YearToAvoid

2013 Ford Escape Structure & Body Problems

NHTSA lists 152 Structure & Body complaints for the 2013 Ford Escape, 6% of its 2,749 total complaints, with a median failure mileage of 49,000. Six related recalls cover door latches, door handles, seatbacks, and carpet padding issues.

Structure & Body complaints
152
6% of 2,749
Crashes reported
5
Fires reported
4
Injuries reported
9
Median mileage
49,000 mi
Related recalls
6

Typical body and structure symptoms owners report

  • Rear hatch or door latches fail to lock electronically, letting the hatch or door swing open unexpectedly while driving or parked.
  • Door handles are misaligned from the factory, causing doors to open on their own, in one case leading to a rear-end crash.
  • Owners report becoming trapped inside the vehicle when door locks fail to release from the interior, requiring the key fob to open doors from outside.
  • Some owners say recall parts for door latches were unavailable for extended periods, delaying repairs already scheduled under NHTSA campaigns.
  • Water leaks near the driver-side headliner and A-pillar were reported on Escapes equipped with a panoramic sunroof and roof rails.

When 2013 Ford Escape body and structure complaints were filed

First complaint Jul 11, 2012, latest Sep 4, 2026.

2013 Ford Escape structure & body complaints: complaints filed per quarter152012 Q32014 Q12015 Q32017 Q22018 Q42020 Q22022 Q22025 Q2
152 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2012 Q3 to 2026 Q3; peak 2016 Q4 (15).

Structure & Body recalls for the 2013 Ford Escape

  1. NHTSA 20V331000Jun 8, 2020Structure & Body2,147,323 vehicles

    Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Fiesta, 2013-2014 Fusion, 2015 Mustang, 2013-2015 Escape and C-Max, 2012-2015 Focus, 2014-2016 Transit Connect, 2013-2014 Lincoln MKZ, and 2015 MKC vehicles. These vehicles were previously recalled and repaired under recalls 15V-246, 16V-643 or 17V-210, however the repair may not have been completed properly. A component within the door latches may break making the doors difficult to latch and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.

    Risk: A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.

    Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the latch date codes to confirm if the repair was done correctly, and replace the side door latches if necessary, free of charge. Owners will also have the option to inspect their own vehicle's door latches and enter the date codes into a website to determine if the latches are correct. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 27, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S30.

  2. NHTSA 16V643000Sep 6, 2016Structure & Body2,046,297 vehicles

    Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2012-2015 Ford Focus, 2013-2015 Ford Escape and Ford C-MAX, 2015 Lincoln MKC and Ford Mustang, and 2014-2016 Ford Transit Connect vehicles. A component within the door latches may break, preventing the doors from latching and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.

    Risk: A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.

    Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the door latches with an improved part, free of charge. The recall began on January 27, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S30.

  3. NHTSA 14V239000May 7, 2014Structure & Body581,986 vehicles

    Structure:body:door

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Escape vehicles manufactured October 5, 2011, through April 10, 2014. Due to an assembly misalignment between the exterior door handle and the door outer panel, the affected vehicles have doors that may be difficult to close or may possibly open while driving.

    Risk: A door that opens unexpectedly may result in an unrestrained occupant falling from the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury.

    Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and correct the mounting of the door handles, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 30, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14S03.

  4. NHTSA 14V164000Apr 2, 2014Structure & Body43,135 vehicles

    Seats:front assembly:recliner

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured August 15, 2012, through September 10, 2013, 2013-2014 Ford Escape vehicles manufactured June 5, 2012, through August 12, 2013, and 2013-2014 Ford C-Max vehicles manufactured from July 23, 2012, through May 28, 2013. The driver and passenger seatback assemblies may have been produced with sub-standard weld joints used to attach the seat back recliner mechanism to the seat frame. The affected seat backs may have insufficient strength to meet the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 207, "Seating Systems."

    Risk: The back of the subject seats may become loose or lean while driving and potentially increase the risk of injury in certain crashes.

    Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the seatback, free of charge. The recall began on May 30, 2014. Owners may contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14C03.

  5. NHTSA 13V085000Mar 7, 2013Structure & Body5,675 vehicles

    Latches/locks/linkages

    Ford is recalling certain model year 2013 Focus and C-Max vehicles built from November 16, 2012, through November 21, 2012; and model year 2013 Escape vehicles manufactured from November 14, 2012, through November 21, 2012. The left rear door child lock was built incorrectly. As a result, the child lock may not engage when the operator uses normal force to activate the child lock.

    Risk: The operator may incorrectly believe the child lock is engaged. However, the door may be opened from the inside, increasing the risk of injury to an unrestrained child.

    Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the affected rear door latches, and replace them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on March 27, 2013. Owners may contact Ford Motor Company Customer Relationship Center at 1-866-436-7332.

  6. NHTSA 12V319000Jul 6, 2012Structure & Body8,266 vehicles

    Structure

    Ford is recalling certain model year 2013 escape vehicles manufactured from march 8, 2012 through june 7, 2012. Due to mis-positioned carpet padding the center console trim panel may be pushed outboard of the intended position, reducing clearance relative to the pedal package.

    Risk: The reduced clearance may result in the driverâ’s foot contacting the side of the brake pedal while transferring the foot from the accelerator pedal to the brake pedal, increasing stopping distances and the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will remove the carpet padding and left-side console trim panel replaced with a new panel, free of charge. The recall began on july 20, 2012. Owners may contact ford at 1-866-436-7332.

Structure & Body complaints by Escape model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 201094 (5%)
  2. 201152 (4%)
  3. 201276 (13%)
  4. 2013152 (6%)
  5. 2014152 (7%)
  6. 201568 (6%)
  7. 201623 (2%)
  8. 201773 (3%)
  9. 201826 (1%)
  10. 201913 (2%)
  11. 2020719 (45%)
  12. 202192 (27%)
  13. 202225 (11%)
  14. 20237 (7%)
  15. 20242 (3%)
  16. 20252 (8%)

Frequently asked questions

How common are structure and body complaints on the 2013 Ford Escape?
NHTSA has logged 152 Structure & Body complaints for the 2013 Escape, which is 6% of the 2,749 total complaints filed for that model year.
Is there a recall for structure and body issues on the 2013 Ford Escape?
Yes. NHTSA lists six related recalls, including campaigns for door latches (20V331000, 16V643000, 13V085000), misaligned door handles (14V239000), seatback replacement (14V164000), and carpet padding (12V319000).
At what mileage do structure and body problems typically show up on the 2013 Escape?
The median mileage at failure for Structure & Body complaints on the 2013 Escape is 49,000 miles.
Do structure and body complaints on the 2013 Escape involve crashes or fires?
NHTSA data tied to this problem area lists 5 crashes, 4 fires, and 9 injuries reported for the 2013 Escape.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.