2016 Ford Escape

Family: Escape · filed with NHTSA as ESCAPE

Summary

In its first three years the 2016 Escape drew 141 complaints — 1.0× the median of its generation (2013–2019). It does not stand out from the other years of this generation.
These are complaint counts, not failure rates: they are not divided by how many cars were sold, because no public source reports U.S. sales by model year.
Complaints are spread across systems: the largest, Powertrain, holds 30% of the 1,065 that name a component.
4 recalls filed for this model year.
No federal defect investigations cover this model year.

At a glance

Owner complaints: 1,172
Recalls: 4
Investigations: 0
NCAP overall: 4 of 5 stars
Combined MPG: 23–26
Annual fuel cost: $2,400–$2,700
Median mileage at complaint: 78,000 mi (n = 643)
Crashes / fires / injuries / deaths: 39 / 10 / 21 / 0

What owners report

Powertrain

321 complaints · 30% of complaints that name a component · median 88,000 mi (n = 192)

Owner report Complete transmission failure while driving. Gears blew completely apart. Resulting in inability to safely maneuver vehicle out of roadway. Dealership replaced transmission at my expense. No warning or indication of imminent failure.

Owner report The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle sputtered and intermittently lost motive power. The message "Transmission Fault" was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact was able to drive to her sister's residence. The vehicle was then towed to an i…

Driver Assistance

253 complaints · 24% of complaints that name a component · median 86,000 mi (n = 155)

Owner report The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made…

Owner report The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera flickered. In addition, the contact stated that occasionally the rear-view camera displayed an upside-down image. The dealer was contacted and made aware of the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was di…

Engine

247 complaints · 23% of complaints that name a component · median 80,000 mi (n = 127)

Owner report Vehicle check engine light appeared on screen. Appeared that coolant hose popped off. Dealer determined that system had multiple leaks. Replaced thermostat housing, coolant crossover and heater core hoses, replaced degas bottle hose.

Owner report Bought car in 2023, one year later engine failure due to overheating from head gasket issue widespread with this vehicle. Replaced engine, and two years later facing identical issue with another engine failure. Unidentifiable coolant leak led to low oil pressure and car shaking on the highway. Will require yet another …

9% of complaints name no specific component and are left out of the shares above.

Across the generation (2013–2019)

To compare years fairly, each year is counted over the same span: complaints received up to two calendar years after its model year. A year is compared only when that span is over and it holds at least 50 complaints. Median of the comparable years: 141.

Model year	All complaints	First three years	Note
2013	2,758	389	most complaints
2014	2,089	193
2015	1,133	104
2016	1,172	141
2017	2,702	221	most complaints
2018	1,822	110
2019	599	71	fewest complaints

Recalls

Whether a recall has been fixed on a specific car depends on its VIN; check it at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

26V011000 · EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:ENGINE BLOCK HEATER

Filed 2026-01-15 · 116,672 vehicles

Defect: 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.

Risk: An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed March 6, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S01. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on January 16, 2026.

25V695000 · BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA

Filed 2025-10-13 · 1,448,655 vehicles

Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Flex, 2015 Explorer, Lincoln MKT, Lincoln MKZ, 2015-2016 C-Max, Escape, Taurus, 2016 Fusion, 2018-2019 Taurus, 2019 Lincoln MKT, Fiesta, and 2020 Mustang vehicles. The rearview camera may display a distorted, intermittent, or blank image when the vehicle is in reverse.

Risk: A rearview camera that fails to properly display an image can reduce the driver’s view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model and model years. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on October 25, 2025. Additional letters will be mailed once the final remedy is available on each phase. Mustang owner notification letters were mailed January 2, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA9. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 14, 2025.

22V413000 · POWER TRAIN:SHIFT LINKAGE/CABLE/ROD | POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)

Filed 2022-06-10 · 2,925,968 vehicles

Defect: 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.

Risk: A damaged or missing bushing may prevent the vehicle from shifting into the intended gear, and cause the vehicle to move in an unexpected direction. Additionally, the vehicle may roll after the driver selects the 'Park' position. Either scenario increases the risk of a crash or injury.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the under hood shift bushing and add a protective cap over the shift cable bushing, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters, informing owners of the safety risk, were mailed July 1, 2022. Remedy parts are expected to be available in 4th Quarter 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed October 27, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S43.

