2016 FORD ESCAPE Electrical System Problems
79 NHTSA complaints on file
Electrical System Issues in the 2016 FORD ESCAPE
79 electrical system complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2016 FORD ESCAPE. Of these, 1 involved a crash, 3 involved a fire, and 1 resulted in injury.
79
Complaints
1
Crashes
3
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths
All Electrical System Complaints
Recall issue: The vehicle failed and became disabled due to the shift cable bushing while in a parking lot on private property, with driver in the vehicle. The gear would not shift or go into park and continued to roll forward until either I hit the curb or applied the brake. Ford will not pay for the tow or diagnostic fee to have the problem diagnosed at another body shop (before I knew of the recall) Ford will not replace shift cable, only install protective cap. Recall issue: rearview camera displays distorted images, and does not always show rear view when backing up. It shows blank sometimes, and forward when reversing. Visibility unclear when backing. Ford will not replace as they say they do not have the parts to replace. This leaves the vehicle at high risk for safety issues.
I have a 2016 Ford Escape SE with the Ecoboost engine. I have been experiencing the same issue with misfires in port 4 which also shows an open circuit every time as well for over the past year. The dealership has replaced everything underneath including but not limited to my spark plugs, wires, coils, and even my entire wiring harness. The issue is still happening and they do not know what is causing it. I think my vehicle may fall under the complaint failure FORD currently has on their 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5 Ecoboost engines. It has been to the dealership for the same repairs over 8 different times. When is enough actually enough. I have lost power several times in traffic and it's like slamming on my brakes. This is how bad the misfire is. My check engine light has been flashing due to this issue as well as...
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 unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while in reverse, the back-over prevention camera failed to display the image behind the vehicle. The failure became more persistent over time and caused additional electrical failures. The contact was unable to connect devices to the vehicle, and the radio failed to operate as needed. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part for the recall repair was not available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 17,000.
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 rearview camera displayed a distorted image while the vehicle was in reverse(R). The contact stated that the failure obstructed the driver's visibility, which prevented the driver from safely operating the vehicle. In addition, there was an abnormal sound coming from the camera. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, after the vehicle was purchased, the liftgate failed to function as intended. The liftgate occasionally opened and closed independently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, the message "Transmission Fault - Service Now" was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact had the transmission fluid...
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 rearview camera displayed a distorted image while the vehicle was in reverse(R). The contact stated that the failure obstructed the driver's visibility, which prevented the driver from safely operating the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, the alarm activated independently. The alarm was unintentionally activated during the day or night. Most recently, while the front driver’s side door was opened or closed, the alarm activated until the key was inserted into the ignition. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic; however, no cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired....
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon opening the liftgate, the liftgate started closing unintendedly and struck the contact on the head. There was no injury sustained. The dealer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
2016 escape rear camera displays upside down. Ford motor just recalled over a million of their vehicles due to safety hazard, Mine is not listed in recall but has exact same safety issue. Contacted FMC and said it's not on the recall list. I ask them to repair just like the others that are being recalled. We bought this new in 2016. They refused although it is an identified safety issue. Thanks [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Rear camera screen will turn black and not work for days at a time, or will sometimes display for a second and then as I’m backing up, it’ll turn black. Then for a day it’ll work just fine, then the next day be back to not working again out of the blue. I have been in no accidents. It once even displayed my view upside down. Yes it’s available for inspection upon request. I would say people are very at risk because I can’t trust it to work and I might hit someone if the screen goes black on me while I’m backing up. I haven’t brought it to a dealership or others because of cost and time. This has been going on for years, I’m not sure when it first started… maybe around the 80,000 mile marker?
Back up camera goes blank or displays upside down. Tail lights goes out frequently but the dealer says it's okay.
Camera keeps cutting out even in the middle of backing up
Rear view camera is not working properly. Will either flicker on & off while reversing, display upside down, or just show a black screen. This has been going on for a while. There seems to be a recall for this malfunction for several Ford models, however not one for my model.
Around Aug. 3, I noticed that when I drove, the interior lights would not turn off. When the car was off, they went out as they should. But every time I started the car they came on and would not turn off. It made it very difficult to drive went it was getting dark. The dealership confirmed that it wasn't the knobs inside the car that were causing this problem. Later, I took it in for them to find out what was wrong. I scheduled an appointment and dropped off the car. That was Aug, 7. Today is September 1, and I have no idea when I might get my car back. Apparently, it needed a 'body control module'. They got a new Ford part, put it in and it solved the problem with the interior lights, but nothing else was working. They tried a second new, Ford part with...
