2015 Ford Escape Power Train

Transmission is failing after being rebuilt. Has only 50,000 miles. It stalls if braking hard. Shifts hard and shudders. Has been serviced and checked by a mechanic.

Transmission failure in traffic. Just stopped engaging the gears. Transmission has failed and needs to be replaced.

The contact owned a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at highway speeds, the vehicle jerked while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer however, the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The failure persisted and the contact had repeatedly taken the vehicle back to the dealer and received the same information. The contact stated the transmission eventually failed and the transmission was replaced by an independent mechanic. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The failure mileage was approximately 8,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle started vibrating, with an abnormal sound coming from under the center of the vehicle. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and restarted the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic who suspected a failure with the transmission. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

While driving my 2015 Ford Escape at a speed of 35MPG and stopped at a stop sign, proceeded to turn left and car would not move. It seems to coast backward as if transmission was in neutral. I coasted back into a parking lot and turned off vehicle. I then restarted it and it started just fine with no warning lights. I then tried to put into gear and the RPMs went up and still felt like it was in neutral. I then had it towed to a mechanic and was told that it was a total transmission failure. 5500.00 to have repair. More than what the car's book value it. I have not reported to manufacturer but that is my next step.

I purchased this vehicle $9000 cash from Toyota Morgan City in Morgan City Louisiana the end of September 2025 on a Saturday, not even a week later the car shifts real hard and it’s an automatic. You can see the rpm going up but the car steaks and then shifts hard to where it jerks. I called the car dealership where I purchased, they “looked” at the car and told me that it was not a problem they could fix because it was the transmission that Ford put in the cars. And proceeded to tell me that they were sorry that I need a new transmission but that’s not there problem and for me to take it to a Ford dealership even though I purchased from them. Why is this not a recall if you’re putting faulty transmissions in?

The shift cable bushing on my 2015 Ford Escape failed, causing the gear shifter to appear in "Park" when the transmission was actually in a different gear. This posed a significant safety risk, as the vehicle could roll unexpectedly. The problem was diagnosed and confirmed by a certified Ford dealership. They stated the failure was due to a coolant hose leak affecting the bushing, but this seems questionable since this exact bushing has been recalled previously for premature degradation (Ford recalls 18S20 and 22S25). I experienced the same symptoms reported in the recall: gear position not matching the shifter, difficulty engaging Park, and the potential for the car to roll. There were no warning lights or messages before the failure. I had to pay for the repair out of pocket, even though this appears to be the same defect covered in the recall. The part is no longer available for inspection, as it was replaced during the repair.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started and shifted into drive(D), the vehicle failed to move forward. The contact stated that the shift indicator indicated that the transmission was not in drive(D). The contact shifted the gear lever however, the vehicle failed to respond while shifted into drive(D), reverse(R), or neutral. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that her husband checked under the hood and became aware that the shifter cable was loose and applied pressure, and the contact was able to shift into drive(D) and drove the vehicle back to the residence. The contact arrived at the residence and attempted to shift to park(P), however the transmission failed to engage as intended. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

The contact's daughter owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered and then stalled. No warning light was illuminated. The contact's daughter pulled over and turned off the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.

The contact’s daughter owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact's daughter stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated while attempting to shift gear. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic but was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 106,000.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The transmission failed in 2018 whilst it was still under warranty and a local Ford dealer fixed it under warranty. In 2023 the trans totally failed. Yes it is available for inspection. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? I was driving on an expressway at the time it happened which was terrifying but also put me, my passenger, and other drivers at risk as I tried to pull it over to the side. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes, it was confirmed by the warning message displayed on my vehicle's screen. It was confirmed by Roy O'Brien Ford in 2018, Shores Care Care Center in 2018 & 2023. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No; the failure came totally out of the blue. The first warning indicator displayed after the transmission totally failed.

Transmission failed with only 76,000 miles on the car. My wife's safety was at risk due to being on a busy highway on a hill and being unable to accelerate away from danger. Transmission fault light came on the dash.

On 14 May 2025 at approximately 11:45 am I went to drive my Ford Escape to Metro Ford for routine engine service. I started the Ford and proceeded to drive away. A few minutes later as I was driving down a two lane major highway I began to accelerate the Ford when I noticed RPMs going up but transmission was not engaged. I shifted into neutral and back to drive. Still nothing. I tried using manual shift buttons, nothing. I was on a busy high speed road and could not accelerate. I had enough momentum to pull off on a driveway area. I tried shifting ford into park and drive and when going to drive nothing happened. I turned the car off. Waited a few minutes and the Ford finally engaged into reverse. I was able to get back to my house by getting enough momentum to coast down to my driveway. The transmission completely stopped working. This is a serious failure that I had no indication it was failing. Had my niece or her kids was in the car they could have been injured due to the vehicle stalling on a major road or in an intersection or even in a train track. So many potential life threatening possibilities. I towed the Ford to Metro Ford. Ford only quoted me options for repair. I advised them if they had no other concerns then I would report the extremely dangerous situation that should have already been recalled. Ford metro noted they pulled transmission fluid and determined there transmission is bad. I had no warning from the computer this was a potential failure. I could have been killed had I not been able to figure out how to get out of the road. This transmission failure, according to Ford is common. If so, it’s a safety hazard. I am parking the Ford and I’m willing to let anyone inspect it so they can see the failure prior to any repairs. I maintain the Ford and rely on it. I want all Ford Escape owners to know this Hazardous safety issue. Someone is going to get killed if not already has been.

