2014 Ford Escape Electrical System
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
AFTER ABOUT (3) MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING THE CAR, THE ELECTRONIC INSTRUMENT CLUSTER STARTED FLICKERING. I DIDN'T PAY TOO MUCH ATTENTION TO IT. AFTER A WHILE, THE SCREEN COMPLETELY WENT OUT. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR AN OIL CHANGE & THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTEE & IT WOULD COST ME AT LEAST 750.00 TO REPLACE THE WHOLE ELECTRONIC INSTRUMENT CLUSTER & THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO KEEP THE CAR FOR AT LEAST 3 DAYS BECAUSE THEY HAD TO KEEP THE CAR UNTIL THEY RECEIVE THE NEW CLUSTER & INSTALL IT. IF THERE ARE OTHERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM, I WOULD LIKE SOME ADVICE.
ON AUGUST 22, 2018, I WAS DRIVING AND THE ELECTRONIC INSTRUMENT PANEL WENT BLANK. I DROVE TO WORLD FORD IN PENSACOLA, FL AND WAS TOLD THAT I WOULD NEED TO RETURN THE FOLLOWING DAY BECAUSE THEY WERE TOO BUSY TO CHECK OUT MY PROBLEM. I RETURNED THE FOLLOWING DAY AT MY APPOINTMENT TIME, AND AN HOUR AND A HALF LATER, THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE ELECTRONIC INSTRUMENT PANEL NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND IT WOULD COST APPROXIMATELY $1,600.00. I LEFT THE DEALERSHIP TO DO SOME RESEARCH ON THIS PROBLEM. I DISCOVERED THAT FORD HAD ISSUED A RECALL #15V406000 ON JUNE 24, 2015 FOR SOME 2014 FORD ESCAPES. WHEN I CALLED ABOUT THIS, I WAS TOLD THAT MY VIN WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL AND THAT IT WAS NOT COVERED. FORD KNEW THAT THERE WAS A SOFTWARE INCOMPATIBILITY ISSUE THAT WOULD CAUSE A MALFUNCTION. THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD #101, "CONTROL AND DISPLAYS". MY LIFE IS AT RISK BY DRIVING THIS VEHICLE WITH AN INOPERATIVE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. WHY IS IT, THAT FORD FIXED THE PROBLEM IN SOME 2014 ESCAPES, BUT NOT ALL. WHY IS IT OKAY THAT THEY ARE ALLOWED TO PLACE MY LIFE IN DANGER??? I THINK THAT FORD SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO REPLACE ALL FAULTY INSTRUMENT PANELS, NOT JUST SOME OF THEM. I FAIL TO UNDERSTAND WHY MY LIFE IS LESS IMPORTANT THAN OTHER 2014 ESCAPE OWNERS, AND WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR HELP IN SECURING A REMEDY TO THIS PROBLEM.
THE ELECTRONIC SCREEN IN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL HAS FAILED. FORD RECALLED THIS MODEL UNDER SAFETY RECALL NUMBER "15V406000". HOWEVER, THE RECALL MAKE DATE STOPPED ONE MONTH BEFORE MY CAR MAKE DATE. MY VEHICLE HAS A BLANK SCREEN BUT IS CURRENTLY NOT COVERED. THE SCREEN STOPPED WORKING IN JULY, 2017 WITH 53000 MILES ON THE CAR. I WAS GIVEN AN ESTIMATE OF $750.00 TO REPAIR.
THE DISPLAY SCREEN WHICH SHOWS MILEAGE AND TIRE PRESSURE JUST RANDOMLY WENT OUT. IT WAS AS IF THERE WAS SOME SORT OF SHORT. THE SCREEN WOULD COME ON WITH LINES THROUGH IT AND TRY TO SHOW THE DISPLAY AND THEN COMPLETELY WHITED OUT. THIS WAS WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. I WENT OUT TO START IT ONE DAY ON MY WAY TO WORK AND THERE WAS NOTHING VISIBLE.
