Used 2013 Ford Escape Consumer Reviews

The worst car I’ve ever owned!!!

Always breaking down and always pouring money into it.

Nice vehicle, when & if everything works

I've had this vehicle for 3 mo and 3k miles. Likes: quick engine, comfortable interior, reasonable gas mileage, loaded with features. Dislikes: 6 service visits in 3 months; Sync is buggy; some of the electronics features still don't work right. The electronics are great when working. I have 8 GB of music on a mini zip drive, and Sync recognizes the names of all the music. The voice recognition is really superb. Unfortunately, sync has bugs. Read the various forums and you can see a list of issues ranging from the clock to lock-ups. I've had two software updates, but the dash display still doesn't update with the Nav display like it should. Much fun when everything works

Nickle and Dime

There are known issues with this car that are not being addressed by Ford, such as lug nuts that the outer cover breaks down to the point you can't get the lug nuts off. Then the Ford dealer replaces them, at a cost to me of $100+ with the same damn lug nuts. This vehicle now has had two recalls announced. The first was for door latches that took nearly 9 months to get replaced. Now their is a recall involving potential engine overheating which may result in a fire. It has been one month since the announcement and no other news on this potential fire hazard. The mileage rating on this vehicle was a joke. It is rated for 25 city and 33 highway. The highest it has ever reached on the highway, for a 700 mile road trip, was 27. If you drive highway speeds the mileage actually gets worse than if you were driving on a 45 mph roadway. Lastly, 3 years into the vehicle, we receive a notice on the instrument panel that the battery is low in the FOB. I replace the battery and the warning doesn't go away. While the car was in the dealer for the first recall, we asked them to check this. The result is the FOB somehow is bad and had to be replaced for $106 and this was after the extended warranty coverage. The last Ford I owned was an Explorer in 1991. After Ford screwed me around on the warranty I vowed I would never own another. Well I was talked into this vehicle and now regret it and will never purchase another Ford again.

The worst car we've ever owned

Had it from new - Low mileage (appx 7,000 miles per year). Wife's shopping car. Had many, many issues: - Oil pan seal leak, - Transmission leak, - Power windows do not operate properly, - Windshield needed to be replaced after just 400 miles because of air noise, - Multiple power steering fault errors causing loss of steering, - And a strange engine noise that was sent in 4 times under warranty but returned as "nothing wrong" - sounds like someone flicking the teeth of a comb. Combined with the ridiculous number of recalls, this vehicle is truly awful. For some reason, my wife still likes it and won't part with it. I should have stuck to my initial thoughts and gotten rid of it as soon as we got it. A horribly underpowered, unresponsive uncomfortable and unreliable piece of junk that will cost you a lot of money for repairs not covered by the warranty. You live and learn. I will never buy another Ford.

Sync Reliability

The SYNC systems in my vehicle has placed my car in the shop 3 times in four months totalling 1 month in the shop with 3 seperate rental cars. The SYNC system in my car resets itself multiple times within an hour whether I am in the middle of a call, etc. The ipod/phone have difficutly connecting frequently and the system freezes.

wished I had something else

32,000 miles now. Fuel economy is no better than 23 on the hwy. car has improper gearing to ever see better. Many bad engineering and design flaws with this car. Still rides like a truck on bad roads. Engine noise galore..tired of it. Seems like gas pedal is not connected to engine at times. Sync is still playing the radio after I WALK AWAY WITH IT LOCKED. Cant turn on the front wiper with out the back one coming on, cant see the key slot to start the car. Last AWD car for me. I believe the suspension has 3-4" inches of travel. Bad roads bad ride.

Love the Escape

Everything you could want in a small SUV! Loaded with technology, super acceleration, quiet and comfortable.

The Worst Vehicle Ever, Glad I Escaped from Escape

LAST FORD...EVER.

The car is just...BAD. Sync feels like a really rough Beta program and is unrefined and just not useful. Lockups, pauses, stutters, hesitations. I had a 2008 BMW X3 and thought the "infotainment" system in it was bad, but as amateurish as it was, it was at least functional. The car died with 300 miles on it and is still in a coma while Ford "decides what they are going to do." The dealer has had it for a week, and they haven't even STARTED to repair the problem. The last word from them was it could be "another 3 or 4 weeks." Between the Sync, the hinky Navigation, the mechanical unreliability and the lack of support from Ford, I rate the car a clunker. Run away from it.

So many problems

My car is 4 years old and it keeps shaking when I apply the break even after taking it into two separate Ford dealers to fix the problem. Also, the sensors frequently beep when I'm not in reverse for no reason and it has been amazingly annoying. Also, my heating/cooling system just up and stopped working, and had to pay for that.

