2014 Ford Escape Problems, Recalls & Reliability
2,659 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2014 Ford Escape, alongside 16 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 79/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Engine leads the reports, typically around 80,000 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2014 Ford Escape sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 2006–2007, 2021–2022.
Avoid
Where 2014 sits among all Escape years
What owners report
“Coolant leaked into the cylinder causing a misfire and resulted in me having to replace the entire engine”— owner report to NHTSA, 2014 Escape
“While driving this vehicle, it went out of gear and acted as if it were in neutral”— owner report to NHTSA, 2014 Escape
“Back up camera not working. Occasionally comes on for short period of time. Error message sometimes says "camera not available". Sometimes nothing but home screen.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2014 Escape
“Information/Instrument cluster has gone blank. I cannot see mileage, or any warning information. This problem was on a previous recall.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2014 Escape
“Driving in my neighborhood, the steering wheel got locked and appeared in the cluster a message: “Steering assist fault” Service required Turn it off the suv Then I turned on and drive back to my house”— owner report to NHTSA, 2014 Escape
“It happens while driving slow the car stalls suddenly. I have to re-start the car”— owner report to NHTSA, 2014 Escape
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 1,664 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 75,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 50,000 and 101,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (16)
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…
Fix: 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…
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.
Fix: 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…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Fiesta, 2013-2014 Fusion, 2015 Mustang, 2013-2015 Escape and C-Max, 2012-2015 Focus, 2014-2016 Transit Connect, 2013-2014 Lincoln MKZ, and 2015 MKC vehicles. These vehicles were previously recalled and…
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the latch date codes to confirm if the repair was done correctly, and replace the side door latches if necessary, free of charge. Owners will also…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2014 Ford Escape, and 2013-2016 Ford Fusion vehicles, equipped with six-speed automatic transmissions. The bushing that attaches the transmission shifter cable to the transmission may degrade over time and…
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the shifter cable bushing, free of charge. The recall began September 20, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014 Ford F-150 and E-350, 2014-2015 Ford Escape, and 2015 Lincoln MKC vehicles. Improperly manufactured bolts may have been used to install certain seats, seatbacks, seatbelt buckles, or seatbelt anchors on…
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected bolts, free of charge. Interim notices informing owners of the safety risk were mailed September 8, 2017. Owners will receive a second…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014 Escape, 2014-2015 Fiesta ST, 2013-2014 Fusion and 2013-2015 Transit Connect vehicles equipped with 1.6L GTDI engines. If the vehicle is started and driven with an insufficient level of coolant within the…
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will install a coolant level sensor and the supporting hardware and software, free of charge. Interim notices informing owners of the safety risk were mailed…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2012-2015 Ford Focus, 2013-2015 Ford Escape and Ford C-MAX, 2015 Lincoln MKC and Ford Mustang, and 2014-2016 Ford Transit Connect vehicles. A component within the door latches may break, preventing…
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the door latches with an improved part, free of charge. The recall began on January 27, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Ford Escape vehicles manufactured May 19, 2014, to February 6, 2015, and Transit Connect vehicles manufactured May 11, 2014, to July 2, 2015. Due to a software incompatibility issue, the…
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the instrument panel software, free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) notified the agency on January 8, 2015, that they are recalling certain model year 2014 Ford Escape vehicles manufactured April 15, 2014, to May 8, 2014, and 2015 Lincoln MKC vehicles manufactured April 21, 2014, to May 15, 2014. On…
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began on February 27, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Ford C-Max vehicles manufactured January 19, 2012, to November 21, 2013; Ford Fusion vehicles manufactured February 3, 2012, to August 24, 2013; Ford Escape vehicles manufactured October 5,…
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the RCM, free of charge. Parts are not currently available. The recall began on May 26,2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2014 Ford Focus vehicles manufactured May 1, 2014, to May 24, 2014, 2014 Ford Escape vehicles manufactured on June 6, 2014, and 2015 Lincoln MKC vehicles manufactured June 4, 2014, to July 7, 2014. In…
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the FDM, free of charge. The recall began in September 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Escape vehicles manufactured October 5, 2011, to April 1, 2013, and equipped with 2.0 liter engines and Focus ST vehicles manufactured February 14, 2012, to October 14, 2013, and equipped…
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the current crimped splices with new splices, free of charge. The recall began in October 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2014 Ford Escape vehicles manufactured October 15, 2013, through October 22, 2013. The panorama roof glass may not be properly bonded to the attaching bracket.
Fix: Ford has notified owners. Dealers will inspect each vehicle and replace the front roof glass if its production date and sequence number falls within the affected range, free of charge. The recall…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Escape vehicles manufactured October 5, 2011, through April 10, 2014. Due to an assembly misalignment between the exterior door handle and the door outer panel, the affected vehicles have…
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and correct the mounting of the door handles, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 30, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 C-MAX, and Escape vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the restraint control module (RCM) may have errors in the programming software which may result in a delayed deployment of the…
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the RCM, free of charge. The recall began on May 30, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured August 15, 2012, through September 10, 2013, 2013-2014 Ford Escape vehicles manufactured June 5, 2012, through August 12, 2013, and 2013-2014…
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the seatback, free of charge. The recall began on May 30, 2014. Owners may contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14C03.
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 20V177000.
Led to recall campaign 16V643000.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2014 Ford Escape reliable?
The 2014 Ford Escape drew 2,659 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 79/100, scored against the model's worst year (2013).
What are the most common 2014 Ford Escape problems?
The top reported problems for the 2014 Ford Escape are engine (905 complaints), transmission & drivetrain (491), and other (291).
At what mileage do 2014 Ford Escape problems show up?
Owners most often report 2014 Ford Escape problems around 75,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 50,000 and 101,000 miles.
Does the 2014 Ford Escape have recalls?
16 recall campaigns apply to the 2014 Ford Escape. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.