Home · 2016 Ford Escape Gas · Complaints

What 1,037 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 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 (1,037)Crash / fire / injury (45)Transmission & drivetrain (316)Engine (193)Backup camera & sensors (153)Electrical system (86)Fuel system (70)Steering (70)Engine & cooling (56)Speed control (32)Wheels (32)Airbags (23)

Newest first · 1,037 complaints · page 4 of 42

Apr 20, 2026Backup camera & sensors

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the rearview camera became inoperable. The contact stated that the rearview camera intermittently operated, and the message “Camera not Available” was displayed. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The approximate failure mileage was 147,225.

NHTSA ODI 11732480

Apr 20, 2026Backup camera & sensors

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the rearview camera was inoperable. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention). The local dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that parts were on backorder. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.

NHTSA ODI 11732485

Apr 17, 2026Backup camera & sensorsCrash

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that when in reverse, the back-over prevention camera would display a distorted or black screen intermittently. While reversing from an angled parking space downward, due to the failure of the back-over prevention screen, the contact was unable to view the rear of the vehicle and ended up crashing into the passenger door of another vehicle. There were no injuries sustained or medical attention required. The passenger door of the impacted vehicle was damaged. The police were not contacted, and no police report was filed. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 14,000.

NHTSA ODI 11731775

Apr 16, 2026Backup camera & sensors

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA ODI 11731588

Apr 16, 2026Backup camera & sensors

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the rearview camera displayed a distorted image. The failure mileage was not available.

NHTSA ODI 11731671

Apr 15, 2026Engine

Known coolant intrusion, blowing white smoke, blown head gasket

NHTSA ODI 11731443

Apr 14, 2026Transmission & drivetrain

2016 Ford Escape with 50,000 miles developed transmission fault codes P0741 and P1744, indicating torque converter clutch failure. A transmission fault alert appeared on the dashboard with erratic shifting and slipping while driving, creating an unsafe driving condition. The vehicle was taken to a Ford-certified dealer in Athens, GA, and service charges were paid. Dealer stated no transmission fault was found and confirmed other eligible recalls had been fixed. The dealer became unresponsive to multiple follow-up calls after collecting payment. Codes P0741 and P1744 were subsequently confirmed at an independent service center. Ford issued TSB 19-2100 acknowledging this exact issue on 2013-2015 Escape vehicles with the same 1.6L EcoBoost engine. The same manufacturing defect is present on 2016 model vehicles. Ford Customer Relationship Center was contacted and refused any assistance or goodwill repair coverage. A Ford-certified dealer collected payment, failed to diagnose a known transmission defect, and then became unresponsive. Transmission failure at 50,000 miles on a properly maintained vehicle is a manufacturing quality control failure. Component is available for inspection upon request.

NHTSA ODI 11731231

Apr 13, 2026

My Backup Camera has not worked for 2 years and I have a recall notice from October of 2025 for this exact issues and the recall has not been remedied.

NHTSA ODI 11730914

Apr 6, 2026Backup camera & sensors

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the rear-view camera became inoperable. The contact stated that the rear-view camera image failed to function properly, and the image was intermittently displayed. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The approximate failure mileage was 92,000.

NHTSA ODI 11729430

Apr 2, 2026Backup camera & sensors

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention). The contact stated that on several occasions while in reverse (R), the rear-view camera image was either upside down, blank, or distorted. The vehicle was taken a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the rear-view camera needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

NHTSA ODI 11728850

Apr 2, 2026Backup camera & sensors

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the camera had started failing months prior to receiving the recall letter. The local dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 104,000.

NHTSA ODI 11728880

Apr 1, 2026Backup camera & sensors

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while shifted into reverse(R), the rear-view camera became inoperable. The contact shifted from reverse(R) to park(P) several times; however, the back over prevention camera was inoperable. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V69500 (Back Over Prevention); and called the local dealer to schedule an appointment. The dealer advised the contact that the remedy was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The failure mileage was approximately 54,000.

NHTSA ODI 11728479

Mar 31, 2026Backup camera & sensors

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the display screen unexpectedly rebooted on and off even after the vehicle was shut off. Due to the failure, the battery was drained. The battery was replaced three times. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

NHTSA ODI 11728251

Mar 30, 2026Backup camera & sensors

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while in reverse, the rear-view camera failed to display a clear image. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.

NHTSA ODI 11727880

Mar 27, 2026Backup camera & sensors

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention). The contact stated that while in reverse(R), the rear-view camera image was upside down, and then the screen went black. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure reoccurred a short while later. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

NHTSA ODI 11727429

Mar 25, 2026Backup camera & sensors

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention). The contact stated that while in reverse(R) on several occasions, the rear-view camera was black or displayed an upside-down image. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

NHTSA ODI 11726954

Mar 23, 2026Electrical systemSpeed controlEngine

The end of February was driving and I noticed white smoke blowing from my exaust, then my car lost power.

NHTSA ODI 11726398

Mar 23, 2026Seat beltsEngineBackup camera & sensors

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the rear-view camera displayed a distorted image while the vehicle was in reverse(R). The contact stated that the failure obstructed the vision of the driver, preventing the driver from safely operating the vehicle. The message "Rear-view Camera Unavailable" was displayed on the screen. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, the front passenger’s side seat belt retractor failed to function as intended. The contact stated that after unbuckling the seat belt buckle, the seat belt failed to retract. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. Recently, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. After several attempts, the vehicle was restarted, and there was an abnormal fuel-burning odor entering the vehicle through the A/C vents. The contact stated that the engine was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The vehicle was refueled, and the contact checked the oil dip stick, and the oil level was extremely low. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11726406

Mar 20, 2026Backup camera & sensors

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The rear-view camera failed to display properly and was blank or displayed a distorted image. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11725914

Mar 18, 2026Transmission & drivetrain

My car moves when pushed or pulled and the vehicle is off and in park. Additionally, my car does not accelerate over 5 miles per hour and makes a whining noise when trying to drive

NHTSA ODI 11725259

Mar 18, 2026Backup camera & sensors

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA ODI 11725260

Mar 18, 2026Fuel system

Transmission went out at 101k miles - transmission needed to be rebuilt which I had done at a large cost. There was no warning, the trans went out while driving. Purge valve for gas (EVAP) also went out without any warning and when I would put gas in the car, the car would not start.

NHTSA ODI 11725309

Mar 18, 2026SteeringSuspension

rear camera doesn't work--also theres a problem with the rack and pinion

NHTSA ODI 11725360

Mar 17, 2026Backup camera & sensors

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA ODI 11724917

Mar 16, 2026Backup camera & sensors

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the rear-view camera displayed a black screen while the vehicle was in reverse(R). The contact stated that the failure obstructed the driver's visibility, which prevented the driver from safely operating the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. Most recently, the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the radio displayed a black screen. No warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11724604

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Working with the data? Download all 1,037 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 2016 Ford Escape Gas verdict →