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, Apr 10, 2024
I was driving my 2016 Ford Escape and stopped at a red light. When the light turned green I steeped on the gas and the car would not move. No check engine light came on and there was no indication that anything was wrong. The car had to be towed to two different repair shops. The first repair shop diagnosed that it was the transmission and they wanted to much to repair. I then had it towed to a transmission repair shop where they rebuilt my transmission. I picked up my car today and the shop told me that there was a recall on 2016 Ford Escapes. I called ford and they agreed there was a recall on 2016 Ford Escape transmissions but it did not include my car. This makes no sense as my car only has 63208 miles on it and the transmission went out with no warning. I don't understand my Ford says my car is not included when obviously there is a problem. Thank you for your time
Steering, Apr 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the power steering assist warning light illuminated. In addition, the power steering wheel was not functioning as intended. The contact stated that the failure had occurred several times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed steering rack. The contact was informed that the steering rack needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and the contact was advised to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was unknown.
Power train, Apr 5, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 80 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) however, 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 90,000.
Power train, Apr 4, 2024
The transmission suddenly failed with no warning. 2016 under $90k miles. Mechanic saying very abnormal and was because a small piece inside broke that is manufacturer error.
Power train, Apr 4, 2024
While Driving the vehicle Car came out of gear and the tachometer revved. I had to pull the car off the side of the road shut the car down and then restart it and it then was able to go into gear but for only a short time maybe a minute or two. No lights appeared on the dash. Luckily I was on a residential street and not a highway where my life definitely could've been put at risk. Car was towed to a Ford dealer and they stated complete transmission failure. Car has 85,xxx miles on it.
Power train, Apr 3, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the son was driving approximately 55 MPH the vehicle suddenly began to lose motive power and stalled. The "Transmission" warning message was displayed after the failure had occurred. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 72,000.
Wheels, Mar 22, 2024, crash
The front driver side tire went flat. When a friend tried to remove lug nuts it was discovered that the lug wrench supplied by Ford with the vehicle would not fit over 3 of the 5 nuts. In a youtube video search from home I discovered that Ford had applied a metal coating to the outside of the lug nuts that in time tends to swell and prevents a socket from from going over the lug. Several videos showed people using hammers to force a larger socket over it and using an impact hammer to get the lugs off. Some took 20 mins. to remove. Since our lugs could not be removed on the roadside, a can of FIX-A-FLAT and a short drive on the near flat to a service station allowed them to get the car to a safe place for the night. The next day a call to the SERVICE MANAGER at Dick Hannah Ford dealership in Sandy Oregon (503-809-4711) was no help and he said he had never heard of this before. I called a local outlet (Estacada, Or.) (503-210-5111)of regional tire repair company Les Schawb Tires, and the manager there told me that he sees this all the time. He even completed my description of the problem with added details. He says that he has been recommending the complete removal of all lugs on any trucks or cars that come in with these lugs for years. He is saving all the lugs that come off of my car and has agreed to attest to the facts of what he finds and his past experience with this issue. I will keep the lugs if you would like to inspect them. No one was endangered in this incident. It happened on a dry day in the early afternoon just miles from a friends home. But I can't believe that no one has ever found themselves in a dangerous situation with a flat tire that can't be replaced with the very tool that FORD has provided in their vehicle for doing so. No warning has been issued, no recall initiated, and FORD keeps putting these useless tools in cars and trucks letting people believe that they will work. Several Youtube videos have documented the issue.
Power train, Mar 20, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while revering in a parking area at low speeds, the vehicle suddenly lost all motive power, and the contact was unable to shift the gear selector. As a result, the vehicle rolled into a busy intersection. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission shifter cable. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train), and the VIN was included but had already been repaired. 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 184,000.
Engine, Mar 19, 2024
Check engine light came on, car was taken to mechanic. Coolant system cylinder 1, 2 were showing as codes and coolant was 1/2 gallon low. Coolant was found to be leaking into engine and engine replacement was the only fix. Mechanic also indicated there is a TSB for this issue, meaning it is a known problem that ford will not help with correcting.
Back over prevention, Mar 19, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the rearview camera was inoperable while reversing. Additionally, the contact stated that the infotainment system screen would turn black inadvertently while driving and using the navigation system. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and the dealer determined that the Accessory Protocol Interface Module (APIM) and the rearview camera needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 81,289.
Power train, Mar 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle shuddered and stalled. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to move upon depressing the accelerator pedal. The message "Insufficient Transmission Fluid. Service Now" was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the torque converter had failed, and the transmission fluid was leaking. The dealer determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 159,834.
