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

Engine coolant intrusion into engine resulting in excessive visible smoke/steam on startup and coolant consumption. This issue has been inspected by a Ford dealer and private party mechanics, however could not be accurately diagnosed without engine disassembly. No evidence of external coolant leaks were present. The current consumption rate for coolant is approximately 2 qts per month. Vehicle currently has ~95k miles. The vehicle indicates random misfire codes and low coolant level warnings. Mechanics have advised not to drive as low coolant could lead to overheating and engine failure. Coolant intrusion could result in "hydrolocking" the engine, again resulting in engine failure. Ford Motor Company via dealer has declined to include the vehicle in similar recall or correction efforts.

NHTSA ODI 11748003

Car has been having problems immediately with the turbocharger which then seemed fine once taken in. Only to turn around and have the transmission go out. Once again, it was taken in and was reported that there is no transmission dipstick. It is going into limp mode due to slippage detected from the B clutch pack. There is a low chance that flushing out the fluid could buy the transmission some more time, but a large amount of clutch material has been worn off the internal transmission clutch packs and is saturating the fluid. Therefore needing an entire replacement of the transmission.

NHTSA ODI 11748007

The shifter wouldn't go into park or start in park had to put in neutral to start it, was at a gas pump and the car started moving on its own had to jump in and pull the emergency brake to stop it and the vehicle was off, also the backup camera is upside down had it fixed but it goes right back upside down.

NHTSA ODI 11744970

I was heading west on XXX with my [XXX] granddaughter and about a mile before the XXX exit we heard a loud bang and the car was, like a shot, propelled across the center line into the left lane and heading for the ditch. I immediately hit the brakes and pulled a hard right to keep the car on the highway. After three or four hard rights and lefts I was able to pull the car onto the left shoulder. I thought it was a blown tire but upon inspection they were all ok. The passenger right rear wheel though was on an angle. I called [XXX] and they sent a state police officer to assist. We were very lucky as about 10 seconds earlier I pack of cars passed us and a straggler of the pack passed us about 4 seconds before the incident. It could have been a five or six car pile up. I had it towed and after the mechanics inspection found the broken (as the picture shows) rear upper control arm. The broken parts are available. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11741281

The anti-lock brake system is no longer available. When I start the car, a warning comes on that the Uphill assist is unavailable. Other lights come on concerning the brakes. I have contacted my repair shop and they have contacted the FORD dealership and have been told that presently there is no fix available. I understand this failure may be on other Ford Escape 2013 since I was told there are at least 400 vehicles awaiting this replacement part at this time and I would not know how many failures there were in the past.

NHTSA ODI 11741327

This Ford Escape has had numerous issues with coolant leaks leading to total engine failure on October 2025. The vehicle is unrepairable with the turbo being damaged and is no longer on the road

NHTSA ODI 11735961

Over time the car began to lose coolant. I read codes and troubleshot the systems, replacing a sensor first, no visible leak from collant hoses was discovered. I took the car to bethlehem ford and after a diagnostics process told me there was a crack in the engine on cylinder three that was allowing coolant to leak into the piston and be burnt off during ignition which created misfires and damage over time. I was informed I would need a brand new engine replacement. Which I was quoted 13,788USD for the repair. Not including the $200 I had paid for the diagnostics. The amount for the fix was as much as I had paid for the car to begin with only three years ago at the time of this faulure and had already paid close to $5000 for a turbo replacement as this car in the 2013 Ford Escape SE with the 1.6L ecoboost engine.

NHTSA ODI 11732622

car is in park but when I tried to come out of park the arm move but it won't shift out of park.

NHTSA ODI 11732021

UNKNOWN

NHTSA ODI 11727763

test

NHTSA ODI 11727768

VDP TEST

NHTSA ODI 11727773

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that on three separate occasions, the steering wheel became firm while driving. There was no warning light illuminated. Due to the failure, excessive effort was needed to steer the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle with a defective power steering rack, and the contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11724625

Transmission stopped working. It completely disengaged and i was unable to move the vehicle in the middle of an intersection. This created a potentially fatal breakdown.

NHTSA ODI 11724640

The coolant leaks into the engine. I had the coolant container replaced as well as the coolant bypass valve.Coolant still leaks into the engine and container has to be filled every day. It’s unsafe to drive. It stalls. The mechanic says it’s dangerous and to get another car but I can’t. There is a class action for same issue. Coolant leak has destroyed the engine making it unsafe to drive. I can’t afford another car for my kids and I. Mechanic says his mom had same issue with her ford escape and it’s a fatal engine flaw and u safe to drive. This has been a problem since I purchased the car. I finally could afford to get the new container thinking that was the leak problem but it wasn’t. Then the coolant bypass valve broke too. I’ll put the date the repairs were made but this has been a problem with coolant contaminating the engine forever.