RECALL 14S17 VEHICLE HAS HESITATED AND STALLED SEVERAL TIMES. IT HAS STALLED TWICE AFTER BEING PUT IN REVERSE. EVENTUALLY CAR STARTED. THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN SEVERAL INSTANCES WHILE DRIVING WHERE THE VEHICLE SEEMS TO SPUTTER AND HESITATE BUT WILL CONTINUE TO DRIVE. YESTERDAY IT STALLED AFTER BEING STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST POWER AFTER ACCELERATION AND WOULD NOT RESTART. VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT MECHANIC'S SHOP AND MECHANIC IS REPORTING AN ERROR CODE OF "POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE FAIL". THIS VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE! THIS VEHICLE SHOULD BE REPAIRED UNDER RECALL 14S17 AS IT IS A DOCUMENTED ISSUE WITH 2014 FORD ESCAPE VEHICLES.
SCREEN ON DASH, IN FRONT OF STEERING WHEEL, IS JUST A BLANK LIGHT. I CAN NO LONGER SEE MY MILEAGE, DIRECTIONAL, COMPASS, ETC
INSTRUMENT CLUSTER IS INOPERATIVE
MY VEHICLE KEEPS STALLING AND DYING WHEN I AM DRIVING AT A SLOW SPEED (ROADWAY OR PARKING LOT ALIKE) , I REPLACED THE BATTERY TO MAKE SURE THAT WASN'T CAUSING IT AND IT STILL DOES IT. I STARTED TO RESEARCH THE ISSUE AND APPARENTLY THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THAT MODEL FOR THE WIRING HARNESS AND THE DESCRIPTION MATCHES MY ISSUE. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT MY VEHICLE DOES NOT HAVE THE RECALL. I DID MORE RESEARCH AND THERE ARE NUMEROUS ACCOUNTS OF DEALERSHIPS STATING THIS IS NOT A RECALL AND SOME PEOPLE WERE ALMOST INJURED BECAUSE OF THIS. VEHICLES STOPPING WHILE DRIVING IS VERY DANGEROUS. THIS RECALL DEFINITELY NEEDS TO BE EXPANDED. THE CODE REPORTED FOR THIS IS TSP 13-12-12. PLEASE LOOK AT THESE LINKS: HTTP://WWW.FORDESCAPE.ORG/FORUM/ENGINE-TECHNICAL-DISCUSSION/22274-ENGINE-STALLING-CUTTING-OUT-WHILE-DRIVING.HTML HTTPS://JALOPNIK.COM/FORD-FOCUS-ST-FORUM-COMPLAINTS-RESULT-IN-WIRING-HARNES-1622529308 HTTP://WWW.CARPROBLEMZOO.COM/FORD/ESCAPE/WIRING-PROBLEMS.PHP
IN 3 DAYS MY CAR HAD DIED 6 TIMES. FIRST TIME I THOUGHT MAYBE I HAD LEFT SOMETHING ON AND DRAINED THE BATTERY. I HAD SOMEONE AT WORK JUMP ME, AND I WENT ON MY WAY. THE FOLLOWING 5 TIMES, I HAD TO REPEATEDLY PUSH THE START BUTTON WHILE TRYING TO PUSH DOWN ON THE BREAK. EVENTUALLY THE CAR STARTS BUT ALL OF MY ELECTRONICS GO CRAZY. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP TODAY, DROVE 20 MILES TO GET THERE, TURNED THE CAR OFF, WHEN THEY TRIED TO MOVE IT, IT WOULDN'T START. I SHOWED THEM HOW YOU HAVE TO KEEP PUSHING THE BUTTON WHILE EVERYTHING ELECTRICAL GOES CRAZY. DEALERSHIP BLAMING THE BATTERY, BUT WHAT IS CAUSING THE BATTERY TO DRAIN SO FAST? MY CONCERN IS THAT ALL THE ELECTRONICS GO CRAZY AND IT DECIDES TO DIE WHENEVER IT WANTS. HOPE I AM NOT DRIVING WITH MY TWO SMALL CHILDREN!!!! BASED ON WHAT I AM READING ONLINE, I AM NOT THE ONLY PERSON HAVING THIS ISSUE!
WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE THE ABS WARNING LIGHT COMES ON AND DOES NOT GO OUT AS IT SHOULD. UPON PUTTING THE CAR IN GEAR AND MOVING FORWARD, THE SPEEDOMETER GOES OUT, TRIP COMPUTER GOES OUT, TRACTION CONTROL WARNING LIGHT COMES ON AND THEN HILL ASSIST WARNING LIGHT COMES ON. DEALER HAS BEEN UNABLE TO FIX THIS PROBLEM AND CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE WITH FEAR OF BRAKES FAILING, NO SPEEDOMETER AND OTHER WARNING LIGHTS COMING ON.
