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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

Engine And Engine Cooling complaints

56 reports
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118,000 miles · May 31, 2024
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light and engine overheating warning lights remained illuminated. Upon inspection, it was discovered that the coolant reservoir was empty. The contact stated that coolant was added to the reservoir, but the failure …

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The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light and engine overheating warning lights remained illuminated. Upon inspection, it was discovered that the coolant reservoir was empty. The contact stated that coolant was added to the reservoir, but the failure persisted, and the coolant reservoir was constantly low. The cause of the failure was not yet determined, and the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not covered under and Extended Warranty for the failure. The failure mileage was 118,000.

NHTSA ODI #11591704

Mileage unknown · Apr 13, 2024
EngineEngine And Engine Cooling

The coolant leaks into the engine. I have already had it fixed before. It did it again and ruined my engine. I am now on the hook to replace the engine and still paying the car off. Looking to Google shows this is a known issue that ford refuses to address and has cost thousands of people a lot of money.

NHTSA ODI #11582796

67,000 miles · Mar 8, 2024
Engine And Engine Cooling

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 d…

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11576247

67,935 miles · Feb 23, 2024
Engine And Engine Cooling

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 warp…

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11573655

80,000 miles · Feb 2, 2024
Engine And Engine Cooling

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 vibrati…

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11569514

80,000 miles · Feb 2, 2024
Engine And Engine Cooling

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 vibrati…

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11569508

120,618 miles · Jan 28, 2024
Engine And Engine Cooling

The head gasket and the car is pulling the car is smoking a lot the car is stopping in the middle of the street

NHTSA ODI #11568353

77,000 miles · Jan 18, 2024
Engine And Engine Cooling

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 o…

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11566327

Mileage unknown · Jan 16, 2024
EngineEngine And Engine Cooling

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 $18,00…

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11565708

134,000 miles · Jan 5, 2024
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the vehicle started and was idling rough, with white smoke coming from the exhaust. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle started to lose motive power. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to a dealer who diagnosed the ve…

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The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the vehicle started and was idling rough, with white smoke coming from the exhaust. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle started to lose motive power. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to a dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that coolant had intruded into the cylinders and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure several years ago, and a second engine replacement was needed. The contact researched online and related the failure to the Technical Service Bulletin Number: 19-2139 Coolant Intrusion into the Cylinders (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 134,000.

NHTSA ODI #11563717

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.

Go deeper into Ford Escape problems