2013 Ford Escape Electrical System Problems
NHTSA lists 348 Electrical System complaints for the 2013 Ford Escape, 13% of its 2,749 total complaints, including 15 fire reports and 7 injuries. Two related recalls (15V813000 and 14V495000) cover insufficient wiring splices tied to this system.
- Electrical System complaints
- 348
- 13% of 2,749
- Crashes reported
- 3
- Fires reported
- 15
- Injuries reported
- 7
- Median mileage
- 60,850 mi
- Related recalls
- 2
Typical electrical symptoms owners report
- Vehicles lose power or stall suddenly while driving, sometimes at highway speed, with warning lights coming on before or during the stall.
- Owners report smoke or a burning electrical odor entering the cabin through the vents, in several cases followed by visible flames from the engine compartment.
- Multiple complaints describe engine compartment fires that fully destroyed the vehicle or required fire department response.
- Dashboard warning lights (airbag, traction control, brake, service engine) illuminate together, in one case coinciding with a loss of braking control and a crash.
- Some owners report intermittent no-start or stall-and-restart cycles that dealers were unable to duplicate or diagnose.
- At least one complaint links the failure to a coolant system fault code alongside smoke and burning odor from the rear of the vehicle.
When 2013 Ford Escape electrical complaints were filed
First complaint Aug 16, 2012, latest Feb 25, 2026.
Electrical System recalls for the 2013 Ford Escape
- NHTSA 15V813000Dec 2, 2015Electrical System9,017 vehicles
Electrical system:wiring
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013 Escape vehicles manufactured January 11, 2012, to April 1, 2013, and 2013-2014 Focus ST vehicles manufactured May 03, 2012, to October 14, 2013. Insufficient compression in the engine wiring harness splices to the Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) sensor may provide incorrect signals to the powertrain control module (PCM).
Risk: The incorrect signals could cause the vehicle to hesitate or the engine to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the current crimped splices with new splices, free of charge. The recall began on January 7, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 14S17-S1.
- NHTSA 14V495000Aug 11, 2014Electrical System133,227 vehicles
Electrical system:wiring
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Escape vehicles manufactured October 5, 2011, to April 1, 2013, and equipped with 2.0 liter engines and Focus ST vehicles manufactured February 14, 2012, to October 14, 2013, and equipped with 2.0 liter engines. Insufficient compression in the engine wiring harness splices to the Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) sensor may provide incorrect signals to the powertrain control module (PCM).
Risk: The incorrect signals could cause the vehicle to hesitate or the engine to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the current crimped splices with new splices, free of charge. The recall began in October 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14S17.
Electrical System complaints by Escape model year
Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.
Frequently asked questions
- How many electrical complaints does the 2013 Ford Escape have?
- NHTSA has logged 348 Electrical System complaints for the 2013 Escape, which is 13% of all 2,749 complaints filed for that model year.
- Is there a recall for the 2013 Ford Escape electrical system?
- Yes. Recall 15V813000 (reported 2015-12-02) and recall 14V495000 (reported 2014-08-11) both address insufficient wiring splices, with Ford dealers replacing crimped splices free of charge.
- Have there been fires linked to the 2013 Escape's electrical system?
- NHTSA complaint data for this area records 15 fire reports and 7 injuries out of 348 Electrical System complaints, plus 3 crashes.
- At what mileage do electrical problems typically show up?
- The median mileage at failure for Electrical System complaints on the 2013 Escape is 60,850 miles, though individual sample complaints range widely.