MPG not as advertised

Leased the top of the line AWD in July. I reside in Staten Island NY and drive a combo of local and highway. The vehicle is really nice. All the bells and whistles, comfrtable, great sound system, etc. However, the advertised MPG has not materialized to date, (the manager of my deaership said the eco-boost kicks in at around 5,000 miles). Furthermore, I consider myself to have a very light foot. So to keep it simple, its a great mid sized SUV and I would recomend it, its a quality vehicle. But if you're buying it because of the high MPG, don't. According to the car's own instrament panel, I'm getting a combined 17 mpg now. Much less than I expected. Range on full tank is only 270 miles.

Brand new impression

My car is less than a week old, maybe 240 miles tracked so far. So far no flaws that I can tell, everything performs as I'd expect it would.

Replaced my german ML

I have had this vehicle for only a week, but it is so much fun to drive and it has everything you might need on a vehicle. I especially love the blis which tells me who is in my blind spot. The engine is so peppy you might think your in a sports car. Ford has a surefire winner in the new escape.

A Lemon!

Bought demo 2013 Ford Escape with 27,000 miles on it October 2019 the transmission blew with only 39,000 miles on it! Car was paid off Called Ford Motor Co & they said warranty was under o miles, but over on years Wouldn’t help us out at all Transmission replacement cost was $7,600 Traded it in, instead of repairing, they gave us $4,000 for the defunct Escape Talked to a woman the next day and she said they had nothing but problems with their Escape (transmission went out, along with numerous other costly issues I was a Ford lover back in the 60’s & 70’s, not any longer at all

Disappointing

I had been researching small SUVs and hatchbacks for months, anxiously awaiting several of the new offerings. One was the 2013 Ford Escape. My wife and I arrived at the dealer the day their first base S Escape arrived. We really liked the exterior look of the car and were excited to drive it. After 20 min., we were very disappointed. The levers and knobs were cheap plastic and the seats were very hard. The ride was extremely stiff and we felt every ripple in the road. The engine was buzzy and loud starting from the rest position. We quickly realized this car may be all right for zipping around town, but would tire you out on any longer trip. We ended up buying a Nissan Rogue. MUCH nicer- fun

Terrible Car

Nothing But problems with this car. it has just over 51,000 km on it and has been through 4 fuel pumps, 2 water pumps, a transmission rebuild and all engine gaskets have been replaced. It recently bogged down on the highway with foot to the floor and only being able to maintain 70 km/hr. Luckily got it home and parked it before it shut off on its own. When brought to the dealership they could not find any problems and couldn't do anything to help solve the problem. It was purchased new off the lot and have had nothing but problems since. Over 3 years of owning there has been around $20,000.00 of warranty work done. Would not recommend this vehicle to anyone.

Not running

The engine is out, the man that worked on it didn.t do something right when he put the engine back in so its not running

A car that I am forcing to love

First of all, I do love this car. But 3x at ford dealer for the nav system that works 5-10 mins after your running seems not worth the cash I paid for this. Basically told me the last time that there was nothing they could do. I drive from buildings to and from small suburbs, and its the same story. It has severe difficulty to connect. My ford touch also is super glitchy. Wife has a toyota and night/day difference in computer systems. Also fuel economy regardless of driver or babying, will get you 19-22mpg. Using 87 octane costco, tires checked, no load, long roads. So if you know those 2 things and accept them, the car is amazing. Do not believe other estimates as i have when i got this:(

Nice to look at, but that's it.

Bought this car in Oct '13. Very beautiful and a little out of my price range, but I decided to get it since it had every possible option on it. That was a mistake! This car has been out of service almost 2 weeks total and started having issues at 1,100 miles. Rattling in the front, wheel thumping and loud noise in strut sounds like it's coming off after a sharp turn, hatch won't shut correctly, sync system randomly shuts off, blind spot monitoring system doesn't work sometimes or it's incorrect. I have to second guess it constantly. The only nice thing is the way it looks inside and out. Interior storage space is virtually nonexistent and legroom up front isn't great.

Piece of Junk

I have had this car for 3,000 miles. It does nothing well. Poor fuel economy, 22 mpg at 75 MPH. Car was designed for around town and not for highway driving. Suspension is to stiff in poor roads and will cause fatigue. Gearing is incorrect for the motor. Zippy around town, nothing left after 60mph. That is why it does not get gas milage, rpm tWhy do I need a warning light on my dash telling me my door are locked. This car was designed by weezel engineering for sure. I have people in my company that refuse to ride in this car due to its harsh ride. Seat belt buzzer will not shut off and you cant fix it! I call it the buzz box, motor buzzes and that is what you listen to all the time

Happy to buy American...