I was driving the car and I was having issues with it shutting off when I was driving the car it shut off in the middle of me driving and it just wouldn't move after that until a tow truck driver came and gave me a jumpstart that happened a number of times, but in the middle of traffic was the worst and very dangerous when my kids are in the car
When I put the car in reverse the back up camera glitches. It freezes, flips upside down, turns black, sometimes all of those things. The beeping sound does not warn when objects are near when this is happening. It happens about 95% of the time. The camera is only functional about 5% of the time. Due to this issue I have been in several near accidents
Rear view Camera not displaying when put in reverse frequently or camera displaying but goes blank in the middle of backing up. This has been occurring for at least 3-4 months. It is very frightening as it takes my mind a second or two to comprehend the rearview camera has gone blank in the middle of backin up. The camera does not always have a problem but is too frequent. I have been I’ll so have not driven too much last 2 months but I am better now. Please add my vehicle to the Rearview recall.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the back over prevention camera was turning on and off continuously while driving. The contact stated that the failure was causing a distraction while driving. The contact stated that the back over prevention camera was inoperable while reversing. Additionally, the infotainment system was inoperable. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under recall, and a case was filed. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 119,000.
a couple of years ago my car started having problems when accelerating, it would not accelerate or almost get to stall without warning, a couple times I got the message " engine fault - service now" . I took my car to the dealership and they could not find the root cause because the message would disappear when turning the car off and on again, therefore they could not reproduce the issue but my car had this same episode 3 times over the past 8 years without resolution from the dealership. finally a few days ago the issue came back but this time the message is not going away after turning off the car, I used a code reader and the error code reads: P0236. I am trying to get an appointment at the dealership to have my car looked at and finally have the repair done. but I believe...
I saw a recall for newer years of Ford products where the camera wasn't working and it is a safety hazard. My 2016 Escape rear camera has not been working properly for many years. It appears to me that it is a software problem because the camera will be upside-down OR roll upside down. I updated the firmware on my car, but it still doesn't work. There are Youtube videos out there, because it is a common problem with the Escape. [XXX] Please add the 2016 Escapes to your current recall. Here is a link to the recall for the newer Ford Products.[XXX] I have attached recent still pics of my car-cam upside down and I tried to attached a (short )14 second video of it rolling upside down, but your website does not allow videos to be uploaded? So I made the video into a .gif and uploaded it...
Backup camera intermittently stops working. Some days, it works fine. Other days, whenever shift to reverse, the screen is either black or blue with the message that the camera is not available. It will sometimes go to the black/blue screen while I am reversing into/ out of my driveway, parking spot, etc. Shifting to park or neutral and then to reverse doesn't correct the problem. It started out as an occasional problem, but now happens multiple times a day. This is an extremely unsafe situation. If someone/something is behind me when I am reversing, it is likely that I would not have enough time to react to prevent an injury or worse.So many other Ford vehicles have a recall for backup camera issues, why is the Escape not included?
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, he noticed the instrument panel displayed a blank image. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that the instrument panel cluster had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified and provided the contact with the recall number. The contact was relating to the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V406000( ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 73,000.
While diving the vehicle hesitates. I have had it checked and it seems that the turbo is bad. After speaking to others this seems to be an issue with this vehicle. With the electrical issues, my back up camera, radio, speakers, navigation all do not work. Also while driving my flashers will randomly flash and my speedometer as well as my RPM gage will go crazy. While driving down the road my speakers blared white noise so loud that it almost caused me to wreck because it scared me so badly. I had to have the fuse taken it in order to get it to stop.
Numerous warning lights and chimes activated at once while driving including Hill Start Assist, Traction Control, etc. This has happened randomly while driving under various conditions and reports of such on forums may be related to an ECM or a 4WD module not grounded properly. Some owners have had to have software and hardware updates to solve issue or replacement of modules.
