TRANSMISSION MAKES WINING NOISE REAR BRAKES GO AT40000 THOU WHEEL BEARINGS GO AT 55000 MILES TRANS JERKS WHEN YOU SHIFT
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.
Power Train complaints
320 reportsDRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY CAR JUST SHUTS DOWN WITH ENGINE FAULT CAR STOPPED RESPONDING MAKING IT A REAL SAFETY ISSUE. I SEE THIS HAS A CLOSED RECALL ALREADY BUT I DON'T THINK THEY HAVE INCLUDED ALL THE CARS AFFECTED.
TRANSMISSION FAULT ERROR MESSAGE WENT ON TWICE OVER THE COURSE OF 10 DAYS. THEN WE WERE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE SAME MESSAGE KEPT GOING OFF WITH AN ALARM. IT WOULDN'T GO OFF AND THE CAR WAS RUNNING ROUGH. WE BROUGHT THE CAR IN TO OUR FORD DEALER AND WAS TOLD THE TRANSMISSION MODULE WAS BAD AND THE COST @1K. THE CAR IS…
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TRANSMISSION FAULT ERROR MESSAGE WENT ON TWICE OVER THE COURSE OF 10 DAYS. THEN WE WERE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE SAME MESSAGE KEPT GOING OFF WITH AN ALARM. IT WOULDN'T GO OFF AND THE CAR WAS RUNNING ROUGH. WE BROUGHT THE CAR IN TO OUR FORD DEALER AND WAS TOLD THE TRANSMISSION MODULE WAS BAD AND THE COST @1K. THE CAR IS ONLY 2 YEARS OLD AND THIS SEEMS TO US TO BE A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. WE HAVE HAD 5 OTHER FORD VEHICLES AND DROVE THEM ALL TO 200K MILES WITHOUT HAVING TO REPLACE THIS TRANSMISSION MODULE. WE BELIEVE THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL. HAS TO BE A DEFECTIVE PART.
REAR END KNOCKING SOUND AFTER AND DURING BACKING UP, ALSO DURING LOW SPEED. THE ELECTRONIC RADIO, SYNC3, AUDIO SCREEN WILL NOT TURN ON IN MILDLY COLD TEMPERATURES (20F DEGREES).
I WAS WAITING FOR THE RED LIGHT IN THE ROAD. AFTER THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN, I STEPPED ON THE GAS PEDAL, HOWEVER, THE CAR DIDN'T MOVE AT ALL. IT STOPPED THERE. I HAD TO RESTART THE CAR TO MAKE IT MOVE AGAIN. IT HAPPENED ON 2017 SEP, 11/29/2017 AND 11/30/2017. THREE TIMES ALREADY.
SAFETY HAZARD AND SERIOUS LIFE THREATENING SITUATION EXISTS WHEN THIS PROBLEM OCCURS ON THE HIGHWAY AND ESPECIALLY IN FRONT OF A SEMI TRACTOR TRAILER TRUCK DOING THE SPEED LIMIT. NUMEROUS TIMES, (12 TIMES BETWEEN 14,000 AND 15,363 MILES) THE 2016 FORD ESCAPE HAS HAD COMPLETE POWER LOSS DURING ACCELERATION CAUSING VEHICLE TO ABRU…
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SAFETY HAZARD AND SERIOUS LIFE THREATENING SITUATION EXISTS WHEN THIS PROBLEM OCCURS ON THE HIGHWAY AND ESPECIALLY IN FRONT OF A SEMI TRACTOR TRAILER TRUCK DOING THE SPEED LIMIT. NUMEROUS TIMES, (12 TIMES BETWEEN 14,000 AND 15,363 MILES) THE 2016 FORD ESCAPE HAS HAD COMPLETE POWER LOSS DURING ACCELERATION CAUSING VEHICLE TO ABRUPTLY BEGIN SHAKING, LOSE POWER, LOSE STEERING, LOSE BRAKING AND IMMEDIATELY SHUDDER TO A STOP. SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON, MESSAGE READS: ENGINE FAULT SERVICE NOW. (SEE ATTACHED PHOTO) ENGINE REMAINS RUNNING. IF ONE TRIES TO CONTINUE DRIVING THE VEHICLE STUMBLE AND WON'T SHIFT FROM LOW GEAR WITHOUT A VERY HARD TORQUING SOUND. THIS FORD ESCAPE BROKE DOWN IN FRONT OF A FORD DEALER AND THE CODE READ BY THIS DEALERS COMPUTER IS P0322-PCM. ACCORDING TO AN INTERNET SEARCH THE P0322 CODE DEFINITION: IF THE PCM (POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE) DETECTS AN ERRATIC, INTERRUPTED, OR OTHERWISE UNEXPECTED INPUT SIGNAL FROM THE DISTRIBUTOR OR THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR, IT WILL STORE THE P0322 CODE, AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL BE TURNED ON. ON THIS VEHICLE THE CODE IS ONLY ACTIVE WHEN THE FAULT OCCURS, AND THE ENGINE IS RUNNING. THE CODES DO NOT STORE IN MEMORY. IGNITION CAN BE SHUT OFF, THE WARNING MESSAGE DISAPPEARS AND MANY TIMES THE CAR IS ABLE TO BE DRIVEN AGAIN FOR MILES BEFORE REOCCURRING. THE LEASING DEALER STATES THEY HAVE A PROCESS TO FOLLOW IN ORDER TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THEY HAVE TO REPLICATE THE PROBLEM OR THEY DO NOTHING. USING MY PRINTOUT FROM ANOTHER DEALER WITH THE CODE IS MEANINGLESS TO THEM, EVEN THOUGH THEY KNOW THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM AND THAT THE CONDITION IS LIFE THREATENING. THEY SAY THAT IF I FEEL THE CONDITION IS LIFE THREATENING THEN DO NOT DRIVE THE CAR. A FORMAL CASE HAS BEEN OPENED WITH FORD CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE, HOWEVER THEY ONLY NOTIFY THE SERVICE MANAGER THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM, WHICH HE ALREADY KNOWS.
