2016 Ford Escape Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Escape years
- More complaints than other years 11th of 27 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 4 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 1,154 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Ford Escape. That ranks 11th out of 27 Escape model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is power train (320 complaints, 28%), typically at around 88,000 miles. Complaints mention 37 crashes, 10 fires, 19 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 1,154owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 37complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2016 Ford Escape problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train problems | 320 | 28% | 88,000 | “transmission fault” (11%) | $6,750 |
| Back Over Prevention problems | 237 | 21% | 85,500 | “rear view camera” (32%) | — |
| Engine problems | 200 | 17% | 64,000 | “head gasket” (8%) | $810 |
| Unknown or Other | 156 | 14% | 62,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System problems | 95 | 8% | 43,734 | “rear camera” (11%) | — |
| Steering problems | 73 | 6% | 41,900 | “steering assist” (37%) | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System problems | 62 | 5% | 68,000 | “minutes travel” (18%) | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 57 | 5% | 95,500 | “coolant intrusion” (32%) | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 32 | 3% | 22,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 32 | 3% | 44,857 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 24 | 2% | 46,617 | — | — |
| Structure | 21 | 2% | 29,902 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 16 | 1% | 42,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 15 | 1% | 24,275 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 9 | 1% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 8 | 1% | 28,450 | — | — |
| Suspension | 7 | 1% | 57,099 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 6 | 1% | 55,327 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 5 | 0% | 35,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 5 | 0% | 21,592 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 4 | 0% | 91,511 | — | — |
| Equipment | 3 | 0% | 167,000 | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 3 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 0% | 23,889 | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 0% | 33,000 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 0% | 100,000 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2016 Ford Escape recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
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.
Back over prevention: sensing system: camera
Problem: 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 driverâs view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Power train:shift linkage/cable/rod; power train:automatic transmission:gear position indication (prndl)
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
Air bags:knee bolster
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
It has been 10 months and Ford still does not have the fix for recall 25SA9 to replace the backup camera. This is dangerous and an excessive amount of time to take replacing an electrical component.
There has been a recall on my vehicle for over an entire year for the rear back up camera. There still is no resolution to complete the recall. I have called Ford numerous times with no resolution.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the rear-view camera displayed a blank screen, and then the message âCamera not Availableâ was displayed. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION)…
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera displayed an upside image, and an unknown message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with rear-view camera display failure. The contact was informed that the…
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…
Other Ford Escape years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Escape | 3 | 2 |
| 2025 Escape | 26 | 9 |
| 2024 Escape | 76 | 8 |
| 2023 Escape | 100 | 11 |
| 2022 Escape | 235 | 19 |
| 2021 Escape | 349 | 19 |
| 2020 Escape | 1,608 | 23 |
| 2019 Escape | 595 | 3 |
| 2018 Escape | 1,816 | 4 |
| 2017 Escape | 2,696 | 4 |
| 2016 | 1,154 | 4 |
| 2015 Escape | 1,113 | 9 |
| 2014 Escape | 2,089 | 16 |
| 2013 Escape | 2,750 | 18 |
| 2012 Escape | 603 | 1 |
| 2011 Escape | 1,317 | 2 |
| 2010 Escape | 2,070 | 3 |
| 2009 Escape | 1,693 | 1 |
| 2008 Escape | 1,974 | 3 |
| 2007 Escape | 254 | 2 |
| 2006 Escape | 464 | 3 |
| 2005 Escape | 1,394 | 4 |
| 2004 Escape | 499 | 6 |
| 2003 Escape | 558 | 7 |
| 2002 Escape | 1,027 | 8 |
| 2001 Escape | 996 | 13 |
| 2000 Escape | 5 | 0 |
See all Ford Escape problems by year, every Ford model, or the Ford VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2016 Ford Escape?
Owners most often report power train, back over prevention, engine problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 320 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2016 Ford Escape?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2016 Ford Escape a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Escape model years, the 2016 has more complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 4 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.