no report yet
Electrical: engine block heater
NewRisk. An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
2013 Ford EscapeProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 2,753 owner complaints about the 2013 Ford Escape, most often about the engine. It is covered by 18 safety recalls, and for recall 20V-331 the manufacturer reports only 44% of affected cars repaired.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through October 21, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: IFCAR, Public domain.
Complaints by system
Where the 2013 Ford Escape has problems
2,753 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
1,266Engine78 crash/fire/injury
401Power train20 crash/fire/injury
339Electrical system21 crash/fire/injury
303Steering7 crash/fire/injury
247Fuel/propulsion system15 crash/fire/injury
175Engine and engine cooling
92Vehicle speed control
87Structure
65Latches/locks/linkages
40223 other systems36 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 1266 | 78 |
| Power train | 401 | 20 |
| Electrical system | 339 | 21 |
| Steering | 303 | 7 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 247 | 15 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 175 | 2 |
| Vehicle speed control | 92 | 9 |
| Structure | 87 | 10 |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 65 | 3 |
| 23 other systems | 402 | 36 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
18 recalls
2013 Ford Escape recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
repaired · 2024 Q3
Automatic transmission: gear position indication (prndl)
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.
repaired · 2022 Q2
Doors: latch
Risk. A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.
repaired · 2019 Q4
Lever and linkage: floor shift
Risk. If the vehicle is exited without the transmission being in Park and without the parking brake being applied, the vehicle may unexpectedly move, increasing the…
Show 14 more recalls
repaired · 2018 Q2
Doors: latch
Risk. A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.
repaired · 2017 Q2
Electrical system: wiring
Risk. The incorrect signals could cause the vehicle to hesitate or the engine to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
repaired · 2015 Q4
Air bags
Risk. The short circuits could cause the frontal air bags, side curtain air bags and the seat belt pretensioners to not function as intended when needed, increasing…
repaired · 2016 Q1
Electrical system: wiring
Risk. The incorrect signals could cause the vehicle to hesitate or the engine to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
repaired · 2015 Q3
Body: door
Risk. A door that opens unexpectedly may result in an unrestrained occupant falling from the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury.
repaired · 2015 Q3
Frontal: sensor/control module-inactive
Risk. If the side-curtain rollover air bag is delayed in deploying in certain rollover circumstances, the risk of injury to the passengers is increased.
repaired · 2015 Q3
Front assembly: recliner
Risk. The back of the subject seats may become loose or lean while driving and potentially increase the risk of injury in certain crashes.
repaired · 2015 Q2
Delivery: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Risk. A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.
repaired · 2015 Q2
Engine
Risk. Leaking engine oil may come into contact with a hot engine surface potentially resulting in an engine compartment fire.
no report yet
Latches/locks/linkages
Risk. The operator may incorrectly believe the child lock is engaged.
no report yet
Engine and engine cooling
Risk. If flammable engine fluids come in contact with the vehicles hot exhaust system, a vehicle fire could occur.
no report yet
Engine and engine cooling
Risk. As leaking engine coolant evaporates on the hot engine, the glycol may ignite causing an engine compartment fire.
no report yet
Delivery: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Do not driveRisk. If this leak occurs in the presence of an ignition source, there is an increased risk of a fire and/or personal injury.
no report yet
Service brakes, hydraulic: pedals and linkages
Risk. THE REDUCED CLEARANCE MAY RESULT IN THE DRIVERS FOOT CONTACTING THE SIDE OF THE BRAKE PEDAL WHILE TRANSFERRING THE FOOT FROM THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO THE…
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Ford.
Mileage at failure
When do engine problems start?
75kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 934 engine complaints. 75% were reported before 100,000 miles.
173under 30k miles702under 100k miles232100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs
What owners say repairs cost
Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.
Engine
54 owners mentioned a cost$1,132median
Middle half: $544 – $4,550
Steering
45 owners mentioned a cost$2,000median
Middle half: $1,800 – $2,200
Power train
18 owners mentioned a cost$4,750median
Middle half: $1,802 – $6,750
Electrical system
14 owners mentioned a cost$1,050median
Middle half: $608 – $2,475
If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.
Best & worst years
2013 vs. every other Escape year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Escape median. How we score
9961,0275584991,3944642541,9741,6932,0711,3206042,7532,0911,1481,1922,7101,8336041,62135623810278263
'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
2013 Ford Escape safety ratings
2013 Ford Escape SUV 4x4 in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
★★★★★Overall rating
Frontal crash★★★★★
Side barrier★★★★★
Side pole★★★★★
- Rollover: 4 stars (18.5% risk)
- Stability control: Standard
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
3 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2013 Ford Escape, and the recalls they led to.
- Door Latch FailureLed to recall 16V-643
- Loss of Motive PowerNo recall
- Door Latch FailuresLed to recall 20V-177
In owners' words
What Escape owners report
Recent engine complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
I recently purchased this vehicle for 2400.00 from a private seller. Within 3 weeks of very minor driving the car got 1 block from home and showed very hot and dumped all the coolant. And that was the 1st time it had been driven that day and it was 69 degrees outside. We let it sit for about a week…
The contact's son owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her son was driving 30 MPH, the vehicle stalled with an unknown message displayed on the instrument panel. The contact's son pulled off to the shoulder of the road and restarted the vehicle. The vehicle was restarted and went…
Vehicle: 2013 Ford Escape SEL (1.6L EcoBoost) Approximate current Mileage: 134,646 miles System: Engine / Engine Cooling / Powertrain Incident Description: I am filing this complaint to report a severe and systemic safety defect regarding the 1.6L EcoBoost engine in my 2013 Ford Escape. The vehicle…
Own a 2013 Escape?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.