2016 Ford Escape UNKNOWN OR OTHER
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
10/2/19 DRIVING 55 MPH, LARGE GUN LIKE EXPLOSION SOUND IN VEHICLE, GOT TO WORK, INSPECTED VEHICLE, PANORAMIC SUNROOF SHATTERED. NOTHING ABNORMAL HAPPENED TO CAUSE IT, NO BUMPS, NO TRUCKS, NO FLYING DEBRI, DRIVING BY MYSELF AND NOT ALONGSIDE ANY OTHER VEHICLE. DRIVING DOWN MECHANICSVILLE TURNPIKE IN RICHMOND, VA JUST CROSSED OVER LABURNUM ROAD AT 7:50AM 10/2/19
BLANK MULTIPLE FUNCTIONAL DISPLAY (MFD) AND VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY AND JUST STARTED UP WHEN NOTICED; CANNOT DETERMINE MILEAGE AT THE TIME. AND VEHICLE LOCKED WHEN IF THERE WAS A FOB INSIDE AND MOTOR NOT RUNNING; HAPPENED AUGUST 1, 2019
I WAS DRIVING DOWN I25 IN COLORADO. IT WAS 75 WITH CLEAR SKIES WITH NO CARS AROUND ME. SUDDENLY I HEARD A LOUD SOUND THAT SOUNDED LIKE A SHOT GUN WENT OFF IN MY VEHICLE. WE SOON REALIZED MY SUNROOF HAD EXPLODED. NOTHING HIT IT. IT JUST EXPLODED. WE LATER FOUND OUT THIS IS FAIRLY COMMON. THANKFULLY WE HAD THE SHADE PULLED CLOSED SO NO ONE WAS INJURED.
ALARM GOES OFF CONSTANTLY FOR UNKNOWN REASONS
WATER LEAK - WHEN DRIVING IN ANY DEGREE OF RAIN, WATER LEAKS INTO THE CEILING SOMEWHERE. WE HAVE NO LUGGAGE RACK, NO SUNROOF, NO OBVIOUS SOURCES WHERE A LEAK MIGHT FORM. THE WATER GATHERS IN THE FRONT CEILING-LIGHTS AND DRIPS ON THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER'S LEGS. WATER BUILDS UP IN THE CEILING FOAM AND VISIBLE WATERMARKS FORM ON THE WINDSHIELD SUPPORT ARMS AND NEAR THE SUN-VISORS. AFTER EXTENSIVE RESEARCH ONLINE, IT APPEARS THIS IS NOT A SINGULAR EVENT BUT RATHER A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH THE FORD ESCAPES IN RECENT YEARS. COUNTLESS PEOPLE NOTING THAT THEY TOOK THEIR ESCAPES TO FORD DEALERSHIPS AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO LOCATE THE SOURCE OF THE LEAKS. IT HAS BEEN BLAMED ON EVERYTHING FROM EXTREME CONDENSATION LEVELS INSIDE THE CAR TO SOME TYPE OF VENT INTO THE CAR BEING BLOCKED AND BUILDING UP EXCESS FLUIDS...NONE OF WHICH MAKES ANY SENSE.
DRIVING THIS RENTAL CAR IN ALASKA. ONE DAY PUT ON THE HEATER AND DRIVER DEVELOPED SEVERE HEADACHE, AND PASSENGER FELT VERY SLEEPY. WINDOWS OPENED, BOTH FELT BETTER, AND HEATER TURNED OFF AND NEVER USED AGAIN. NO PROBLEMS AFTERWARD.
THE BACK HATCH CAN BE FOOT ACTIVATED, BUT ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, SUCH AS SITTING ON THE BACK BUMPER AND PUTTING ON GOLF SHOES, I'VE ACCIDENTALLY SLIPPED A FOOT BACKWARDS WHILE BENDING OVER, WHICH HAS ACTIVATED THE HATCH TO CLOSE, AND IT'S CLOSED ON MY HEAD SEVERAL TIMES. ALSO, WITH THE BACK SEATS FOLDED DOWN, AND TRYING TO PUSH SOMETHING AS FAR FORWARD AS POSSIBLE, MY FOOT WOULD SLIP UNDER THE CAR ENOUGH TO ACTIVATE THE DOOR, CLOSING ON ME. IT'S ALSO HAPPENED WHILE UNLOADING GROCERIES IF MY FOOT GETS TOO CLOSE TO THE BUMPER. I'VE HAD THE BACK HATCH HIT MY HEAD WELL OVER A DOZEN TIMES SINCE I LEASED THIS VEHICLE. AT ALL TIMES THE CAR WAS PARKED, AND NOT TURNED ON. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP TO SEE IF THIS FEATURE (FOOT ACTIVATION ONLY) COULD BE DEACTIVATED, BUT THEY TELL ME IT CANNOT BE. SOMEBODY IS GOING TO GET SERIOUSLY HURT BY THE HATCH CLOSING ON THEIR HEAD.
