The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the engine temperature increased, and the vehicle entered Limp mode. The vehicle was driven to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine cylinders. The failure mileage was 110,000.
Ford Escape won't shift problems
400 of the 27,615 owner complaints about the Ford Escape describe stuck in gear or won't shift, most of them for the 2013 model year.
- owner complaints
- 400
- worst model year
- 2013
- typical repair cost reported
- $3,400
- typical mileage
- 72,129
Is there a fix? There are 11 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Check engine light 68Overheating 66Transmission failure 54Stalling 38Loss of power 36Engine failure 29Jerking 28Misfire 19
Trouble codes mentioned
P1299 7P2111 5P0302 5P0303 4P2112 3P26B7 1P2560 1P2107 1P1744 1P1289 1
What owners say
Vehicle went into limp mode with my teeange daughter driving on the interstate due to the known coolant intrusion issue.
I am reporting a severe safety hazard regarding a known factory engineering defect in the 2017 Ford Escape 2.0L EcoBoost engine. A documented design flaw in the open-deck engine block allows engine coolant to slowly intrude into cylinders 3 and 4 [1.10]. This internal leak causes a rapid, un-warned loss of coolant volume without leaving any visible puddles on the ground [1.10]. The vehicle suffered a sudden loss of occupant cabin heat, immediately followed by the Cylinder Head Temperature (CHT) sensor triggering a critical overheat warning. This instantly forced the vehicle into a protective "Fail-Safe Cooling / Limp Mode." Safety Risk on Public Roads: This defect poses an immediate safety risk. When the vehicle suddenly forces itself into Limp Mode due to the rapid loss of coolant, it causes an abrupt and unexpected loss of acceleration/motive power while traveling at high speeds. This sudden drop in speed in fast-moving highway traffic creates a severe hazard for rear-end collisions, endangering myself and other motorists. Furthermore, forcing an engine to run while actively introducing combustible glycol coolant into the hot cylinders presents a distinct vehicle fire hazard. Ford is fully aware of this structural defect across its EcoBoost platforms and previously issued limited Customer Satisfaction Programs (such as CSP 21N12 and TSB 19-2346) [1.10]. However, because those programs were strictly capped by mileage and time constraints, consumers like myself are left stranded on public highways with an inherently unsafe vehicle [1.10]. I request that the federal safety agency elevate this to a formal safety investigation to mandate a safety recall.
On September 4, 2026, at approximately 6:00 PM, I was driving my 2018 Ford Escape SE (1.5L EcoBoost) and executing a left-hand turn across an intersection. Mid-turn, the vehicle suddenly lost all power, an "Engine Fault" warning message illuminated on the dashboard, and the engine completely stalled out. Because the vehicle died directly in the path of oncoming traffic, I was forced to steer the coasting vehicle out of harm's way to avoid an imminent side-impact collision. This emergency maneuver caused the vehicle to scrape a curb—damaging the right tire rim—and collide with a utility pole. Fortunately, no injuries occurred. I managed to bring the vehicle to a stop on a side street. Once stopped, the vehicle exhibited a total "no crank, no start" condition and completely refused to turn over or restart. The vehicle had to be towed to a repair facility. Upon professional diagnostic inspection, the technician discovered extensive engine oil intrusion within the main engine wiring harness. Engine oil had dynamically wicked through the harness directly into the Powertrain Control Module (PCM), completely compromising and shorting out the primary computer. This electronic failure is what triggered the sudden, catastrophic engine shutdown mid-traffic. This vehicle has a chronic history of severe electrical, powertrain, and "no-start" defects at only 56,000 miles, despite being meticulously maintained with routine synthetic oil changes as required. This is the second time I have experienced a life-threatening loss of engine power while actively driving, and I am fortunate to have narrowly avoided a major, high-speed collision on both occasions. In July 2025, the throttle body failed and initiated a dangerous Limp Mode mid-traffic, forcing a tow for replacement. In July 2026, a starter failure resulted in another total "no crank, no start" condition during the holiday weekend, requiring an emergency mobile mechanic. Following this my car has sat for a month.
