Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2014 Ford Escape owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Unknown. Something at the backside of the motor caught on fire. The car overheated and would not drive. Pulled over, cooled off, added coolant, drove home. Car won't go over 40, shakes, and makes noises. Took it to automotive place. They took the manifold(?) and stopped! Called and told us there had been a fire in the motor, we need to call our insurance company and take it to a Ford dealership. Warranty and insurance company are both fighting with us. Neither one wants to pay!!! This is total BS!!!! No recalls?! Google this cars problems and their #1 problem is they catch on fire!!! WHY IS THERE NO RECALLS?!?!? Does someone have to die to get a recall?
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while stopped in traffic, he was rear-ended by another vehicle that was driving at 70 MPH. The contact applied the emergency brake to prevent his vehicle from hitting the vehicle in front of him. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. The contact sought treatment at a urgent care where he was treated for the pain in his neck and back. A police report was not filed. The contact drove the vehicle home and contacted a dealer who referred him to an independent collision center. The vehicle was towed to the collision center where the vehicle was repaired. Upon return of the vehicle, the contact stated that the instrument cluster screen was white and would flicker. The vehicle was taken back to the collision center where they towed the vehicle to the Ford dealer. …
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would hesitate upon depression of the accelerator and the vehicle would enter Limp Mode. The engine fault, service now message, and check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact also stated that the vehicle would resume normal operation upon restart of the vehicle. The contact initially took the vehicle to Gullo Ford of Conroe (925 Interstate 45 S, Conroe, TX 77301) where the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. Over the years, the failure became more frequent and the contact took the vehicle to another dealer. The dealer then discovered insufficient compression in the engine wiring harness splices leading to the Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) sensor providing incorrect signals to the powertrain control module (PCM) and the contact was given an estimate for repair. …
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle unintendedly decelerated to 30 MPH. The check engine warning light and an unknown sensor warning light were illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact stated that he turned off and restarted the vehicle and was able to continue driving. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving the following day, and the vehicle decelerated from 65 MPH to 10 MPH, nearly causing a semi-truck to crash into the vehicle. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle for 15 minutes. The contact stated that he restarted the vehicle, activated the hazard lights, and continued driving at 40-50 MPH. The contact stated that the failure mostly occurred while driving and exceeding 60 MPH. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be inspected. …
Whenever I got the vehicle at the middle of 2025 I had issues with the shocks hub assembly axle motor mount electrical issues trunk was opening and closing by itself. Recent recently I drive it to Savannah and the vehicle started to skip and would not switch gears while I was driving down a 70 mph Road. I almost wrecked due to an issue with the vehicle I have looked up the recalls that hasn't been repaired on the vehicle and I believe it has something to do with unrepair recalls or maybe there is a recall that wasn't found or reported because I've seen a lot of recall information about the transmission. I also had a incident with the door unlocking and locking while my nephew was in the vehicle after stepping out the doors automatically locked but I still had the driver door open. My nephew freaked out cuz he can't get out the vehicle. …
The contact's mother owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) however, the contact stated that upon taking the vehicle for the recall repair, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the speedometer failed to display an accurate reading and remained at 0. Several unknown warning lights started flashing. The contact then stated that the electrical system started to malfunction, and the warning lights remained illuminated. The contact stated that he veered off the road to park the vehicle and then had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed by the mechanic that the diagnostic result indicated several unknown failures, and it was suggested that the vehicle be taken to the dealer for assistance. …
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while the vehicle was idling, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that several attempts were needed to restart the vehicle while depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact became aware of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 14V495000 (Electrical System) and 15V005000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the VIN was not included in the recalls. The failure persisted and occurred more frequently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the fuel injector line had failed as well as there was a wiring failure causing the battery and engine to engage or disengage unintentionally by the driver. The alternator and battery had been replaced; however, a third repair had not been completed. …
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start after multiple attempts without warning. The contact attempted to jumpstart the vehicle using multiple methods but to no avail. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to a dealer where they discovered that the insulation on the wire that runs from a gearbox in the back of the vehicle to the front driver seat had melted at various parts of the wire. The contact was informed that the wiring harness needed to be replaced; however, the wiring harness was no longer in production. The contact with the help of a friend had the vehicle towed back to his home where the contact replaced the wire himself. …
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that on numerous occasions while attempting to start the vehicle, the engine failed to turn over. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated while attempting to start the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to Pep Boys where a diagnostic test was performed and produced an unknown code indicating the ECM was faulty. The contact referenced the Manufacturer Recall Number 15C03 (Electrical System). The dealer was not notified. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the recall and the contact was transferred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, an unknown warning light illuminated. The instrument cluster was inoperable and failed to display the specific warning light. Additionally, the vehicle intermittently failed to restart. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with an internal malfunction of the instrument cluster. The dealer informed the contact that the instrument cluster needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V406000 (Electrical System) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
Related recalls
Electrical system › Instrument cluster/panel
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.
Remedy: 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.
Electrical system › Wiring
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 with 2.0 liter engines.
Remedy: 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 1-800-392-3673.
Electrical complaints in other Escape years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2014 Ford Escape?
NHTSA has 216 complaints about the electrical system of the 2014 Ford Escape, 10% of the model year's 2,089 complaints. The component named most often is instrument cluster/panel (13 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2014 Ford Escape electrical problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 15V-406 (instrument cluster/panel, Jun 24, 2015); NHTSA recall 14V-495 (wiring, Aug 11, 2014). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2014 Ford Escape electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 62,000 miles, and 17% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 18 fires and 4 injuries and 1 death to electrical system 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.