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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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76,000 miles · Mar 19, 2025
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in the garage, the contact used an electrical starter and became aware that there was heavy white smoke coming from the exhaust pipes. While opening the vehicle, the contact became aware of a strong chemical odor coming into the cabin of th…

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The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in the garage, the contact used an electrical starter and became aware that there was heavy white smoke coming from the exhaust pipes. While opening the vehicle, the contact became aware of a strong chemical odor coming into the cabin of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The dealer replaced the cabin air filter. The vehicle was returned to the dealer, who performed extensive pressure testing. The dealer suggested that due to the contact noticing the coolant levels were extremely low, the vehicle should be taken in regularly to check the coolant level. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 76,000.

NHTSA ODI #11649211

120,000 miles · Mar 18, 2025
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact’s father owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the engine overheated, with the message “Engine Overheated – Stop Vehicle” displayed. The vehicle was shaking and hesitating while driving at various speeds. The contact stated that coolant needed to be added to the coolant reservoir weekly. The vehicle was ta…

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The contact’s father owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the engine overheated, with the message “Engine Overheated – Stop Vehicle” displayed. The vehicle was shaking and hesitating while driving at various speeds. The contact stated that coolant needed to be added to the coolant reservoir weekly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that a leaking gasket had caused the engine to fail. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 120,000.

NHTSA ODI #11649011

87,000 miles · Mar 3, 2025
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds uphill, the vehicle was shuddering, hesitating, with an engine misfire. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that there was a coolant leak into the engine, ca…

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The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds uphill, the vehicle was shuddering, hesitating, with an engine misfire. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that there was a coolant leak into the engine, causing a misfire. The mechanic referred the contact to the local dealer for assistance. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine block was cracked. The dealer recommended an engine replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed there was no recall on the VIN for the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.

NHTSA ODI #11646007

106,647 miles · Feb 25, 2025
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact’s wife was able to coast to the side of the road. The contact was called and went to the site of the failure. The contact open…

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The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact’s wife was able to coast to the side of the road. The contact was called and went to the site of the failure. The contact opened the hood and checked the fluids. The contact stated that the coolant reservoir was empty. The contact refilled the coolant reservoir. A dealer was not contacted, and the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 106,647. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ODI #11644912

87,000 miles · Jan 23, 2025
EngineEngine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine compartment. In addition, the contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stat…

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The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine compartment. In addition, the contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that a mobile mechanic diagnosed the vehicle with a low-pressure fuel rail failure. The contact was informed that the low-pressure fuel rail needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with turbocharger failure. The contact was informed that the turbocharger needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.

NHTSA ODI #11637939

79,780 miles · Jan 21, 2025
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH the check engine light began flashing, and the vehicle began misfiring. When the contact reached their destination the check engine light turned from flashing to solid. The vehicle was taken to the dealer diagnosed that there was cool…

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The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH the check engine light began flashing, and the vehicle began misfiring. When the contact reached their destination the check engine light turned from flashing to solid. The vehicle was taken to the dealer diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion due to coolant leaking in cylinders 1,2,3 and 4. The dealer stated the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 79,780.

NHTSA ODI #11637259

97,000 miles · Jan 14, 2025
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated and several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road to allow the engine to cool down. The contact opened the hood and checked the fluids. The contact stated that the …

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The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated and several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road to allow the engine to cool down. The contact opened the hood and checked the fluids. The contact stated that the coolant reservoir was low. The contact refilled the coolant reservoir. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with catastrophic coolant intrusion in cylinder #4. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 97,000.

NHTSA ODI #11635960

Mileage unknown · Dec 31, 2024
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the heater failed to operate with the check engine warning light was intermittently flashing on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was discovered that coolant was leaking into cylinder #3. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and r…

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The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the heater failed to operate with the check engine warning light was intermittently flashing on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was discovered that coolant was leaking into cylinder #3. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The vehicle was not repaired and remained with the dealer. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI #11633442

113,918 miles · Dec 12, 2024
EngineEngine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, there was a loud knocking sound coming from the engine. The engine overheated with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the flex plate and Oxygen sensors had fail…

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The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, there was a loud knocking sound coming from the engine. The engine overheated with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the flex plate and Oxygen sensors had failed and 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 for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 113,918.

NHTSA ODI #11630355

44,000 miles · Dec 11, 2024
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at approximately 25 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that there was an internal coolant leak into the engine and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The m…

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The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at approximately 25 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that there was an internal coolant leak into the engine and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that there was no recall on the VIN for the failure. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 44,000.

NHTSA ODI #11630142

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