INSTRUMENT PANEL CLUSTER IS INOPERATIVE. BLANK MULTIFUNCTIONAL DISPLAY. THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL PLACED FOR THIS ISSUE FOR SAFETY CONCERNS ON VEHICLES MANUFACTURED AT THE SAME PLANT BETWEEN MAY 19, 2014 TO FEBRUARY 6, 2015. THE NUMBER FOR THE RECALL IS 15C03. MY VEHICLE ISN'T INCLUDED. MY VEHICLE IS FROM THE SAME MANUFACTURING PLANT, BUT WITH THE DATE OF MARCH 2014. MY CAR HOWEVER DOES HAVE A RECALL OF THE COOLANT SYSTEM, POSSIBLE OVERHEATED WITH FIRE HAS BEEN REPORTED. I AM WAITING FOR PARTS. IF IT WERE TO OVERHEAT I WOULD HAVE NO WARNING WITH THE INSTRUMENT PANEL INOPERATIVE. ALSO WITH WEATHER CHANGING, I HAVE NO WARNING FOR PROPER TIRE INFLATION AND SEVERAL OTHER SAFETY CONCERNS. IF THE RECALL WAS PLACED BECAUSE A "SAFETY CONCERN" WAS RECOGNIZED, HOW CAN MY VEHICLE BE ELIMINATED IN THE RECALL. IT'S THE SAME SAFETY CONCERN.
MY 2014 FORD ESCAPE SUDDENLY HESITATES AND STALLS WHILE DRIVING IT, CAUSING A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. MY ESCAPE HAS NEVER HAD ANY WORK PERFORMED ON IT BEYOND NEW TIRES AND OIL CHANGES SO THIS IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE AND WAS INFORMED IT IS A PROBLEM WITH THE SPLICES IN THE WIRING HARNESS FOR THE MAP SENSOR. I WAS ALSO TOLD IT IS THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM AS FORD'S CURRENT RECALL NUMBER 14S17 FOR 2013-2014 FORD ESCAPES; HOWEVER MY VIN IS NOT COVERED BY THIS RECALL DUE TO ITS MANUFACTURING DATE. APPARENTLY ADDITIONAL VEHICLES NEED TO BE ADDED TO THIS RECALL OR A NEW RECALL NEEDS TO BE ISSUED AS THIS ISSUE CONTINUED ON MY FORD ESCAPE AND FORD HAS REFUSED TO FIX MY PROBLEM SINCE MY VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY DUE TO THE NUMBER OF MILES, EVEN THOUGH THIS IS CLEARLY A SAFETY ISSUE CAUSED BY A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM AND NOT A WEAR AND TEAR ISSUE. I WAS CHARGED $360.35 TO REPAIR MY VEHICLE.
ON APRIL 5, 2016, MY SUV FAILED TO START, SO I CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD. THE BATTERY HAD EXTENSIVE CORROSION. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED AAA, AND THE TECHNICIAN REPLAVED THE BATTERY. OCTOBER 5, 2016, I NOTICED THAT MY SUV WAS HESITANT TO START NORMALLY. AFTER INSPECTING MY BATTERY, A SMALL AMOUNT OF CORROSION WAS AGAIN PRESENT. ASSUMING THIS WAS MORE THAN A SIMPLE BATTERY ISSUE, I MADE AN APPOINTMENT AT MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP ' BRANDON FORD IN TAMPA, FL. I EXPLAINED THE TECHNICIAN MY RECENT HISTORY WITH THE BATTERY AND SHOWED HIM THE PICTURES. I EXPLICITLY INFORMED HIM THAT I DID NOT WANT A 'BAND-AID FIX' FOR THIS ISSUE. AFTER HIS ASSESSMENT, THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THAT HE WOULD CLEAN THE CONNECTIONS AND INSTALL ANTI-CORROSION PADS AND THAT WOULD SOLVE THE ISSUE. ON DECEMBER 30 2016, I VISITED BRANDON FORD BECAUSE MY VEHICLE'S 'CHECK ENGINE' LIGHT HAD BEEN ILLUMINATED, AND THE SUV WAS EXPERIENCING STUTTERING WHILE DRIVING BOTH ON MY RESIDENTIAL STREET AND ON THE HIGHWAY. A BIT OF CORROSION WAS PRESENT AGAIN. THE FORD TECH CALLED ME AFTER DIAGNOSING THE PROBLEM AND EXPLAINED TO ME THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE AROUND $400 TO FIX THE ISSUE ' A POOR ELECTRICAL CONNECTION ' BY REPLACING THE ENGINE HARNESS SIGNAL RETURN SPLICES. HE ALSO INFORMED ME THAT THIS WAS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY. NONETHELESS, I CHOSE TO COMPLETE THE SERVICE. ON FEBRUARY 9TH, I REACHED OUT TO FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE TO EXPLAIN MY ISSUE. I HAVE ATTACHED ALL CORRESPONDENCE TO AND FROM FORD. THEY DO NOT FEEL IT IS A WARRANTY OR MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. I WISH TO HAVE THAT RE-EVALUATED.
