2013 Ford Escape electrical system problems
339 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the electrical system on the 2013 Ford Escape — 12% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“I took my car in for a safety recall for the bushing on the transmission. A short time after getting it back my cabin filled with smoke when I used the remote start. I had never had this problem until it came back from the dealer. so I stopped using the remote start! but after that the car's cabin…”
filed Feb 25, 2026
“The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the passenger seated in the front passenger's seat became aware of smoke inside the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the contact…”
filed Feb 18, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related recalls
- Insufficient compression in the engine wiring harness splices to the Manifold Absolute…Campaign 15V813000 · Dec 2, 2015
- Insufficient compression in the engine wiring harness splices to the Manifold Absolute…Campaign 14V495000 · Aug 11, 2014
Related service bulletins
Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory wireless keyless entry keypad systems may or may not come with a wallet card containing the master code. Unlike the integrated…
SSM 54601 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 24, 2026Some 2013-2023 Ford or Lincoln vehicles with modems activated through FordPass or LincolnWay may experience 12 volt battery drain symptoms when the customer uses non-Ford/Lincoln phone applications as an alternate…
SSM 50804 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 24, 2022
Electrical System problems in other Escape years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Escape | 6 | 29% |
| 2024 Escape | 27 | 36% |
| 2023 Escape | 38 | 40% |
| 2022 Escape | 19 | 8% |
| 2021 Escape | 31 | 9% |
| 2020 Escape | 152 | 10% |
| 2019 Escape | 37 | 6% |
| 2018 Escape | 53 | 3% |
| 2017 Escape | 154 | 6% |
| 2016 Escape | 88 | 8% |
| 2015 Escape | 130 | 12% |
| 2014 Escape | 211 | 10% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2013 Ford Escape
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.