Home · 2013 Ford Escape Gas · Complaints

What 2,743 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Ford Escape Gas

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (2,743)Crash / fire / injury (152)Engine (1,264)Transmission & drivetrain (400)Electrical system (340)Steering (302)Fuel system (284)Engine & cooling (174)Speed control (92)Body & structure (87)Brakes (72)Latches & locks (64)

174 of 2,743 complaints match · Engine & cooling · clear filters · page 5 of 7

Aug 15, 2022Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the daughter was driving approximately 35 mph the vehicle would not properly accelerate and experienced jerking before eventually stalling. upon inspection, it was discovered that the coolant had leaked from the vehicle. The contact replaced the coolant temperature sensor and the coolant tank and the vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced the engine water pump. Eventually, the failures reoccurred and the local dealer advised that the coolant lines were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The failure mileage was 178,000.

NHTSA ODI 11479302

Aug 12, 2022Engine & cooling

August 8,2022 my 2013 Ford Escape displayed my engine temperature was high temperature & to stop safely. Had the truck towed & the dealer stated it codes were coolant hose C value, coolant hose & sensors. They fixed it all it drove good for 2days & the same thing happen again saying the engine was over heating but it wasn’t. It had coolant in it & was not leaking anywhere. Did another diagnosis it still saying the same thing. Problem not fixed

NHTSA ODI 11479059

Aug 12, 2022Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that on several occasions, the engine coolant was low. The contact would have to continuously put coolant in the engine. The engine coolant light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the coolant plug needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall. The failure mileage was 161,825.

NHTSA ODI 11479060

Aug 2, 2022Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, a low coolant warning message appeared on the instrument panel. The contact pulled over and checked the coolant reservoir which indicated that the coolant was low. The contact attempted to resume normal driving; however, the temperature gauge indicated that the vehicle was hot as the vehicle began to stall. An engine warning message appeared on the instrument panel as the contact pulled over. The contact walked to the nearest store to purchase coolant and replenished the reservoir; however, the stalling continued as the check engine warning light appeared on the instrument panel. The contact was able to reach his destination despite the many engine stalls and vehicle restarts. The contact continued driving the vehicle; however, he noticed that coolant had started to leak from the engine. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V551000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) which he linked to the failure. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer had been notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 128,000.

NHTSA ODI 11477096

Jul 29, 2022Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine and low coolant warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who performed a pressure test; however, no leak was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 115,300.

NHTSA ODI 11476465

Jun 29, 2022Engine & coolingFuel system

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the low coolant level message was displayed. The contact veered to the side of the road and noticed that the antifreeze was leaking from the radiator onto the ground. The contact looked underneath the vehicle and saw smoke. The contact then opened the hood and noticed that there was no antifreeze in the coolant reservoir. The contact contacted an independent mechanic who advised her to refill the coolant reservoir with water and to then take the vehicle to his location since she was 5 minutes away. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the heater hose assembly, the coolant return, and the vent tube assembly needed to be replaced. The parts were replaced. Additionally, the independent mechanic diagnosed that the fuel line hose directly connected to the ignition system was spraying out fuel. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist as the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V584000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) due to the vehicle manufacture date. The failure mileage was approximately 121,805.

NHTSA ODI 11471529

Jun 14, 2022Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH uphill the vehicle started overheating and fluid started leaking onto the exhaust manifold. The contact stated that the coolant temperature warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was restarted but was towed to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V583000 (Engine). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 79,000.

NHTSA ODI 11469107

May 29, 2022Engine & cooling

There is something that has been making my coolant go low in my vehicle I took it to the mechanics two times and they fall suggested to take it in to dealership for a recall because they have dealt with this exact same kind of car many times and that's the same problem it given other owners.

NHTSA ODI 11466613

May 23, 2022Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle was vibrating abnormally. The coolant warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and diagnosed with a coolant hose leak. The coolant hoses were replaced; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

NHTSA ODI 11465761

May 13, 2022Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH and accelerating to merge onto the highway, the contact stated that the high engine temperature alert warning light illuminated and the vehicle began to shudder and decelerate. The contact safely pulled off of the highway and shut the vehicle off. The contact restarted the vehicle and the check engine light illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic. The independent mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the coolant sensor had malfunctioned and referred the contact to a dealer. The contact stated that the failure was recurring. The vehicle had not been taken to a dealer and was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA ODI 11464532

May 2, 2022Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, she smelled smoke and that a "stop driving" warning light illuminated. The contact safely pulled off of the roadway and turned off the vehicle. There was smoke coming from under the hood. The contact raised the hood and observed that steam was coming from the radiator and the radiator hoses. The contact had the vehicle towed to her residence and had it diagnosed by an independent mechanic who related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V431000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

NHTSA ODI 11463032

Apr 29, 2022Engine & cooling

Bought vehicle with around 65K miles, started having issues with coolant level low and causing the engine warning light to come on. Then the car would go into “limp” mode to get the car to a safe place. There was no visible loss in coolant level. This happened on and off for about 3 months. Called local ford dealer about a coolant recall for 2013/2014, was told my VIN not included in that. Ended up replacing the coolant level sensor in this vehicle and was the part mentioned in the above recall conversation. This part was fixed at an independent service center and was disposed of.

NHTSA ODI 11462716

Apr 4, 2022Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2013 Focus Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 MPH or exceeding 25 MPH, the oil pressure warning light illuminated on the instrument. The vehicle was also consistently overheating. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed of an oil and coolant dispenser failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.

NHTSA ODI 11459492

Mar 31, 2022Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate with an unknown warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was informed that the turbo charger needed to be replaced; and was referred to an authorized dealer for assistance. The manufacture was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 175,000.

NHTSA ODI 11459071

Mar 11, 2022Engine & cooling

I’m having problems with my coolant leaking and overheating as a result. My coolant leaks out about a day or 2 after I fill it which causes my car to overheat. There is a recall on the leaking coolant but my vehicle vin does not show that it’s in the system. It’s not a big coincidence that my vehicle is having the problem that you recalled but I’d not listed. Please fix my vehicle with this recall. This is a safety issue that needs to be resolved. Thanks

NHTSA ODI 11456260

Mar 11, 2022Engine & cooling

The contact's daughter owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that her daughter's vehicle would overheat while driving at various speeds as the low engine coolant light would appear on the instrument panel. The contact had taken the vehicle to several independent mechanics where they discovered that coolant had leaked into the engine. After several repairs, the failure persisted. The contact then stated that while her daughter was driving 65 MPH, the vehicle shut-off without warning. Due to the failure, her daughter had the vehicle towed to a dealer where they informed her that her vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V431000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer had been notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was referred to the NHTSA for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

NHTSA ODI 11456334

Mar 7, 2022Engine & cooling

The contact's friend owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the cabin would fill up with exhaust and fuel fumes to the point of having to roll the windows down to clear the cabin odor. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed however, the cause of the odor was not yet determined. The contact was also informed of an open recall for NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V331000 (Latches, Locks, Linkages). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,125.

NHTSA ODI 11455582

Feb 22, 2022Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was losing coolant, causing her vehicle to overheat. The contact had to add coolant several times per week. The low coolant level warning light would illuminate whenever the coolant level was extremely low. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the failure as a coolant leak. The contact was referred to the local dealer and was also notified of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V551000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000.

NHTSA ODI 11453441

Feb 16, 2022Engine & coolingFire

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at approximately 55 mph, there was smoke coming from underneath the hood and from behind the vehicle without warning. The contact stated that the failure progressively got worst and the smoke was gray. The contact said a third-party driver had stopped and advised that he saw flames. The contact opened the hood and saw the smoke. The fire department was not called and the contact did not have to put out any flames. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the engine head was cracked on the back side of the motor. The independent mechanic advised that there was a recall associated with the failure NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V583000 (Engine). The contact did not take the vehicle to a local dealer, however, the dealer was contacted and advised that there were no open recalls. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 158,000.

NHTSA ODI 11452285

Feb 14, 2022Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle overheated, lost motive power, and stall with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local mechanic where it was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The contact was referred to NHTSA for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

NHTSA ODI 11451852

Feb 1, 2022Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated the vehicle was losing coolant. The low coolant indicator light was illuminated. The contact added coolant to the vehicle and the warning indicator light went away. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who referred the contact to the local dealer. The contact called the local dealer and was referred to the manufacturer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified however, no further assistance was provided. The contact stated the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V431000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

NHTSA ODI 11449699

Feb 1, 2022Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the "Low Coolant", "Pull Over Car Overheating" warning messages were displayed, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with a coolant level sensor kit failure. The vehicle was not repaired and remained with the independent mechanic. The dealer and manufacturer were made aware of the failure but informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 54,000. Consumer stated while driving in a school zone approximately 20mph, current temperature was 14 degrees. This has been a recurring problem.

NHTSA ODI 11449747

Jan 24, 2022Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after returning from an independent mechanic and driving at 55 MPH, the vehicle shut-off with the "coolant level low" warning message illuminated on the instrument panel. With the assistance of a State Trooper, the contact was able to pull the vehicle off to the side of the highway and add water to the coolant reservoir. The contact then took the vehicle back to the mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed with a defective coolant level sensor. The dealer was then notified of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 113,500.

NHTSA ODI 11448599

Jan 13, 2022Engine & cooling

Coolant bypass valve has failed for a third time now in my 2013 escape since I bought it in 2016. First time in 2017. Was told this was not covered under my warranty by ford and no recalls (for my specific vehicle). The bypass valve, from recall reviews i've read online, could stuck closed not allowing antifreeze to pass into the engine. This could cause engine to overheat and catch fire. Other recalls have noted possible engine fire from coolant leak. The check engine light has come on in all three instances. The diagnostic code is the same this time as the last two-P26b7. No recall for my specific vehicle because it wasn't built in the factory that the recall vehicles, with same problem, was built in. Although, it's the same problem, with the same cooling design.

NHTSA ODI 11447345

Jan 7, 2022Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle lost all power and the contact stated that the engine overheating warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over and refilled the coolant reservoir and was able to restart the vehicle after waiting approximately 2 hours. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V583000 (Engine) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA ODI 11446651

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How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2013 Ford Escape Gas verdict →