Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2015 Ford Escape owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact's wife owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated while the vehicle was on and parked, the vehicle rolled forward about 3MPH and crashed into the house. The air bags did not deploy and no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not destroyed and the house was slightly damaged. The police was not called. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle will be towed to a dealer. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 123,082.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated while coming to a complete stop at a traffic light, the vehicle shuddered significantly. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure recurred several times. The vehicle was taking to the service station, where an independent mechanic replaced the sparks plugs. The contact stated while reversing out of the service station, the vehicle shut off. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure persisted while reversing and while attempting to drive from a complete stop. The contact stated that she would quickly depress the accelerator pedal after shifting into drive(D) or reverse(R) to prevent the vehicle from shutting off. The contact stated that the failure had been occurring increasingly more. …
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, he noticed a burning odor. Additionally, the contact stated that while making a right turn from a complete stop, he depressed the accelerator pedal, but the vehicle hesitated to respond. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated while driving several days later, the vehicle made an abnormal winding and knocking sound. An independent mechanic inspected the vehicle at the residence and determined that the abnormal sound was due to the torque converter not receiving enough fluid from the transmission pump. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving. The contact stated that while accelerating from a Four-Way Stop, the vehicle failed to respond. …
I have coolant leaking into cylinder 4 of my 1.6L engine. I'm constantly having to refill my coolant tank because the coolant is getting burned up when it leaks into my engine which in turn produces big white clouds of smoke from my exhaust pipe. It is available for inspection. I'm constantly worried for my safety because my car could potentially overheat and lead to a fire if my coolant is going elsewhere other than its designated place. My car has been to numerous mechanics in order to figure out the issue and has recently been confirmed on [redacted] by Dave Knapp Ford located in Greenville, Ohio that there is coolant leaking into cylinder 4. My car has not been inspected by any other higher ups. …
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started and shifted into drive(D), the vehicle failed to move forward. The contact stated that the shift indicator indicated that the transmission was not in drive(D). The contact shifted the gear lever however, the vehicle failed to respond while shifted into drive(D), reverse(R), or neutral. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that her husband checked under the hood and became aware that the shifter cable was loose and applied pressure, and the contact was able to shift into drive(D) and drove the vehicle back to the residence. The contact arrived at the residence and attempted to shift to park(P), however the transmission failed to engage as intended. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. …
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 57 MPH, an abnormal sound was heard, and the vehicle failed to accelerate. The contact stated that that the transmission failed, and the service message was displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle was hauled to the residence while in neutral. The vehicle was then towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired with a refurbished transmission. The contact stated that the following day after picking up the vehicle, upon starting the vehicle, the steering assist fault message was displayed before the vehicle erroneously turned off. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer who stated that the steering assist needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. …
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. While the contact's fianc was driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact's fianc stated that the vehicle was shaking, and the transmission failure warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the RPM was elevated; however, the vehicle decelerated to 5 MPH unintendedly. The contact's fianc drove the vehicle to a parking lot and parked the vehicle. The contact arrived and connected a digital diagnostic scanner to the vehicle. The contact retrieved DTC codes P07AA (Transmission Override) and P0219 (Engine Over Speed). The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. …
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 15-25 MPH, the vehicle began to hesitate and started stalling. The contact pulled to the side of the roadway and waited before continuing to drive. The contact stated that the vehicle then stalled four times while driving. The contact was in the middle of the road. The contact turned off the vehicle and was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The contact drove to her residence. The contact stated that upon restarting the vehicle and attempting to reverse, the vehicle moved forward instead. The transmission warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was inoperable. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that she would be responsible for towing and repair expenses of the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. …
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH uphill, the RPM revved up and dropped. The vehicle made an abnormal whining sound. There was no warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated while driving and depressing the accelerator pedal, the RPMs revved to approximately 4,000-5,000 RPM and the vehicle hesitated to respond while accelerating. The contact stated that the vehicle was not shifting properly. The contact continued to depress the accelerator pedal until the vehicle responded as needed. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who informed the contact that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. …
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the "emergency transmission service" warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle lost motive power while depressing the accelerator pedal and the engine revved but the vehicle failed to respond. The contact was able to pull off the roadway and while attempting to shift into park(P), the gear shift lever failed to respond. The contact waited for approximately 30 minutes and the vehicle was able to shift into park(P) and the contact turned off and restarted the vehicle. The contact stated that when he turned the vehicle on and shifted into drive(D) he heard an abnormal banging sound under the floorboard and had the vehicle towed back to the residence. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle had not been diagnosed. …
Related recalls
Power train › Shift linkage/cable/rod
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.
Remedy: 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 mailed July 1, 2022.
Power train › Shift linkage/cable/rod
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015 Escape vehicles equipped with 2.0L engines. The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the under hood shifter bushing and add a protective cap over the shift cable bushing, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 27, 2022.
Transmission complaints in other Escape years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2015 Ford Escape?
NHTSA has 286 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2015 Ford Escape, 25% of the model year's 1,125 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (11 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2015 Ford Escape transmission problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 22V-413 (shift linkage/cable/rod, Jun 10, 2022); NHTSA recall 22V-254 (shift linkage/cable/rod, Apr 14, 2022). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2015 Ford Escape transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 94,000 miles, and 5% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to transmission & drivetrain 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.