2014 Ford Escape: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 2,069 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 16 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
2,069
Complaints
16
Recalls
47
Crash reports
103
Fire reports
41
Injuries
62.5
Severity index
Severity index 62.5 - Medium. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 139 2014 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2014 Ford Escape ranks 87 of 139 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 37% of its model-year peers. See the full 2014 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| ENGINE | 718 | 34.7% |
| POWER TRAIN | 479 | 23.2% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 270 | 13.0% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 211 | 10.2% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 186 | 9.0% |
| STEERING | 150 | 7.2% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 120 | 5.8% |
| STRUCTURE | 84 | 4.1% |
The single most-reported system is ENGINE, cited in 718 of 2,069 complaints (34.7%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2013 | 5 |
| 2014 | 61 |
| 2015 | 58 |
| 2016 | 69 |
| 2017 | 165 |
| 2018 | 251 |
| 2019 | 286 |
| 2020 | 219 |
| 2021 | 136 |
| 2022 | 232 |
| 2023 | 206 |
| 2024 | 167 |
| 2025 | 146 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 68 |
Complaint volume is broadly steady year over year.
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 |
| 17V472000 | 25/07/2017 | SEAT BELTS | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014 Ford F-150 and E-350, 2014-2015 Ford Escape, and 2015 Lincoln MKC vehicles. Improperly manufactured bolts may have been used to install certain seats, seatbacks, seatbelt buckles, or seatbelt anchors on these vehicles. |
| 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 |
| 17V209000 | 27/03/2017 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014 Escape, 2014-2015 Fiesta ST, 2013-2014 Fusion and 2013-2015 Transit Connect vehicles equipped with 1.6L GTDI engines. If the vehicle is started and driven with an insufficient level of coolant within the engine cooling system, |
| 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. |
| 14V525000 | 02/09/2014 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2014 Ford Focus vehicles manufactured May 1, 2014, to May 24, 2014, 2014 Ford Escape vehicles manufactured on June 6, 2014, and 2015 Lincoln MKC vehicles manufactured June 4, 2014, to July 7, 2014. In the affected vehicle |
| 15V005000 | 09/01/2015 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP | Ford Motor Company (Ford) notified the agency on January 8, 2015, that they are recalling certain model year 2014 Ford Escape vehicles manufactured April 15, 2014, to May 8, 2014, and 2015 Lincoln MKC vehicles manufactured April 21, 2014, to May 15, 2014. On April 30, 2015, Ford |
| 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. |
| 15V406000 | 24/06/2015 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Ford Escape vehicles manufactured May 19, 2014, to February 6, 2015, and Transit Connect vehicles manufactured May 11, 2014, to July 2, 2015. Due to a software incompatibility issue, the instrument panel cluster |
| 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 |
| 14V403000 | 02/07/2014 | VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2014 Ford Escape vehicles manufactured October 15, 2013, through October 22, 2013. The panorama roof glass may not be properly bonded to the attaching bracket. |
| 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.