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, May 4, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25v695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the parts for the repairs were unavailable. The contact stated the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the remedy to be available. The back over prevention camera would fail intermittently, and when working correctly, the image would only show briefly before blacking out. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown.
Back over prevention, May 4, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 FORD Escape. The contact stated while operating the vehicle he stated that the rearview camera is completely off and will not operate. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: (The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: (example: 20V315000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 82,228.
Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, May 1, 2026
I am the 2nd owner of my 2016 Ford Escape 1.6L ecoboost, my aunt and uncle were the original owners. Between us we have every maintenance record of every on time and professionally performed requirement the Escape has needed and it ran beautifully. Then, in February 2026 the idle started to get a bit rough and I was preparing to put in the OEM sparkplugs when 3/28/26 the engine overheated, I was stranded on the side of a 45 mph street waiting for it to cool so I could move to safety. Between that incident and 4/29/26 I went thru 9 gallons of coolant, replaced the sparkplugs, put the front end up and "burp' the system as there was constantly air bubbles being introduced from a source I could not find. I had the hoses and clamps inspected, replaced the coolant reservoir and the reservoir cap, the vehicle started to shutter upon starting even after it was warmed up and every day needed to be burped and topped off before and after driving in town but often had no coolant loss during freeway driving, finally 4/28/26 I noticed smoke from the exhaust when I started the car in the morning and that smoke was accompanied by a foul, burnt, electric smell. While burping the air and topping the coolant that morning, the engine sputtered and died 2 separate times. I decided that it was time for a cooling system diagnostics as I still could still see no evidence of an external leak. The Ford technician recorded this tech story. "The vehicle ran rough and smoked for a couple seconds after starting.the vehicle ran its self test and had p0316, b0303, p1299, and p0217. These dtcs relate to cylinder misfire on startup and cylinder misfire and cylinder 3 and over temp/protection being active. ... I suspected a possible coolant intrusion concern into cylinder 3, performed a pressure test on the cooling system and observed a drop in the pressure. I remove the spark plug and found coolant on the cylinder walls and the top of the piston in cylinder 3." Advise to replace long block assembly.
Back over prevention, Apr 28, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention). The contact stated that on several occasions while in reverse(R), the rearview camera went black, worked intermittently, and displayed upside-down images. Additionally, the contact stated that on several occasions, the camera activated inadvertently while the vehicle was in reverse(R), drive(D), or neutral(N). The vehicle was taken to a dealer, but it was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was advised that parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Other or unspecified, Apr 28, 2026
My backup camera is experiencing the problems in the recall. Ford dealership wants to charge me 200 dollars for diagnostics. I should not have to pay for diagnostics or a new camera since it’s covered under the recall.
Back over prevention, Apr 28, 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 manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while in reverse, the back-over prevention camera displayed a blank image. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts to do the recall repair were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 162,858.
Back over prevention, Apr 24, 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 only intermittently operated. The contact stated that the rearview camera image occasionally appeared while the vehicle was moving forward. 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 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 approximate failure mileage was 100,000.
Visibility/wiper, Apr 24, 2026
Unknown
Back over prevention, Apr 22, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while reversing, the message to take the vehicle to the dealer for service was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the contact was informed that parts were unavailable to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Back over prevention, Apr 22, 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, but 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 contact stated that the rearview camera displayed a blank and distorted image. The failure mileage was unavailable.
Back over prevention, Apr 20, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the rearview camera was inoperable. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention). The local dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that parts were on backorder. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.
Back over prevention, Apr 20, 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 intermittently operated, and the message “Camera not Available” was displayed. 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 dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. 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 147,225.
Back over prevention, Apr 20, 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 contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the image for the back over prevention camera was distorted while in reverse. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.
Back over prevention, Apr 20, 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. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Back over prevention, Apr 17, 2026, crash
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 exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that when in reverse, the back-over prevention camera would display a distorted or black screen intermittently. While reversing from an angled parking space downward, due to the failure of the back-over prevention screen, the contact was unable to view the rear of the vehicle and ended up crashing into the passenger door of another vehicle. There were no injuries sustained or medical attention required. The passenger door of the impacted vehicle was damaged. The police were not contacted, and no police report was filed. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 14,000.
Back over prevention, Apr 16, 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 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 stated that the rearview camera displayed a distorted image. The failure mileage was not available.
Back over prevention, Apr 16, 2026
See attached document for complaint.
Engine, Apr 15, 2026
Known coolant intrusion, blowing white smoke, blown head gasket
Power train, Apr 14, 2026
2016 Ford Escape with 50,000 miles developed transmission fault codes P0741 and P1744, indicating torque converter clutch failure. A transmission fault alert appeared on the dashboard with erratic shifting and slipping while driving, creating an unsafe driving condition. The vehicle was taken to a Ford-certified dealer in Athens, GA, and service charges were paid. Dealer stated no transmission fault was found and confirmed other eligible recalls had been fixed. The dealer became unresponsive to multiple follow-up calls after collecting payment. Codes P0741 and P1744 were subsequently confirmed at an independent service center. Ford issued TSB 19-2100 acknowledging this exact issue on 2013-2015 Escape vehicles with the same 1.6L EcoBoost engine. The same manufacturing defect is present on 2016 model vehicles. Ford Customer Relationship Center was contacted and refused any assistance or goodwill repair coverage. A Ford-certified dealer collected payment, failed to diagnose a known transmission defect, and then became unresponsive. Transmission failure at 50,000 miles on a properly maintained vehicle is a manufacturing quality control failure. Component is available for inspection upon request.
Other or unspecified, Apr 13, 2026
My Backup Camera has not worked for 2 years and I have a recall notice from October of 2025 for this exact issues and the recall has not been remedied.
Back over prevention, Apr 6, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the rear-view camera became inoperable. The contact stated that the rear-view camera image failed to function properly, and the image was intermittently displayed. 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 dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. 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 92,000.
Back over prevention, Apr 2, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the camera had started failing months prior to receiving the recall letter. The local dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the part to do the recall repair 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 informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 104,000.
Back over prevention, Apr 2, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention). The contact stated that on several occasions while in reverse (R), the rear-view camera image was either upside down, blank, or distorted. The vehicle was taken a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the rear-view camera needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
Back over prevention, Apr 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while shifted into reverse(R), the rear-view camera became inoperable. The contact shifted from reverse(R) to park(P) several times; however, the back over prevention camera was inoperable. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V69500 (Back Over Prevention); and called the local dealer to schedule an appointment. The dealer advised the contact 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 failure mileage was approximately 54,000.
Back over prevention, Mar 31, 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 manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the display screen unexpectedly rebooted on and off even after the vehicle was shut off. Due to the failure, the battery was drained. The battery was replaced three times. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.