Been having shifting problems since I got the vehicle at a dealership, the car will hang onto the rpm’s for a couple seconds then slam into gear, mostly while shifting up. Had the recall taken care of for the bushing a shifter cable problem, the hanging and slamming shifting issue still persists. Took the car to a Ford dealership and was told that my clutch is disintegrating and that an entire new transmission was needing, quoting me at LEAST $5000. Now I don’t know about yall, but I don’t have that type of money to just throw away into a car. If the car was designed and released to the public with a crappy transmission and known to be a problem, then Ford Motor Company needs to no longer exist.

The contacts daughter owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, there was blue smoke coming from the tailpipe and the " Transmission Failure" message was displayed. The vehicle was steered the side of the road and restarted but failed to accelerate above 20 MPH. The vehicle was taken to a relatives residence where the vehicle remained for several hours. The contact stated that when the vehicle was restarted, the vehicle operated normally. The vehicle was then towed to the residence. The contact stated that two days later when his daughter started the vehicle and shifted to drive(D), the vehicle failed to accelerate. The contact stated that his daughter shifted the gear shifter from drive(D) to park(P) several times before the vehicle accelerated as intended. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while at a red light, the vehicle failed to move forward. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a transmission shop where it was determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The local dealer was contacted but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, who referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 116,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 2 MPH, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle with transmission failure. The contact contacted the dealer; however, the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a claim was submitted. The failure mileage was approximately 103,000.

My transmission is failing and needs replaced at only 81K miles. This is a closed transmission (no dipstick) to check fluid levels or quality. The owner’s manual states it doesn’t need transmission fluid replacement for 150K miles. There were no warning lights or symptoms prior to the time I had the transmission checked. This could cause problems if the transmission fails completely while being driven.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost automotive power. The contact stated that while shifting the gear shifter, the current gear did not appear on the instrument panel. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The "Transmission Fault Service Now" and "Low Temperature Will Reduce Power" messages were displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that the vehicle was turned off and restarted and returned to normal operation. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the alternator needed to be replaced. The contact was concerned that it was an inaccurate diagnosis. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.

transmission failure at 132K miles

Vehicle Information Make: Ford Model: Escape Model Year: 2015 Component: Power Train (Transmission) Date of Incident (approximate): 2021 (first signs) — Ongoing I purchased my 2015 Ford Escape new in 2015. Around 2021, I began experiencing intermittent stalling issues. If I ran errands and made multiple short trips, the vehicle would sometimes stall after restarting, especially on the second or third trip. If I allowed the car to rest between trips, the problem would occasionally not occur. I reported the issue to Briarwood Ford multiple times. Each time, they told me they couldn't replicate the problem and, since the check engine light wasn’t on, there was "no issue." Eventually, the check engine light did activate. Briarwood Ford then replaced an airflow valve, kept the car for a few days, but again said they couldn’t replicate the stalling. Shortly after that, following a standard oil change, the transmission failed completely. I contacted several dealerships before having the vehicle towed to Hillsdale Ford. They took approximately four weeks to replace the transmission, which cost me $7,000 out of pocket. Even after the transmission replacement, the car continued to drive poorly. It began accelerating inconsistently, sometimes surging or hesitating, and I noticed a burning smell. I informed the dealer, and they said there was a recall involving a brushless component, which they replaced. However, they said they couldn't detect any burning odor. Now, three years later, the vehicle still doesn’t accelerate smoothly. It’s overly sensitive to throttle input and sometimes seems to hesitate or get stuck when trying to accelerate. I am concerned that this ongoing issue is part of a larger safety problem related to the transmission or powertrain that Ford has not addressed properly

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, and was diagnosed, and it was determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who also determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her mother was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while the accelerator pedal was depressed. In addition, the contact stated that her mother smelled an abnormal burning odor coming from the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the "emergency transmission service" warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle lost motive power while depressing the accelerator pedal and the engine revved but the vehicle failed to respond. The contact was able to pull off the roadway and while attempting to shift into park(P), the gear shift lever failed to respond. The contact waited for approximately 30 minutes and the vehicle was able to shift into park(P) and the contact turned off and restarted the vehicle. The contact stated that when he turned the vehicle on and shifted into drive(D) he heard an abnormal banging sound under the floorboard and had the vehicle towed back to the residence. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle had not been diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 136,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting to operate the vehicle, the transmission failed to shift out of neutral. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that the axle became loosened. The vehicle was left at the local dealer for further diagnostic testing. In addition, the contact stated that the front wheel bearings were previously replaced at the same local dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000. The VIN was not available.