Owner complaint record
2016 Ford Escape Problems and Recalls: What Owners Report
This page shows the problems 2016 Ford Escape owners reported to NHTSA, the federal agency that tracks car safety: 1,091 complaints sorted by system, the mileage they started at, the check engine codes owners named, and the recalls to check before you buy.
NHTSA owner complaintsChecked Oct 2, 20261,091 complaintsFederal file of Aug 25, 2026
+2% vs 2015
307 complaints, 28% of the total
half of the powertrain reports that give a mileage came before this
16 mention an injury, 10 a fire
The powertrain leads the 2016 Ford Escape record at 28%, with engine next at 18%. Of the powertrain reports that give a mileage, half came before 88,000 miles. The costliest part on our cost list is the electric power steering rack, $497 to $1,263 for the part alone.
It's a count of reports, not a failure rate. Use it to decide what to inspect before buying, not to grade the car.
Engine complaints again center on coolant, and backup camera complaints describe a distorted or blank rear view image.
2016 Ford Escape overview
The 2016 Escape came with three four-cylinder engines, a 2.5-liter and two turbocharged engines of 1.6 and 2.0 liters, all with a six-speed automatic.
Owners filed 2% more complaints about the 2016 than the 2015 (1,068), and the powertrain leads both years. The 2017 drew 2,663, with engine named most.
- Power
- 168 hp at 6,000 rpm
- Torque
- 170 lb-ft
- Gearbox
- 6-speed automatic
- Fuel
- Regular gasoline
- Injection
- Not direct
city / highway / combined mpg, EPA
- Power
- 240 hp at 5,500 rpm
- Torque
- 270 lb-ft
- Gearbox
- 6-speed automatic
- Fuel
- Regular gasoline
- Injection
- Direct injection
city / highway / combined mpg, EPA
- Power
- 178 hp at 5,700 rpm
- Torque
- 184 lb-ft
- Gearbox
- 6-speed automatic
- Fuel
- Regular gasoline
- Injection
- Direct injection
city / highway / combined mpg, EPA
Fuel economy from EPA fueleconomy.gov; power and torque from Kelley Blue Book's spec pages.
Is the 2016 Ford Escape reliable?
The 2016 Ford Escape ranks 8th of 16 Escape model years for owner complaints, and the powertrain draws the largest share. The four checks below are what the federal record can say; none of them is a reliability score.
- 8thCompared with other Escape years1,091 complaints, the 8th most of 16 model years (2013 has 2,744).By model year
- 28%The system named mostPowertrain, in 307 complaints. Half of the powertrain reports that give a mileage came before 88,000 miles.Problems by system
- 4Recalls4 recall campaigns cover the 2016 Ford Escape.Recalls
- 35Crashes, injuries, fires35 complaints mention a crash, 16 an injury and 10 a fire.
A complaint count is not a failure rate: the record doesn't say how many were sold, so a popular year draws more reports.
2016 Ford Escape problems by system
Every complaint to NHTSA names the part of the car that gave the owner trouble, such as the engine or the steering. The cards below sort the 1,091 complaints about the 2016 Ford Escape that way, largest first: open one to read what owners wrote, when it usually starts, and what to check.
Powertrain28%307 complaintsShifting trouble, warning lights
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What owners describe
Was driving vehicle at 35 mph then engine died, service engine now light came on, message center said contact dealer. Restarted after put in park. Checked for codes with generic scan tool, obd2 code p2112 in memory. Contacted dealer purchased from for service. Was told no codes, but battery had been disconnected, clock was reset and all radio presets erased and bluetooth erased.
Driving at 55mph on a highway, car sputtered a few times then slowed to zero, would not respond to gas pedal. Thankfully I was able to get to the side of the road. Had car towed to garage and just got word that the transmission has to be replaced... In my 3 year old car with 70000 miles. Ford says too bad out of warranty.
