Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2013 Ford Escape owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his foot was depressing the accelerator pedal, the back of the contact's foot would strike the brake pedal due to a reduced clearance between the accelerator and brake pedals. The contact stated that failure restricted the ability to properly depress the brake pedal while driving at highway speeds. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V319000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Structure); and related the failure to the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 124,000.
While driving on I-64 with direction to Lexington, KY, the hood of the car flew back and smashed the windshield. I was going at 70mph on I-64, driving in the middle lane and with my 3yo son seated in the back in his carseat. I managed to keep control of the car, slowed down and pulled to the right side of the road. The car was non drivable, so AAA had to tow us. My insurance company, Kentucky Farm Bureau, has checked the car and stated that is totaled. I have never heard of a car's hood smashing the windshield and the latch not working. There is no police report as they stated that with no collision, there can't be a report. There was no warning lamp about this problem. When going back, the hood ripped the latch from the body of the car. Thankfully both my son and myself were not injured and no one on the road was affected by this.
The trunk of the vehicle was open. Without warning/reason, a support bar that helps hold up the open liftgate popped off and the liftgate swung closed rapidly with its full weight, not supported by anything. The support bar that had popped off obstructed the path of the falling liftgate, causing damage to the trunk panel. The speed at which the liftgate fell at full force could have caused severe injury or death. This has not been confirmed by a dealership or anyone else- this just happened today and I have not had it looked at by anyone yet.
There is VERY advanced rust on the bottom of the drivers side passenger door, I did some searches online and it looks like this is common on escapes from this year. I think Ford must have had a manufacturing issue because I have never seen rust develop this quickly on vehicle that is not that old and wonder if it's developing other places I can't see. Very disappointed, there is clearly and issue with these fords.
Drivers side rear door failed to close after opening/ would not latch. Took the car to a local dealership and after a week of being told it was being fixed was then told the parts were not available until 5 weeks later and that no loaner car was authorized by the dealer. So 7 weeks wait for parts is not reasonable by any std for a domestic car made within the past 10 years.bad faith, no repair no remedy offered.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA campaign number: 14V239000 (Structure) however, the part to do the recall repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
*car shakes as it brakes *coolant leaks (i see in the ford escape recalls there is one for coolant leaking) *upon opening doors it feel a slight stuck before opening. the doors don't feel intact properly. *rubbers around windows appear loose. windows may not be secured.
The rear door latch does not latch and keep the door closed. There are other recalls for this issue on 2013 Ford Escapes but according to my specific VIN there is no recall. Those other recalls are NHTSA Campaign ID 20V331000 and 16V643000.
cannot open passenger side back door from inside or outside safety hazard if one has to exit the vehicle quickly just happened looked on internet, it is a common problem for this vehicle no warning
Driving my 2013 Ford Escape sel with only 52000 miles on it home from shopping in reno, nevada. I was in washoe valley, nv when I though the high winds were keeping my car from speeding up, when I could not accelerate I pulled to the slow lane and then onto the shoulder. I put the car in park and look at my dash to see if I was overheating or any other issues were apparent. My dash showed nothing wrong at all. No lights or warnings of any kind. The gages were all running normal. I put my car in park and within a second or two a large very black billow of smoke came up back part of the engine nearest to he drivers side window. Then second later larger fire flames came right behind it that went over the top of my car. My car went up in flames in just moments. I had to jump from the burning car to safely.
Related recalls
Structure › Body › Door
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 doors that may be difficult to close or may possibly open while driving.
Remedy: 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 service at 1-800-392-3673.
Structure
Ford is recalling certain model year 2013 escape vehicles manufactured from March 8, 2012 through June 7, 2012. Due to mis-positioned carpet padding the center console trim panel May be pushed outboard of the intended position, reducing clearance relative to the pedal package.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will remove the carpet padding and left-side console trim panel replaced with a new panel, free of charge. The recall began on July 20, 2012.
Body complaints in other Escape years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2013 Ford Escape?
NHTSA has 87 complaints about the body & structure of the 2013 Ford Escape, 3% of the model year's 2,751 complaints. The component named most often is body (64 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2013 Ford Escape body problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 14V-239 (door, May 7, 2014); NHTSA recall 12V-319 (structure, Jul 6, 2012). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2013 Ford Escape body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 39,000 miles, and 36% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 4 fires and 5 injuries to body & structure problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.