YearToAvoid

2016 Ford Escape Electrical System Problems

NHTSA lists 96 Electrical System complaints for the 2016 Ford Escape, 9% of that year's 1,123 total complaints. There are no related recalls filed for this component on the 2016 model year. Median mileage at failure is 46,117 miles, with 4 fires and 1 injury reported.

Electrical System complaints
96
9% of 1,123
Crashes reported
1
Fires reported
4
Injuries reported
1
Median mileage
46,117 mi
Related recalls
0

Typical electrical symptoms owners report

  • Owners report component fires, including a center console phone charger that ignited and a melted fog light cover from bulb heat.
  • Some describe persistent check engine lights paired with coolant loss and a burning or smoke smell that dealers said was not a concern.
  • Several report sudden loss of power or stalling in traffic, followed by towing and dealers unable to duplicate or diagnose the fault.
  • One owner reports a rear backup camera view that would not turn off while driving, obscuring the dashboard display and creating glare at night.
  • One complaint describes the entire instrument cluster going dead while driving, losing turn signal, fuel, seatbelt, and speedometer readouts.

When 2016 Ford Escape electrical complaints were filed

First complaint May 2, 2016, latest Sep 9, 2026.

2016 Ford Escape electrical system complaints: complaints filed per quarter92016 Q22018 Q32020 Q32022 Q22023 Q32024 Q42026 Q1
96 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2016 Q2 to 2026 Q3; peak 2025 Q3 (9).

Electrical System recalls for the 2016 Ford Escape

No safety recalls on record for this model year.

Electrical System complaints by Escape model year

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

  1. 2010219 (11%)
  2. 2011118 (9%)
  3. 201243 (7%)
  4. 2013348 (13%)
  5. 2014224 (11%)
  6. 2015144 (13%)
  7. 201696 (9%)
  8. 2017187 (7%)
  9. 201863 (4%)
  10. 201946 (8%)
  11. 2020165 (10%)
  12. 202138 (11%)
  13. 202222 (10%)
  14. 202341 (42%)
  15. 202428 (37%)
  16. 20257 (29%)

Frequently asked questions

How common are electrical problems on the 2016 Ford Escape?
NHTSA lists 96 Electrical System complaints for the 2016 Escape, which is 9% of the 1,123 total complaints filed for that model year.
Is there a recall for the 2016 Ford Escape electrical system?
No related recalls are listed in NHTSA data for the Electrical System component on the 2016 Ford Escape.
At what mileage do electrical failures happen on the 2016 Ford Escape?
The median mileage at failure for Electrical System complaints on the 2016 Escape is 46,117 miles.
Have there been fires linked to electrical problems on the 2016 Ford Escape?
NHTSA data shows 4 fires and 1 injury among the reported Electrical System complaints for the 2016 Escape.
How does the 2016 Escape compare to other years for electrical complaints?
The 2016 Escape's electrical complaints made up 9% of its total complaints, lower than years like 2013 (13%) and 2015 (13%), and similar to 2017 (7%).

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.