The rear view backup camera is faulty and doesn't always work. Sometimes it comes on, but most of the time it just doesn't turn on. There is no specific set of circumstances that dictates if it will work or not.
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.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Escape years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
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.
What owners actually said
1,115 reportsThe power steering control module (PSCM) that replaced my original PSCM failed while I was driving with my 4 year old in the car and I lost power steering completely. We have been told it was reproduced by the dealership service center at 1hour 32 minutes of the car running. The car is at the dealership for the 3rd time for th…
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The power steering control module (PSCM) that replaced my original PSCM failed while I was driving with my 4 year old in the car and I lost power steering completely. We have been told it was reproduced by the dealership service center at 1hour 32 minutes of the car running. The car is at the dealership for the 3rd time for this issue and the warning light that came on was Steering Assist Fault Service Required.
The Power Steering Control Module failed as I was driving with my children in the car and I lost all power steering abilities. The car was taken to the dealership service department and reproduced and confirmed by the dealership. This part was replaced and it happened again 5 days after receiving the vehicle back. The Light t…
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The Power Steering Control Module failed as I was driving with my children in the car and I lost all power steering abilities. The car was taken to the dealership service department and reproduced and confirmed by the dealership. This part was replaced and it happened again 5 days after receiving the vehicle back. The Light that comes on states "Power Steering Assist Failure." this light began to happen when driving in very congested conditions and intermittently. After the repair and when the light came back on I was driving with my 4 year old in the car and completely lost power steering.
Back Over Prevention ( backup camera), started acting up in Feb 2023, shows black screen, flips image, does not come on, (radio is displayed) when it does come on its granny and has black vertical lines, warning beeps stop working when this happens or don't sound off untill your on top of the person or object behing you. Con…
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Back Over Prevention ( backup camera), started acting up in Feb 2023, shows black screen, flips image, does not come on, (radio is displayed) when it does come on its granny and has black vertical lines, warning beeps stop working when this happens or don't sound off untill your on top of the person or object behing you. Contacted 2 Ford dealerships and they tell me other Escapes are on recall just not my year and no replacement camera is available.
Stalling in the middle of highway twice
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, the instrument cluster had become inoperative, and the screen failed to display any information, including the speedometer. The contact stated that during the failure, the screen had displayed an extremely bright white light which created a visi…
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The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, the instrument cluster had become inoperative, and the screen failed to display any information, including the speedometer. The contact stated that during the failure, the screen had displayed an extremely bright white light which created a visibility hazard for the driver. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 130,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the temperature sensor illuminated, and the vehicle overheated. The contact stated he was able to drive the vehicle to the shoulder of the roadway. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed as having coolant intrusion…
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The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the temperature sensor illuminated, and the vehicle overheated. The contact stated he was able to drive the vehicle to the shoulder of the roadway. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed as having coolant intrusion and a warped engine block. The contact was informed that the engine block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 128,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while reversing, the back over prevention camera screen went blank. The message "Rearview Camera Not Available" message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the rearview camera needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repair…
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The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while reversing, the back over prevention camera screen went blank. The message "Rearview Camera Not Available" message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the rearview camera needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to parts not being available. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 73,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, she noticed the back over prevention feature was inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and confirmed that the back over prevention feature was inoperable. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated t…
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The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, she noticed the back over prevention feature was inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and confirmed that the back over prevention feature was inoperable. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure had occurred several years ago. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 65-70 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact coasted to the side of the roadway. The "Transmission Fault" message was displayed. The vehicle was towed to a transmission specialist, who diagnosed that an unknown pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle …
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The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 65-70 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact coasted to the side of the roadway. The "Transmission Fault" message was displayed. The vehicle was towed to a transmission specialist, who diagnosed that an unknown pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 72,566.
Official recalls
426V011000 · 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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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