no report yet
Electrical: engine block heater
NewRisk. An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
2014 Ford EscapeProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 2,091 owner complaints about the 2014 Ford Escape, most often about the engine. It is covered by 16 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 November 9, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2014 Ford Escape has problems
2,091 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
729Engine77 crash/fire/injury
481Power train18 crash/fire/injury
216Electrical system22 crash/fire/injury
187Engine and engine cooling12 crash/fire/injury
151Steering7 crash/fire/injury
121Fuel/propulsion system
84Structure
65Latches/locks/linkages
51Back over prevention
30521 other systems51 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 729 | 77 |
| Power train | 481 | 18 |
| Electrical system | 216 | 22 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 187 | 12 |
| Steering | 151 | 7 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 121 | 4 |
| Structure | 84 | 13 |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 65 | 2 |
| Back over prevention | 51 | 1 |
| 21 other systems | 305 | 51 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
16 recalls
2014 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 12 more recalls
repaired · 2019 Q1
repaired · 2019 Q2
Engine and engine cooling: engine
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.
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 · 2016 Q4
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel
Risk. If the instrument cluster is inoperative, the driver of may not be warned of safety related issues such as low tire pressures or disabled air bags, increasing…
repaired · 2016 Q2
Delivery: fuel pump
Risk. If the fuel pump fails, the vehicle may stall without warning, 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 · 2015 Q4
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery
Risk. A reduction in fuel pressure may result in a vehicle stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
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 Q4
Visibility: sun/moon roof assembly
Risk. If the glass panel is improperly bonded, the glass may separate from the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash or 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
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
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.
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?
74kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 452 engine complaints. 76% were reported before 100,000 miles.
50under 30k miles344under 100k miles108100k 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
62 owners mentioned a cost$4,350median
Middle half: $1,248 – $8,000
Power train
40 owners mentioned a cost$4,350median
Middle half: $1,688 – $6,000
Steering
14 owners mentioned a cost$2,082median
Middle half: $2,000 – $2,488
Electrical system
11 owners mentioned a cost$1,000median
Middle half: $475 – $2,300
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
2014 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
2014 Ford Escape safety ratings
2014 Ford Escape SUV 4x2 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 (19.1% risk)
- Stability control: Standard
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
2 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2014 Ford Escape, and the recalls they led to.
- Door Latch FailureLed to recall 16V-643
- 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.
2014 Ford Escape 1.6L EcoBoost – Coolant System Failure Following Safety Recall 17S09 I own a 2014 Ford Escape equipped with the 1.6L EcoBoost engine. My vehicle is experiencing a significant coolant leak involving a broken coolant outlet flange located near the cylinder head. Before the failure,…
I am the original owner of a 2014 Ford Escape SE equipped with the 1.6 L EcoBoost engine. The vehicle currently has approximately 122,000 miles. Within he first three years of ownership, while the vehicle was still under its initial warranty, it suffered from a cracked cylinder block that required…
At first, I just bought it two weeks ago. It was smoke coming from the engine and there was no coolant. The coolant wasn’t 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
Own a 2014 Escape?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.