Home · 2013 Ford Escape · Complaints

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

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 1 of 7

Dec 29, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle in the winter, the coolant temperature warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an Independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the coolant sensor needed to be replaced. The coolant sensor was replaced; however, the warning light remained illuminated. The contact related the failure NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V209000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the model year was not included in the recall. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on two different occasions. The manufacturer was not notified of the current failure. The failure mileage was 85,000.

NHTSA ODI 11707533

Oct 17, 2025Engine & coolingEngine

The contact owns 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 25 - 30 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as indented. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The engine was replaced once; however, the failure persisted. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number:13V583000 (ENGINE); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 167,294.

NHTSA ODI 11694081

Jul 21, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the engine was overheating with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local Firestone Service Center who diagnosed that the coolant reservoir hose was faulty and needed to be replaced. The reservoir hose was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 120,000.

NHTSA ODI 11675107

Jul 10, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the warning light indicating that the Engine was Overheating was illuminated. The contact inspected the vehicle and became aware that the engine had overheated. The contact filled the coolant reservoir with coolant. The contact stated that the warning light became illuminated again the following morning while driving approximately 5 MPH. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic, who tested the vehicle and confirmed that the vehicle failed the block test, indicating there was a coolant leak into the engine. The contact stated that the coolant pump was replaced, and the mechanic performed an oil change. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 90,000.

NHTSA ODI 11672491

Jun 9, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the messages "Engine Coolant Low" and "High Temperature Pull Over Safely" were displayed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact added water to the coolant reservoir. The contact stated that water leaked from the reservoir after the vehicle was restarted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

NHTSA ODI 11665870

Apr 21, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the "Engine Power Reduce - Lower Engine Temperature" message was displayed. The contact was continuously adding coolant to the coolant reservoir, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but no coolant leaks were found. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

NHTSA ODI 11655830

Apr 16, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled. The contact was unable to pull over to a safe place. The contact shifted to neutral(N), turned off, and restarted the vehicle, and the contact was able to continue driving. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. Additionally, the contact stated that there was a misfire coming from the engine on cold starts intermittently. The contact, who was an industrial technician, used a code reader to scan the vehicle and retrieved DTC: P1299 and P0304. Additionally, the contact inspected the vehicle and determined that there was coolant intrusion in cylinder #4. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the failure had occurred due to an engine short block factory defect. The dealer recommended that the short block be replaced; however, the dealer had not diagnosed the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.

NHTSA ODI 11654926

Apr 8, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and turned off, the contact discovered fluid leaking on the ground. Additionally, the engine overheated while driving, resulting in a burning odor. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The "Coolant Low" message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the turbo was leaking coolant and engine oil, and the head gasket was leaking engine oil. The mechanic performed an unknown repair, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic, who determined that the turbo was again leaking coolant and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V431000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000.

NHTSA ODI 11653501

Mar 27, 2025Engine & coolingTires

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that there was oil leaking from the turbocharger. The contact stated that the hose had detached, and the coolant had leaked out. While driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated. The TPMS warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V551000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed the contact about a recall and referred the contact to the local dealer. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a claim, and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 118,000.

NHTSA ODI 11651094

Mar 19, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the coolant warning light illuminated. The contact stated that after adding coolant to the coolant reservoir, the failure recurred. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.

NHTSA ODI 11649209

Mar 17, 2025Engine & coolingFuel system

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her son was driving approximately 65 MPH, there was an abnormal gasoline odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. The contact stated that after stopping the vehicle and raising the hood, the engine was very hot. The contact stated that the coolant level was not checked. The contact stated that no warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

NHTSA ODI 11648732

Mar 12, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine coolant temperature warning light illuminated. The contact stated that there was no coolant leak found. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.

NHTSA ODI 11647849

Mar 6, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, the engine temperature gauge went to HOT, the vehicle decelerated, and the engine went into LIMP Mode. The engine overheated warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the water pump failed and needed to be replaced. The water pump was replaced, and coolant was added. The coolant level was low immediately. The failure persisted and the engine seized. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed and the contact was informed that there was coolant intrusion into cylinders #2 and #3. The contact was informed that the long block assembly and manifold needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 146,000.

NHTSA ODI 11646709

Mar 4, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 75 MPH, there was an abnormal coolant odor coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that her husband was adding coolant to the coolant reservoir weekly. The low coolant message was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that an independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the freeze plug had failed, and that coolant was leaking into the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V431000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 151,000.

NHTSA ODI 11646342

Feb 26, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine started to overheat with the temperature gauge indicating that the engine was hot(H). The contact stated that the engine shut off with the "Engine Temperature High, Stop Safely" message was displayed. The contact later discovered that upon inspection of the vehicle, that coolant was leaking from the valve cover. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V551000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); which the contact related to the failure. The dealer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact called the manufacturer who informed the contact that the vehicle was not under recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 128,000.

NHTSA ODI 11645042

Feb 10, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the temperature gauge suddenly indicated that the engine was hot(H), before the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. The vehicle eventually shut off in the middle of the highway, and the contact was forced to manually push the vehicle off to the shoulder of the highway. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to the residence where it remained. The dealer was notified of the failure and provided an estimate for the vehicle to be diagnosed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

NHTSA ODI 11641651

Jan 21, 2025Engine & coolingEngine

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was consuming an abnormal amount of coolant. Additionally, the contact stated there was an abnormal burning odor coming from underneath the hood. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed previously for an engine coolant leak. The vehicle was left parked at a gas station where it was diagnosed by an independent mechanic. The contact was informed that the coolant reservoir was low. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to an unidentified recall; however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000.

NHTSA ODI 11637303

Dec 17, 2024Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low coolant level warning light illuminated. The contact refilled the coolant reservoir. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of coolant. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.

NHTSA ODI 11631179

Nov 27, 2024Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked and refilling the coolant reservoir, the coolant leaked onto the ground underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic; however, the failure was not duplicated. The heater hose was replaced; however, the failure reoccurred. In addition, the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of coolant. The coolant reservoir was refilled and leaked out unto the ground. The contact stated that the message “Vehicle in Protection Mode” was displayed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 113,000.

NHTSA ODI 11627767

Oct 21, 2024Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact became aware that there was coolant leaking on the driveway. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V431000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 104,000.

NHTSA ODI 11621126

Oct 8, 2024Engine & coolingEngine

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon inspection, the contact became aware that the coolant level was being consumed very quickly. In addition, the contact became aware of an unusual burning odor and saw white smoke coming from under the hood. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the coolant had leaked into the engine and that the long block needed to be replaced. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

NHTSA ODI 11618770

Oct 7, 2024Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the engine was overheating. The temperature gauge increased to high(H). The engine overheating warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.

NHTSA ODI 11618455

Sep 30, 2024Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted and the engine overheated. The vehicle was driven to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the enjoy had overheated and the plastic cooling line was leaking. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 93,000.

NHTSA ODI 11617282

Sep 23, 2024Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the message "Low Engine Coolant" was displayed, and the vehicle started driving rough. The vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was later taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that coolant had leaked into the cylinders and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer and manufacturer were not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 96,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ODI 11615955

Sep 6, 2024Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the Emission failure message was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle lost motive power and then stalled. The contact had to depress the accelerator pedal continuously to regain normal acceleration. The failure occurred four times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that there was a fracture on the canister purge valve resulting in the fuel failing to power the engine correctly. The contact was informed that the canister purge valve needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report a failure. The failure mileage was 108,206.

NHTSA ODI 11613092

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Working with the data? Download all 2,743 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 11, 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 verdict →