Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power windows, windshield, wipers, mirrors, sunroof).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2016 Ford Escape owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front driver's and passenger's side windshield wipers failed to operate as intended while activated. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the body control module needed to be replaced. The local dealer was contacted by the independent mechanic, and the parts for the repairs were ordered. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 58 MPH in the rain, the sunroof glass panel exploded and shattered. The contact continued driving. The contact had not sustained any injuries. The dealer was notified of the failure and provided an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and transferred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 119,500.
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?
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.
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.
Faulty Switch. Windshield wipers don't work when I try to turn them on. While driving, they will randomly turn on by themselves and will not cut off until the vehicle is turned off. Waiting for a mechanic to get the part.
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."). …
My 2016 Ford Escape is subject to safety recall 25SA9 / NHTSA 25V695 involving the rearview camera. Ford's recall states that the rearview camera may display a blank or distorted image in reverse, or may display a message that camera is unavailable. The rearview camera is now completely nonfunctional. It previously worked intermittently but progressively worsened and is gone now. When I place the vehicle in reverse, the center display either remains blank or continues displaying the navigation/map screen shown while driving. It does not display the rearview camera image. The vehicle and camera are available for inspection upon request. This creates a significant safety risk because I have lost the rearward view provided by the camera when backing up. …
The back windshield on my 2016 Ford Escape shattered for the second time within the past year and a half for no apparent reason. In both instances, the vehicle was parked. The first time it occurred while I was warming up the car one morning at my residence with the back defroster on. The second occurrence happened while the vehicle was parked at my place of employment this week, which I did not discover until the middle of the day upon approaching the vehicle. The back defroster was used while warming up the vehicle that morning. The cause of this is unknown, however, I suspect it May somehow be related either with use of the back defroster combined with the cold weather, or perhaps something structurally. …
Windshield wipers completely stopped working on June 20, 2019. Confirmed it was not a fuse. It was summer while I was away on vacation when this happened which is an 8 hr drive from home. Wipers spontaneously started working like normal after two days not working. That same day on June 22, 2019 during drive in 95 degree heat on highway in stand still traffic on 8 hour drive home, wipers started turning on at variable speeds on their own and could not be shut off, changed speeds, or affected by anything with the wiper switch. The wipers are not automatic or rain sensing and it was a clear day. Wipers did not turn off until traffic cleared, the car was at highway speeds and presumably could be cooled by the car moving. A slight melting smell was noted during spontaneous turning on of wipers. …
Window & Wiper complaints in other Escape years
Frequently asked questions
How common are window & wiper problems on the 2016 Ford Escape?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the windows, wipers & sunroof of the 2016 Ford Escape, 2% of the model year's 1,162 complaints. The component named most often is sun/moon roof assembly (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2016 Ford Escape window & wiper problems?
No. NHTSA lists no windows, wipers & sunroof recall for the 2016 Ford Escape, though it has 4 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 2016 Ford Escape window & wiper problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 24,000 miles, and 67% before 25,000 miles.
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.