PATXMAOHRead 4 more owner reports+4
Torque converter bearing and seal leaking a quart of transmission fluid a day. Replaced due to faulty seal and bearing. Its' only a 2016. The seal/bearing/torque converter should not be already breaking down in 3 years.
Ford escape 2016, while driving on the street my car started smoking from the hood I stopped immediately checked for water, coolant water was empty so I filled water and I took to the mechanic shop they said its coolant reservoir
Out of nowhere car's transmission started slipping really bad on a main street intersection. The car would stall then would catch unexpectedly and launch forward. Then a message came on the screen of "transmission fault service engine now". How in the world does this happen with a 4 yr old car!!!!!
We went on vacation in our new escape and the transmission started to slip surge and other things that came close to causing 2 accidents. Something should be done about Ford being allowed to put out faulty transmissions for years. My transmission had to be rebuild with only being a few months old. Something should be done about this.
When it starts
Usually starts around 88,000 miles. Half of owners reported it between 68,280 and 107,500.
What to do
Drive through every gear and watch for a warning message.
Our guideBad Transmission Symptoms: Seven Causes Ranked by CostEngine18%196 complaintsCoolant loss, leaks, warning lights
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What owners describe
I was traveling 60 mph when the engine started shaking violently, I lost the ability to accelerate and the check engine light came on with an error message of "engine fault". Once I made it to the side of the road, the engine idled down to 400 and shut off. I tried to crank it up again and the engine immediately started jumping violently. Vehicle was towed to the Ford dealership and they said it was recall 16b32.
I pulled out into an intersection to turn left going between 5-10 mph when my Ford escape stalled. The electronics remained on, the check engine light turned on and it displayed a message that read "transmission not in park". The car was still in drive. I was able to safely roll the car to the side of the road. I was able to successfully restart the car first try.
NJMICANYRead 4 more owner reports+4
I was driving about 60 mph on interstate 95 when the vehicle suddenly shut off while in motion and I ran into the back of a 18 wheeler truck. Thankfully I was not hurt. Ford insists they cannot find anything wrong with the car.
While driving fault engine service now light keeps coming on tool it to the dealership and they said it was a p1450 purge valve that needed to be replaced did that and the light keeps coming on and while driving it loses acceleration as if it wants to cut off and the car keeps cutting off when starting the car this has been an ongoing issue for 2 or more months
I was waiting for the red light in the road. After the light turned green, I stepped on the gas pedal, however, the car didn't move at all. It stopped there. I had to restart the car to make it move again. It happened on 2017 sep, 11/29/2017 and 11/30/2017. Three times already.
Car shuttered to a stop and would not go into gear at all. Took it to a shop and the transmission needed to be replaced. There was just 100,000k miles on the car. Total transmission replacement performed. The car left me on the side of the highway.
When it starts
Usually starts around 64,000 miles. Half of owners reported it between 25,000 and 102,005.
What to do
Check the coolant level with the engine cold.
Our guideCoolant Leak: The Five Places It Comes FromBackup camera14%158 complaintsRear camera blank or distorted
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What owners describe
Apim malfunction; 2016 Ford escape. The vehicle’s apim is encountering issues that are causing the sync system, voice command, gps, radio, bluetooth, audio control, usb, hvac, and rearview camera features of the vehicle to be impaired and/or fail completely.
Rear camera image is distorted in a manner probably similar to 25v-270 and 25v-272. This is one of the few vehicles where a flipping of the image or no display occurs on reverse.
UTOHTXCARead 4 more owner reports+4
When I put the car in reverse the back up camera glitches. It freezes, flips upside down, turns black, sometimes all of those things. The beeping sound does not warn when objects are near when this is happening. It happens about 95% of the time. The camera is only functional about 5% of the time. Due to this issue I have been in several near accidents
The rear view camera is not working or works intermittently when the car is placed in reverse
Rear view camera doesn't always work when putting the car in reverse. It doesn't go blank, the monitor just remains as if it was going forward. Sometimes when it does work, it remains on while moving forward momentarily.
