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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

What owners actually said

1,115 reports
Mileage unknown · Sep 30, 2024
EnginePower Train

The car was running fine, but check engine light came on. Took it to the dealer to have it checked out. They told me there is coolant intrusion into engine cylinder 2 (I think number 2) and the engine needs to be replaced. Apparently this is a known issue that can lead to overheating, “catastrophic” engine failures and potentia…

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The car was running fine, but check engine light came on. Took it to the dealer to have it checked out. They told me there is coolant intrusion into engine cylinder 2 (I think number 2) and the engine needs to be replaced. Apparently this is a known issue that can lead to overheating, “catastrophic” engine failures and potential engine fires. They quoted me roughly ten thousand dollars to have it replaced. I told them it was still running fine. They said I could maybe keep driving it but there is no way to know what will happen and when but it needs to be replaced. I am only now seeing page after page of consumer complaints regarding the same issue.

NHTSA ODI #11617275

Mileage unknown · Sep 20, 2024
Engine

Power reduced to lower engine temperature message appeared on the dashboard. Stopped and saw coolant seemed empty. I filled it up to the max line. The next day it was empty again. It’s been 2 days and I filled it again today.

NHTSA ODI #11615701

86,000 miles · Sep 18, 2024
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating. After a visual inspection of the engine compartment, the contact observed that the coolant reservoir was abnormally low, even though the coolant reservoir had recently be…

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The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating. After a visual inspection of the engine compartment, the contact observed that the coolant reservoir was abnormally low, even though the coolant reservoir had recently been refilled. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined there was coolant intrusion into cylinders#3 and #4, resulting in engine damage. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 86,000.

NHTSA ODI #11615257

Mileage unknown · Sep 14, 2024
Power Train

Transmission, currently available for inspection. Vehicle stalled in traffic. Yes, confirmed by dealership No other inspections On occasion it did seem to stay in low gear too long. Dash message said Transmission Fault on September 10, 2024 but no other warnings prior. While driving "Transmission Fault" displayed on dash after …

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Transmission, currently available for inspection. Vehicle stalled in traffic. Yes, confirmed by dealership No other inspections On occasion it did seem to stay in low gear too long. Dash message said Transmission Fault on September 10, 2024 but no other warnings prior. While driving "Transmission Fault" displayed on dash after revving up, gearing down, and apparently shifting into neutral while driving causing it to stall in traffic. It was towed to dealership and diagnostics showed a transmission replacement was needed but the cost was book value of the vehicle, $9100+. Vehicle has 111,000 miles.

NHTSA ODI #11614549

Mileage unknown · Sep 12, 2024
Engine

Catastrophic engine failure. "Engine skipped timing; timing codes coolant intrusion in cylinder#1 inside cylinder head". Car towed to Portland Oregon Ford dealership and remains there. When warning lights appeared saying "engine failure pull over safely", the driver pulled over; it was not a safe area to be parked indefinately.…

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Catastrophic engine failure. "Engine skipped timing; timing codes coolant intrusion in cylinder#1 inside cylinder head". Car towed to Portland Oregon Ford dealership and remains there. When warning lights appeared saying "engine failure pull over safely", the driver pulled over; it was not a safe area to be parked indefinately. The Escape vehicle has needed towing twice for related engine /coolant problems including driver being on a road out of town alone and needing to take a bus back home from the rural area. Engine/vehicle is available at dealership for inspection. Problem has been recreated and the Ford mechanic has given the above description.

NHTSA ODI #11614188

160,000 miles · Sep 10, 2024
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his nephew who is a mechanic was replacing the front passenger’s side ball joint, he observed that the radiator was hanging down and the support brackets were rusted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The fai…

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The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his nephew who is a mechanic was replacing the front passenger’s side ball joint, he observed that the radiator was hanging down and the support brackets were rusted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 160,000.

NHTSA ODI #11613815

124,500 miles · Sep 10, 2024
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode, with the "Engine coolant over Temperature" message on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where a diagnostic test revealed that there was coolant intrusion into an engine cylinder and the …

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The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode, with the "Engine coolant over Temperature" message on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where a diagnostic test revealed that there was coolant intrusion into an engine cylinder and the contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 124,500.

NHTSA ODI #11613777

85,000 miles · Sep 10, 2024
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while cold starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the vehicle. In addition, the contact stated that the check engine warning light intermittently illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was initially taken to an independent mech…

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The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while cold starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the vehicle. In addition, the contact stated that the check engine warning light intermittently illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was initially taken to an independent mechanic where a diagnostic test was performed on the vehicle. The mechanic discovered a misfire in cylinder #2 due to coolant intrusion into the engine. The dealer and an independent mechanic informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.

NHTSA ODI #11613722

Mileage unknown · Sep 9, 2024
Engine

After riding around with a friend one afternoon, we went to a drive-thru for a snack and my car began to notify me that it was overheating. The dashboard stated that I should pull over and immediately shut off the engine for it to cool down. Upon doing so, I checked the coolant level, and upon releasing pressure, I noticed the c…

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After riding around with a friend one afternoon, we went to a drive-thru for a snack and my car began to notify me that it was overheating. The dashboard stated that I should pull over and immediately shut off the engine for it to cool down. Upon doing so, I checked the coolant level, and upon releasing pressure, I noticed the coolant was low. I drove to the nearest Autozone and appropriately filled the coolant levels as needed. After that, the engine never overheated again, but it began to have issues accelerating, as well as running rough upon starting the engine and while in idle. A couple days later, the check engine light came on so I took my vehicle to the nearest Ford Dealership to see what was going on. Ford concluded that coolant was leaking into the 2nd cylinder of my engine. Due to this, the entire engine needs replaced at only 160,000 miles on a not even 10 year old vehicle. After investigating online, I noticed that thousands of other Ford vehicle owners with the same make, model, and year, are having this exact same issue. Ford knew that they were mass producing engines with faulty head gaskets and now their customers are paying for it out of pocket. Ford needs to make this right for their customers and issue a recall on the entire engine.

NHTSA ODI #11613633

Mileage unknown · Sep 9, 2024
Engine

Ive had my vehicle since February 27, 2024 and around May time the engine began to overheat. Itook it to Pepboys and they said it was possibly a head gasket issue, but didnt check the coolant levels. I tried to fill it up and it all dumped on the ground at my apartment. I filled it up again the next day and it held for about 2 m…

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Ive had my vehicle since February 27, 2024 and around May time the engine began to overheat. Itook it to Pepboys and they said it was possibly a head gasket issue, but didnt check the coolant levels. I tried to fill it up and it all dumped on the ground at my apartment. I filled it up again the next day and it held for about 2 months. 1 week ago, while driving to work I the engine had reduced power to precent overheating. Ever since sincr each time I go fill the overflow tank with coolant it dumps completely on the ground.

NHTSA ODI #11613372

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