2013 Ford Escape: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 2,744 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 18 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
2,744
Complaints
18
Recalls
50
Crash reports
88
Fire reports
55
Injuries
42.6
Severity index
Severity index 42.6 - Medium. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 145 2013 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2013 Ford Escape ranks 109 of 145 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 25% of its model-year peers. See the full 2013 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| ENGINE | 1,265 | 46.1% |
| POWER TRAIN | 400 | 14.6% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 340 | 12.4% |
| STEERING | 302 | 11.0% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 297 | 10.8% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 247 | 9.0% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 174 | 6.3% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 92 | 3.4% |
The single most-reported system is ENGINE, cited in 1,265 of 2,744 complaints (46.1%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 27 |
| 2013 | 103 |
| 2014 | 138 |
| 2015 | 121 |
| 2016 | 168 |
| 2017 | 227 |
| 2018 | 326 |
| 2019 | 404 |
| 2020 | 286 |
| 2021 | 230 |
| 2022 | 241 |
| 2023 | 197 |
| 2024 | 161 |
| 2025 | 83 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 32 |
Complaint volume is declining, consistent with a defect that was addressed by recall or that affected early builds.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18V471000 | 16/07/2018 | POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:FLOOR SHIFT | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2014 Ford Escape, and 2013-2016 Ford Fusion vehicles, equipped with six-speed automatic transmissions. The bushing that attaches the transmission shifter cable to the transmission may degrade over time and cause the bushing to |
| 14V239000 | 07/05/2014 | STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Escape vehicles manufactured October 5, 2011, through April 10, 2014. Due to an assembly misalignment between the exterior door handle and the door outer panel, the affected vehicles have doors that may be diffi |
| 15V813000 | 02/12/2015 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013 Escape vehicles manufactured January 11, 2012, to April 1, 2013, and 2013-2014 Focus ST vehicles manufactured May 03, 2012, to October 14, 2013. Insufficient compression in the engine wiring harness splices to the Ma |
| 16V643000 | 06/09/2016 | LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2012-2015 Ford Focus, 2013-2015 Ford Escape and Ford C-MAX, 2015 Lincoln MKC and Ford Mustang, and 2014-2016 Ford Transit Connect vehicles. A component within the door latches may break, preventing the doors from latching |
| 14V597000 | 26/09/2014 | AIR BAGS | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Ford C-Max vehicles manufactured January 19, 2012, to November 21, 2013; Ford Fusion vehicles manufactured February 3, 2012, to August 24, 2013; Ford Escape vehicles manufactured October 5, 2011, to November 1, 2 |
| 14V237000 | 07/05/2014 | AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE-INACTIVE | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 C-MAX, and Escape vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the restraint control module (RCM) may have errors in the programming software which may result in a delayed deployment of the side-curtain rollover air bag. |
| 14V495000 | 11/08/2014 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Escape vehicles manufactured October 5, 2011, to April 1, 2013, and equipped with 2.0 liter engines and Focus ST vehicles manufactured February 14, 2012, to October 14, 2013, and equipped with 2.0 liter engines. |
| 14V164000 | 02/04/2014 | SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured August 15, 2012, through September 10, 2013, 2013-2014 Ford Escape vehicles manufactured June 5, 2012, through August 12, 2013, and 2013-2014 Ford C-Max vehicles |
| 12V551000 | 03/12/2012 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | This is an update to a recently announced recall. Ford is recalling certain model year 2013 Escape vehicles manufactured from October 5, 2011, through November 26, 2012, equipped with 1.6L engines, as well as certain model year 2013 Fusion vehicles manufactured from February 3, |
| 12V319000 | 06/07/2012 | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES | FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2013 ESCAPE VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM MARCH 8, 2012 THROUGH JUNE 7, 2012. DUE TO MIS-POSITIONED CARPET PADDING THE CENTER CONSOLE TRIM PANEL MAY BE PUSHED OUTBOARD OF THE INTENDED POSITION, REDUCING CLEARANCE RELATIVE TO THE PEDAL PACKAGE. |
| 13V584000 | 25/11/2013 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013 Escape vehicles manufactured from October 5, 2011, through July 11, 2012, and equipped with a 1.6L engine subject to prior safety recall NHTSA 12V-336. In some cases, the engine compartment fuel line may have been in |
| 13V583000 | 25/11/2013 | ENGINE | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013 Escape vehicles manufactured October 5, 2011, through June 2, 2013 and equipped with 1.6L engines. The affected vehicles may experience localized overheating of the engine cylinder head which may cause cracks that co |
| 13V085000 | 07/03/2013 | LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | Ford is recalling certain model year 2013 Focus and C-Max vehicles built from November 16, 2012, through November 21, 2012; and model year 2013 Escape vehicles manufactured from November 14, 2012, through November 21, 2012. The left rear door child lock was built incorrectly. A |
| 12V336000 | 18/07/2012 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | Ford is recalling certain model year 2013 Escape vehicles manufactured from October 5, 2011, through July 11, 2012, and equipped with a 1.6L engine. These vehicles have an engine compartment fuel line which may split, resulting in a leak. |
| 12V431000 | 04/09/2012 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | Ford is recalling certain model year 2013 Escape vehicles manufactured from October 5, 2011, through August 31, 2012, equipped with 1.6L engines. The cylinder head cup plug (freeze plug) may become dislodged resulting in significant loss of engine coolant. |
| 20V331000 | 08/06/2020 | LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Fiesta, 2013-2014 Fusion, 2015 Mustang, 2013-2015 Escape and C-Max, 2012-2015 Focus, 2014-2016 Transit Connect, 2013-2014 Lincoln MKZ, and 2015 MKC vehicles. These vehicles were previously recalled and repaired under recal |
| 22V413000 | 10/06/2022 | POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL) | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2019 Escape, 2013-2018 C-Max, 2013-2016 Fusion, 2013-2021 Transit Connect, and 2015-2018 Edge vehicles. The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach. |
| 26V011000 | 15/01/2026 | EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:ENGINE BLOCK HEATER | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Focus, 2013-2019 Escape, and 2015-2016 MKC vehicles equipped with a 2.0L engine. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in. |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.