Rear view camera stopped working almost a year ago, and out of no where the transmission stopped working. I recently just got an oil change and asked for the works to get my whole car checked out and that report as all the reports before it came back with no issues. So found it surprising that this happened.
When it starts
Usually starts around 85,500 miles. Half of owners reported it between 60,000 and 118,750.
What to do
Put it in reverse several times and watch the camera image.
Electrical system8%87 complaintsCamera and screen faults, warning lights
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What owners describe
I was traveling 60 mph when the engine started shaking violently, I lost the ability to accelerate and the check engine light came on with an error message of "engine fault". Once I made it to the side of the road, the engine idled down to 400 and shut off. I tried to crank it up again and the engine immediately started jumping violently. Vehicle was towed to the Ford dealership and they said it was recall 16b32.
I purchased a 2016 Ford escape in january 2016 on 8-2-16 I was on my way to work all of a sudden my car slowed down in traffic a then stopped. Make a long story short I made it to work Ford sent a tow truck to my job to pick up me and my truck
MIILRead 2 more owner reports+2
While driving around 40mph, vehicle cut off and displayed a message: transmission not in park. After pulling over and restarting vehicle, the volume on radio moved up and down on its own while transmission in the parked position. Later that day vehicle cut off within 30 seconds of using remote starter. Dealer unable to duplicate problem or find any diagnostic codes.
Brought 2016 in november 2015 and check engine light was on and off on streets or highway and stayed on always. Truck been in the shop since 3/22/16 til 4/13/16 than 4/19/16 til date. Reasons replaced computer pcm, repaired wire twice, replace chips, replace wire again. Mccarthy Ford and regional manager not good with follow ups or good faith agreement.
When it starts
Usually starts around 37,617 miles. Half of owners reported it between 9,152 and 81,500.
What to do
Watch the screen and gauges at startup.
Steering7%71 complaintsPower steering assist faults
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What owners describe
Steering made creaking noise. When I took it into the dealership it was determined that the brac and pinion steering had failed. The vehicle has 46,000 miles. There have been nearly 200 reports of this failure.
In follow up to my original complaint number 10885168, steering assist malfunction while operating on the massachusetts turnpike, which resulted in a loss of power steering, the dealership confirmed the vehicle needs a new steering rack at 2500 miles.
FLCORead 2 more owner reports+2
Power steering gear failed causing car to loose power steering. Car was being backed out of a parking space when this happened. Pulled the car over. Turned the car off and waited 2 minutes. Turned car back on and power steering was back on. Drove to dealer without any further issue. They replaced steering gear.
When starting the car an alert popped up stating "steering assist failure". The steering was virtually impossible to move. Turning off the ignition and restarting the message cleared. The car has only 27100 miles. Ford states that the steering gear has failed. If this had happened while moving it could have been serious
When it starts
Usually starts around 41,900 miles. Half of owners reported it between 16,000 and 108,000.
What to do
Turn the wheel lock to lock with the engine running and watch for a steering warning.
What repairs cost on the 2016 Ford Escape
Part prices for the problems 2016 Escape owners report most. They are shelf and mail-order prices for the part alone, so a shop bill adds labor and its own markup.
Remanufactured racks from AAE, Terrepower and Maval up to a new Motorcraft one, plus a core deposit of up to $400.
Check steering racks17 brands, from SKP up to Motorcraft, with Timken and SKF between them. Priced per wheel.
Check wheel bearings18 brands, from ProSpec up to Motorcraft. Priced per rotor.
Check brake rotorsPrices on this page are our own research, not the store’s, and store prices change daily.
Prices read on RockAuto on Oct 2, 2026, for the parts listed as fitting this car; regular stock only, closeouts left out.
Check engine codes owners report
6 owners name P1450 (a Ford-specific code) in their complaints, the code named most for this car.
Complaints whose text names the code, one count per complaint. Tap a code to read our guide; grey codes have no guide yet.
