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2016 Ford Escape

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2016 Ford Escape do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 996.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

612 reports with mileage · 503 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Power Train. Review the 320 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Back Over Prevention. Review the 206 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 199 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

36 crash reports10 fire reports16 injury reports

Back Over Prevention complaints

206 reports
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Mileage unknown · May 27, 2026
Back Over Prevention

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA ODI #11740414

111,000 miles · May 26, 2026
Back Over Prevention

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…

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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. 

NHTSA ODI #11740219

Mileage unknown · May 26, 2026
Back Over Prevention

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 av…

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11740212

140,000 miles · May 21, 2026
Back Over Prevention

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…

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11739219

Mileage unknown · May 16, 2026
Back Over PreventionCrash

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 u…

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11738327

Mileage unknown · May 12, 2026
Back Over Prevention

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 unava…

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11737306

150,000 miles · May 11, 2026
Back Over Prevention

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 …

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11737012

Mileage unknown · May 7, 2026
Back Over Prevention

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 …

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11736328

85,000 miles · May 7, 2026
Back Over Prevention

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 r…

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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)

NHTSA ODI #11736276

68,000 miles · May 7, 2026
Back Over Prevention

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 Campaig…

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11736274

Official recalls

4

26V011000 · Equipment:electrical:engine Block Heater

Jan 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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy: 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.

25V695000 · Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera

Oct 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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

Remedy: 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.

22V413000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission:gear Position Indication (prndl); Power Train:shift Linkage/cable/rod

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

Remedy: 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.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Power Train:shift Linkage/cable/rod

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.

Consequence: 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.

Remedy: 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.

Power Train:automatic Transmission:gear Position Indication (prndl)

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.

Consequence: 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.

Remedy: 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.

17V398000 · Air Bags:knee Bolster

Jun 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."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

Remedy: 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.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.

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