What 1,035 owners told NHTSA about the 2015 Ford Escape Gas

Ford case number - [XXX] I was driving down the highway to attend my daughter's college graduation when I noticed that the vehicle wasn't moving when accelerating; it got worse as I again tried to accelerate and the engine was revving and RPM dial was increasing but car would not move. Then the car jumped and sputtered. As I was exiting the highway the Transmission Failure light came on. There was no warning to this event. Once I got the car off the highway and assessing the situation, we decided to try and start the car to see if it would drive and while the car did start, it would not move in drive or reverse. The car was towed to Columbia MO so I could attend the graduation and is being serviced by a transmission expert there. He confirmed that it needs to be rebuilt. This same repair shop has said they have serviced close to 60 Ford Escapes for transmission in the last 18 months. Another Ford dealer said its a known issue for these transmissions to fail. My car doesn't even have 100k miles on it. The danger and risk of this happening on an interstate is pretty obvious; the cars behind me had no idea my transmission was failing (heck, I didn't know it either) and that I was struggling to accelerate. We could have easily been hit by any car or semi that was travelling down that same highway - it was extremely scary. It is crazy to think of the number of Ford Escapes in the nation that are failing when a small town in Missouri has serviced 60 in less that two years! I hope that people are reporting this and that you have a way to investigate to determine the manufacturer liable for these very dangerous and expensive failures! INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ODI 11522909

https://www.cars.com/articles/2013-2015-ford-escape-fiesta-st-fusion-transit-connect-recall-alert-1420694733115/ While driving 80 miles an hour on an 8 lane freeway, with the flow of high traffic-including semi commercial traffic, and my child in the car, the vehicle went into limp mode due to an overheat warning. I was unable to accelerate and was able to "limp" to the side of the road. Very scary and VERY dangerous. My child and I are lucky something worse did not happen. Root cause lack of coolant circulation resulting in the engine overheating. This possibly has caused a crack in the cylinder head, resulting in a pressurized oil leak that, in the presence of a heat source such as a hot engine surface, increases the risk of an under-hood fire. Through research, I found this is a known issue with my vehicle and besides a limited recall (of which my VIN is excluded) there is a class action pending in California. I contact FORD customer service and its answer was my VIN isn't included in the recall so nothing they could do. When I brought up on FORD's knowledge and request for someone in its escalation team to call me, they said a supervisor would call and the customer service supervisor said- my issue because my VIN not included in the recall. There have been 30+ cases of engine fires related to this issue and hundreds if not thousands of FORD owners affected. How is the NHTSA not taking action? This is very dangerous and a very expensive cost to consumers who were misled by FORD to purchase these dangerous lemons. This is a dangerous defect that FORD has known about for years. NHTSA should require FORD to recall these for the safety of children and consumers. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-caed-2_21-cv-00468/pdf/USCOURTS-caed-2_21-cv-00468-0.pdf https://www.change.org/p/hold-ford-accountable-for-fixing-their-ecoboost-engines https://www.lieffcabraser.com/2021/05/ford-ecoboost-engine-defect-lawsuits-consolidated-in-california/

NHTSA ODI 11521661

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while parking the vehicle, the transmission failed to shift into park(P), with the Service Transmission Now message displayed. Additionally, the vehicle made abnormal sounds while driving. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where recall repair of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) was performed; however, the failure recurred after the recall repair was performed. The contact stated that the transmission failed to shift into drive(D), and the parking brake was applied while the vehicle was parked. The vehicle was then towed to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000.

NHTSA ODI 11520584

While driving on rural roads (30-45mph) the vehicle had a sudden loss in power, as though the transmission was slipping. The problem went away as suddenly as its onset, but approximately a week later, a warning 'Transmission Failure, Service Now.' appeared and the vehicle immediately went into limp mode, and would not shift into higher gears. AAA was called to tow the vehicle to the dealer for service. The Ford dealer received the vehicle and reported that the clutch plates had failed. This vehicle had the original transmission fail at 65,000 miles. Ford refused to pay for any parts or labor, as the car was out-of-warranty (by 5000 miles). Customer payed out-of-pocket for diagnosis, parts, and labor to install a new transmission ($5820.86). The second failure noted above occurred at 81,000 miles (only 15,000 miles / 18 months on the new transmission) and was covered under the warranty of the prior transmission.

NHTSA ODI 11519708

Complete Transmission Failure. Always serviced at 30,000 miles and regular maintenance done on vehicle. This occurred without warning and according to the Transmission Shop and looking at the internet, this is a common problem with Ford Escapes after 100,000 miles. Ford needs to pay for these repairs. $5000 for mine

NHTSA ODI 11518144

Currently a Lemon Law Lawsuit is going on out west in reference to the Ecoboost failure which my vehicle year is included in that. The risks include engine failure and risks of fire. Currently my vehicle is missing/over heating/white smoke pouring out of my exhaust/losing coolant. This has caused my vehicle to be a major safety hazard for my children and myself. Ford has been called but was told nothing can be done since no recall has been put into effect.

NHTSA ODI 11517969

My transmission have gone out because the manufacturer got the parts in to late!

NHTSA ODI 11516623

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 57 MPH, an abnormal sound was heard, and the vehicle failed to accelerate. The contact stated that that the transmission failed, and the service message was displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle was hauled to the residence while in neutral. The vehicle was then towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired with a refurbished transmission. The contact stated that the following day after picking up the vehicle, upon starting the vehicle, the steering assist fault message was displayed before the vehicle erroneously turned off. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer who stated that the steering assist needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to an unknown steering recall however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure however, the contact was unaware if a case was opened. The contact was transferred to the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 106,000.