Since October 2022, we have had to replace the front signal wiring harnesses on the car four (4) times due to the wiring being coated with a substance that rodents are being attracted to. It seems that is has happened again. We have not yet taken it to our repair shop for confirmation this time, but we had an incident with our Kia (Vin [XXX] ) in November 2024. In this case the clutch assembly wiring had been chewed and the assembly had to be replaced. We had the Kia towed to the dealer for repair, so all incidents are documented by repair shops. Not having proper signaling can cause accidents, but I think chewing of other wiring such as the clutch assembly can be an even greater cause for concern. What part will be chewed next. With the clutch assembly we were shown a check engine light and with...
The rear backup camera intermittently cuts in and out. The touch screen also intermittently turns black and is unresponsive. After it died, I replaced the infotainment touchscreen computer. The rear backup camera is still intermittent and unreliable. Other owners have complained online about poor seals in the rear wiper assembly, which leads to leaks that corrode the camera's wiring harness and cause an intermittent video signal. I feel this is a known problem that Ford is choosing to ignore and is dangerous when the backup camera cuts out while backing up.
My car overheated when I pulled over I noticed my engine coolant low. I had a mechanic add more fluids then a day later car shuts off why I was going 65 on a highway . I was pushing down on the gas peddle but my car would not go. It was barely moving no matter how far I pushed gas peddle. I finally found a somewhat area to pull over . I almost died or was seriously injuried in a few close call accidents this day. Had someone look at it from a garage in town he said it was a fuse and a cylinder misfire. No engine light no issues then my car over heated again no warning just shut down but the car still on Emmy lights didn’t work my turn signals didn’t work . Then my car stopped dead in a busy roadway over heated smoking...
Backup camera fails intermittently and unpredictability. Often just a blank blue screen appears, sometimes an error message over a video image appears, and other times the camera works at first but fails after a few seconds. It can work one minute, and the next time the car is shifted into reverse (such as when parallel parking) it may not work (or vice-versa). OBDII fault codes indicate a possible communications/electrical issue. Online reports reveal that there are scores of other owners of model year 2014-2019 Ford Escapes with the same or similar issues with their back-up cameras (one mentioned having theirs replaced at least _4 times_ while the car was still in its warranty period). No other warning lamps are available. The alert text that (only sometimes) appears on the display screen when the camera fails is non-specific (e.g. “Camera not available.”). This has been occurring for at least the last...
ABS module is obsolete and unavailable from Ford
The rear back up camera works intermittently and the car will not start intermittently cannot find the issue it has left stuck at places because it would not start. Changed the battery and all electrical checked out ok.
Auto was purchased from a dealership on 5/31/2023. We drove less than a mile down the road and a warning for "hood ajar" came on. We immediately pulled over only to find the hood was latched. Over the next few months there were numerous other warning/electrical items that came up: trunk ajar warning, problems opening the trunk, back up camera would often go black when car was in reverse, car would start honking like the alarm was going off when it was just sitting in garage with nobody near the car. The car was brought to the dealer on 6/14/23 for a separate recall issue and an electrician was supposed to look at these issues but they weren't at the dealership when we arrived for our scheduled appt. Couldn't get a new appt for a few weeks so went to our local auto shop who confirmed the issues and felt...
Rear backup camera works intermittently. One time display screen was solid white, the next time it was solid green, abd the third time it was solid purple. Yet the reverse guidelines still showed all three times. Fuses are good and recently had battery replaced at dealership.
In Aug. 2021 my 2016 Ford Escape’s Sync/NAV stopped connecting to my iPhone. I went to Fullerton Ford in Somerville, NJ and a Service Advisor (SA) determined that Sync would not connect with his iPhone or mine. Another SA connected with his Android phone and it worked perfectly. Everything else related to the Sync/NAV was working. I did research online on connecting Sync with iPhone, and was finally able to reconnect to Bluetooth, but never able to connect with the Sync/NAV system. After weeks of trying get the Sync/NAV to work I had it diagnosed by Fullerton Ford. On Sept. 29, 2021 I paid a $100 diagnostic fee to assess the problem. I spent 7 hours waiting while it was worked on. They talked with the technical “hotline” but were unable to determine why the Sync/NAV worked with the Android but not the iPhone. They suggested the problem “could be”...
outside key pad is making sounds of door locks locking and unlocking with flashers coming on driving down the rd second time after replacing outside keypad in 2021 at a ford dealership in northern michigan the problem has returned 11-1-2023.i tapped on the outside of the door keypad surface, the problem hasnt came back in the last few days, i believe it will reappear at some point though
The rear view backup camera is faulty and doesn't always work. Sometimes it comes on, but most of the time it just doesn't turn on. There is no specific set of circumstances that dictates if it will work or not.
