Ford Escape Back Over Prevention Problems
Owners have filed 533 complaints with NHTSA about back over prevention problems on the Ford Escape across 14 model years. The 2016 model year has the most (241). The words owners use most often: “rear view” (27% of reports).
- 533back over prevention complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 11mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 6related recalls
- 17%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.
- Rear view: mentioned in 145 of 533 complaints (27%)
- Camera displayed: mentioned in 130 of 533 complaints (24%)
- Prevention contacted: mentioned in 104 of 533 complaints (20%)
- Distorted image: mentioned in 42 of 533 complaints (8%)
At what mileage do back over prevention problems happen?
Based on 300 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 533 complaints, 11 mention a crash.
Ford Escape back over prevention complaints by model year
| Model year | Back Over Prevention complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Escape | 10 | 13% | 35,690 |
| 2023 Escape | 3 | 3% | 32,834 |
| 2022 Escape | 9 | 4% | 32,000 |
| 2021 Escape | 11 | 3% | 40,000 |
| 2020 Escape | 28 | 2% | 71,000 |
| 2019 Escape | 3 | 1% | 78,000 |
| 2018 Escape | 6 | 0% | 96,000 |
| 2017 Escape | 5 | 0% | 56,065 |
| 2016 Escape | 241 | 21% | 86,050 |
| 2015 Escape | 158 | 14% | 91,000 |
| 2014 Escape | 51 | 2% | 85,000 |
| 2013 Escape | 6 | 0% | 40,000 |
| 2010 Escape | 1 | 0% | — |
| 2004 Escape | 1 | 0% | 14,719 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (6)
Back over prevention:software
Model years: 2020, 2021, 2022
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Escape, Lincoln Corsair, 2020-2024 Lincoln Aviator, and Explorer vehicles. The image on the center display may flip or invert, resulting in an incorrectly displayed rearview image when the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk: An incorrectly displayed rearview image can reduce the driverâs view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the accessory protocol interface module (APIM) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 23, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C11. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on March 5, 2026.
Back over prevention: sensing system: camera
Model years: 2015, 2016
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.
Back over prevention:software
Model years: 2020, 2021, 2022
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2022 Transit Connect, 2019-2020 MKZ, MKX, Edge, Continental, F-150, Nautilus, Fusion, 2019-2023 Ranger, Mustang, 2020-2021 EcoSport, Expedition, Navigator, 2020-2022 Escape, F-250 SD, Corsair, 2020-2023 Aviator, Transit, 2020-2024 Explorer, 2021-2024 Bronco Sport, and 2022-2024 Maverick vehicles. A software error may cause the rearview camera to display a blank image, or the image may remain on the display after the backing event has ended.
Risk: A rearview camera that displays a blank image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle. A rearview image that continues to be displayed after the vehicle is shifted out of reverse may distract the driver. Both of these situations can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the rearview camera software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 4, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S72.
Back over prevention:software
Model years: 2023, 2024
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Bronco, F-150, 2021-2024 Edge, 2022-2025 Escape, F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, F-600, 2022-2024 Expedition, 2022-2025 Transit, 2021-2023 Mach-E, 2024 Ranger, Mustang, 2021-2023 Lincoln Nautilus, 2022-2024 Navigator, and 2023-2024 Corsair vehicles. A software error may cause the rearview camera image to delay, freeze, or not display when the vehicle is in reverse.
Risk: A frozen or missing rearview camera image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: The accessory protocol interface module (APIM) software will be updated by a dealer or through an over-the-air update, 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 June 26, 2025. Additional letters will be mailed once the final remedy is available on each phase. Owner notification letters were sent on October 8, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S49.
Back over prevention: sensing system: camera
Model years: 2025
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Escape vehicles. The rearview camera may incorrectly display an inverted image when the vehicle is in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk: An inverted rearview camera image will not accurately display what is behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25C08.
Back over prevention: sensing system: camera
Model years: 2020
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Ford F-150, F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, Explorer, Mustang, Transit, Expedition, Escape, Ranger and Edge, and Lincoln Nautilus and Corsair vehicles. Due to a poor electrical connection, the rearview camera may intermittently display a blank or distorted image. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk: Reduced rearward visibility can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rearview camera, free of charge. The recall began November 17, 2020. Remedy became available on February 1, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on February 1, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20C19.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while reversing, the rearview camera was intermittently inoperable and displayed an inverted, cloudy, or flickering image. The contact received notification for NHTSA Campaign Number 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the parts…
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to complete the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall…
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the parts to complete the recall repair were unavailable. The contact stated that while reversing, the rearview camera displayed a brief and…
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (back over prevention); however, the part to complete the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a…
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the parts to complete the repair were unavailable. The contact stated that while reversing, the rearview camera displayed a brief and intermittent…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Ford Escapes have back over prevention problems?
No. NHTSA has 533 owner complaints about back over prevention for the Ford Escape. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Ford Escape back over prevention?
Yes: 6 safety recalls list back over prevention. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
What do owners say about back over prevention problems on the Ford Escape?
The most frequent phrase is “rear view”, in 145 of 533 complaints, followed by “camera displayed” (130).
Other Ford Escape problems
- Engine problems (7,208)
- Power Train problems (4,655)
- Steering problems (3,945)
- Electrical System problems (2,525)
- Engine and Engine Cooling problems (2,331)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (2,298)
- Structure problems (2,296)
- Fuel/propulsion System problems (1,834)
See all Ford Escape problems.