Overall am very happy with my purchase. Quiet, high quality cabin. Sync voice commands work most of the time and are very convenient. Engine is very responsive and ride is smooth.

i love my Escape!

I am in love with my 2013 Escape. This Suv is so awesome. I get 28 mpg in the City and I have yet to take it on the highway. I see so many negative reviews about the mileage and maybe those with negative reviews do not drive a car well by utilizing cruise control etc. Acceleration and braking are also keys to mileage and if you take off really fast and then brake equally as fast to stop of course your mileage will be lower, as well as being hard on your brakes and transmission etc. . If you drive fast everywhere you go that is going to affect your mileage. I have no complaints about my car and I just bought a 2013 Escape with 30,000 miles on it Dec 23 2016. This car handles well, is beautiful to look at and simply fun to drive. The Eco boost engine makes this 4 cylinder seem like a 6. I just traded in a 6 cylinder and this keeps up merging on highways on trips and every day driving and its just fun when you want to have fun. I feel bad for the people that have had a bad experience because mine has been nothing but aweaome so far. Great car. I love it

Escape is a great package

Styling and engineering are commendable. The 2.0l "Eco-boost" engine is a marvel of performance and reasonable economy. Many features and functions are comparable to those found in upscale brands. And the automatic park feature really works!

Engine needed to be replaced

This was my first car, and it was my pride and joy. I absolutely adored this car. I bought it used in 2020, with around 32,000 miles. Now, in 2024 I took it to get serviced. I LOVED this car and was absolutely distraught to find out that there was a coolant leak and I needed a new engine at just over 101,000 miles. I thought this car would last me much longer, but sadly it did not. I ended up purchasing a 2023 Ford escape, which is amazing. I do miss my 2013 escape though. I just hate that these issues happen, especially whenever the car had just reached 100,000 miles. Keep in mind, I got it serviced regularly and I took amazing care of it.

Get the AWD! if you live in rainy/snowy climates

Slower acceleration typical of an American brand not particularly to my liking; poor traction control on wet/snowy roads even with new tires. Get the AWD for these conditions!

2013 Escape the good things of life

If there are any aftermarket additions to your vehicle find out what they are before your purchase.otherwise it is a good family SUV type vehicle

Nice styling - except under the hood.

I bought the car because of its nice styling. It also has helpful electronics features. The issue comes when something needs to be fixed under the hood. I had two radiator leaks - a simple connection leak necessitated the whole radiator be replaced. A hose that leaked was so "buried" that the labor charge was way too high. At the advice of the repair shop, I bought a Japanese-made car where major components are not buried halfway under the hood.

bad seats

This car has the worst front seats i have ever had. We drove 1500 mile on vacation and could hardly walk after getting here. We have done this milage with other vehicles and no problem. Anybody doing a lot of traveling had better stay away from an escape.

For a basic a/c unit it is superb. Yes I would buy

It was great an reliable. Bad thing gas mileage was terrible, Combined gas mileage was bad.

Ford Should Back Up Cars

The car itself is fantastic, even towing livestock and manure around, driving in extreme weather, long trips, etc. But Ford Motor Co.'s warranty is crap. My rear window exploded outward autonomously when no one was within 200 yards of it. It was parked inside the garage. When it exploded the wiper motor and blade fell onto the concrete floor and broke. The dealer and Ford told me a stone must have broken it, although I would have had to be backing up at 60+ MPH in order for that to happen. They lied about finding a stone in the back of the car - I had the glass guy search for it - no stone! It's too bad. It was my fourth Escape and I would have bought another one, but if your dealer won't be your advocate and back you up against the suits at headquarters, you don't want to buy their product. I'm getting a GMC Terrain to replace it. It will be my last Ford product ever. The third dealer I went to, Ted Green in Stockbridge VT, is terrific, but the damage was already done. The other two dealers, Gateway (WRJ) and Flanders & Patch (Lebanon NH) are criminals in my opinion. The engine is the 2.0 turbo 4, not as noted above.

Great Car, Except for the Engine

In 2013, I traded my 2005 Ford Escape for the new 2013. I loved my 2005 but gas prices were high and the car was in all-wheel drive. The 2013 was a beautiful "broken glass" colored car. I got more compliments on the color than any other car I've ever owned. In addition to being a good looking car it had several of the updated amenities my other car didnt have. My first problem arose at 10,000 miles when my engine stopped running. Fortunately I had the Ford Motor Company towing service and it was towed to my local dealership. I had previously taken this car in for a recall but apparently the problem was not fixed. I got a new engine after about four weeks and then I was back on the road. Then again at 60,000 miles the engine blew again. This time it was in for service for about 4 to 5 weeks. Luckily since it was still under warranty they always gave me a rental car so I was really never out anything except my car. After the second engine I was a little leery to take the car out on long road trips. I was just always a little hesitant to trust it. The only other service that it ever needed were the recalls and regular maintenance. Despite the two engines I really did love the car but I just traded it in for a 2019. I love the way it is set up. I love the way it drove. I just loved everything about it so I took a gamble and bought the Ford Escape again. So far the 2019 is getting great reviews so I'm hoping I can enjoy a great car and trust it for a very long time.

