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.
Wheels, Nov 24, 2021
During routine oil change, the mechanic informed me that the tires could not be rotated due to swollen lug nuts. In order for other routine maintenance to be performed to ensure the vehicle is in safe operating condition, I had to purchase new lug nuts so the mechanic could complete the maintenance. The mechanic did not have the lug nuts available and I had to pay for labor. The reason the mechanic gave for not removing the swollen lug nuts was the lug nuts are likely to break during removal. In the event I have a flat tire, I would either be unable to remove the nuts myself or would drive with possibly damaged lug nuts. Damaged lug nuts could cause undue stress on other lug nuts, leading to breaks. Broken lug nuts mean tires can fly off cars. This seems like a major safety issue that Ford needs to address.
Power train, Nov 22, 2021
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, the transmission would not operate in the reverse position. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the shaft lock cable assembly was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The contact indicated that the vehicle was previously repaired for the same failure in 2018. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000
Other or unspecified, Nov 22, 2021, fire
Vehicle caught fire while sitting in my driveway after being driven 30-45 minutes prior. No prior issues with the vehicle. No warning lights or messages while driving vehicle home. Drive home from work was approximately 1 hour drive time. I heard car horn blowing and looked outside to find car engulfed in flames. Local fire dept and police responded. Claim filed with insurance company who towed vehicle to salvage lot the next day. Car deemed a total loss.
Back over prevention, Nov 19, 2021
Rear view camera doesn't always work when putting the car in reverse. It doesn't go blank, the monitor just remains as if it was going forward. Sometimes when it does work, it remains on while moving forward momentarily.
Engine and engine cooling, Nov 16, 2021
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after refueling the vehicle, the vehicle was difficult to start up. The vehicle was eventually restarted but after stopping at a traffic light the vehicle was there was an abnormal vibration coming from the engine compartment. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the canister purge valve was stuck in the open position. The contact was informed that the valve lining needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.
Other or unspecified, Nov 9, 2021
My vehicle stopped shifting as I was on the highway. I had to pull over to the side. The vehicle had to be towed to the dealership where I bought it and I've been told the transmission needs a total rebuild. The is a 2016 Ford Escape with under 100,000 miles. There was no warning prior to this happening. Once the transmission stopped working I finally received a warning to have the vehicle checked.
Other or unspecified, Oct 26, 2021
Yesterday we experienced a complete engine fail in our 2016 Ford Escape because coolant leakage caused a hole in engine block. We have about 80000 miles in our vehicle and regularly maintain it. Going to cost about 6,000 to replace entire engine.
Wheels, Oct 3, 2021
THE LUG NUTS ON MY FORD ESCAPE ARE DEFECTIVE. I DISCOVERED THIS AFTER A FLAT TIRE. THE "OVERCAP" ON THE LUG NUTS WIGGLED. THEY WERE ALSO ENLARGED AND WOULD NOT FIT ANY STANDARD LUG NUT WRENCH. THEY COULD NOT BE SAFELY REMOVED AND REPLACED ON MY VEHICLE. I HAVE SINCE HAD THEM PROFESSIONALLY REPLACED. THIS APPEARS TO BE ALL OVER THE INTERNET.
Power train, Sep 27, 2021
While driving the vehicle suddenly deccelerated. Pressing the gas peddle did nothing. It acted as if it was in neutral. Transmission fault light illuminated. This blocked all traffic as there was no shoulder and no time or place to get off the road. It was an extremely dangerous situation on the curve of a road. Vehicle was towed to dealer. Dealer verified abundant metal particles in transmission and recommended replacement ($6,247.69). Regular maintenance was done and mileage is only 61,537 so only recently out of the 60,000 mile warranty. There was never a warning or symptoms. Light came on later during the incident.
Other or unspecified, Sep 20, 2021
Rear door on drivers side will not open from the inside after it has been locked and unlocked unless it has been opened already. It something is wrong with the child lock. This is a major safety issue. Someone on the outside has to open the door to let the person out. If there was an accident or some type of incident and the person needed to get out quickly they would not be able to.
Other or unspecified, Sep 17, 2021
According to the dealership the throttle body is putting the vehicle in Limp mode and the car dies out because of it. Ford has had a recall on vehicles with the same issue. However, the dealership wants yo charge 469.04 for the repair.
Power train, Sep 11, 2021
Car suddenly would not shift and engine revved without moving in the middle of driving. This is an extreme hazard as my 2 year old son and I were pulling out into traffic. Had to turn the car off and back on and was able to get off the road. The transmission died without warning and the car is only at 55k miles.
Power train, Sep 7, 2021
I had driven my vehicle normally until one day I put the car into Park and it continued to roll forward. The shifter was stuck in park and would not move, but my dash indicated the vehicle was in Nuetral. The cable between the shifter and the transmission was damaged. Prior to this the sun roof has stopped working and my backup camera started malfunctioning as well. This is after I had to get the fuel injector replaced and the turbo replaced before that.
Power train, Aug 25, 2021
"transmission fault - repair now" light came on. Engine went to high RPM but very little forward movement. Was able to limp short distance back to home. Transmission then would not shift into reverse. Had car towed to dealer on 8/24/2021 for repair. Dealer indicated total transmission failure had occurred and would need to be completely replaced. Cost quoted at $5500.00. Transmission is a sealed unit with no way to check fluids and is recommended for service at 150000 miles. This car is at 90000 miles, way before the 150000 service call. There was no forewarning or symptoms of complete failure prior to incident.
