2013 Ford Escape Hybrid: common problems

Owners of the 2013 Ford Escape Hybrid filed 5 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 5
involving a crash: 1

What fails most often

1 Engine 80% of all complaints
2 Air bags 20% of all complaints
3 Electrical system 20% of all complaints
4 Fuel/propulsion system 20% of all complaints
5 Powertrain 20% of all complaints
6 Service brakes 20% of all complaints
7 Structure 20% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Engine: 4 complaints (80% of all).
Air bags: 1 complaints (20% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Electrical system: 1 complaints (20% of all).
Fuel/propulsion system: 1 complaints (20% of all).
Powertrain: 1 complaints (20% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 5 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

A/C or heater2 · 40%
oil leak or consumption1 · 20%
overheating, coolant loss1 · 20%
stalls while driving1 · 20%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Engine	4	0
Air bags	1	1
Electrical system	1	0
Fuel/propulsion system	1	0
Powertrain	1	0
Service brakes	1	1
Structure	1	1

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

"takata recall" I was driivng on a city street when I was t-boned by a vehicle who ran a stop light. As I became contact with the other vehicle I lost control of my car and ended up hitting a water meter, after trying to slam on the brakes,because they brakes wouldnt catch on.
Air bags · crash · 2018-08-06 · NHTSA complaint #11118117
My 2013 ford escape had no heat (blowing cold air ) in jan 2019 so I checked the antifreeze it was low so I added to it .the heat started working .march 30th it started blowing cold air again driving home from cleveland in a snow storm then a warning... Engine over heated safely pull over .
Engine · 2019-03-31 · NHTSA complaint #11192791
While driving approximately 45 mph, the engine coolant indicator illuminated and the engine began to overheat. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle.
Engine · 2018-04-12 · NHTSA complaint #11084817
While driving 65 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The failure recurred several times. The vehicle was able to restart after numerous attempts. In addition, the turbo boost did not work adequately when the accelerator pedal was depressed and the wiring harness failed to respond.
Engine · 2018-01-31 · NHTSA complaint #11066010

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

20184
20191

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 14,282 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 39% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Escape Hybrid has 109 complaints (16 years in the data). This year has 5, below average.

What to check before buying

Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2013 Ford Escape Hybrid?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine, air bags, electrical system. Total complaints: 5. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: A/C or heater (40%), oil leak or consumption (20%), overheating, coolant loss (20%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2013 Ford Escape Hybrid?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 2013 Ford Escape Hybrid from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 2013 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.