2013 Ford Escape: misfire or rough idle

Filed Jul 2, 2026 · Engine · ID

Engine coolant intrusion into engine resulting in excessive visible smoke/steam on startup and coolant consumption. This issue has been inspected by a Ford dealer and private party mechanics, however could not be accurately diagnosed without engine disassembly. No evidence of external coolant leaks were present. The current consumption rate for coolant is approximately 2 qts per month. Vehicle currently has ~95k miles. The vehicle indicates random misfire codes and low coolant level warnings. Mechanics have advised not to drive as low coolant could lead to overheating and engine failure. Coolant intrusion could result in "hydrolocking" the engine, again resulting in engine failure. Ford Motor Company via dealer has declined to include the vehicle in similar recall or correction efforts.

Filed Apr 21, 2026 · Engine · PA

Over time the car began to lose coolant. I read codes and troubleshot the systems, replacing a sensor first, no visible leak from collant hoses was discovered. I took the car to bethlehem ford and after a diagnostics process told me there was a crack in the engine on cylinder three that was allowing coolant to leak into the piston and be burnt off during ignition which created misfires and damage over time. I was informed I would need a brand new engine replacement. Which I was quoted 13,788USD for the repair. Not including the $200 I had paid for the diagnostics. The amount for the fix was as much as I had paid for the car to begin with only three years ago at the time of this faulure and had already paid close to $5000 for a turbo replacement as this car in the 2013 Ford Escape SE with the 1.6L ecoboost engine.

Filed Apr 16, 2025 · Engine · 170,000 miles · OH

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled. The contact was unable to pull over to a safe place. The contact shifted to neutral(N), turned off, and restarted the vehicle, and the contact was able to continue driving. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. Additionally, the contact stated that there was a misfire coming from the engine on cold starts intermittently. The contact, who was an industrial technician, used a code reader to scan the vehicle and retrieved DTC: P1299 and P0304. Additionally, the contact inspected the vehicle and determined that there was coolant intrusion in cylinder #4. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the failure had occurred due to an engine short block factory defect. The dealer recommended that the short block be replaced; however, the dealer had not diagnosed the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.

Filed Feb 17, 2025 · Engine · MO

Engine block failed allowing coolant into the cylinder heads. Vehicle stopped going to interstate into "limp mode" and daughter was stuck. Check engine light came on and said there was a misfire in cylinder 3.

Filed Aug 26, 2024 · Engine · KS

My 2013 Ford Escape SEL FWD has been having warning light to "check engine" for a while. Mechanic read a misfire and changed thing. As it continued, Mechanic said computer needed to be "flashed" since it was not an engine problem they found. It went into check engine between 48-55 mph. Later the engine just quit with hot engine warning and antifreeze was empty. Refilled, drove home. The car continually runs our of fluid without obvious signs of leakage. This antifreeze problem continues, occasionally we see smoke from the engine but cannot find a source when we pull over to look. Smells like antifreeze. The car can drive 50-60 miles on a full antifreeze reservoir before getting too hot. I see multiple concerns over this issue but no recall.

Filed Aug 9, 2024 · Engine · WA

Coolant leaked into the cyclinder heads, causing overheating, misfiring and engine damage that necessitates a full engine replacement.

Filed Jul 12, 2024 · Engine, Fuel system · VA

I own a 2013 Ford escape SEL, and I have had a continuous coolant leak for over a year now. Codes from computer reading have come back as spark plugs and cylinders misfiring. I have taken it to a licensed repair shop. They have informed me that they could not find a coolant leak within the cooling and radiator system. However, after personal research and additional information from, my mechanic, I have come to realize that other issues within the Ford escape 2013 1.6 L eco-boost engine, our part of the problem. In my opinion, the Ford Motor Company has neglected to acknowledge, or repair the issues with this engine and what’s causing the vehicle to lose coolant, then causing other engine problems. It has put me in unsafe situations as acceleration and or overall performance is putting people at risk.

Filed Jun 24, 2024 · Engine · 70,000 miles · PA

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine misfired while the vehicle was being driven on a hill. In addition, the check engine and low coolant warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with coolant leak into the cylinder. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the federal safety agency Hotline and report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

Filed Dec 12, 2023 · Engine · 144,618 miles · MO

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the engine was misfiring, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that he drove to the residence. The contact stated that he used an OBD reader and retrieved DTC code: P0304 (Cylinder #4 Misfire). The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 144,618.

Filed Oct 11, 2023 · Engine · NE

I had issues with my turbo in July. It needed to be fully replaced. One week ago, is started leaking coolant. White smoke was coming from the exhaust. Last night while driving on the highway, it would not accelerate and threw an error code saying cylinder three misfire detected. I had to stop on the side of the highway in the middle of the night in pitch black with no streetlights due to no fault of my own. Car is no longer drivable until fixed.

Filed Apr 24, 2023 · Engine · 139,000 miles · MI

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the coolant low warning light illuminated. The contact stated that she refilled the coolant reservoir; however, the coolant low and the check engine warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the Auto Zone and was diagnosed with a cylinder misfire. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the head gasket failed to seal properly letting coolant into the combustion chamber causing misfire to the engine and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 139,000.

Filed Apr 10, 2023 · Electrical · 62,137 miles · FL

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the “Engine Power Reduced” message was displayed and the vehicle started to jerk and run rough. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over and restarted the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle had to be restarted several times before the vehicle regained normal operation. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V495000 (Electrical System) The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 62,137.