Vehicle check engine light goes on usually during hot weather. Vehicle stalls and hesitates on acceleration causing unsafe conditions with traffic, intersections, etc.
My hazard lights start blinking Turn signals start blinking Doors lock and unlock all without warning Have not had checked out at dealer It costs $139.00 per hour to diagnosis BOUGHT CAR 5/25/23 The car had been in accident before I bought it
I order a nav upgrade from Ford $299, was unable to install it Ford said go to dealer, car was going to dealer for abs sensor bad and vehicle collision sensor bad, dealer fixed other two problems but couldnt upgrade nav and while dealer tried they killed the whole radio/sync/nav/handsfree turn the touch screen black and unresponsive. Now they want $1000 plus for APIM replacement. I could live without the navigation update but now Ford's sync update killed my APIM/sync/radio/handsfree and I cannot live without that.
Rear camera dosnt always want to work at times when backing up, there will be times where it comes on and cuts out , or it cuts out and comes back on on all pixelised (distorted) , or it dosnt come on at all , then there are times where it works , ive had my mechanic look into it and couldnt figure out the issue ...i did buy an oem backup camera from the junkyard off an escape 3 years newer then mine but didnt fix the issue
Engine control computer malfunction is causing the engine, SYNC, bluetooth, brake lights, and rearview camera to malfunction.
Rear view camera stopped working almost a year ago, and out of no where the transmission stopped working. I recently just got an oil change and asked for the works to get my whole car checked out and that report as all the reports before it came back with no issues. So found it surprising that this happened.
Today- 5/22/2023 - Ford dealer attempted to perform sync3 software update from version 1 to version 3 as promoted and advertised by Ford Motor Co. This was performed by dealer after personal attempts at Wi-Fi and flash drive update processes failed. Following dealer attempted sync 3 update, no update could be accomplished and the synch 3 system is now not active- no radio, Bluetooth( hands free phone usage), no rear camera or safety alarm for potential obstacles when backing up. I was informed the issue is a common result due to defective APIM module. Yet Ford promotes/ provides the software updates ( free) thru their website/ dealers. I have filed a claim with Ford today and initially told there is nothing they can do, but I can purchase a new APIM module ($750) and have it installed ($300) that may correct this.
I had the bushing recall done. My interior lights no longer work. I keep getting brake lamp bulb warning. AutoNation dealer Amherst stated it was the battery. Charged me $100 to run diagnostic. Took vehicle to Walmart for battery replacement. Did not fix the issue.
The specific problem is the ignition switch. Car suddenly shut down the first time while in park, after testing determined it was the ignition switch. Replaced with non OEM switch, same exact problem happened the next day. Replaced with Ford genuine part. Problem still happening, now the car is dying while in motion. Car will not restart once it stops, all lights on dash come on and flicker and then everything dies at once, all electrical components. Vehicle was inspected by mechanic. The problem has been reproduced multiple times even after the ignition switch was replaced. There were no warning lamps or messages or any other symptoms prior to the problem. Nobody can seem to fix this problem and the car is a danger to drive.
The vehicle is only 6 years old and the audio control module stopped working, rendering me without a radio. Southgate Ford dealership in Southgate, MI informed me that this is a known issue. I would like to see accountability and have this audio control module recalled. A search online shows many users experience this issue. Not having a working radio is a safety issue. Having access to emergency radio bulletins while driving is imperative. A known issue should be recalled.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that there was as an abnormal audible alarm sounding inside the vehicle. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) but was informed by the dealer that the recall repair would not fix the failure with the vehicle. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced and was given an estimate for repair. The contact disputed the diagnosis and believed that the failure was related to the vehicle's computer system. The manufacturer was notified of the recall and was referred to the NHTSA for assistance. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 56,000. The contact stated that the dealer that the vehicle was purchased from was aware of the defect beforehand.
APIM crashed after I attempted to do the upgrade The local Ford Dealer tried to repair this but we're unable to and Ford will not cover this because it was 3 months past warranty
I crashed car because is park according with transmission and car still moved and hit fence, I contact ford for this incident and still waiting someone contact me. So I decide lawsuits against Ford
Back up camera just stopped working then my radio went out a week later. It seems this needs to be made a recall since another car owners are having the same issues I am. APIM may need to be resolved.
