VehicleVerdict

2013 Ford Escape transmission problems

The 2013 Ford Escape has 400 transmission complaints filed with NHTSA — 11% of the year's total, and up sharply from the prior model year.

400

Transmission complaints

11%

Share of year

10

Crash-involved

2

Related recalls

Transmission complaints by year

Escape transmission complaints by model year508 complaints2000: 1 complaints2001: 132 complaints2002: 106 complaints2003: 55 complaints2004: 27 complaints2005: 119 complaints2006: 80 complaints2007: 46 complaints2008: 335 complaints2009: 302 complaints2010: 508 complaints2011: 268 complaints2012: 66 complaints2013: 400 complaints2014: 491 complaints2015: 284 complaints2016: 321 complaints2017: 384 complaints2018: 261 complaints2019: 118 complaints2020: 218 complaints2021: 34 complaints2022: 28 complaints2023: 18 complaints2024: 2 complaints2025: 3 complaints
Escape transmission complaints by model year. Red bars are years to avoid.

Related recalls

22V413000TransmissionJune 10, 2022 · 2,925,968 units

Defect

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.

Consequence

A damaged or missing bushing may prevent the vehicle from shifting into the intended gear, and cause the vehicle to move in an unexpected direction. Additionally, the vehicle may roll after the driver selects the 'Park' position. Either scenario increases the risk of a crash or injury.

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. Remedy parts are expected to be available in 4th Quarter 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed October 27, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S43.

18V471000TransmissionJuly 16, 2018 · 504,182 units

Defect

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2014 Ford Escape, and 2013-2016 Ford Fusion vehicles, equipped with six-speed automatic transmissions. The bushing that attaches the transmission shifter cable to the transmission may degrade over time and cause the bushing to detach from the transmission. The condition could allow the driver to move the shift lever to Park and remove the ignition key, while the transmission may not be in Park, with no warning message or audible chime.

Consequence

If the vehicle is exited without the transmission being in Park and without the parking brake being applied, the vehicle may unexpectedly move, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the shifter cable bushing, free of charge. The recall began September 20, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S20. Note: Owners are directed to use the parking brake until the recall remedy repairs can be made.

What owners report

“WHILE DRIVING DOWN HIGHWAY 82, A FIRE STARTED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, THERE WAS NO NOTICE OF A FIRE WITHIN THE CAB. NO SMELL AND NO VISIBLE SMOKE. AFTER BEING FLAGGED DOWN ABOUT IT, WE MANAGED TO GET OUT OF THE CAR AND SAVE JUST A FEW THINGS OUT OF THE CAR, BEFORE THE FRONT HALF OF THE VEHICLE…”

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Transmission · November 15, 2019 · fire

Common questions

How many transmission complaints does the 2013 Ford Escape have?

NHTSA has 400 complaints about the 2013 Ford Escape transmission — 11% of all complaints filed for that model year.

Are there recalls for the 2013 Ford Escape transmission?

Yes — 2 NHTSA recall campaigns for this model year are tied to the transmission: 18V471000, 22V413000.

Related

Based on NHTSA ODI data through June 2026. Complaints are consumer-reported and unverified. Updated July 5, 2026.