Vehicle Information: Year/Make/Model: 2017 Ford Escape Titanium Engine: 2.0L EcoBoost 4-Cylinder Drivetrain: All-Wheel Drive (AWD) Current Mileage: Approximately 118,000 miles Description of the Safety Problem: The vehicle experienced a sudden and severe loss of engine coolant with no external leaks visible on the ground. Diagnostic inspection revealed that engine coolant is intruding internally into the engine cylinders due to a known structural defect in the Ford 2.0L EcoBoost engine block/head gasket design.Prior to diagnosing the failure, the vehicle exhibited rough idling, misfires, and white smoke from the exhaust due to coolant burning in the combustion chambers. Unrelated components, including the ignition coils, were previously replaced in an attempt to correct the misfires before the internal coolant intrusion was identified as the root cause.This defect poses an immediate safety hazard. The internal coolant loss causes the engine to overheat rapidly and threatens to force the vehicle into an abrupt emergency "limp mode" or cause complete, sudden engine failure while driving at highway speeds. This creates a severe risk of a rear-end collision or stranding the vehicle in active traffic without warning. Ford has failed to issue a recall for this systemic powertrain defect, leaving consumers to operate unsafe vehicles or face catastrophic out-of-pocket engine replacement costs.
When I was about to park, the transmission failed. I couldn’t reverse, and it got stuck in Neutral. I wasn’t able to shift it into Park. When the mechanic came, he said the shifter cable bushing was faulty, which was exactly the part covered by the recall they had previously done.
For a few days before the transmission went out, it was kinda spitting and shuddering, then the 4th day the transmission would not shift into gear and go. It would rev the engine all the way up and bark the tires even with my foot not on the gas or brake. It started jerking and just would not go. It would not accelerate at all.
The contact's son owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her son was driving 30 MPH, the vehicle stalled with an unknown message displayed on the instrument panel. The contact's son pulled off to the shoulder of the road and restarted the vehicle. The vehicle was restarted and went into LIMP Mode and drove slowly back to the residence. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000.
When the car sits in the sun and the gear shifter gets hot from the heat, the gear shifter locks up and you cannot get it out of park until it is cooled off. No matter how hard I try to turn the dial, until I completely cool the shifter down it will be stuck in park. I have started having to cover the shifter when I get out of the car to prevent this issue and if I forget, I have to point the air vents down towards the shifter, cover the shifter and the air vents with a jacket and then the ac to max ac for at least 5 minutes. This traps the cool air in with the shifter and helps cool it down so it will release and can shift into any other gear besides park. I have researched this issue and found many other owners of this similar year, make, and model who complain about the issue as well.
While at a 4 way intersection and red light my car went into extreme temperature overheat and shut down. I was the first car in the line at the red light. When the light turned green I started the vehicle, put on my emergency flashes and had to dodge other vehicles in limp mode ( 5 mile per hour) across 3 lanes of incoming to make it to a parking lot. This was all caused by the well known and documented Coolant Intrusion engine defect that Ford has been aware of since 2018 accordingly to their own Technical service bulletins. This is an extreme safety hazard and happened to me unexpectedly and without warning. I’m thankful I was not involved in a crash or that I did not cause injury to another driver. This vehicle needs to be recalled immediately before more consumers suffer injuries or death.
Related recalls
Power train: automatic transmission: internal: park pawl
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Escape and Lincoln Corsair vehicles. The integrated park module may fail to lock into the park position when the driver shifts into park. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
- Risk
- A loss of park function can allow the vehicle to rollaway, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- The Secondary On Board Diagnostic Module C (SOBDMC) software will be updated over-the-air (OTA) or by a dealer, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 16, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25C69. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on on May 15, 2026. This recall expands previous the federal safety agency recall number 25V863.
Recall number 26V301000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission: control module (TCM/PCM/tecm)
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2022-2024 Maverick, 2022 Escape, and 2021-2022 Lincoln Corsair vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall number 24V‑330. The Hybrid Powertrain Control Module (HPCM) software may cause the vehicle to shift into neutral unexpectedly, causing a loss of drive power.
