2016 Ford Escape: problems, recalls and reliability
4 recalls and 1,135 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is power train (29% of complaints).
Data updated weekly · 31 new complaints in the last 90 days · latest recall Jan 2026
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 1,135 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the rear-view camera became inoperable. The contact stated that the rear-view camera image was blank. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 112,000.”Owner report · Back Over Prevention · Sep 2026
“The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted on two separate occasions. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.”Owner report · Back Over Prevention · Sep 2026
“Recall under 25SA9 has not been remedied a whole year later. Not having my back up camera has caused safety incidents. And a few damages from things I could not see”Owner report · Back Over Prevention · Sep 2026
Show 7 more owner reports
“The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to complete the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.”Owner report · Back Over Prevention · Sep 2026
“The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the rear-view camera became inoperable. The contact stated that the rear-view camera image was intermittently displayed. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.”Owner report · Back Over Prevention · Sep 2026
“The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the rear-view camera became inoperable. The contact stated that the rear-view camera image intermittently functioned as needed, but occasionally there was no image displayed. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The approximate failure mileage was 127,645.”Owner report · Back Over Prevention · Sep 2026
“Summary ON YOUR VEHICLE, THE REAR VIEW CAMERA COULD DISPLAY A BLANK OR DISTORTED IMAGE ON THE CENTER DISPLAY SCREEN WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN REVERSE. YOU MAY ALSO RECEIVE A MESSAGE THAT THE REAR VIEW CAMERA IS UNAVAILABLE ON THE CENTER DISPLAY SCREEN. Safety Risk A REAR VIEW CAMERA THAT DISPLAYS A BLANK OR DISTORTED IMAGE WHILE IN REVERSE CAN REDUCE OR DISTORT THE DRIVERS VIEW OF WHAT IS BEHIND THE VEHICLE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH. Remedy PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Sep 2026
“Bought car in 2023, one year later engine failure due to overheating from head gasket issue widespread with this vehicle. Replaced engine, and two years later facing identical issue with another engine failure. Unidentifiable coolant leak led to low oil pressure and car shaking on the highway. Will require yet another engine replacement.”Owner report · Engine · Sep 2026
“The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notice of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention). The contact stated that while in reverse(R) on several occasions, the rear-view camera went black, or the message "Camera not Available" was displayed. The contact stated that after the vehicle was shifted into drive(D), while accelerating, the black screen was occasionally displayed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired; however, the dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the part was not available for the repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.”Owner report · Back Over Prevention · Sep 2026
“Rear view camera fails frequently displaying a distorted image or no image with an error message. This creates danger to all parties involved and unnecessary risk to property. Manufacturer issued a recall in October 2025 and has failed to provide a timely repair, they should face reprimand.”Owner report · Electrical System · Sep 2026
When filing, owners marked a crash in 36 of these complaints and injuries in 19 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 4 campaigns
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Flex, 2015 Explorer, Lincoln MKT, Lincoln MKZ, 2015-2016 C-Max, Escape, Taurus, 2016 Fusion, 2018-2019 Taurus, 2019 Lincoln MKT, Fiesta, and 2020 Mustang vehicles. The rearview camera may display a distorted, intermittent, or blank image when the vehicle is in reverse.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model and model years. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on October 25, 2025. Additional letters will be mailed once the final remedy is available on each phase. Mustang owner notification letters were mailed January 2, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA9. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 14, 2025.
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.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016 Ford Escape vehicles. The driver's knee airbag modules installed in these vehicles were produced without the inflator gas generant material, and, as a result, the air bags may not inflate properly in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace driver's knee air bag, free of charge. The recall began on August 8, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17C11.
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.
Trouble codes owners mention
OBD-II codes that appear in NHTSA complaints about this car.
How other years compare
Counts are not adjusted for time on the road here - see all Escape years ranked fairly for the age-adjusted comparison.
Check your exact Escape by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2016 Ford Escape reliable?
NHTSA has 1,135 owner complaints and 4 recall campaigns on record for the 2016 Ford Escape. The most complained-about area is power train (29% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2016 Ford Escape problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 78,972 miles or less.
Does the 2016 Ford Escape have open recalls?
4 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning back over prevention. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.