17V398000 · AIR BAGS:KNEE BOLSTER

Filed 2017-06-26 · 3 vehicles

Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016 Ford Escape vehicles. The driver's knee airbag modules installed in these vehicles were produced without the inflator gas generant material, and, as a result, the air bags may not inflate properly in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Risk: In the event of a crash, if the driver's knee air bag does not inflate as intended, the driver has an increased risk of injury.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace driver's knee air bag, free of charge. The recall began on August 8, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17C11.

Federal investigations

None on file.

Engines and fuel economy

Version	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Fuel cost / yr
Escape AWD	1.6L 4cyl	Automatic (S6)	All-Wheel Drive	22	29	25	$2500
Escape AWD	2.0L 4cyl	Automatic (S6)	All-Wheel Drive	21	28	23	$2700
Escape FWD	1.6L 4cyl	Automatic (S6)	Front-Wheel Drive	23	31	26	$2400
Escape FWD	2.0L 4cyl	Automatic (S6)	Front-Wheel Drive	21	29	24	$2600
Escape FWD	2.5L 4cyl	Automatic (S6)	Front-Wheel Drive	22	30	25	$2500

Fuel cost is EPA's estimate at the fuel prices of its last update, not today's.

Crash test ratings (NCAP)

Variant	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover
2016 Ford Escape SUV AWD	★★★★☆	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆
2016 Ford Escape SUV FWD	★★★★☆	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆

Service bulletins

Ford issued 176 service bulletins listed against this model year, most often about equipment.

A bulletin tells dealers how to fix a known condition. It is not a recall and not a defect finding. Most bulletins cover several model years at once, so one listed here may not be specific to this year. The number of bulletins tracks how long and how widely a model was sold, so it is not a measure of reliability.

Date	Component	Summary
2026-02-24	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory wireless keyless entry keypad systems may or may not come with a wallet card containing the master code. Unlike the integrated wired keypad, the access…
2025-11-26	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	This article supersedes TSB 24-2165 to update the TSB Service Procedure. Some vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit various SYNC performance related concerns including but not limited to: Display operation concerns Na…
2025-11-12	POWER TRAIN	Some 2015-2021 Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0011, P0012, P0014, P0015, P0016, P0017, P0018, P0019, P0021, P0022, P0024 and/or P0025. Pinpoint test HK in the Powertrain Contro…
2024-11-27	UNKNOWN OR OTHER	Some 2013-2016 Escape vehicles may exhibit an ABS warning indicator with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) U2300 after the ABS module is replaced.
2024-10-10	UNKNOWN OR OTHER	While performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, a transmission seal kit may be on backorder due to supply chain interruptions. …
2024-05-27	UNKNOWN OR OTHER	This article supersedes TSB 21-2175 to update the TSB Service Procedure. Some 2016 MKS, 2016-2017 Navigator, 2016-2018 F-150/Focus/C-MAX/Edge/Fiesta/MKX/Transit Connect/Mustang, 2017-2018 Continental/Fusion/MKZ, 2017-2019 Explorer, 2016-201…
2024-04-24	EQUIPMENT	All accessory stick-on keyless entry keypads come with a wallet card containing the master code. If the accessory keypad was factory installed, this card will be placed in the glove box and should be handed to the vehicles owner during ini…
2024-03-06	ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING	For 2015-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with turbocharged engines and customer concern of an engine oil leak, refer to Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 303-00 for oil leak inspection and testing methods. Ford has evaluated turbocharg…
2023-04-04	STRUCTURE	For 2000-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, swapping a module from a vehicle for diagnosis purposes is likely to cause errors and is not recommended. It is also not recommended to order a replacement module using a vehicle identification numbe…
2022-12-16	SERVICE BRAKES	Some Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit noise when the brakes are applied. When diagnosing and repairing brake noise conditions, use the Workshop Manual (WSM) and the appropriate pinpoint test in section 206-00. The brake rotors should o…

How to read this page

Complaint counts are not failure rates. A model that sells more cars draws more complaints, and owners file more often after news coverage or a recall. That is why this page compares a model year only with other years of the same generation, never with other models.

Each complaint is counted once, even when it names several components; a complaint that names several systems appears under each of them. Owner reports are quoted as filed and have not been verified by NHTSA or by us.

Every model year of this Escape, including the ones without a page of their own, is listed on the Ford Escape model page.

Sources

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation: complaints, recalls and investigations (bulk files, data as of 2026-10-28).
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program: crash test ratings.
U.S. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov: engines, transmissions and fuel economy.

MotorAlmanac is independent and not affiliated with NHTSA, EPA or any manufacturer. This page summarises public records; it is not a mechanical inspection. Before buying a used car, check its VIN for open recalls and have it inspected.