I pulled into a walkway access and a passenger got out and closed the door. I shifted the gear shift to reverse and backed up so I could proceed to my left and shifted the gear shift to Drive but, the vehicle went backward. Sitting there with my foot on the brake I turned the key off. I was unable to put it in Park until pushing it to a better position and removing power to the fuse box rather than searching for the fuse that got it. While in Park the reverse lights were on, so I was not able to start; I had it towed to a mechanic because it was stuck in reverse. The next day I learned the mechanic was unable to get information from the modules and it needed to be transported to the local dealership. I have now missed 2 nights of work and...
We bought this car used. Every since purchase the rear camera has failed off and on. The radio as well as display seems to do as it wants. I try not to depend on camera but the other issues bother me. Seems to be random things happen that all seem to tie back to the darn display or the SYNC3 part of it. I see a TSB 21-2175 that seems to hit on it. I also see the recall on other Escapes. Mine is a 2016. Really bothers me. I am afraid it is going to cause engine to stop in traffic. Or what if a child walks behind me? You only allow me to enter one date. This is random and happens a lot. It is getting worse and more frequent. First did it at 40,000 now has 100,000 and still doing it. Have asked folks and got nowhere.
While driving the engine stopped. Coasted to side of road. Towed. Code read camshaft position sensor
Other 2016 FORD ESCAPE Problem Areas
Power Train
296 complaints
Engine
179 complaints
Unknown Or Other
124 complaints
Steering
66 complaints
Fuelpropulsion System
58 complaints
Back Over Prevention
57 complaints
Engine And Engine Cooling
49 complaints
Vehicle Speed Control
30 complaints
Wheels
28 complaints
Air Bags
22 complaints
Service Brakes
16 complaints
Structurebody
14 complaints
Back Over Prevention Sensing System Camera
12 complaints
Power Trainautomatic Transmission
12 complaints
Visibilitywiper
11 complaints
Back Over Prevention Rearview System Braking
9 complaints
Electronic Stability Control Esc
8 complaints
Fuel System Gasoline
7 complaints
Wheelslugsnutsboltsstuds
7 complaints
Suspension
6 complaints
Exterior Lighting
4 complaints
Service Brakes Hydraulic
4 complaints
Structure
4 complaints
Back Over Prevention Warnings
3 complaints
Seat Belts
3 complaints
Visibilitysunmoon Roof Assembly
3 complaints
Equipment
2 complaints
Lane Departure Blind Spot Detection
2 complaints
Power Traindrivelinedifferential Unit
2 complaints
Seats
2 complaints
Tires
2 complaints
Electrical System Instrument Clusterpanel
1 complaint
Electrical Systeminstrument Panelspeedometerodometer
1 complaint
Engine And Engine Coolingcooling Systemhoseslinespipingfittings
1 complaint
Engine And Engine Coolingcooling Systemradiator Assembly
1 complaint
Engine And Engine Coolingenginegasolineturbosupercharger
1 complaint
Engine And Engine Coolingenginegasolineturbosuperchargerhosesplumbing
1 complaint
Engine And Engine Coolingexhaust System
1 complaint
Exterior Lightingfog Lights
1 complaint
Exterior Lightingheadlights
1 complaint
Fuel System Gasolinedeliveryhoses Linespiping And Fittings
1 complaint
Fuel System Gasolinestorageevaporative Emissionscanister
1 complaint
Parking Brake
1 complaint
Power Trainautomatic Transmissiongear Position Indication Prndl
1 complaint
Power Trainautomatic Transmissionlever And Linkagecolumn Shift
1 complaint
Power Trainautomatic Transmissionlever And Linkagefloor Shift
1 complaint
Steeringhydraulic Power Assistpower Steering Fluid
1 complaint
Steeringrack And Pinion
1 complaint
Structurebodyhatchbackliftgate
1 complaint
Structurebodytailgate
1 complaint
Traction Control System
1 complaint
Vehicle Speed Controlaccelerator Pedal
1 complaint
Vehicle Speed Controlthrottle
1 complaint
Visibility
1 complaint
Visibilitydefrosterdefoggerhvac Systemheater Core
1 complaint
Visibilityglass Siderear
1 complaint
Visibilitywindshield
1 complaint