- Risk
- A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will update the HPCM software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 11, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S16.
Recall number 25V133000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission: control module (TCM/PCM/tecm)
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2022-2024 Maverick, 2020-2022 Escape, and 2021-2022 Lincoln Corsair vehicles. The Hybrid Powertrain Control Module (HPCM) software may cause the vehicle to shift into neutral unexpectedly, causing a loss of drive power.
- Risk
- A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will update the HPCM software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 22, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S33.
Recall number 24V330000 · Recall details
Power train: shift linkage/cable/rod
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- 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.
Recall number 22V413000 · Recall details
Power train: shift linkage/cable/rod
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015 Escape vehicles equipped with 2.0L engines. The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach.
- Risk
- 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 shifter bushing and add a protective cap over the shift cable bushing, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 27, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S25.
Recall number 22V254000 · Recall details
Power train: driveline: driveshaft
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Edge, 2020 Lincoln Nautilus and Ford Escape and 2021 Lincoln Corsair and Ford Bronco Sport vehicles. An inadequate amount of lubricant in the rear drive unit may cause seizure of the rear drive axle.
- Risk
- If the rear drive unit seizes, there may be a loss of drive and/or a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will check the rear drive unit lubricant level. Axles found to have lubricant at the minimum level will be filled to the full level. Axles found to be below the minimum lubricant fill level will be replaced, free of charge. This recall began March 12, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S02.
Recall number 21V011000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Edge, Transit Connect and Lincoln MKX and 2020 Escape and Lincoln Corsair vehicles. The start/stop accumulator endcap may have missing or loose bolts.
- Risk
- Missing or loose bolts on the start stop accumulator endcap could result in a transmission fluid leak and may progress to a loss of transmission function. A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of fire.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the start/stop accumulator, free of charge. The recall began September 23, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S49.
Recall number 20V550000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission: lever and linkage: floor shift
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- 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.
Recall number 18V471000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission: lever and linkage: floor shift
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2001-2008 Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner vehicles manufactured March 31, 2001, to September 1, 2009. The affected vehicles are equipped with either a 2.3L or 3.0L engine and have had their CD4E transmission replaced with remanufactured one that was rebuilt between June 11, 2015 through July 15, 2015. These service repair part transmissions have a shift lever bolt that may not be properly tightened. As a result, the shift control lever could disengage from the transmission without warning.
- Risk
- If the shift lever disengages from the transmission, a driver may be unable to shift gear positions and the indicated shift position may not represent the gear position the vehicle is in. Should a disengagement occur while the vehicle is being driven, when the driver goes to stop and park the vehicle, the gear selection indicator may show that the transmission is in the "PARK" position, but the vehicle transmission may not actually be in the "PARK" gear position. If the vehicle is not in the "PARK" position there is a risk the vehicle will roll away as the driver and other occupants exit the vehicle or anytime thereafter. A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the transmissions and either tighten the manual shift lever bolt or replace the manual shift lever assembly. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on October 23, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S28.
Recall number 15V606000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission
- What is wrong
- Ford is recalling certain model year 2010 fusion, milan, and escape vehicles manufactured from february 27, through march 26, 2010. The park rod guide retention pin may not have been properly installed which fails to conform to the requirement of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 114, "theft protection and rollaway prevention".
- Risk
- A vehicle parked without an engaged park pawl and without an applied parking brake may have unintended movement which may cause a crash.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners and dealers will repair the vehicles free of charge. The safety recall began on may 28, 2010. Owners may contact ford motor company customer relationship center at 1‑866‑436‑7332 and for the hearing impaired call 1‑800‑232‑5952 (tdd). Representatives are available monday through friday: 8:00am - 5:00pm.
Recall number 10V222000 · Recall details
Questions about the Ford Escape won't shift
Which Ford Escape years have stuck in gear or won't shift problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2013 (64 complaints), 2014 (61 complaints) and 2010 (43 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix stuck in gear or won't shift on the Ford Escape?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $3,400 (median of 49 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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