2016 Ford Escape Consumer Reviews
Review Summary
Most Helpful Reviews
Positive Review
Before signing the check for my new Escape SE, I researched and drove every competitive vehicle. The Escape won me over due to it's design, forward thinking, utility, comfort, mileage and overall driving characteristics. Coming from a premium brand AWD vehicle, I was at first skeptical, but I've come to really appreciate and love this vehicle. It drives and handles extremely well, and feels well-planted on the road. The seating is extremely comfortable, although the footwell is a bit tight, it's not too tight for my 6'0", 185 pound frame. The engine is extremely quiet - something I didn't expect from a small turbo, and the automatic transmission is very smooth. Fit and finish are on par with more expensive vehicles, which I believe is the reason it costs slightly more than others in it's class. I also love the Sync with MyFordTouch, and don't understand why some complain about it. It's intuitive, and easy to learn to operate. So far, I haven't been getting the EPA's rated fuel mileage, but it's probably due to my driving style and frequent stop and go traffic. The best I've done yet is 29 mpg when driven mostly highway miles. As with all vehicles, I expect the mileage to improve once broken in. I also love the auto-tailgate option, though I don't have the "foot motion" option, which I don't feel is necessary. All said, I love this vehicle.
VS
Critical Review
Bought a pre-owned lemon.. This is absolutely a junker. Call this vehicle titanium headache. The clutches are not engaging in the transmission correctly. They did the service fluid flush hoping it will help resolve the problem. It didn't work!! Apparently I need a new transmission installed. Never ever again would I buy a ford escape. Terrible experience, and all these fake reviews posted here on kbb. These vehicles are not made to last a long time.
2016 Escape Reviews
Showing 8 of 1,034 reviews.
Great shape I love it for the price and the gas mileage and everything else is great I think it’s a great fit for the job but unfortunately I think it will cost more money to get a new car so I’m not sure if it’s fair to say that you should buy a new one
Comfortable, easy to drive, easy to operate, generally reliable until the engine fails
No issues until the full engine failure when the engine should have had another 50,000 miles in it
I own a 2018 Ford Escape, and my experience has been extremely disappointing due to a major engine failure that appears to be related to a known coolant intrusion issue. On October 7, 2025, my vehicle suddenly overheated while I was driving. After adding water, I was able to get it to a repair shop, where a leak-down test confirmed a coolant leak and head gasket failure. The shop advised that the only solution was a complete engine replacement, with an estimated cost of nearly $11,000. The vehicle was then towed to a Ford dealership for a second opinion. Their technicians observed excessive white smoke from the exhaust upon startup and also concluded that a full engine replacement would likely be necessary. What makes this especially frustrating is that coolant intrusion and head gasket failures have been widely reported in certain Ford EcoBoost engines. This was not caused by neglect or poor maintenance; it appears to be a serious design or manufacturing defect. A catastrophic engine failure like this should not happen in a relatively modern vehicle. Beyond the financial burden, the failure created a potentially dangerous situation on the road and resulted in additional towing and diagnostic expenses. As a longtime Ford vehicle owner, I expect reliability and safety from a major manufacturer. Unfortunately, this experience has left me with an unusable vehicle and a repair bill that exceeds what many consumers can reasonably afford. I took this to Ford and they refused to take responsibility for these recurring engine issues providing no support to affected owners.
Good car until it wasn’t.
Not worth fixing. Scrap yard said they weren’t really interested in it because they had so many
2017 Ford Escape SE 1.5 well serviced. 135k $4600 torque converter and front pump replacement. 145k transmission failure. Quoted $12000 to fix by dealer. Vehicle probably worth $7000 before the problem. Scrap after. I don’t believe these small turbocharged engines and their transmissions are made to last. Something to think about when you vote next time. Great car otherwise
Excellent shape, Well maintained, new brakes, shocks & tires. Mostly highway mileage. Very clean no hail or accidents.
It was fun while it lasted
Too many to list....try coolant intrusion for one
They really cut corners with this one. Got it used about three years ago and it's been falling apart since. Cheaply made with cheap plastics. Very disappointed and am now stuck with a money pit I cannot afford
New tires, always maintained by my Palm City Auto and tire. No issues and no scratching much. New battery, always cleaned at a professional car wash.
Powerful, gas efficient, comfortable.
Resale value could be better.
I bought my 2018 Ford Escape Titanium new. It has been a reliable, very gas efficient, comfortable SUV. The car now has 98,000 miles on it. The only repair that I needed to do was the power liftgate intermittently would not open. Ford did not put a backup key operated liftgate lock on the vehicle so if the liftgate doesn't open, you are hosed. I had a local mechanic replace the lifgate lock with a new lifetime warranty lock for a total cost of $420 including labor. That is all that I needed to repair! I replaced the tires as would be expected. I am still on the original brakes and they function perfectly. I average 27mpg with a mix of city and highway driving. The vehicle has ample power but I rarely put the pedal to the metal because I want the vehicle to last. Overall, I am very happy with this car.
Good space and been a go to for moving.
Chronic parts and maintenance issues including large ticket items like engine/ transmission/ electrical.
I got this car used in 2021 with ~30,000 miles, and Ford had just put a new engine in it. Since that time it has been an absolute lemon. Thankfully I had a warranty but one of many issues included needing a new transmission and being in the shop for 2+ months due to limited parts available. It is now out of warranty, and the engine needs to be replaced again. I can expect 1x year my car will have expensive issues. The backup camera went out a year or two in and when I asked about replacement, I was told the parts could take almost a year to come in. The cost of a new camera is also too high to justify the purchase. I have put miles on my car, but I cannot believe how many things have gone wrong. I have stayed on top of all maintenance (oil changes, tires, breaks, etc.), but still had significant/ expensive issues regardless of the care.
