2013 Ford Escape body & structure problems

Related recalls

• Recall 20V331000Jun 8, 20202,147,323 vehicles
  LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH

  Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Fiesta, 2013-2014 Fusion, 2015 Mustang, 2013-2015 Escape and C-Max, 2012-2015 Focus, 2014-2016 Transit Connect, 2013-2014 Lincoln MKZ, and 2015 MKC vehicles. These vehicles were previously recalled and repaired under recalls 15V-246, 16V-643 or 17V-210, however the repair may not have been completed properly. A component within the door latches may break making the doors difficult to latch and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.

  Risk: A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.

  Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the latch date codes to confirm if the repair was done correctly, and replace the side door latches if necessary, free of charge. Owners will also have the option to inspect their own vehicle's door latches and enter the date codes into a website to determine if the latches are correct. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 27, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S30.

• Recall 16V643000Sep 6, 20162,046,297 vehicles
  LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH

  Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2012-2015 Ford Focus, 2013-2015 Ford Escape and Ford C-MAX, 2015 Lincoln MKC and Ford Mustang, and 2014-2016 Ford Transit Connect vehicles. A component within the door latches may break, preventing the doors from latching and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.

  Risk: A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.

  Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the door latches with an improved part, free of charge. The recall began on January 27, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S30.

• Recall 14V239000May 7, 2014581,986 vehicles
  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.

  Risk: A door that opens unexpectedly may result in an unrestrained occupant falling from the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury.

  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. Ford's number for this recall is 14S03.

• Recall 13V085000Mar 7, 20135,675 vehicles
  LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES

  Ford is recalling certain model year 2013 Focus and C-Max vehicles built from November 16, 2012, through November 21, 2012; and model year 2013 Escape vehicles manufactured from November 14, 2012, through November 21, 2012. The left rear door child lock was built incorrectly. As a result, the child lock may not engage when the operator uses normal force to activate the child lock.

  Risk: The operator may incorrectly believe the child lock is engaged. However, the door may be opened from the inside, increasing the risk of injury to an unrestrained child.

  Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the affected rear door latches, and replace them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on March 27, 2013. Owners may contact Ford Motor Company Customer Relationship Center at 1-866-436-7332.

• Recall 12V319000Jul 6, 20128,266 vehicles
  SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES · 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.

  Risk: The reduced clearance may result in the driver’s foot contacting the side of the brake pedal while transferring the foot from the accelerator pedal to the brake pedal, increasing stopping distances and the risk of a crash.

  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. Owners may contact ford at 1-866-436-7332.

What owners say

1. Filed Sep 4, 2026MIBody & Structure

   Driver door would won’t latch I tried wd40 and put the latch back in place noting working I thought I should notify that it is a safety risk

   NHTSA complaint #11762054 · source
2. Filed Jul 24, 202694,996 miOHBody & Structure

   The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH on the freeway, the front passenger’s side door suddenly came ajar. The "Passenger Door Ajar" message was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V331000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages). The contact called a local dealer and was advised of the cost for the diagnostic test. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The…

   NHTSA complaint #11752579 · source
3. Filed Jun 30, 2025124,000 miNJBody & StructureBrakes

   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,…

   NHTSA complaint #11670169 · source
4. Filed Apr 13, 2025TXBody & Structure

   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-…

   NHTSA complaint #11654378 · source
5. Filed Feb 25, 2025LABody & StructureTransmission & Drivetrain

   The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 20V331000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages) and 22V413000 (Power Train) and would like to be removed from the recall distribution list. The local dealer and manufacturer were contacted.

   NHTSA complaint #11644746 · source
6. Filed Aug 5, 2024119,000 miNYBody & Structure

   The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the rear liftgate door erroneously became unlatched and opened. The contact later discovered that the rear liftgate locking mechanism was faulty and the liftgate door would not remain closed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 119,000.

   NHTSA complaint #11606541 · source
7. Filed Aug 1, 2024TXBody & StructureBrakesEngine

   *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.

   NHTSA complaint #11605806 · source
8. Filed Jul 17, 2024212,000 miINCrash1 injuredTowedAirbagsBody & Structure

   The contact owned a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 MPH, the rear passenger side door erroneously opened causing a distraction to the driver and the vehicle crashed into the rear of a second vehicle. During the crash, the front end of the vehicle was severely damaged but the air bag did not deploy. During the crash, the contact sustained neck, shoulder, and back injuries. No medical treatment was received. The vehicle was destroyed. A…

   NHTSA complaint #11602972 · source
9. Filed Jul 16, 2024IABody & StructureOther / Unknown

   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.

   NHTSA complaint #11602733 · source
10. Filed May 1, 2023HIBody & Structure

    The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number 16V643000 (Latches, Locks, Linkages) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. Part distribution disconnect.

    NHTSA complaint #11519773 · source
11. Filed Jan 20, 2023PABody & Structure

    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.

    NHTSA complaint #11502865 · source
12. Filed Sep 22, 2022211,000 miFLBody & Structure

    The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 25-30 MPH with the windows closed, he noticed that exterior noises were louder than usual. The contact drove to his residence. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the front driver's side door was slightly ajar and failed to latch properly. The contact attempted to close and lock the door but the failure persisted. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or…

    NHTSA complaint #11485936 · source

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology