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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)

8 of 2,743 complaints match · Brakes · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Mar 29, 2026BrakesCrash

test

NHTSA ODI 11727768

Mar 29, 2026BrakesCrash

VDP TEST

NHTSA ODI 11727773

Jun 26, 2025BrakesCrash

While coming to a stop sign the vehicle was going about 3MPH when the master break cylinder failed causing the breaks to fail and the car to hit another vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11669368

Jul 16, 2023SteeringBrakesEngineCrash1 injury

December of 2022 - Took car to shop due to engine overheat light and oil smell inside vehicle as well as other "codes coming up. Vehicle was repaired. May 2023 had to take car back to shop due to cranking and it immediately saying engine overheating, low coolant, and various other codes as well as brakes not properly functioning. Repair shop said it was low on coolant and added fluid, stated no leaks and returned vehicle. But repair shop shows it pulled 15 codes, including loss of communication with ABS control module A as well as 3 other "lost communication with" codes and the engine overheating. The NEXT day we had the same issues and had to put it back in the shop. They flushed system and replaced motor because a bad head gasket caused oil to mix with the water (again). Got the vehicle back July 10th and the traction control and braking felt off as it had before in Dec 2022 but then was fine. Noticed on 7/11 that there appeared to be something in the fluid tank that shouldn't be there (like black chunks) and called the repair shop to see about scheduling another diagnostic. On 7/13 my son was driving from work and the engine suddenly stalled saying overheating when it wasn't showing overheating. Pulled over, started to crank it back up and it was fine. On 7/14 on his was to work, he pulled to the edge of the roadway to miss multiple deer in the road and was unable to steer the vehicle back onto the roadway. The traction control kicked in and he could not steer the car back onto the road, brakes did not work and ended up causing him to crash. I have driven the car a few times when traction control would kick in when it really shouldn't and it would not allow me to steer, accelerate, or really do anything until it shut back off.

NHTSA ODI 11532521

Aug 6, 2018AirbagsBody & structureBrakesCrash1 injury

"TAKATA RECALL" I WAS DRIIVNG ON A CITY STREET WHEN I WAS T-BONED BY A VEHICLE WHO RAN A STOP LIGHT. AS I BECAME CONTACT WITH THE OTHER VEHICLE I LOST CONTROL OF MY CAR AND ENDED UP HITTING A WATER METER, AFTER TRYING TO SLAM ON THE BRAKES,BECAUSE THEY BRAKES WOULDNT CATCH ON. .NEITHER CONTACT WITH THE OTHER VEHICLE NOR THE WATER METER ACTIVATED THE AIR BAGS.

NHTSA ODI 11118117

Jul 28, 2014BrakesCrash

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED COMING TO A STOP SUDDENLY THE CONTACT FOOT SLIPPED OFF OF THE BRAKE PEDAL CAUSING HIM TO MOVE FORWARD. THE CONTACT FELT THE PEDAL WAS TOO SMALL. THE BOTH DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 6,800. UPDATED 8/28/14*CN UPDATED 09/17/2014*JS

NHTSA ODI 10616822

Jan 24, 2014Seat beltsBrakesCrash2 injuries

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH AND APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE BRAKES FAILED. THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A CONCRETE LANE DIVIDER AND WENT AIRBORNE. THE VEHICLE CROSSED OVER FOUR LANES OF TRAFFIC BEFORE COASTING TO A STOP. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A FRACTURED LUMBAR SPINE AND INJURIES TO THE LEFT ELBOW. THE FRONT PASSENGER SUFFERED A HEAD INJURY, FRACTURES TO THE LUMBAR AND THORACIC SPINE AREAS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT ALSO FAILED UPON IMPACT. BOTH OF THE INJURED OCCUPANTS WERE TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL FROM THE CRASH SITE. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NEITHER DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 11,000.

NHTSA ODI 10561343

May 7, 2013Speed controlBrakesEngineCrash

WHILE STOPPED AT A STOPLIGHT, WITH THE CAR IN DRIVE AND MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE THE ENGINE REVS UP AND THE CAR LURCHES FORWARD AND CRASHES INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. THIS HAPPENED LAST WEEK AT A DRIVE THRU AND I WAS FORTUNATE THAT NO ONE WAS IN FRONT OF ME. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10510892

Working with the data? Download all 2,743 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 18, 2026

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 →