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)

4 of 1,037 complaints match · Electrical system · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Nov 22, 2022SteeringSuspensionElectrical systemCrash

I crashed car because is park according with transmission and car still moved and hit fence, I contact ford for this incident and still waiting someone contact me. So I decide lawsuits against Ford

NHTSA ODI 11494642

Mar 10, 2021Electrical systemFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS AT THE LOCAL DEALER SOUTH BAY FORD LOCATED AT 5100 ROSECRANS AVENUEHAWTHORNE, CA 90250 WHEN THE CENTER CONSOLE PHONE CHARGER SUDDENLY CAUGHT ON FIRE DESTROYING THE VEHICLE. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. NO ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WAS AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000.

NHTSA ODI 11400222

Jan 29, 2021Electrical systemEngineFire1 injury

WHEN PURCHASE 2016 FORD ESCAPE WITHIN A MONTH SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON YOU CAN SMELL COOLANT SOMETINES SMOKE SMELL TOOK VEHICLE IN THEY TOLD IT WAS NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT, FROM 2016 TO 2021 I HAD TO PURCHASE COOLANT OVER TEN TIMES IT WAS ALWAYS LOW THE SMELL CONTINUE TOO THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS COMES ON STAYS ON HOWEVER TOOK IT IN THREE TIMES WITH THE SAME ANSWER NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT IS FINE. I WROTE LETTERS TO FORD CUSTOMER RELATIONS REPORTING ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL CONCERNS THAT NEEDS REPAIRING.-REPORTING MY EYES AND BREATHING WAS AFFECTED WHEN INSIDE THE FORD ESCAPE-SOMETIMES THE ENGINE WOULD TURN OFF THERE WAS ALSO AN ODOR OF SMOKE AND COOLANT THESE ISSUES CONTINUE DAILY. EVIDENTLY FORD DIDN'T CARE BUT IT WAS REPORTED TO THEM. I ALSO WROTE TO YOUR DEPARTMENT HOWEVER I HAVE NOT HEARD BACK THEREFORE I AM DOING THIS ONLINE COMPLAINT, PLEASE NOTE I WANT TO SEND PHOTOS HOWEVER IT WOULD NOT LET ME DOWNLOAD CAN YOU SEND ME YOUR EMAIL TO SEND THIEM TO YOU IITS VERY IMPORTANT EVIDENCE THANK YOU. I

NHTSA ODI 11390603

Jan 24, 2019Electrical systemFire

MY 2016 FORD ESCAPE CAUGHT FIRE ON 12/24/2018. THE CAR WAS SITTING IN AN OPEN PARKING SPACE AND HAD NOT BEEN DRIVEN SINCE THE AFTERNOON THE DAY BEFORE. NOTE THE ENGINE WAS COLD WHEN THIS HAPPENED. IN THE EARLY AFTERNOON ON 12/24/2018, MY HUSBAND WAS WALKING OUT TO OUR FORD ESCAPE WHEN HE NOTICED SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE ESCAPE. WHEN HE ARRIVED AT THE CAR, WITNESSES SAID THE ESCAPE HAD STARTED SMOKING ON ITS OWN AND THEY HAD HEARD NOISES COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF THE CAR. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED ON THE SCENE AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. ACCORDING TO THE FIRE REPORT COMPLETED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS DETERMINED TO BE MALFUNCTIONING ELECTRICAL. WE OF COURSE SPOKE TO THE KEN GRODY FORD WHERE WE BOUGHT THE CAR AND THEY TOLD US BECAUSE THIS WAS A FIRE, IT HAS TO GO THROUGH THE FORD GENERAL COUNSEL. WE FILE THE CLAIM WITH THE CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT OF FORD. WE WERE TOLD THAT THE GENERAL COUNSEL WOULD RESPOND WITHIN 15 DAYS. THAT TIME FRAME HAS COME AND GONE. WE HAVE COMPLAINT MANY TIMES TO THE CUSTOMER SERVICE. HOWEVER, FORD HAS FAILED TO RESPOND TO US. AAA HAS TOWED THE CAR TO A SECURE SITE AS THE CAR WAS A HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUE WHERE IT WAS SITTING. AAA HAS BEEN TRYING TO GET FORD TO COME AND INSPECT THE CAR SO THAT THE ACTUAL CAUSE OF THE FIRE CAN BE DETERMINED. BUT FORD WILL NOT RESPOND TO THEM EITHER. WHAT IS MOST DISTURBING TO ME AND SHOULD BE DISTURBING TO EVERYONE, IS FORD'S LACK OF CONCERN AS TO WHAT CAUSED THIS FIRE. HAD THE FIRE STARTED FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER, MY FAMILY WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE CAR. NOT ONLY WOULD MY FAMILY HAD BEEN IN HARMS WAY BUT SO WOULD OF THE OTHERS AROUND US. THIS CAR SHOULD NOT BE PARKED IN A GARAGE. FORD NEEDS TO RECTIFY THIS PROBLEM.

NHTSA ODI 11171925

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 →