Power train, Aug 23, 2021
A few months ago, out of nowhere and with no warning my 2016 Ford Escape flashed a transmission failure and car immediately started having acceleration issues. I was on a 8 lane highway (4 lanes each direction), in the far left lane as I was approaching my left hand turn lane. I had to pull over on this 8 lane highway on the far left lane causing a major safety hazard, not only for myself, but for all the cars in the south bound direction. Once traffic had a break, I started my car back up and was able to make the next left hand turn (which was actually the turn lane I needed to take) to get off an extremely 8 lane highway. This left hand turn also could have caused a safety issue as I wasn't able to accelerate at a normal rate and had to coast across this highway going around 5mph. I immediately pulled over after that turn and got the car towed to the nearest Ford dealership. The tow truck driver wished I had pulled over a little further up since he would have to stop traffic to get the car on the tow bed, obviously something I couldn't do since I was unable to accelerate. When the car was turned back on no transmission warning was on. Ford did replace the battery and confirmed multiple internal transmission component failures with the diagnosis and the transmission would have to be replaced. I did get a second opinion and they also confirmed the failures that the Ford dealership told me. The car is only 5 years old, gave me no indication that there was anything wrong until it happened, there was zero warning, zero noise, zero reasoning given as how/why a car only 5 years old would have multiple internal failing transmission components! I was also told by the mechanic that this is not an uncommon occurrence for Fords to have early transmission failures and that my 2016 Ford Escape was the 6th Ford that month!!! In total, I have had to pay over $6,100 worth of work/service/equipment in a 2016 car I purchased on 2/25/19! Official explanation would be great!!!
Back over prevention, Aug 23, 2021
Back up camera don’t work when backing up.
Air bags, Aug 13, 2021
My airbag light kept coming on and off over the past month. Within the last week and half or so it has stayed on steadily. I seen a recall for other escapes with airbag defects but not mine and so I am not sure if there is about to be a recall on my vehicle.
Power train, Aug 2, 2021
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 mph, the vehicle abruptly came to a sudden stop. The contact indicated that the incident occurred without warning and nearly caused a collision while driving on a busy freeway. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission 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 VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.
Engine, Jul 27, 2021
Experienced a vibration upon engine startup in April 2021 at about 60,000 miles, diagnostic from check engine light suggests that it was a cylinder misfire. I had it in to 4 different appointments before it was found that I have a bad head gasket, causing coolant to leak into the engine, damaging the engine and risking a catastrophe. Ford will not cover 100% of costs due to it being 4k out of warranty, so this is an out of pocket expense.
Vehicle speed control, Engine, Jul 15, 2021
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 65-70 mph, the vehicle decelerated without warning. The vehicle loss motive power and stalled. The contact was unable to shift the vehicle into drive or reverse. The contact stated that the vehicle was revving abnormally. The vehicle was restarted and driven off the highway. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the transmission failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
Other or unspecified, Jul 10, 2021
Only had for a week, and vehicle has trouble at 40mph when shifting, slips or hesitates/misfires when driving at lower speeds, but drives ok past 55mph. Not sure if it is engine or transmission and was recently bought from dealership that said they checked it over, and now after a week I have to take it back in because I do not want it to be anything fuel related ever since it is Ecoboost engine and do not want it to catch fire while driving. Also the trunk will open with remote and only occasionally close with remote, does not work.
Back over prevention, Jul 10, 2021
APIM Malfunction; 2016 Ford Escape. The vehicle’s APIM is encountering issues that are causing the SYNC system, voice command, GPS, radio, Bluetooth, audio control, USB, HVAC, and rearview camera features of the vehicle to be impaired and/or fail completely.
Steering, Jul 6, 2021
I received the "Steering Assist Fault Service Required" message as I was parking. Because the wheels became stiff I had to wait an hour to drive again. At the same time I received the 911 assist error. This was not the first time that it happened to me. Previously I took the car to the dealership and they did not fix it.
Other or unspecified, Jun 30, 2021
While driving approximately 1-5 mph the vehicle shuts off and and will not move when the gas peddle is pressed. The vehicle engine light comes on. Vehicle operator has to press the power button in order to shut off the car, put the car in park, and press the power button to turn the car back on. Vehicle then works as intended.
Power train, Jun 26, 2021
TRANSMISSION FAILURE warning came up on dash. I saw the RPMs go up to over 120. I had no previous problems with the car before this incident. CAR RAPIDLY LOST ACCELERATION while driving 60MPH on State Road 80 in Labelle FL. Since the car lost acceleration so fast the car behind me had to pass quickly as to not hit me. Other cars behind had to continually pass until I could move from the left lane to the right, and then to the shoulder to safely pull off the road. I had to wait there with the car for over an hour before AAA came to tow it. Mechanic at AAMCO Transmission Total Care in Bonita Springs, FL identified a burned drum. He showed me grooves in it that should not have been there, it should have been smooth. Computer scan gave codes P0219 Engine Overspeed Condition, P0729 Incorrect Gear Ratio 6th, P07AA Trans Friction Element E. I have the drum and other parts that had to be replaced. The repair took 6 weeks as the torque converter was on backorder from FORD. This repair was $4047.00