2016 Ford Escape Recalls and Problems

NHTSA lists 4 safety recalls and 1,193 owner complaints for the 2016 Ford Escape.

Recalled components: equipment, backover prevention and rearview camera, powertrain, and air bags. Most-described problem: backup camera problems (180 complaints, 15%). Most-reported area: powertrain (323 complaints, 27%; median mileage when it happened: 88,000).

Data: NHTSA recall, complaint and investigation filesUpdated Nov 12, 2026

Year to avoidBest year

4 safety recalls for the 2016 Ford Escape

Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.

Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

NHTSA investigations

NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2016 Ford Escape.

What owners report

Owners have filed 1,193 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Escape. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.

Problems owners describe

• Backup camera problems180 · 15%
  Median 81,100 miles at failure, from 74 reports with mileage
• Transmission failure or replacement160 · 13%
  Median 90,000 miles at failure, from 93 reports with mileage
• Overheating or coolant loss111 · 9%
  Median 88,000 miles at failure, from 53 reports with mileage
• Check engine light107 · 9%
  Median 87,000 miles at failure, from 58 reports with mileage
• Stalling or shutting off82 · 7%
  Median 65,600 miles at failure, from 52 reports with mileage
• Engine failure or replacement81 · 7%
  Median 88,000 miles at failure, from 39 reports with mileage
• Loss of power or limp mode70 · 6%
  Median 87,600 miles at failure, from 48 reports with mileage
• Hesitation or slow acceleration63 · 5%
  Median 87,000 miles at failure, from 47 reports with mileage

Counted from the complaint text: a complaint counts once for each problem it describes (how we match them). Some complaints describe none of these. Compare other models in the problem owners report most for every model year.

Areas named in complaints

• Powertrain323 · 27%
  Most named: automatic transmission (12) · Median 88,000 miles at failure, from 192 reports with mileage
• Backover prevention and rearview camera267 · 22%
  Most named: rearview system braking (18); warnings (13) · Median 86,000 miles at failure, from 166 reports with mileage
• Engine202 · 17%
  Median 64,000 miles at failure, from 83 reports with mileage
• Electrical system95 · 8%
  Median 43,700 miles at failure, from 31 reports with mileage
• Steering73 · 6%
  Median 41,900 miles at failure, from 47 reports with mileage
• Fuel and propulsion system63 · 5%
  Median 68,000 miles at failure, from 35 reports with mileage
• Engine and cooling57 · 5%
  Median 95,500 miles at failure, from 52 reports with mileage
• Unknown or other161 · 13%
  Median 62,000 miles at failure, from 31 reports with mileage

A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.

Ford Escape recalls and complaints by model year

The highlighted bars are the 2016 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2011 Escape drew the most (451) and the 2016 drew 141.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

2016 Escape MPG

Questions