of this nature for at least 6 months with the camera saying it is not available, within seconds showing upside down flashing images, etc. it is unusable as a reliable guide. It has been inspected with an advisory to take it to Ford dealership which I am not able to afford at this point.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Sep 29, 2025
2016 escape rear camera displays upside down. Ford motor just recalled over a million of their vehicles due to safety hazard, Mine is not listed in recall but has exact same safety issue. Contacted FMC and said it's not on the recall list. I ask them to repair just like the others that are being recalled. We bought this new in 2016. They refused although it is an identified safety issue. Thanks [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Other or unspecified, Sep 26, 2025
My Rearview camera works sporadically. I have had trouble backing into tight spots because of my camera not working p
Other or unspecified, Sep 24, 2025
The back-up camera is not functioning properly. The majority of the time the screen is black and I get a message saying camera is unavailable. Occasionally the screen will light up but it has distorted lines of odd colors on the screen. I am unable to see what is behind me when I put my car in reverse. This has been going on for several months and with the many recalls for this issue I have been waiting for my car to be added to the recall for the back-up camera but, this does not appear to be happening.