FAILURE OF THE MULTIPLE FUNCTIONAL DISPLAY. THE DISPLAY WAS FLICKERING AND DIFFICULT TO SEE FOR A FEW WEEKS, BUT THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN ONE DAY WHEN I STARTED THE CAR IT WENT COMPLETELY BLACK AND HAS REMAINED SO SINCE THAT TIME. I CAN NO LONGER SEE THE DISPLAY, WHICH IS COMPLETELY BLACK. THIS INCLUDES THE ODOMETER, IMPORTANT INDICATORS, AND WHAT GEAR THE CAR IS IN. THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE THAT OCCURRED A COUPLE OF MONTHS AFTER THE CAR LEFT THE WARRANTY PERIOD BY DATE (>3 YEARS). WITH NO WAY TO READ THE ODOMETER, THIS MAKES IT NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO SELL THE VEHICLE AT FAIR MARKET VALUE. THE NHTSA HAS ISSUED RECALLS ON THE MULTIPLE FUNCTIONAL DISPLAY FOR OTHER 2014 FORD ESCAPES, HOWEVER MY VIN IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. I BELIEVE MY CAR HAS THE SAME FAULTY MULTIPLE FUNCTIONAL DISPLAY THAT THE RECALLED VEHICLES HAVE.
THE EVAPORATOR TEMPERATURE SENSOR DOES NOT PROPERLY WORK CAUSING THE AC TO BLOW HOT AIR AND IN THE SUMMER THAT CAUSE PEOPLE TO OVER HEAT OR PASS OUT FROM HEAT EXHAUSTION BECAUSE THE PART IS NOT WORKING.
VEHICLE WAS STARTED WITH REMOTE START IN DRIVEWAY. DRIVER OPENED FRONT PASSENGER DOOR . PLACE PURSE WITH KEY ON SEAT AND ANIMAL CARRIER WITH SICK PET ON FRONT FLOOR. WHEN DOOR WAS CLOSED ALL 4 DOORS LOCKED. ATTEMPTS TO OPEN THE DOORS WERE MADE BY 3 SEPARATE PEOPLE WITH NO SUCCESS. HAD TO BREAK BACK WINDOW TO GET IN. COST US $500 FOR THE WINDOW. FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE OFFERED NO ASSIST WITH THE REPAIR.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED AFTER THREE DAYS OF ATTEMPTING TO UNLOCK THE DOORS, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT UNLOCK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE IT COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 14,170.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FORD ESCAPE. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE BATTERY WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT COASTED OVER TO THE SHOULDER AND WAS SHIFTED INTO PARK. THE CONTACT WAITED FOR A FEW MINUTES AND THE VEHICLE RESTARTED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED AT AN UNKNOWN LOCATION WHERE THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE DUPLICATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7,439.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EMITTED A BURNING RUBBER ODOR THROUGH THE VENTS AND CAUSED THE ODOR TO PENETRATE THE INTERIOR FABRIC. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION SEVERAL TIMES, HOWEVER THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NEW REASON WHY IT HAD THE BURNING RUBBER ODOR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.
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Quick Summary
The 2014 Ford Escape has 69 Electrical System complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.