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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)

86 of 1,037 complaints match · Electrical system · clear filters · page 4 of 4

Oct 2, 2017Electrical systemVisibility & wipersBody & structure

2016 FORD ESCAPE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO SEVERAL MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL ISSUES THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED TO THE MANUFACTURER. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER DID NOT PROVIDE THE VEHICLE THAT WAS AGREED UPON. BUT, PROVIDED ANOTHER VEHICLE THAT WAS NOT CONDUCIVE TO THE CONSUMER'S MEDICAL OR PERSONAL REQUESTS. UPDATED 10/2/2017*JS

NHTSA ODI 10838238

Jan 16, 2017Transmission & drivetrainElectrical system

WHILE DRIVING AROUND 40MPH, VEHICLE CUT OFF AND DISPLAYED A MESSAGE: TRANSMISSION NOT IN PARK. AFTER PULLING OVER AND RESTARTING VEHICLE, THE VOLUME ON RADIO MOVED UP AND DOWN ON ITS OWN WHILE TRANSMISSION IN THE PARKED POSITION. LATER THAT DAY VEHICLE CUT OFF WITHIN 30 SECONDS OF USING REMOTE STARTER. DEALER UNABLE TO DUPLICATE PROBLEM OR FIND ANY DIAGNOSTIC CODES. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10945577

Sep 19, 2016Electrical systemEngine

I WAS TRAVELING 60 MPH WHEN THE ENGINE STARTED SHAKING VIOLENTLY, I LOST THE ABILITY TO ACCELERATE AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WITH AN ERROR MESSAGE OF "ENGINE FAULT". ONCE I MADE IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, THE ENGINE IDLED DOWN TO 400 AND SHUT OFF. I TRIED TO CRANK IT UP AGAIN AND THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY STARTED JUMPING VIOLENTLY. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID IT WAS RECALL 16B32.

NHTSA ODI 10907621

Sep 15, 2016Electrical systemEngine

WAS DRIVING AND VEHICLE BEGAN SHUDDERING VIOLENTLY AND SERVICE ENGINE NOW CAME ON AND VEHICLE ENGINE DIED. THANK GOODNESS I WAS NOT ON THE HIGHWAY YET AND FOUR PEOPLE HELPED TO PUSH ME OUT OF THE WAY.

NHTSA ODI 10906791

Sep 11, 2016Electrical systemElectronic Stability Control (esc)Engine

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS (ROUGHLY 70 MPH) MY VEHICLE COMPLETELY TURNED OFF WITH NO WARNING AND SAID "ENGINE FAULT. SERVICE NOW". BY THE GRACE OF GOD I DID NOT GET REAR ENDED. I SUCCESSFULLY RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND MADE IT HOME. THE SAME THING HAPPENED THE NEXT MORNING, THIS TIME ON CITY STREETS GOING ROUGHLY 20 MPH DURING RUSH HOUR. AGAINST, I WAS BEYOND LUCKY TO HAVE NOT GOTTEN INJURED OR WORSE AND THERE WAS NO WARNING AGAIN.

NHTSA ODI 10905598

Aug 26, 2016Electrical system

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS ACTIVATED, THE DASHBOARD VIBRATED AND AN ABNORMAL NOISE EMITTED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WAS AN HOLE FROM WHICH RODENTS ENTERED AND DESTROYED THE FAN. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,900. THE VIN WAS NOT PROVIDED. UPDATED 10/13/16*LJ *TR

NHTSA ODI 10898897

Aug 7, 2016Electrical system

I PURCHASED A 2016 FORD ESCAPE IN JANUARY 2016 ON 8-2-16 I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK ALL OF A SUDDEN MY CAR SLOWED DOWN IN TRAFFIC A THEN STOPPED. MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT I MADE IT TO WORK FORD SENT A TOW TRUCK TO MY JOB TO PICK UP ME AND MY TRUCK

NHTSA ODI 10893830

Jun 30, 2016Electrical system

TAKATA RECALL. DASHBOARD CLUSTER. ALL DASHBOARD INSTRUMENT NOT WORK. SIGNAL FOR DOOR GAS SEATBELT SPEEDOMETER . THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AND DASHBOARD WHEN DEAD.

NHTSA ODI 10881719

Jun 2, 2016Electrical system

WE DIDN'T HAVE THE VEHICLE THREE WEEKS AND HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP DUE TO NOT STARTING. THEY HAD THE VEHICLE FOR A WEEK AND COULDN'T FIGURE IT. THEY CLEARED THE CODE, AFTER KEEPING IT FOR WEEK. 6 DAYS LATER IT WAS TOWED FOR THE ISSUES, THEY CURRENTLY STILL HAVE THE VEHICLE AND THEY SAY THEY ARE NOT SURE WHY IT'S HAPPENING. THEY CAN'T GET IT TO THROW THE CODES, IT WORKS FINE FOR THEM. BOTH TIME WE WENT OUT TO START THE CAR AFTER IT SITTING IN THE GARAGE OVER NIGHT.

NHTSA ODI 10872083

May 16, 2016Electrical system

PERIODICALLY (COUPLE TIMES A WEEK), THE REAR CAMERA VIEW DOES NOT TURN OFF WHEN THE CAR IS IN DRIVE. DURING THE DAY, THE FAULT MEANS TEMPERATURE, AUDIO AND NAVIGATION CONTROLS CAN'T BE USED AND THE CONSTANT REAR CAMERA VIEW IN THE CENTER OF THE DASHBOARD IS DISTRACTING WHEN THE CAR IS IN FORWARD MOTION. AT NIGHT, THE FAULT IS DANGEROUS BECAUSE THE GLARE OF HEADLIGHTS FROM FOLLOWING CARS DOMINATES THE LARGE CENTER OF THE INTERNAL CONTROLS. SEVERAL ATTEMPTS BY THE DEALERSHIP (TO RESET, REBOOT, UPDATE SOFTWARE) HAVE NOT RESOLVED THE PROBLEM.

NHTSA ODI 10865277

May 2, 2016Electrical systemElectronic Stability Control (esc)

BROUGHT 2016 IN NOVEMBER 2015 AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON AND OFF ON STREETS OR HIGHWAY AND STAYED ON ALWAYS. TRUCK BEEN IN THE SHOP SINCE 3/22/16 TIL 4/13/16 THAN 4/19/16 TIL DATE. REASONS REPLACED COMPUTER PCM, REPAIRED WIRE TWICE, REPLACE CHIPS, REPLACE WIRE AGAIN. MCCARTHY FORD AND REGIONAL MANAGER NOT GOOD WITH FOLLOW UPS OR GOOD FAITH AGREEMENT.

NHTSA ODI 10862552

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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 →