NHTSA ODI 11515566

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH uphill, the RPM revved up and dropped. The vehicle made an abnormal whining sound. There was no warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated while driving and depressing the accelerator pedal, the RPMs revved to approximately 4,000-5,000 RPM and the vehicle hesitated to respond while accelerating. The contact stated that the vehicle was not shifting properly. The contact continued to depress the accelerator pedal until the vehicle responded as needed. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who informed the contact that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The vehicle was taken to a transmission specialist, Tigard Transmission Center, where the transmission was replaced at the contact’s expense. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000.

NHTSA ODI 11510456

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving 30 MPH and merging onto the highway, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. The transmission warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. Upon investigation, the contact linked the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000(Power Train). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 94,000.

NHTSA ODI 11510033

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after coming to a stop at a traffic signal, the transmission was slipping. The oil warning light was illuminated. The contact had received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train). The vehicle was towed to a local dealer to be serviced under the recall. The vehicle was repaired; however, the contact was then informed the vehicle could not be returned and was inoperable. The vehicle remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 98,400.

NHTSA ODI 11509910

Tried to pass a car going around 55 or 60 got into the other lane to try to go around and car wouldn’t accelerate. When you hit the gas the rpm’s jump up and drop and repeat. Had to slam on brakes and get on side of road and turn the car off and sit there for a little while until it would crank and drive again.

NHTSA ODI 11509067

The transmission failed instantly with no warning after the vehicle showed no issues on a diagnostic test 3 weeks previous to the transmission failure. In addition, a recall part issues from Ford was replaced that directly attached to the transmission at the service appointment 3 weeks prior. The transmission failure, stopping the car's movement on the spot, happened without warning while in traffic putting myself and other drivers in my immediate vicinity at risk. The dealer confirmed that the transmission failed and would need to be replaced. Ford is currently defending litigation in a class action lawsuit which quotes 1.7 million Ford Escapes have faulty cable bushing, the same part that was replaced on my car at the service appointment 3 weeks prior to the incident. The vehicle or component has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear.

NHTSA ODI 11508434

Rack and pinion went out at 66,000 miles. I have send reviews on this make and model that this is a problem. I have talked to multiple mechanics who have adv this is an electric problem in these cars and with different years.

NHTSA ODI 11507770

I received Safety Recall Notice 22S43/ NHTSA Recall 22V413 from Ford in October 2022. I called my local Ford Dealer West Hills Ford in Bremerton WA to schedule the recall service soon after. They told me they were too busy to do the service, and said they would call back. They never did. Today, my car will not shift out of park and I was in a busy parking lot. Once turned off, it will not start again. I called West Hills Ford to schedule the service today and was told they don't have the part and can't do the recall service.

NHTSA ODI 11506716

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine, head gasket, and engine block needed to be replaced; however, the parts for the repair were on backorder. The vehicle remained at the dealer awaiting the parts for the repair. The contact was not made aware that her VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.

NHTSA ODI 11505468

I bought my car at in 2015 brand new , it’s currently undriveable due to it being diagnosed with full transmission failure. My car has had a recall on it for 3 years and was advised not to take it in due to unavailability of parts (transmission related recall) due to unavailability of recalled parts the condition has degraded the transmission to the point of complete failure. In the ford dealership there are 108 of these same transmissions on back order, clearly there’s an issue with them. The assistance that they advised of is expediting the transmission getting to the dealership which honestly seems like a slap in the face, this isn’t an issue that I should be having with a 7 year old car. I should be enjoying the fact that it was paid off, not frantically looking to buy a new car. This isn’t my fault and I shouldn’t be financially responsible for inferior parts. Ford dealership will tell me that I have full transmission failure they would never admit it was due to unavailability of parts or an inferior problem of having an small eco boost engine that pumps air and oil into the transmission

NHTSA ODI 11505084

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated while making a right turn at approximately 35 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle with the RPM’s revving. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The contact stated that she pulled over and turned the vehicle off and upon restarting the vehicle, the RPM’s increased, but the vehicle failed to respond. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and the contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the dealer informed her that the transmission was sealed, and the fluid levels could not be checked. The manufacturer was contacted and transferred the call to the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 167,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ODI 11501466

The contact's son-in-law owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was hesitating and jerking while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was notified that the transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and acknowledged being aware of the failure; however, the manufacturer offered no assistance. The contact was then referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA ODI 11500480

The contact's grandmother owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after coming to a complete stop, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The transmission warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

NHTSA ODI 11499945

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle made abnormally loud sounds. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring increasingly while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the transmission bearing on the front driver's side axle was worn out and there was an unknown leak. The independent mechanic informed the contact that the failure was a known failure. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 136,000.

NHTSA ODI 11497747

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated while at a complete stop at the traffic light, the vehicle emitted an abnormal sound. The accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to respond. The vehicle then responded at a significantly slow speed. The contact pulled into a nearby parking lot. A message indicating a transmission failure was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer and repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train). However, the failure persisted. The dealer diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.

NHTSA ODI 11492089

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train). The contact stated that parts to do the repair were not available at the time however, the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the shifter inadvertently shifted into reverse while displaying drive on the shift indicator. The contact then stated while the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle failed to respond and remained in reverse. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the vehicle had not yet been diagnosed and the contact was informed that no recall was associated with the VIN. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall on the VIN. VIN tool confirms parts are available. The failure mileage was approximately 169,000.

NHTSA ODI 11491556

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle failed to properly shift gear or accelerate as needed. The contact was able to exit off the highway and had the vehicle towed to the dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 148,000.

NHTSA ODI 11491639

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate properly. There were no warning lights illuminated; however, there was a message indicating that the 4WD was inoperable. The contact pulled over and had the vehicle towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was notified that there was coolant in cylinder #3, and that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 127,071.

NHTSA ODI 11491650