2014 Ford Escape reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2014 Ford Escape holds 2,084 complaints after 13 years, a rate of 64 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Escape years here — over the median of the other years, which is 38. NHTSA has 16 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

2,084

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (723 of 2,084), then Powertrain (481) and Electrical system (214). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 75,000 miles, and the middle half falls between 48,000 and 102,147 miles. Those filings include 47 that report a crash, 103 that report a fire, 36 that report an injury, and 3 that report a death.

Next to 2013 and 2015

The 2013 Escape has 2,754 complaints, 130 per year, and the 2015 has 1,096 complaints, 35 per year. The 2014 has fewer complaints per year than the 2013. The 2014 has more complaints per year than the 2015.

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 2014 Ford Escape. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (16)

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 Seat belts 2017-07-25 · NHTSA campaign 17V472000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014 Ford F-150 and E-350, 2014-2015 Ford Escape, and 2015 Lincoln MKC vehicles. Improperly manufactured bolts may have been used to install certain seats, seatbacks, seatbelt buckles, or seatbelt anchors on these vehicles.

Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected bolts, free of charge. Interim notices informing owners of the safety risk were mailed September 8, 2017. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available in the fourth quarter of 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S17.

Vehicles affected 94,605

Recall Engine 2017-03-27 · NHTSA campaign 17V209000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014 Escape, 2014-2015 Fiesta ST, 2013-2014 Fusion and 2013-2015 Transit Connect vehicles equipped with 1.6L GTDI engines. If the vehicle is started and driven with an insufficient level of coolant within the engine cooling system, the engine cylinder head may overheat, crack and leak oil.

Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will install a coolant level sensor and the supporting hardware and software, free of charge. Interim notices informing owners of the safety risk were mailed April 21, 2017. The recall began on January 5, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S09.

Vehicles affected 208,584

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, instrument cluster 2015-06-24 · NHTSA campaign 15V406000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Ford Escape vehicles manufactured May 19, 2014, to February 6, 2015, and Transit Connect vehicles manufactured May 11, 2014, to July 2, 2015. Due to a software incompatibility issue, the instrument panel cluster be inoperative including a blank multiple functional display (MFD), and non-functional warning chimes, messages and warning lights. Specific warning chimes, messages and warning lights. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 101, "Control and Displays."

Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the instrument panel software, free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15C03.

Vehicles affected 184,519

Recall Fuel pump 2015-01-09 · NHTSA campaign 15V005000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) notified the agency on January 8, 2015, that they are recalling certain model year 2014 Ford Escape vehicles manufactured April 15, 2014, to May 8, 2014, and 2015 Lincoln MKC vehicles manufactured April 21, 2014, to May 15, 2014. On April 30, 2015, Ford expanded the recall to cover an additional 45,505 vehicles, including certain model year 2014-2015 Ford Transit Connect vehicles manufactured November 11, 2013, to August 29, 2014, 2014-2015 Ford Fiesta vehicles manufactured April 10, 2014, to June 17, 2014 and 2014 Ford Edge vehicles manufactured April 30, 2014, to May 21, 2014. Improper nickel plating of components within the fuel pump may result in the fuel pump failing.

Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began on February 27, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 14S30.

Vehicles affected 54,543

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 gasoline fuel system, delivery 2014-09-02 · NHTSA campaign 14V525000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2014 Ford Focus vehicles manufactured May 1, 2014, to May 24, 2014, 2014 Ford Escape vehicles manufactured on June 6, 2014, and 2015 Lincoln MKC vehicles manufactured June 4, 2014, to July 7, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the Fuel Delivery Module (FDM) may crack between the filter body and the filter cap, possibly resulting in low fuel pressure.

Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the FDM, free of charge. The recall began in September 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 14S20.

Vehicles affected 301

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 visibility, sunroof 2014-07-02 · NHTSA campaign 14V403000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2014 Ford Escape vehicles manufactured October 15, 2013, through October 22, 2013. The panorama roof glass may not be properly bonded to the attaching bracket.

Remedy Ford has notified owners. Dealers will inspect each vehicle and replace the front roof glass if its production date and sequence number falls within the affected range, free of charge. The recall is began on July 14, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14S13.

Vehicles affected 1,867

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

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

Complaints by component (2084 total)

Engine

723

Powertrain

481

Electrical system

214

Engine and engine cooling

187

Steering

151

Fuel and propulsion system

121

Structure

Latches, locks, and linkages

Back-over prevention

Wheels

Speed control

Air bags

Service brakes

Seat belts

Visibility and wipers

Suspension

Fuel system, gasoline

Exterior lighting

Tires

Electronic stability control (ESC)

Seats

Visibility

Hydraulic brakes

Equipment

Fire-related

Adaptive and mobility equipment

Air brakes

Child seat

Lane departure

Show 21 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

103

Injury reports

Death reports

Of the 1,379 complaints that include an odometer reading, the median is 75,000 miles. The middle half fall between 48,000 and 102,147 miles.

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"In the ford escape, when the remote start is activated. The car will show as overheating. I was told it was a known issue with ford. This occurred twice resulting in over $1900 in towing and repairs. Those repairs did…"
Engine · filed 2026-09-21
"Car is eating antifreeze with no visible leaks. The vehicle overheats if not enough antifreeze. I had to use stop leak just to keep the antifreeze from leaking. The vehicle had a recall fix in 2018 for coolant intrusion…"
Engine · filed 2026-09-17
"The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine light and low coolant warning light were illuminated. Upon checking the coolant level, the contact discovered that the coolant reservoir was…"
Engine and engine cooling · filed 2026-09-15
"am reporting a potential safety defect involving my 2014 Ford Escape Titanium 1.6L EcoBoost. While driving, I suddenly heard a pop/burst from under the hood. The vehicle then began producing white smoke/steam. There…"
Engine · filed 2026-09-14
"My coolant mixing with the oil cause a severe overage. This is what I understood my recall to be about but the FORD dealership refused to fix it on June 1st. Now I’m subject to a very expensive car repair."
Engine · filed 2026-09-09

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2014 Ford Escape SUV 4x2	4 stars	4 stars	5 stars	4 stars
2014 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	1.6L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	23	31	26 MPG	$2500
Escape front-wheel drive	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	22	29	24 MPG	$2700
Escape front-wheel drive	2.5L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	22	30	25 MPG	$2600

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 2013 Ford Escape Next year 2015 Ford Escape See every Ford Escape model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2014 Ford Escape reliable?

What are common problems with a 2014 Ford Escape?

Is the 2014 Ford Escape more reliable than the years next to it?

Has the 2014 Ford Escape been recalled?

The 2014 Ford Escape has 16 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 2014 Ford Escape?

Owners have filed 2084 complaints about the 2014 Ford Escape with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2014 Ford Escape get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2014 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.