When problems show up on the odometer
Electrical system complaints start earliest, typically around 37,600 miles. Powertrain complaints start latest, around 88,000 miles.
Dot: typical mileage. Bar: the middle half of reports. From the mileage owners wrote on the form.
Ford Escape complaints by model year
2016 is shown in dark. The powertrain is named most in 1 other Escape year.
Show chartHide chart
2016 is shown in dark. The powertrain is named most in 1 other Escape year.
When owners filed
Complaints about the 2016 Ford Escape have kept arriving since 2015, with peaks in 2022 and 2026. A peak often follows a recall or a news story, not a new fault.
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2016 Ford Escape recalls
4 recall campaigns cover the 2016 Ford Escape. A recall list is by model year; whether one car had the work done is in its VIN record.
2016 Ford Escape crash tests and investigations
NHTSA crash tests rate the 2016 Ford Escape four stars overall, the same for all-wheel drive and front-wheel drive. NHTSA lists no defect investigation that covers this model year.
Ratings run from 1 to 5 stars: 5 is the safest result, 1 the least safe.
Frontal stars compare cars of about the same weight; side stars compare every vehicle. Rollover stars show how top-heavy the car is: NHTSA puts the 2016 Ford Escape’s chance of rolling over in a single-car crash at 18% to 19%.
Safety equipment NHTSA recommends
Before you buy a used 2016 Ford Escape
These checks follow what 2016 Escape owners reported most: transmission trouble, coolant loss and backup camera faults. Ask for the service history by VIN, which shows engine work and whether the recall repairs were done.
- 1Check the coolant cold
Coolant loss leads the engine complaints.
- 2Drive through every gear
Shifting trouble and power loss lead the powertrain complaints.
- 3Put it in reverse a few times
A blank or distorted camera image is a common complaint.
- 4Turn the wheel lock to lock
Steering complaints describe the power assist faulting.
- 5Run the VIN for open recalls
Only the VIN says if this car got the recall repairs.
Oil and service for the 2016 Ford Escape
This is what Ford's manual says the 2016 Escape needs: which oil to use and how much, the fluids for the transmission and the cooling system, and when each job is due. The car tracks oil wear itself and shows an oil change message on the dashboard, but Ford says never to go past a year or 10,000 miles.
- Engine oil
- 5W-20
- Oil capacity, with filter
- 5.7 US quarts
- Transmission fluid
- Motorcraft MERCON LV
- Coolant
- Motorcraft Orange, prediluted
- Engine oil
- 5W-30
- Oil capacity, with filter
- 5.7 US quarts
- Transmission fluid
- Motorcraft MERCON LV
- Coolant
- Motorcraft Orange, prediluted
- Engine oil
- 5W-20
- Oil capacity, with filter
- 4.3 US quarts
- Transmission fluid
- Motorcraft MERCON LV
- Coolant
- Motorcraft Orange, prediluted
Service schedule
From the Ford 2016 Escape Owner's Manual, read Oct 2, 2026. Normal schedule.
Common questions
What are the most common problems with the 2016 Ford Escape?
Owners name the powertrain most (307 complaints), then engine (196) and backup camera (158).
Is 2016 a good year for the Ford Escape?
The complaint record can't grade a car, but it shows what to check: the powertrain complaints that lead this year, the mileage they start at, and whether the recall repairs were done.
Was there a recall on the 2016 Ford Escape?
Yes. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2016 Ford Escape: airbags, power train, back over prevention, equipment. A dealer can tell from the VIN whether one car got the repairs.
At what mileage do 2016 Ford Escape problems start?
Electrical system complaints start earliest, around 37,600 miles. Powertrain complaints come later, around 88,000 miles.
Which Escape years have the most and fewest complaints?
The 2013 and 2017 model years have the most in the file, and the 2025 and 2024 the fewest, though newer cars have had less time to collect complaints.
What the complaint record can't tell you
Sources
Show all 5 sources
Owner quotes are changed from all capitals to normal case only. Counts by system and year cover vehicles with at least 10 complaints.