WHEN SHIFTING FROM EITHER REVERSE TO DRIVE BACKING ONTO A BUSY STATE ROAD JUST OVER A HILL, OR DRIVE TO REVERSE THE CAR SHUTTERS AND STRUGGLES TO POWER FORWARD OR BACKWARDS. AS WELL AS THE RADIO BUTTONS DO NOT WORK 80 PERCENT OF THE TIME, YOU HAVE TO USE THE STEERING WHEEL CONTROLS TO OPERATE THE RADIO. HORRIBLE WE BOUGHT THE ES…
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WHEN SHIFTING FROM EITHER REVERSE TO DRIVE BACKING ONTO A BUSY STATE ROAD JUST OVER A HILL, OR DRIVE TO REVERSE THE CAR SHUTTERS AND STRUGGLES TO POWER FORWARD OR BACKWARDS. AS WELL AS THE RADIO BUTTONS DO NOT WORK 80 PERCENT OF THE TIME, YOU HAVE TO USE THE STEERING WHEEL CONTROLS TO OPERATE THE RADIO. HORRIBLE WE BOUGHT THE ESCAPE NEW WITH 127 MILES ON IT AND STILL TO THIS DAY HAVEN'T GOTTEN A RECALL ABOUT ANY ISSUES OTHER THAN THE AIRBAG ISSUE. OUR 36 THOUSAND MILE WARRANTY IS ALMOST UP AND DON'T WANT TO GET SLAMMED WITH A BILL FOR TRANSMISSION 200 MILES AFTER THE WARRANTY IS UP.
3 DAYS IN A ROW, 4/1 - 4/3, I WOULD ENGAGE THE GEAR SHIFT AND THE WHEELS WOULD NOT MOVE. WOULD NOT MOVE IN REVERSE OR DRIVE. AFTER A FEW MINUTES, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD WAKE UP AND DRIVE NORMALLY.
SOMETIMES WHEN THE VEHICLE IS SHIFTING IT HESITATES AND OTHER TIMES IT SHIFTS HARD LIKE IT FEELS LIKE IT'S GONNA BREAK I GUESS YOU CAN SAY IT CLUNKS OR JERK'S YOU IN YOUR SEAT A BIT I JUST BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE ON 2/20/17 TODAY IS 2/26/17 MY WIFE WAS DRIVING WHEN THE VEHICLE KINDA THREW HER BACK WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS SHIFTING THREW…
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SOMETIMES WHEN THE VEHICLE IS SHIFTING IT HESITATES AND OTHER TIMES IT SHIFTS HARD LIKE IT FEELS LIKE IT'S GONNA BREAK I GUESS YOU CAN SAY IT CLUNKS OR JERK'S YOU IN YOUR SEAT A BIT I JUST BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE ON 2/20/17 TODAY IS 2/26/17 MY WIFE WAS DRIVING WHEN THE VEHICLE KINDA THREW HER BACK WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS SHIFTING THREW THE GEARS THIS VEHICLE IS A CERTIFIED PRE OWNED THIS HAPPENS IN TOWN OR ON THE INTERSTATE I WILL BE CONTACTING MY DEALERSHIP ON 2/27/17 TO LET THEM NO WHAT IS GOING ON
WHILE DRIVING AROUND 40MPH, VEHICLE CUT OFF AND DISPLAYED A MESSAGE: TRANSMISSION NOT IN PARK. AFTER PULLING OVER AND RESTARTING VEHICLE, THE VOLUME ON RADIO MOVED UP AND DOWN ON ITS OWN WHILE TRANSMISSION IN THE PARKED POSITION. LATER THAT DAY VEHICLE CUT OFF WITHIN 30 SECONDS OF USING REMOTE STARTER. DEALER UNABLE TO DUPLICATE…
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WHILE DRIVING AROUND 40MPH, VEHICLE CUT OFF AND DISPLAYED A MESSAGE: TRANSMISSION NOT IN PARK. AFTER PULLING OVER AND RESTARTING VEHICLE, THE VOLUME ON RADIO MOVED UP AND DOWN ON ITS OWN WHILE TRANSMISSION IN THE PARKED POSITION. LATER THAT DAY VEHICLE CUT OFF WITHIN 30 SECONDS OF USING REMOTE STARTER. DEALER UNABLE TO DUPLICATE PROBLEM OR FIND ANY DIAGNOSTIC CODES. *TR
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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