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.
Back over prevention, Jun 9, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while in reverse (R), the rearview camera displayed a blank image with the message "Camera Not Available", requiring the contact to continuously push a button for the rearview image to be displayed as intended. The contact stated that the vehicle could not be traded-in due to the recall. The contact received a recall notification letter for NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention). The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the remedy was currently available only for Ford Mustang vehicles. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed that a second notification would be sent once the parts became available. The failure mileage was approximately 63,000.
Back over prevention, Jun 8, 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 rearview camera displayed a blank image. The local dealer was contacted, but 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 approximate failure mileage was 125,000.
Other or unspecified, Jun 7, 2026
Rear view camera delays or not available for reverse driving.
Power train, Jun 4, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while stopped at a traffic light and depressing the accelerator pedal, there was a clanging sound coming from the front of the vehicle. The vehicle then started to work as intended before coming to a complete stop at the second traffic light. The contact stated that once the traffic light turned green, the accelerator pedal was depressed and the vehicle rolled backwards. The contact was informed by her husband to shift the gear shifter into park(P). The husband jumped into the driver’s seat and shifted the gear shifter to low and driven to a safe place and stopped the vehicle. The contact stated that while the vehicle was stopped, the vehicle was turned off for thirty minutes then restarted and operated as intended. The transmission shifter failure warning light was illuminated while her husband was driving. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced and provided an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 99,000.
Back over prevention, Jun 4, 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 available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had experienced the failure listed in the recall in which the rear backup camera had failed to operate while driving in reverse. The failure mileage was 28,000.
Steering, Back over prevention, Jun 4, 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 available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had experienced the failure listed in the recall. Also, while operating the vehicle the steering wheel had experience severe jerking making the vehicle difficult to steer and control. The cause of the failures were not yet determined. The failure mileage was 150,000.
Engine, Jun 2, 2026
Engine began having coolant intrude into the cylinder bores. Similar to issues related to CSP 21N12.
Back over prevention, Jun 2, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25v695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part for the repair was unavailable. The contact stated the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the remedy to be available. The contact stated that when in reverse, the display for the back over prevention camera would show a distorted image or show the message, "Not Available." The dealer was contacted and persistently confirmed that the remedy was not available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
Electrical system, May 28, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated Instrument display went out. warnings are being indicated but not able to see the warning as well as mileage due to the instrument panel being blank. The dealer was contact; however the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 138,000.
Back over prevention, May 27, 2026
See attached document for complaint.
Engine and engine cooling, May 27, 2026
See attached document for complaint.
Back over prevention, May 26, 2026
The contact owns a (YMM) 2010 Hyundai Elantra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: (example: 20V315000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was/was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was/was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Back over prevention, May 26, 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. Multiple dealers were contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer confirmed that the remedy parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Back over prevention, May 21, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25v695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part for the repair was unavailable. The contact stated the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the remedy to be available. The contact stated that when in reverse, the back over prevention camera would fail to activate. The contact noticed that the camera would turn on when they were backing out of their driveway, when reversing in traffic, or backing out of a parking lot, the camera would fail. The failure seemed to occur when other vehicles were nearby. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
Engine, May 18, 2026
Coolentnos leaking into plug cylinder 2, not getting into oil yet, but burning white sweet smelling smoke mostly at start-up. Had lead mechanic at Valenti SAAB Volvo, check things out, head gasket seems fine, told me that this particular engine was know for a class action suit for engine coolent Intrusion. Said to file with you immediately
Engine, May 16, 2026
I am one of the unlucky ones with the coolant leak into my engine that caused white smoke from my exhaust and caused my engine to stop working with under 100,000 miles. I have documentation and a new engine ready to be installed and have spent a lot of money out of pocket so far.
Back over prevention, May 16, 2026, crash
The rear backup camera is malfunctioning; I researched vehicle recalls and found Ford does not have a remedy for this recall. This puts my family in a dangerous situation when backing the car up. I have damaged the vehicle while driving in reverse and lucky to have not sustained injury from this occasion. Why has Ford not come up with a remedy and has not been held accountable.
Back over prevention, May 12, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while reversing, the rear view camera display blinked on and off. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact received a recall notification, NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention) however the parts were unavailable. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Back over prevention, May 11, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the rearview camera would display a distorted image while the vehicle was in reverse(R). The contact stated that the failure had obstructed the driver's visibility, which prevented the driver from safely operating the vehicle. The contact then 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 confirmed that the recall part was not available. 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 150,000.
Air bags, May 11, 2026
The air bag warning light illuminated when the front passenger seat was taken. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed air bag sensor. The contact was informed that the air bag sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the failure could be repaired, but it might not resolve the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline
Back over prevention, May 7, 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 local dealer was contacted and stated that the remedy was not yet available. 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.
Back over prevention, May 7, 2026
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number 25V695 (Back Over Prevention) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was/was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was/was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. The approximate failure mileage was 85,000. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Back over prevention, May 7, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the rearview camera became inoperable. The contact stated that the rearview camera image failed to function properly, and the image would appear intermittently and would appear on and off. 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 take to the dealer where it was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer confirmed that the remedy parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The approximate failure mileage was 68,000.
Other or unspecified, Back over prevention, May 6, 2026
I received this recall notice in October 2025. I contacted [XXX] in Marion, Ohio to take care of the recall. I was told at that time that they did not have the parts to do the recall. So, I called back January 28, 2026 and was told the part was not available. I then called in March and inquired and was told the same thing. So, I phoned again on April 27 and was told that I would have to make an appointment for the recall. Since my husband was going to be taking care of it, he called the next day to schedule an appointment. An appointment was made of April 29 and they said they could come to our house to do the recall. No one showed up on that date. So, we called on April 30 to see why. They said the tech called in sick and would contact us when he was back. We waited until today, May 6 and called them back as no one had called. TODAY, they tell us that there is no active recall on our car.... INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Back over prevention, May 4, 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 rearview camera would display a distorted image while the vehicle was in reverse(R). The contact stated that the failure had obstructed the driver's visibility, which prevented the driver from safely operating the vehicle. In addition, the contact stated that the infotainment screen kept flashing on and off, which caused a distraction. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the recall part was not available. 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 160,000.