2014 Ford Escape Engine Problems
Owners have filed 727 complaints with NHTSA about engine problems on the 2014 Ford Escape, 35% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 74,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “engine coolant” (9% of reports).
- 727engine complaints
- 74,000median miles at failure
- 2mention a crash
- 2mention an injury
- 2related recalls
- $6,400typical repair cost reported by owners
- 41%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Engine coolant: mentioned in 63 of 727 complaints (9%)
- Cylinder head: mentioned in 45 of 727 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical engine repair on the 2014 Ford Escape at $6,400, and half of them between $1,650 and $10,050.
Based on 39 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2017–2026), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do engine problems happen?
Based on 453 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 727 complaints, 2 mention a crash, 74 a fire, 2 an injury.
Ford Escape engine complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Escape | 2 | 67% | — |
| 2025 Escape | 5 | 19% | — |
| 2024 Escape | 13 | 17% | 4,092 |
| 2023 Escape | 28 | 28% | 6,200 |
| 2022 Escape | 33 | 14% | 39,200 |
| 2021 Escape | 44 | 13% | 79,000 |
| 2020 Escape | 121 | 8% | 65,500 |
| 2019 Escape | 316 | 53% | 61,194 |
| 2018 Escape | 1,165 | 64% | 78,667 |
| 2017 Escape | 1,579 | 59% | 70,000 |
| 2016 Escape | 200 | 17% | 64,000 |
| 2015 Escape | 239 | 21% | 74,000 |
| 2014 Escape | 727 | 35% | 74,000 |
| 2013 Escape | 1,265 | 46% | 75,000 |
| 2012 Escape | 73 | 12% | 40,500 |
| 2011 Escape | 248 | 19% | 47,102 |
| 2010 Escape | 493 | 24% | 52,000 |
| 2009 Escape | 254 | 15% | 70,167 |
| 2008 Escape | 83 | 4% | 85,500 |
| 2007 Escape | 25 | 10% | 100,400 |
| 2006 Escape | 47 | 10% | 93,000 |
| 2005 Escape | 130 | 9% | 113,000 |
| 2004 Escape | 31 | 6% | 109,748 |
| 2003 Escape | 24 | 4% | 127,413 |
| 2002 Escape | 36 | 4% | 150,000 |
| 2001 Escape | 27 | 3% | 125,436 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (2)
Equipment:electrical:engine block heater
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
Engine and engine cooling:engine
Problem: 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, the engine cylinder head may overheat, crack and leak oil.
Risk: If the cylinder head cracks and leaks oil, the oil may contact a hot engine or exhaust component, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will install a coolant level sensor and the supporting hardware and software, free of charge. Interim notices informing owners of the safety risk were mailed April 21, 2017. The recall began on January 5, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S09.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
in my 2014 ford escape has a coolant intrusion in the first cylinder.
At first, I just bought it two weeks ago. It was smoke coming from the engine and there was no coolant. The coolant wasnât holding in the car now I was driving last night. I had coolant in it and there was just flames coming out by where the Oil is
My car warned me via service light that there was low coolant in my car, so I went to go get it topped off but the guys at valvoline said my coolant was almost completely full. I continued to drive it since the service light turned off, but when I drove it a day later, it suddenly warned me that my…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2014 Ford Escapes have engine problems?
No. NHTSA has 727 owner complaints about engine for the 2014 Ford Escape (35% of the 2,089 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2014 Ford Escape engine?
Yes: 2 safety recalls list engine. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do engine problems start?
The median reported mileage is 74,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix engine problems on the 2014 Ford Escape?
Owners report a typical cost of $6,400 (half paid between $1,650 and $10,050), from 39 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine problems on the 2014 Ford Escape?
The most frequent phrase is “engine coolant”, in 63 of 727 complaints, followed by “cylinder head” (45).
Other 2014 Ford Escape problems
See all 2014 Ford Escape problems or engine problems across all Escape years.