NHTSA ODI 11724405

Begin to loose coolant out of resavior. Then began leaking fluid around flange. Had bought extended warranty through A.U.L. Corp. They refused to cover repair. Mechanic at Evetette Ford said it would be right at 400 to replace flange. He said he had been driven hot. Aul Corp said but [XXX] said he was mistaken that the flange was ok just an O ring. It was in shop from Nov. 17, 2025 until Jan 10, 2026. It was never fixed because [XXX] quit working there and new guy said it would be 1,113. 39 with a total bill for over 4,900. So it was towed back to my home where it sits. The latch on.lift gate has never worked so I wasn't able to change brake lights. I purchased the vehicle in February 2025. I've only have about 300 miles on vehicle. I feel like I've been screwed all the way but the used car dealer who should have known by the Ford Dealership, and by the extended warranty company. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11723580

Failed part: Electronic Steering Gear Assembly. Starting January 15th 2026 this car began having steering problems, since then it has occurred 2 more times. I immediately determined this car was undrivable because it seemed to be locked but in each situation (1) I was parked along side a curb in (2) a parking lot (3) or in other non-dangerous locations. Had I been driving on a street or highway I am certain I would have crashed. The first time this occurred I stopped turned off the engine, restarted it which unlocked it so I was able to continue safely, in the following 2 incidents this action did not work. On one occasion I stopped at a Ford Dealership & Service Center, described the issue to the agent who stated it sounds like the above assembly. I did not leave it because I was driving my other car. Upon returning home I took it in for service at my local mechanic. He detected code U3000-53 for the Power Steering. I authorized repair. No warning lights appeared on the console displays. Note 2 Invoices attached. My repair invoice is the one totaling $3,471 printed 03/04/2026 but please refer to earlier on printed 02/24/2026 (original quote) because it includes additional details.

NHTSA ODI 11722837

Vehicle startered to deccelerate and lose engine functionality while I was going 60mph on the freeway. Had to involuntarily stop in traffic. No system warnings were on or lights. After the incident mechanic saw a head gasket failure just as other models and coolant had leaked into cylinder two. Seems to be a recurring problem with these models .

NHTSA ODI 11722728

I am experiencing rearview camera issues - Ford to recall 1.74 million vehicles in US over rearview camera issue, NHTSA but everytime an article or alert is issued I check my vin # & not included in recall; but definitely my rear camera is defective.

NHTSA ODI 11722600

Engine Coolant Intrusion. During normal operation coolant leaks into the engine cylinders causing power loss and eventual overheating once the coolant system runs out of coolant. This prompts an emergency shutoff of the vehicle into "limp mode"

NHTSA ODI 11720378

I took my car in for a safety recall for the bushing on the transmission. A short time after getting it back my cabin filled with smoke when I used the remote start. I had never had this problem until it came back from the dealer. so I stopped using the remote start! but after that the car's cabin began filling with acrid smoke whenever it idled for more than a minute. It now fills with smoke when sitting at a stop sign or in slow traffic, so i have to open the windows to breathe! On top of that the transmission started slipping in park again! I don't think they actually fixed it. and that they may have caused the smoke problem. there are no warning lights going on. I am [XXX] and on socsec. I need my car to be safe! I have been dealing with this for a while now because I don't trust the dealer now. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11720463

This was a recall earlier, twice, and it was supposedly fixed but the fuel vacuum line to the gas tank is leaking and giving off gasoline odors in the passenger area. Also another recall that was supposedly taken care of is an oil leak that is occuring often. The oil was changed only a month ago and already the oil has just about all leaked out. Both of these issues are fire hazards and the fuel leakage can can the operator or passengers to succomb to carbon minoxide. These were told to us by a Ford dealer who put the car on a diagnostic but they are saying that the recall is over and it will cost $1,400. for the fix. I bought this car, in June 2025 ;from a used car dealer. I am still paying on it. I never receive a car history of any kind from this dealer. . I had no idea that there were 18 recalls on this vehicle. That is really a lot. If either of these problems were fixed on a recall, could they re-occur again. On this particular fuel re-call, I read that it had to be done again because the first recall fix was not done well. I do not have $1,400. to fix this. I am an [XXX] senior woman and am buying this car for my daughter. It seems to me that one a recall is made that it is a permanent thing until there is an assurance that it is fixed and won't happen again. It also seems to me that a vehicle that has that many recalls should not be allowed to be sold to the public. Can I hold the dealer who sold it to me accountable for not letting me know about the recalls or not letting me know the history of the vehicle? INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11719080

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the passenger seated in the front passenger's seat became aware of smoke inside the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the contact was informed that the engine cover had cracked and that there was an oil leak coming from the engine. The independent mechanic cleaned up the oil from underneath the engine and became aware that the wires and additional parts underneath the engine were burned. The contact was informed that there had been a fire underneath the engine. The contact was informed that the vehicle could have caught on fire. The contact referenced an unknown recall, but the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

NHTSA ODI 11718886

Im having the same issues as the current recall and have been having nonstop issues with my 2013 ford escape that dealerships/mechanics can't seem to figure out or won't figure out, but it says that mine isn't part of that recall, but I believe it should be. Now I have a newborn so these issues worry me even more.

NHTSA ODI 11714377

Purchased this ford escape for our granddaughter with in the last 2 years as a used vehicle and during a recent visit to a local ford dealer for another issue, they noticed the rear subframe crossmember had rust holes across it. Not sure if it is unsafe to drive due to the main structure looks solid. The front and back of the subframe has the rust holes. No other warning signs except a visual inspection. My question is: has there been an issue with this subframe or any other complaints. or is it normal for this part of the vehicle to wear or without warning. PS: I have a photo

NHTSA ODI 11713847

My wastegate solenoid in my turbo is over-boosting. I have replaced it once and it’s still an issue. I also am leaking coolant heavily. Ive seen 2013 ford escapes engine’s like mine have recalls stating 1.6L Engine Overheating & Fire Risk: A major recall involved 1.6L engines where a cylinder head cup plug could fail, causing coolant loss and potential fire. Another recall addressed fuel lines that could leak, causing fire risks. I’ve looked on Carfax, NHTSA.gov, and Ford.com to see if my car has the recall alert and it says it does not but I have the same exact issues.

NHTSA ODI 11713527