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

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while shifting into reverse(R), the back over prevention camera display was black with the message "Camera Unavailable" displayed. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but was a recurring failure. The contact stated that the hatchback was closed with force, and the camera was not functioning as needed while shifted into reverse(R). The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic, who was unable to diagnose the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V572000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the VIN nor the model vehicle was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.

NHTSA ODI 11687922

The rear back up camera is malfunctioning/not working intermittently. Sometimes it works, and then glitches out and is gone, other times it is a completely black screen. This started approximately 4-6 weeks ago. It says "Camera is unavailable. Please contact your dealership". I have since seen that 1.5M Ford vehicles are being recalled for this exact issue, but my car is not on the list. I've called Ford and the Dealership, and they've said I will have to have it diagnosed and pay out of pocket. It's oddly peculiar that this would be the same issue, and it just started at the same time of the recall. This has put others at risk because I cannot see them behind me, the car is not alerting me to people behind me, and I have gotten used to that function. I have to check to see if the camera is working, and then make sure to look behind, but even then it is hard to see. The vehicle has not been inspected by anyone just yet. I am hesitant to take to dealer, as I will be without car for 2 days and have to pay the diagnostic fee, and potentially repair fee. There were no warning messages or other symptoms. One day it just started glitching.

NHTSA ODI 11687561

The back up camera is not functioning. It’s very distorted. Very difficult to see what is behind me when backing up. I took the car to a mechanic and he said he wasn’t able to fix it.

NHTSA ODI 11687122

Back up camera does not work at times screen is black when vehicle is in reverse, other times camera display is working. This problem started around June 0f 2025

NHTSA ODI 11686871

The backup camera in my vehicle displays an inverted and distorted image, identical to the defect described in Ford’s existing recall. However, my vehicle has been excluded from that recall, and Ford has refused to repair the issue. This defect creates a significant safety hazard by impairing rear visibility and making backing up more dangerous. Because federal law requires a functional backup camera in this type of vehicle, I believe my vehicle should be included in the recall and repaired by Ford.

NHTSA ODI 11686626

The rear camera is malfunctioning!! It shows a blue screen!! Hasn't complete stopped working! A recall was released yesterday and the recall fits the description of what my vehicle is doing! My vehicle was not listed! This started about a month ago!

NHTSA ODI 11686181

The back up camera is distorted, upside down, or shows not available. I believe this year of Ford escape should be included in the current recall.

NHTSA ODI 11686203

Rear backup camera malfunctioning. Inverts image and sometimes blanks out. Dangerous in parking lots. Have not contacted dealer since warranty is expired. Has not been inspected. No warnings or messages before problem started. Started several months ago.

NHTSA ODI 11686298

The back up assist camera only works part of the time. It will come on for a few seconds and then go off.

NHTSA ODI 11686384

Rear view camera image is inverted and as I've been driving over 40 years, it's a nice feature, but after seeing all the recalls for this issue and mine is not included yet has failed in a similar way.

NHTSA ODI 11686465

When one of my back up lights went out it shorted out the back up video camera. After replacement, found out from Ford that the wiring of the lighting is tied also into the video camera system. After replacement the camera shorts out and is not replaceable.

NHTSA ODI 11685931

Back up camera glitches, shows images upside down, or not at all. This has been happening for at least 6+ months. Component has not been inspected. There is a current recall on Edge and Expedition in the same years as mine but the Escape was not included in in the recall.

NHTSA ODI 11685965

The back up camera has been switching on and off, and now is inoperable.

NHTSA ODI 11685978

backup camera is not working. says to call dealership. dealership says they dont know what is wrong with it. safety hazard for backing up.

NHTSA ODI 11686016

Rear view camera doesn't work. Ford just recalled a bunch of 2015-2019 vehicles for this exact issue but the escapes didnt get a recall. I have been having this issue for a few months now. The screen with go blue or black and then say no camera available.

