2013 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

ELECTRIC POWER STEERING ASSIST STOP WORKING WHILE DRIVING. NO POWER STEERING IN VEHICLE AT ALL. LOOKED ONLINE AND SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON ISSUE WITH THESE VEHICLES THAT SHOULD BE RECALLED.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Loud noise from blower motor and no airflow from vents. Vehicle is available for inspection if needed. I believe this is related to the issue identified here: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2017/SB-10099087-2532.pdf. Many others have reported the same issue and I believe a recall should be issued. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The noise coming from the blower motor makes it difficult to hear traffic noise, sirens, etc. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? No Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that within five minutes of starting the vehicle, the engine overheated with the warning message turn off the engine displayed. The contact indicated that the engine cooling system was replaced by an independent mechanic however, the failure recurred. The local dealer was notified of the failure however, no assistance was offered. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 160,000.

Vehicle had transmission replaced at 80,000 miles due to the gears slipping and the car going forward in reverse and accelerating without pressing the gas. Vehicle now has 109,000 miles and has presented with other issues. The first incident occurred after fueling the vehicle. Owner got back into the car, all of the lights the turn on when a door is open illuminated and they proceeded to press the brake and attempt to turn on the car. The brake seized up and the car was not turning on. Owner had battery replaced three weeks ago at a shop and the computer was reset. Owner called roadside thinking it may need a jump. Roadside arrived and advised the vehicle was not in need of a jump as the battery components were testing fine and the lights illuminated and the key fob was working. Attempted to start vehicle numerous times, including with remote start and owner reports it felt as if the start stop button wasn't working. Eventually, the car turned on and ran for about 10 second when the engine cut out and the battery remained running (AC, radio, lights, etc.) owner and roadside tried to turn the vehicle off and the button was not working. Waited 10 minutes, opened driver door and then the stop button worked. Advised a tow, tow truck came an hour later and car started as normal. Owner took it to dealer to report the problem and they replaced the vapor valve. Next day owner drove about 35 miles to destination and when they came back out to the car the issue repeated. Car would not start but all lights would come on dash. Car was able to be remote started but then engine cut out. After an hour car started as normal but was towed back to dealer for fear of stalling while on the highway. Vehicle has been at the dealer for 3 days and they have had the issue repeat for themselves. The dealer has stated they have checked everything and have no idea what is going on and are unsure of how to figure out the problem and how to fix it.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? - Engine overheating. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? - The engine overheats while driving and the car stalls. This put me and my family in danger as the engine does not provide any power to the vehicle and essentially stalls and 'shuts down'. If the car overheats it could potentially catch on fire putting me in danger. Additionally, if I am traveling on a highway or a city street with no engine power, I risk a collision with other drivers. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? - The car has been to the dealer for service on 8+ occasions for this issue. They have seen the vehicle overheat and have downloaded the codes from the vehicles computer that confirm the issue. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? - The vehicle has been inspected by the manufacturer's engineers. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? - Yes, there was a warning each time the vehicle overheated. However, the warning happened simultaneously to the overheat issue. So, while it technically warned me - it was a moot point because i was already traveling at city street speeds. This is a recurring issue that began 5+ years ago and persists today. Ford has not been able to properly diagnose the root cause, or provide a fix to the issue. I am nervous to put my family in this vehicle. Uploading the initial service request below - can provide additional files if needed.

I was driving off when a Steering Assist Fault Service Required message appeared on my dash. I could no longer control the steering wheel and got really hard to move. I had to put it in reverse and leave it where it was parked, since it was a hazard not being able to move the steering wheel left or right.

The car will stall out and say it’s overheating when it isn’t. This is very dangerous because it can cause a major accident. I have taken it to Ford dealership and another mechanic and each time they say there is nothing wrong with it but it’s been doing this since 2017 when I bought it.

The power steering overheated malted. Had to replace unit 2,500. Also seatbelts no longer retract...safety issues....told car could catch on fire if i drove car with bad power steering.

I was pulling out of my street onto the highway when my power steering went out. No warning lights or anything, just took everything I have (as a young female) to turn it and then pull over. Took it in to the dealership and they said it needs to be replaced and that it happens to these cars. $3,100 to fix it! I had to actually go sifting through the info and settings to find the alert that the steering assist had an issue, it didn’t even tell me. Luckily nobody was immediately behind me on the highway, it could have been really bad. Overall very scary and very unimpressed this has happened to others and Ford hasn’t done anything about it.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer where he was informed that the vehicle was not under recall. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and referred the contact to NHTSA for assistance. Upon investigation, the contact linked the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V551000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000. The VIN was not included.