2016 Ford Escape problems & reliability
1,115 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 Ford Escape, alongside 4 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Sep 21, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several components.
16 complaints report injuries (19 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2016 Ford Escape vehicles were involved in 131 fatal crashes with 68 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train → | 320 | 29% |
| Back Over Prevention → | 206 | 18% |
| Engine → | 199 | 18% |
| Unknown / Other | 151 | 14% |
| Electrical System → | 92 | 8% |
| Steering → | 73 | 7% |
| Fuel/propulsion System → | 61 | 5% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling → | 56 | 5% |
| Vehicle Speed Control → | 32 | 3% |
| Wheels → | 32 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 27 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 604 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 78,000 miles (middle 50% between 49,875 and 102,254 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“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…”
Unknown / Other · filed Sep 15, 2026
“The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while reversing at an undisclosed speed, the rear-view camera was intermittently inoperative. The message "Rearview Camera not Available" was intermittently displayed. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over…”
Back Over Prevention · filed Sep 14, 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 contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated…”
Back Over Prevention · filed Sep 10, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
176 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2016 Ford Escape. The 10 most recent:
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, 2026
This article supersedes TSB 24-2165 to update the TSB Service Procedure. Some vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit various SYNC performance related concerns including but not limited to: Display…
TSB 25-2570 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 26, 2025
Some 2015-2021 Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0011, P0012, P0014, P0015, P0016, P0017, P0018, P0019, P0021, P0022, P0024 and/or P0025. Pinpoint test HK in…
SSM 54366 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 12, 2025
Some 2013-2016 Escape vehicles may exhibit an ABS warning indicator with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) U2300 after the ABS module is replaced.
SSM 53176 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 27, 2024
While performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, a transmission seal kit may be on backorder due to supply chain interruptions. While performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024…
SSM 53040 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 10, 2024
This article supersedes TSB 21-2175 to update the TSB Service Procedure. Some 2016 MKS, 2016-2017 Navigator, 2016-2018 F-150/Focus/C-MAX/Edge/Fiesta/MKX/Transit Connect/Mustang, 2017-2018 Continental/Fusion/MKZ…
TSB 24-2165 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 27, 2024
All accessory stick-on keyless entry keypads come with a wallet card containing the master code. If the accessory keypad was factory installed, this card will be placed in the glove box and should be handed to the…
SSM 52476 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 24, 2024
For 2015-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with turbocharged engines and customer concern of an engine oil leak, refer to Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 303-00 for oil leak inspection and testing methods. Ford has…
SSM 52335 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 6, 2024
For 2000-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, swapping a module from a vehicle for diagnosis purposes is likely to cause errors and is not recommended. It is also not recommended to order a replacement module using a vehicle…
SSM 51536 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 4, 2023
Some Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit noise when the brakes are applied. When diagnosing and repairing brake noise conditions, use the Workshop Manual (WSM) and the appropriate pinpoint test in section 206-00. The…
SSM 51261 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 16, 2022
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2016 Ford Escape has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2016 Ford Escape?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 78,000 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.