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All cars · Ford Escape · Transmission

Ford Escape transmission problems by year.

Worst years for transmission complaints per car sold: 2008 (285 complaints), 2014 (413 complaints), 2013 (275 complaints). Fewest since 2010: 2025, 2023, 2012.

Ford Escape
Photo shows a 2014 Ford Escape. Tyanroon-chan, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · background removed

Transmission complaints owners filed with the U.S. government (NHTSA) for each model year, per 100,000 cars sold. A complaint counts when it's filed under the transmission, or under the power train and the owner describes the transmission (shifting, slipping, gears, CVT). It's an owner's report, not a confirmed defect, and older years have had longer to collect complaints.

200111153.7 per 100K sold20029766.7 per 100K sold20034828.6 per 100K sold20042010.9 per 100K sold20057143 per 100K sold20066742.6 per 100K sold20074024.2 per 100K sold2008285182.1 per 100K sold200910661.3 per 100K sold201015480.6 per 100K sold20119336.6 per 100K sold20123413 per 100K sold201327592.9 per 100K sold2014413134.9 per 100K sold201524981.2 per 100K sold201627489.2 per 100K sold201726686.3 per 100K sold201813348.9 per 100K sold20197330.2 per 100K sold202013072.8 per 100K sold20213926.8 per 100K sold20222417.5 per 100K sold2023128.5 per 100K sold20240no sales data202510.7 per 100K sold

What owners describe

Lost power while driving16%
Hard or jerky shifting15%
Transmission replaced11%
Slipping8%
Delay or hesitation8%
Shudder4%

Share of this model's transmission complaints that mention each symptom. One complaint can mention several.

Transmission and power train recalls

  • 2022 2024

    The Hybrid Powertrain Control Module (HPCM) software may cause the vehicle to shift into neutral unexpectedly, causing a loss of drive power.

  • 2020 2020

    The start/stop accumulator endcap may have missing or loose bolts.

  • 2020 2021

    An inadequate amount of lubricant in the rear drive unit may cause seizure of the rear drive axle.

  • 2019 2022

    The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach.

  • 2014 2018

    The bushing that attaches the transmission shifter cable to the transmission may degrade over time and cause the bushing to detach from the transmission.

Recall repairs are free at any dealer. Check a specific car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

In owners' words

The car was shifted into drive and remained in neutral. When the car was shifted into Park, the car started to drive forward.

2014 Ford Escape owner · NHTSA complaint

Transmission started making a shuttering sound in between 4 & 5 gear, this started about a month ago 05/01/18, the car has 153,000 miles.

2014 Ford Escape owner · NHTSA complaint

Quick answers

Which Ford Escape years have transmission problems?

By transmission complaints filed with NHTSA per car sold, the worst Ford Escape years are 2008, 2014, 2013.

What are common Ford Escape transmission problems?

Owners most often describe lost power while driving, hard or jerky shifting, transmission replaced.

Which Ford Escape years have the fewest transmission complaints?

Since 2010, the Ford Escape years with the fewest transmission complaints per car sold are 2025, 2023, 2012.

See every problem, not just the transmission: Ford Escape reliability by year. How we count

Updated

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