2013 Ford Escape reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 2,754 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Ford Escape over 14 years — 130 per year. That is the most complaints per year among the 13 Escape years on this site. NHTSA has 18 recalls on file, including Engine block heater, Gear position indicator, and Latch.

Ford Escape, 2013–2016 body — Photo by Tyanroon-chan, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

Complaints

2,754

Per year

130

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (1,269 of 2,754), then Powertrain (402) and Electrical system (340). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 75,000 miles, and the middle half falls between 44,000 and 104,000 miles. Those filings include 50 that report a crash, 90 that report a fire, and 47 that report an injury.

Next to 2012 and 2014

The 2012 Escape has 599 complaints, 40 per year, and the 2014 has 2,084 complaints, 64 per year. The 2013 has more complaints per year than the 2012. The 2013 has more complaints per year than the 2014.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2013 Ford Escape. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (18)

Recall equipment, electrical, engine block heater 2026-01-15 · NHTSA campaign 26V011000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Focus, 2013-2019 Escape, and 2015-2016 MKC vehicles equipped with a 2.0L engine. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.

Remedy Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed March 6, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S01. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on January 16, 2026.

Vehicles affected 116,672

Recall powertrain, automatic transmission, gear position indicator 2022-06-10 · NHTSA campaign 22V413000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2019 Escape, 2013-2018 C-Max, 2013-2016 Fusion, 2013-2021 Transit Connect, and 2015-2018 Edge vehicles. The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach.

Remedy Dealers will replace the under hood shift bushing and add a protective cap over the shift cable bushing, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters, informing owners of the safety risk, were mailed July 1, 2022. Remedy parts are expected to be available in 4th Quarter 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed October 27, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S43.

Vehicles affected 2,925,968

Recall latches, locks, and linkages, doors, latch 2020-06-08 · NHTSA campaign 20V331000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Fiesta, 2013-2014 Fusion, 2015 Mustang, 2013-2015 Escape and C-Max, 2012-2015 Focus, 2014-2016 Transit Connect, 2013-2014 Lincoln MKZ, and 2015 MKC vehicles. These vehicles were previously recalled and repaired under recalls 15V-246, 16V-643 or 17V-210, however the repair may not have been completed properly. A component within the door latches may break making the doors difficult to latch and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.

Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the latch date codes to confirm if the repair was done correctly, and replace the side door latches if necessary, free of charge. Owners will also have the option to inspect their own vehicle's door latches and enter the date codes into a website to determine if the latches are correct. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 27, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S30.

Vehicles affected 2,147,323

Recall powertrain, automatic transmission, lever and linkage, floor shift 2018-07-16 · NHTSA campaign 18V471000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2014 Ford Escape, and 2013-2016 Ford Fusion vehicles, equipped with six-speed automatic transmissions. The bushing that attaches the transmission shifter cable to the transmission may degrade over time and cause the bushing to detach from the transmission. The condition could allow the driver to move the shift lever to Park and remove the ignition key, while the transmission may not be in Park, with no warning message or audible chime.

Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the shifter cable bushing, free of charge. The recall began September 20, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S20. Note: Owners are directed to use the parking brake until the recall remedy repairs can be made.

Vehicles affected 504,182

Recall latches, locks, and linkages, doors, latch 2016-09-06 · NHTSA campaign 16V643000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2012-2015 Ford Focus, 2013-2015 Ford Escape and Ford C-MAX, 2015 Lincoln MKC and Ford Mustang, and 2014-2016 Ford Transit Connect vehicles. A component within the door latches may break, preventing the doors from latching and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.

Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the door latches with an improved part, free of charge. The recall began on January 27, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S30.

Vehicles affected 2,046,297

Recall electrical system, wiring 2015-12-02 · NHTSA campaign 15V813000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013 Escape vehicles manufactured January 11, 2012, to April 1, 2013, and 2013-2014 Focus ST vehicles manufactured May 03, 2012, to October 14, 2013. Insufficient compression in the engine wiring harness splices to the Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) sensor may provide incorrect signals to the powertrain control module (PCM).

Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the current crimped splices with new splices, free of charge. The recall began on January 7, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 14S17-S1.

Vehicles affected 9,017

Recall Air bags 2014-09-26 · NHTSA campaign 14V597000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Ford C-Max vehicles manufactured January 19, 2012, to November 21, 2013; Ford Fusion vehicles manufactured February 3, 2012, to August 24, 2013; Ford Escape vehicles manufactured October 5, 2011, to November 1, 2013; and Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured April 25, 2012, to September 30, 2013. The coating on portions of the Restraint Control Module (RCM) may crack, and when exposed to humidity, circuits on the printed circuit board may short.

Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the RCM, free of charge. Parts are not currently available. The recall began on May 26,2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 14S21.

Vehicles affected 746,842

Recall electrical system, wiring 2014-08-11 · NHTSA campaign 14V495000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Escape vehicles manufactured October 5, 2011, to April 1, 2013, and equipped with 2.0 liter engines and Focus ST vehicles manufactured February 14, 2012, to October 14, 2013, and equipped with 2.0 liter engines. Insufficient compression in the engine wiring harness splices to the Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) sensor may provide incorrect signals to the powertrain control module (PCM).

Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the current crimped splices with new splices, free of charge. The recall began in October 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14S17.

Vehicles affected 133,227

Recall structure, body, door 2014-05-07 · NHTSA campaign 14V239000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Escape vehicles manufactured October 5, 2011, through April 10, 2014. Due to an assembly misalignment between the exterior door handle and the door outer panel, the affected vehicles have doors that may be difficult to close or may possibly open while driving.

Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and correct the mounting of the door handles, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 30, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14S03.

Vehicles affected 581,986

Recall air bags, frontal, inactive sensor control module 2014-05-07 · NHTSA campaign 14V237000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 C-MAX, and Escape vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the restraint control module (RCM) may have errors in the programming software which may result in a delayed deployment of the side-curtain rollover air bag.

Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the RCM, free of charge. The recall began on May 30, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14S04.

Vehicles affected 594,785

Recall seats, front assembly, recliner 2014-04-02 · NHTSA campaign 14V164000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured August 15, 2012, through September 10, 2013, 2013-2014 Ford Escape vehicles manufactured June 5, 2012, through August 12, 2013, and 2013-2014 Ford C-Max vehicles manufactured from July 23, 2012, through May 28, 2013. The driver and passenger seatback assemblies may have been produced with sub-standard weld joints used to attach the seat back recliner mechanism to the seat frame. The affected seat backs may have insufficient strength to meet the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 207, "Seating Systems."

Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the seatback, free of charge. The recall began on May 30, 2014. Owners may contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14C03.

Vehicles affected 43,135

Recall Engine 2013-11-25 · NHTSA campaign 13V583000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013 Escape vehicles manufactured October 5, 2011, through June 2, 2013 and equipped with 1.6L engines. The affected vehicles may experience localized overheating of the engine cylinder head which may cause cracks that could allow oil to leak.

Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will modify the engine shielding, cooling and control systems, free of charge. An interim notice will be mailed to owners during January 2014. The recall began on April 9, 2014. Owners may contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's recall number is 13S12.

Vehicles affected 139,917

Recall gasoline fuel system, delivery, hoses and fittings 2013-11-25 · NHTSA campaign 13V584000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013 Escape vehicles manufactured from October 5, 2011, through July 11, 2012, and equipped with a 1.6L engine subject to prior safety recall NHTSA 12V-336. In some cases, the engine compartment fuel line may have been installed incorrectly when repaired under the prior recall. The misinstalled fuel line could chafe and eventually leak fuel.