WHEN I BACK THE CAR UP, STOP, PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE, MOVE FOOT TO ACCELERATOR, THE CAR WANTS TO FLOOD OUT, OR DIE. THE CAR WILL NOT MOVE AND WHEN IT DOES MOVE IT SOMETIMES SHUDDERS AGAIN. MY 2.5 L ENGINE SEEMS TO BE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE 2.0 ENGINES ARE HAVING. A ROLLING REVERSE TO DROVE ENGAGEMENT SHUDDER ON ACCELERATION WHICH CONTINUES AFTER YOU START MOVING.
I WANT TO REPORT A LIFE/HEALTH SAFETY ISSUE FOR A VEHICLE THAT I RENTED AT REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT ON 17 JULY 2016 AND RETURNED THE VEHICLE ON 20 JULY 2016. THE VEHICLE THAT WE RENTED IS A 2016 FORD ESCAPE RED, PLATE NUMBER NC EAL2306 AND BUDGET CAR NUMBER 45880623. WE ONLY DROVE THE CAR ON SUNDAY THE 17TH THREE OF THE FOUR OCCUPANTS HAD THE FOLLOWING SYMPTOMS: HEADACHE, DIZZINESS, AND NAUSEA AFTER ONLY A FEW MINUTES IN THE CAR WITH THE A/C ON IN RE-CIRCULATION MODE. THE REASON I REMEMBER THIS DETAIL IS THAT THE TEMPERATURES WERE VERY HOT AND WE WERE TRYING TO KEEP THE CAR COOL INSIDE AS THE VEHCILE HAS BLACK LEATHER SEATS. WE STOPPED BY A RESTAURANT FOR LUNCH AND MY WIFE THOUGHT SHE HAD SOME BAD FOOD. SHE HAD SEVERE NAUSEA, HEADACHE, AND OTHER UPPER RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS. OUR DAUGHTER HAD SIMILAR SYMPTOMS. I HAD SINUS DRAINAGE, A HEADACHE AND DIZZINESS. WE WENT OUT LATER IN THE DAY TO CHECK THE ROUTE FOR OUR DAUGHTER'S VOLLEYBALL CAMP AND WE'RE IN THE CAR FOR APPROXIMATELY AN HOUR AND A HALF. SAME SYMPTOMS OCCURRED WITH THREE OF FOUR OCCUPANTS.
I BOUGHT MY 2016 FORD ESCAPE BACK IN JANUARY BRAND NEW AND AT 12,000 WHILE DRIVING IT ON A BUSY STREET, THE ENGILE LIGHT COMES ON AND IT STARTS SHOWING A MESSAGE THAT SAYS "ENGINE FAULT SERVICE NOW". IT IS VERY SCARY WHEN THAT HAPPENS WHEN DRIVING IT SINCE IT JUST STARTS SHAKING AND IT WON'T GO ANYWHERE. WE HAVE HAD A 2011 FORD ESCAPE THAT HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM AND IT GOT RECALLED FOR IT. YOU WOULD THINK THAT FORD WOULD BUILD THEIR NEWER VEHICLES SAFER AFTER KNOWING THAT THEIR OLDER VERSIONS HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE THROTTLE BODY. THANKFULLY WE TOOK IT TO THE FORD SERVICE CENTER AND THEY ARE GOING TO FIX IT HOHOPEFULLY. BUT IT SUCKS BECAUSE IT'S OUR ONLY VEHICLE WE USE TO GET TO WORK AND THEY HAD NO LOANERS AVAILABLE. HOPEFULLY FORD DOES SOMETHING ABOUT IT BECAUSE THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT.
Trend Over Time
Complaints by year
Other Issues
Common problems reported
Quick Summary
The 2016 Ford Escape has 85 UNKNOWN OR OTHER complaints on file. 3 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.