Escape returned investment with great economy

Great gas mileage and low-cost maintenance, the 2013 Escape retained enough value to come out ahead, when it was time to move to a new ride.

Pep Zip Zoom

Early navigation system, takes patience to use. If you buy one see if the map is up to date or buy an update. I have used the sport mode shifter once.

Avoid this vehicle

Difficult to work on. Simple things like replacing the HID headlamp requires you to remove the bumper. 19" low profile wheels damage very easily.

Very happy

Just bought my new 2013 Ford Escape SE model. I really like the new design and ofcourse the great mpg. So far no problems at all! Don't get some of the negativer reviews, but I guess everyone's differant.

RECALLED and REPURCHASED

We bought our 2013 Escape last July, loved the the look of it, loved the interior and was hoping for great gas mileage with the EcoBoost engine... Well after two weeks it was recalled for engine fires. Ford had it for a week... Then at Thanksgiving it was recalled again...this time Ford had it for a month... Same issue.. In addition I think the engine, 1.6, is too small for the vehicle, the stated 22 mpg city is way way off... I am lucky if I get 16-17 locally. All I drive is local, we commute 13 miles each way through NYC, I was hoping the EcoBoost engine would be ideal... Boy was/am I surprised.. We have applied for Lemon Law and Ford will repurchase it soon.

No heat in the back seats

I am very pleased with my vehicle. It handles well and is great on gas. The only problems I have are there are no cupholders or vents for heat amd AC for the back seats. When you live in Maryland, which gets really cold and hot, there is a need for cool air and heat, especially for small children, who now have to sit with blankets across their legs until the spring. I was told by Ford to use the vents from the front and turn them toward the back. Thanks Ford!!! Who would think to check for vents in the back seats when purchasing a car? I thought it was a standard. So the new thing is to pay more and get additional vents in our vehicles to keep our children warm? Really?!

Great car so far

Bought in early April and have 5000 miles so far. I love it. It has never been in the shop. I get 29 mpg or better if I drive 70, but that drops to 27 at 75-80. I use regular gas. If I mix highway and town driving, I get 26mpg. Live in FL and drive fairly gently. Have never had a problem with pairing my iPhone 4s. I love the Sirius radio and how you can optimize it for driver listening. Great quiet ride.

I love it

Car looks more up to date in technology than other cars .

Little but mighty, the great ESCAPE!

Great SUV. Good gas mileage. Plenty of zip.

no problems

I haven't had a single problem yet and bought it in march.this is my first ford ever and im pleased so far

Name a fluid this car doesn’t leak

This car was originally my grandpas and he gave it to me. I’ve had so many things replaced just to find them breaking again. I’ve had way too many coolant leaks. If you enjoy spending $30 a week on coolant in the winter and having to fill it with water in the warmer temperatures then this car is for you. It won’t retain coolant in warm temps. If you also love oil splotches on your parking pad/garage then it’s definitely for you. Why pay for an oil change when you get a free one in 3 weeks.

Been a Ford customer for years until now

Nothing but a continuous pain in my ass. Only had it a month and already had to replace windshield washer fluid pump, abs sensors, TPMS now the 911 assist message comes on....last Ford i'll ever buy

Sweet to a point

I loved my Ford until the transmission failed in2024 with 130k I'm disappointed

Love the car BUT........

I bought my Escape Oct 2012. I really didn't plan on spending so much time at the service dept. first my doors wouldn't all unlock when I got out of my car. (They still don't but they refuse to try and fix it) Then my radio wouldn't shut off. Yay, fixed it. I have barley any air coming from my vents. Can't fix it. My brand new Samsung G3 doesn't sync with the system so know one can hear me. Still no updates from Ford. Now, my whole radio/sat/phone system won't work at various times and of course can't fix it because I have to bring it in when it happens which of course we know never happens when the shop is open. Black exhaust all over bottom of car. Told this was normal by service dept.

Love it!!

Just purchased my Escape 2 weeks ago, and very happy with it. I bought it with 110 miles on it, and currently already have over 600. I am currently getting about 23.4 miles to the gallon, and hope to see it get higher, but already an improvement over what I traded in.

awsome

great suv

Replacing the Mazda

Had some issues with check engine light but too soon to know if it will be an issue?

awsome

great suv

Very happy w/ my new scape

I love this suv , good on gas