NHTSA ODI 11686142

While driving to Las Vegas, I noticed the engine felt unstable and coolant levels were low. After topping off coolant, the car drove normally for the remainder of the trip, but the air conditioning intermittently blew hot air. A mechanic performed diagnostic and pressure tests, but no codes appeared. The issue recurred with repeated coolant loss and stalling sensations. The following day, the vehicle overheated on the freeway and stalled. A mechanic diagnosed a blown head gasket and cracked cylinder head, which cost me $4,500 to repair. Less than a month later, the same issue happened again. This defect creates ongoing safety concerns due to the risk of sudden stalling, overheating, and potential engine fire. I have learned that this issue is widespread in Ford Escape EcoBoost engines, and Ford has not issued a recall or permanent fix.06

NHTSA ODI 11685819

I own a 2015 Ford Escape. The rearview backup camera intermittently fails when I first start the vehicle. Each time I put the car in reverse shortly after startup, the screen displays the message: “Camera is unavailable. Please contact your dealership.” After driving for several minutes, the camera usually begins working again. This is a safety concern because the camera is not available when I first back out of parking spaces, driveways, or other areas where pedestrians, children, or other vehicles may be present. The failure is unpredictable, and the camera is supposed to be a safety device to prevent accidents while reversing. The issue seems to worsen in hot weather, but it has happened on multiple occasions regardless of temperature. I have researched and found that other Ford owners report similar issues with backup cameras failing intermittently. Since rearview cameras are federally mandated safety equipment, I believe this problem should be investigated for a possible recall.

NHTSA ODI 11685305

UNKNOWN, but appears like other version of Ford Escape the 2015 suffers from the same fuel pump issues. On at least 10 moments the car stalls and dies during driving. When brought to Fords attention, they have on 2 times indicated that no error codes or way of duplicating problem. I had independent car repair place as well look into the issue with the same response. We now only drive the car if we have to and only in short areas where we are not driving on the freeway and if we can walk home. Please add this to the recalls.

NHTSA ODI 11684667

The car won’t shift into the intended gear.The car stalls as well. The transmission fault service now light is on.

NHTSA ODI 11684425

The backup camera does not work.

NHTSA ODI 11684628

The transmission has failed and fuel propulsion. While driving on the highway with no warning it slowed down considerably, which almost caused me to be rear-ended. Yes, it's even inspected. No warning lamps. PLEASE CHECK, THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF 2015 FORD ESCAPES WITH FAULTY TRANS AND FUEL PROPULSION ISSUES.

NHTSA ODI 11684250

The camera goes on and off. Sometimes as you reverse the camera is working then suddenly goes black. There is no direct pinpoint to when the camera stopped working properly but poses a risk when using to reverse and suddenly goes black

NHTSA ODI 11684261

While driving, the car hesitates changing gears. Sometimes the car will not go in gear or go into Park. Had a recall in 2022 for some bushings and cable shifter. The car is too dangerous to drive and mechanics have stated a new transmission is needed.

NHTSA ODI 11682798

While driving recently, my vehicle unexpectedly lost all forward acceleration. Soon after, I discovered that when placed in Park, the vehicle could still roll freely — a dangerous condition that could lead to an accident or injury. Initially, the car was able to move in both Drive and Reverse for a short time, but it quickly deteriorated to only reversing, and then the Park function failed to hold the vehicle altogether. I have maintained my Escape according to Ford’s recommendations and have records available. There were no warning lights, no unusual noises beforehand, and no indication that such a failure was imminent. This is not just a mechanical failure but a significant safety hazard, as loss of acceleration and loss of Park lock can put drivers, passengers, and bystanders at risk.

NHTSA ODI 11682512

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that upon scanning the vehicle with a vehicle scanner, the contact retrieved diagnostic trouble codes indicating an engine misfire. The contact replaced the ignition coils; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that while replacing the spark plugs, the spark plug thread of cylinder #4 remained stuck in the cylinder head. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the contact was informed that the spark plug thread might be stuck because the cylinder head had melted around the spark plug thread. The mechanic determined that the cylinder head needed to be replaced. The dealer was notified of the failure and recommended the cylinder head replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in an undisclosed recall. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

NHTSA ODI 11681531