Remedy Ford will notify owners and dealers will inspect the engine compartment fuel line, and if necessary, replace it, free of charge. An interim notice will be mailed to owners during January 2014. The recall began on April 9, 2014. Owners may contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's recall number is 13S12.

Vehicles affected 9,469

Recall Latches, locks, and linkages 2013-03-07 · NHTSA campaign 13V085000

Summary Ford is recalling certain model year 2013 Focus and C-Max vehicles built from November 16, 2012, through November 21, 2012; and model year 2013 Escape vehicles manufactured from November 14, 2012, through November 21, 2012. The left rear door child lock was built incorrectly. As a result, the child lock may not engage when the operator uses normal force to activate the child lock.

Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the affected rear door latches, and replace them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on March 27, 2013. Owners may contact Ford Motor Company Customer Relationship Center at 1-866-436-7332.

Vehicles affected 5,675

Recall Engine and engine cooling 2012-12-03 · NHTSA campaign 12V551000

Summary This is an update to a recently announced recall. Ford is recalling certain model year 2013 Escape vehicles manufactured from October 5, 2011, through November 26, 2012, equipped with 1.6L engines, as well as certain model year 2013 Fusion vehicles manufactured from February 3, 2012, through November 29, 2012, equipped with 1.6L engines. Coolant system leaks may cause the engines to overheat and leak flammable engine fluids.

Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine for coolant system leaks and reprogram the vehicles powertrain control module and instrument cluster with an updated calibration and overheat strategy software. There will be no charge to owners for this service. Owners were recently notified to contact dealers to arrange for alternative transportation as Ford developed a remedy. Owners will be shortly receiving notifications to contact Ford dealers to schedule the free remedy repair. Owners may contact Ford Motor Company Customer Relationship Center at 1-866-436-7332.

Vehicles affected 80,057

Recall Engine and engine cooling 2012-09-04 · NHTSA campaign 12V431000

Summary Ford is recalling certain model year 2013 Escape vehicles manufactured from October 5, 2011, through August 31, 2012, equipped with 1.6L engines. The cylinder head cup plug (freeze plug) may become dislodged resulting in significant loss of engine coolant.

Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will seal the existing plug and add a secondary plug cover, free of charge. The safety recall began on September 11, 2012. Owners may contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332.

Vehicles affected 6,146

Recall gasoline fuel system, delivery, hoses and fittings 2012-07-18 · NHTSA campaign 12V336000

Summary Ford is recalling certain model year 2013 Escape vehicles manufactured from October 5, 2011, through July 11, 2012, and equipped with a 1.6L engine. These vehicles have an engine compartment fuel line which may split, resulting in a leak.

Remedy Ford will notify and instruct owners to stop driving their vehicles and contact a Ford or Lincoln dealer to arrange pick-up of their vehicle. Customers will be provided with a rental vehicle if needed. The dealer will replace the engine compartment fuel line, free charge. The recall began on August 10, 2012. Owners may contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332.

Vehicles affected 9,320

Recall hydraulic brakes, pedals and linkages 2012-07-06 · NHTSA campaign 12V319000

Summary FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2013 ESCAPE VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM MARCH 8, 2012 THROUGH JUNE 7, 2012. DUE TO MIS-POSITIONED CARPET PADDING THE CENTER CONSOLE TRIM PANEL MAY BE PUSHED OUTBOARD OF THE INTENDED POSITION, REDUCING CLEARANCE RELATIVE TO THE PEDAL PACKAGE.

Remedy FORD WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REMOVE THE CARPET PADDING AND LEFT-SIDE CONSOLE TRIM PANEL REPLACED WITH A NEW PANEL, FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 20, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-866-436-7332.

Vehicles affected 8,266

NHTSA's count is every vehicle in that campaign. A campaign can cover other model years and other models.

Complaints by component (2754 total)

Engine

1269

Powertrain

402

Electrical system

340

Steering

302

Fuel and propulsion system

247

Engine and engine cooling

175

Speed control

Structure

Latches, locks, and linkages

Service brakes

Air bags

Seat belts

Electronic stability control (ESC)

Fuel system, gasoline

Wheels

Visibility and wipers

Suspension

Exterior lighting

Hydraulic brakes

Tires

Visibility

Seats

Back-over prevention

Lane departure

Adaptive and mobility equipment

Air brakes

Equipment

Forward collision avoidance

Diesel fuel system

Fire-related

Fuel system, other

Traction control

Show 24 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Of the 1,973 complaints that include an odometer reading, the median is 75,000 miles. The middle half fall between 44,000 and 104,000 miles.

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the contact became aware that there was fire coming from under the hood. The contact turned off the vehicle, opened the hood, and…"
Fuel system, gasoline · filed 2026-09-14
"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…"
Unknown or other, Engine · filed 2026-09-10
"Transmission failure needing full replacement"
Powertrain · filed 2026-09-10
"Driver door would won’t latch I tried wd40 and put the latch back in place noting working I thought I should notify that it is a safety risk"
Structure · filed 2026-09-04
"The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheating warning light illuminated. The contact noticed an unusual odor inside the vehicle. The vehicle…"
Engine and engine cooling · filed 2026-08-27

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2013 Ford Escape SUV 4x2	4 stars	4 stars	5 stars	4 stars
2013 Ford Escape SUV 4x4	4 stars	4 stars	5 stars	4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
Escape all-wheel drive	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	All-wheel drive	21	28	24 MPG	$2700
Escape all-wheel drive	1.6L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	All-wheel drive	22	29	25 MPG	$2600
Escape front-wheel drive	2.5L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	22	30	25 MPG	$2600
Escape front-wheel drive	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	22	29	24 MPG	$2700
Escape front-wheel drive	1.6L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	23	32	26 MPG	$2500

Specs and fitment

3rd generation, 2013–2019

Body styles SUV

Oil 5W-20 synthetic (1.6L EcoBoost/2.5L I4); 5W-30 synthetic (2.0L EcoBoost) , 5.7 qt capacity

Tire size 235/55R17 (S/SE) to 235/50R18 (SE/Titanium)

Known issues for this generation

Early third-gen years (especially 2013) also draw NHTSA powertrain filings about the shifter-cable bushing. Recall 18V-471 covers certain 2013-2014 Escapes with six-speed automatics: the bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade and detach so the lever can show Park while the gearbox is not in Park, with no warning; dealers replace the bushing (Ford 18S20). Recall 22V-413 expands that bushing concern to certain 2013-2019 Escapes among other Ford models; dealers again replace the bushing. Separately, recall 17V-209 covered the 2014 Escape with the 1.6L GTDI: driving with low coolant could crack the cylinder head and leak oil onto hot parts, raising fire risk; dealers installed a coolant-level sensor. Recall 16V-643 covered 2013-2015 Escapes among about two million Ford/Lincoln vehicles for door-latch parts that may break so a door fails to latch or opens while moving; dealers replaced the latches.

Compare

Previous year 2012 Ford Escape Next year 2014 Ford Escape See every Ford Escape model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2013 Ford Escape reliable?

What are common problems with a 2013 Ford Escape?

Is the 2013 Ford Escape more reliable than the years next to it?

Has the 2013 Ford Escape been recalled?

The 2013 Ford Escape has 18 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2013 Ford Escape?

Owners have filed 2754 complaints about the 2013 Ford Escape with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2013 Ford Escape get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2013 Ford Escape is 24.8 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What generation is my Ford Escape?

2008-2012 is the 2nd generation, 2013-2019 is the 3rd generation, and 2020-onward is the 4th generation.

Should I avoid charging my Ford Escape's high-voltage battery?

If your 2020-2024 Escape is covered by recall 24V-954, Ford advises not charging the high-voltage battery until the recall remedy has been completed.