Power train, Mar 12, 2024
Out of the blue on highway. Tachometer reved up to 6 without using throttle. No power, then it jumped out of gear to neutral down a hill. I almost got hit by a truck , no dash lights came on till I called fot help and my husband drove to a safe area and ford escape reared up in air . Then transmission default light came on . A guy put transmission module in to it and it didn't work. So this is not right if it was recalled and now it is doing the issue later
Engine and engine cooling, Mar 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle was struggling to start, and there was exhaust fumes coming inside the cabin while starting the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle would temporarily lose motive power while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that coolant was leaking onto the spark plugs, causing the spark plugs to misfire. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.
Electrical system, Mar 2, 2024
Rear backup camera works intermittently. One time display screen was solid white, the next time it was solid green, abd the third time it was solid purple. Yet the reverse guidelines still showed all three times. Fuses are good and recently had battery replaced at dealership.
Steering, Feb 28, 2024
Problem: The steering loss stop safety light came on as I was on the highway with a total loss of steering. (Steering locked up). Traffic of said highway was going from 4 lane to two lane with two northbound semi’s as I was headed southbound. Steering locked up and pulled me into northbound lane. How the semi’s missed me was a higher power looking out for me. I’m trying to figure out how to get it home as we speak. I haven’t tried to have any professionals look at the car nor did I seek a police officer as I made around the semi’s and they kept going. This is a terrible situation to be put in no matter if a malfunction happens it SHOULD NOT prevent me from or have the potential to completely loose control of the vehicle. I would expect Ford to help me with this situation at THEIR cost asap prior to seeking legal options. Yes warning light and bells for steering loss stop safety. No prior warning.
Power train, Feb 26, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in for routine maintenance, the mechanic discovered fluid leaking from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was examined, and the contact was informed that the rear differential unit was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 34,573.
Engine and engine cooling, Feb 23, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal fuel odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. The contact stated that occasionally the engine would misfire while starting. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine had a warped cylinder head, causing the misfire due to leaking coolant intrusion. The vehicle had not been repaired. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was confirmed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 67,935.
Engine and engine cooling, Feb 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal rattling. The rattling was more evident in cold weather conditions. The failure also occurred while the vehicle was idling. The contact stated that while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle made a loud vibrating sound coming from the front end of the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle had been taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that there was a coolant leak into cylinders #2 and #3. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000. The VIN was not available.
Engine and engine cooling, Feb 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal rattling. The rattling was more evident in cold weather conditions. The failure also occurred while the vehicle was idling. The contact stated that while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle made a loud vibrating sound coming from the front end of the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle had been taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that there was a coolant leak into cylinders #2 and #3. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000. The VIN was not available.
Engine and engine cooling, Jan 28, 2024
The head gasket and the car is pulling the car is smoking a lot the car is stopping in the middle of the street
Engine and engine cooling, Jan 18, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The warning light was flickering on and off. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was determined that coolant was leaking into the engine. There was no indication of a fluid leaking on the ground. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.
Power train, Jan 16, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal, but the vehicle failed to respond as designed. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to pull over when the vehicle stalled. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle and had the vehicle towed to a dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 101,224.
Engine, Engine and engine cooling, Jan 16, 2024
Check engine light is on at 63,000 miles. Ford dealer confirmed coolant in cylinder and immanent total engine failure, so vehicle is not safe to drive as it may stop at any time and loss of coolant. Only indication is the check engine light. Dealer quoted repairs for engine, turbo, and cat converter replacement at over $18,000. Research on the internet reveals that this is a common failure. Since the warranty is out of the time and 3k over the covered range they will do absolutely nothing to remedy the issue. The sticker price on the Escape Titanium is over $37,000.
Power train, Jan 9, 2024
Driving the car with no signs at all, car instantly drops rpm’s and won’t accelerate at a busy intersection. Warning for transmission faulty or engine issues did not come on at all. Car was driving normal and then stopped as clutch started slipping. Confirmed with dealership that transmission is out. The car stopped in traffic.
Power train, Jan 6, 2024
This wasn’t an accident. Over Christmas weekend, my vehicle’s transmission would no longer shift gears correctly. After being told I was looking at thousands of dollars to repair, I decided to sell it. When I listed it on AutoTrader, I discovered a recall from 2022 FOR EXACTLY THE PART OF MY TRANSMISSION THAT MIGHT BE BROKEN. If Ford was supposed to notify me of this in 2022, they certainly did not. So now here I am with a vehicle that doesn’t move.