Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
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 owned a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, she was switching lanes from the right lane to the left lane, and she heard a loud pop from the front end of the vehicle. The contact lost control of the vehicle and drove across the lanes and crashed into the highway dividing wall. The contact had no memory of any warning lights being illuminated or hitting the wall. The contact said that a witness reported that the driver's side front tire came off of the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that she was told that the air bags had not been deployed. The contact stated that she was unconscious and transported to a hospital. She stated she had no cuts, bruises, or other injuries. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The police were on the scene and the contact was not aware of an incident report was written. …
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while reversing out of the driveway and attempting to turn out of the driveway, the steering wheel locked up preventing the vehicle from turning. The contact shifted the vehicle into PARK and restarted the vehicle and the steering wheel unlocked. The contact was able to drive the vehicle however, several days later while driving at an undisclosed speed, the failure recurred, and the steering wheel locked. The contact was able to manually pull the vehicle over to the side of the road and restart the vehicle to unlock the steering wheel. The power steering assists warning light was illuminated during the failure. The local dealer went to the residence and picked up the vehicle to perform a diagnostic test. The mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. …
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at approximately 15 MPH, the steering wheel made it difficult to turn to the left or the right. The steering assist failure warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed by a local independent mechanic, and it was determined that the electronic steering assist had failed. The vehicle was towed back to the residence. The vehicle was diagnosed by another local independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the electronic steering gear had failed. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while in the parking lot, the power steering became inoperable. The steering wheel was difficult to turn. The steering fault must be serviced message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed them the module needed to be programmed and replaced and referred the contact to the dealer. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the rack and pinon and module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 68,020. The consumer stated the steering fault was repaired on August 2022.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the power steering assist fault warning message appeared on the instrument panel. The steering wheel locked up and require excessive force to steer the vehicle off the roadway. Upon restart of the vehicle, the failure remained. Due to the failure, the contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed however, the mechanic was unable to retrieve a fault code. The contact then called the dealer and was informed that the next available appointment would be in a month. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the message "Steering Assist Unavailable" displayed and the steering wheel seized. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and the message disappeared and the steering wheel regained functionality. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed that the power steering module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired but was in the process of being repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a complaint was filed. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The failure mileage was 60,000. The VIN was not available.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 30 mph, the power steering warning light illuminated and shortly afterward the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact manually pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road, waited a few minutes, and then restarted the vehicle. The power steering warning light was gone, and the power steering functionality returned. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer to be inspected however, the dealer could not duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 101,149.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH and making a right turn, the vehicle lost power steering functionality and the steering wheel became difficult to turn in either direction, almost causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle and drive into a ditch. During the failure, the message "Power Steering Fault" was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the rack and pinion system was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 93,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the steering wheel became stiff and lost power steering functionality. The power steering assist warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the power steering system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the VIN was not under recall for the failure. There was no further assistance provided. The failure mileage was 147,000.
The contact's wife owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his wife was starting the vehicle, the message "Power Steering Assist Fault" was displayed, and the steering wheel was significantly difficult to steer. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the failure was related to an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.
Steering complaints in other Escape years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2013 Ford Escape?
NHTSA has 302 complaints about the steering of the 2013 Ford Escape, 11% of the model year's 2,751 complaints. The component named most often is rack and pinion (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2013 Ford Escape steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2013 Ford Escape, though it has 18 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2013 Ford Escape steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 81,000 miles, and 7% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 5 crashes, 0 fires and 4 injuries to steering 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.