no report yet
Electrical: engine block heater
NewRisk. An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
2016 Ford EscapeProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 1,192 owner complaints about the 2016 Ford Escape, most often about the power train. It is covered by 4 safety recalls, and for recall 25V-695 the manufacturer reports only 1% of affected cars repaired.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through November 9, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Bull-Doser, Public domain.
Complaints by system
Where the 2016 Ford Escape has problems
1,192 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
322Power train8 crash/fire/injury
267Back over prevention8 crash/fire/injury
202Engine10 crash/fire/injury
95Electrical system4 crash/fire/injury
73Steering
63Fuel/propulsion system
57Engine and engine cooling
32Vehicle speed control
32Wheels
13317 other systems23 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Power train | 322 | 8 |
| Back over prevention | 267 | 8 |
| Engine | 202 | 10 |
| Electrical system | 95 | 4 |
| Steering | 73 | 4 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 63 | 2 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 57 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 32 | 7 |
| Wheels | 32 | 1 |
| 17 other systems | 133 | 23 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
4 recalls
2016 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 · 2026 Q3
Sensing system: camera
Risk. A rearview camera that fails to properly display an image can reduce the driver’s view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
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 · 2018 Q4
Air bags: knee bolster
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.
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 power train problems start?
88kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 192 power train complaints. 66% were reported before 100,000 miles.
13under 30k miles126under 100k miles66100k 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.
Power train
30 owners mentioned a cost$5,450median
Middle half: $3,775 – $6,362
Engine
11 owners mentioned a cost$6,000median
Middle half: $700 – $10,800
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
2016 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
2016 Ford Escape safety ratings
2016 Ford Escape SUV AWD 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
In owners' words
What Escape owners report
Recent power train complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
The vehicle was diagnosed as being stuck in 3rd gear, with 2 transmission related codes. The vehicle seems to struggle to get up to speed between 15-30mph, and sometimes when accelerating from a stop such as at a stop light. It revs high, catches up and rpms drop to normal. I have reached out to…
We've been having check engine light on "Cylinder 2 misfire". We had the spark plugs replaced and the ignition coil replaced, which fixed it for about a month, but it returned. We had further diagnostics done with video into cylinder 2 and found that we have engine coolant leaking into the…
Complete transmission failure while driving. Gears blew completely apart. Resulting in inability to safely maneuver vehicle out of roadway. Dealership replaced transmission at my expense. No warning or indication of imminent failure.
Own a 2016 Escape?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.