2014 Ford Escape · symptom sheet
Battery dies or the car will not start
- 27owner reports
- 53,000median miles
- 0involved a crash
Newest report May 7, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
204 of the 2,020 complaints on this car are about the electrical system. 27 of those describe dead battery.
Tick what matches of 27 reports
Dead battery on other Escape years
Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them. Model years with too few reports of it for a sheet: 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024.
What this problem usually is
These owners walk out to a car that's dead. Some find it drained after sitting only a day or two, some need a jump start every week, and some have had the battery replaced more than once without the problem going away. A good number describe the dealer testing the battery, calling it fine, and sending them home.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the battery (25 reports) and the alternator (4 reports).
Recalls and investigations
3 recalls on the electrical system cover the 2014 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.
The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.
Due to a software incompatibility issue, the instrument panel cluster be inoperative including a blank multiple functional display (MFD), and non-functional warning chimes, messages and warning lights.
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).
All 16 recalls on the 2014 Ford Escape, with the owner complaints on each recalled system
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 25,000 and 81,000 miles, from the 21 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 4 service bulletins or notices for the 2014 Ford Escape that deal with this problem. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
Some 2013-2023 Ford or Lincoln vehicles with modems activated through FordPass or LincolnWay may experience 12 volt battery drain symptoms when the customer uses non-Ford/Lincoln phone applications as an alternate channel to access vehicle commands such as ...
For Ford and Lincoln vehicles that require positive or negative battery terminal replacement, it is not necessary to replace the complete battery cable harness (14300 and 14301) for this concern.
Some vehicles may exhibit a no start condition with an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) and a DTC P161A after PCM replacement. This may be due to the parameter reset procedure not being properly completed.
FORD: DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE (DTC) P0106, P0236, FOR LOSS OF RPM, HESITATION, DIFFICULT TO START, CRANK NO START, RUNS ROUGH, LACK OF POWER AND ALSO A MESSAGE DISPLAYED-ENGINE FAULT SERVICE ENGINE NOW MAY BE CAUSED BY WIRING IN SIGNAL RETURN SPLICES.
What owners wrote
“Battery dies, for no apparent reason, alternator test done and was good. After putting in drive car started forward then trans slipped and car stalled would not restart. Vehicle had to be towed. Replaced battery 2 times before and still drains and dies. Checked system for power drains and found none.”
Filed Nov 8, 2021
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 0 of 27 reports involved a crash. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.
File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.
Guide Paid for this repair before a recall covered it? How recall reimbursement works
Other problems on this car
- Engine overheats or leaks coolant 573 reports
- Check engine light or misfire 317 reports
- Engine stalls or loses power while driving 304 reports
- Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails 139 reports
- Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing 128 reports
- Power steering cuts out or goes heavy 112 reports
- Transmission fails or needs replacement 107 reports
- Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard 97 reports
- Vehicle fire 97 reports
- Doors, latches or locks fail 83 reports
- "Service Transmission" message or wrench light comes on 59 reports
- Wheel bearing, tires or wheels 51 reports
- Fuel pump failure 33 reports
- Seat belt or seat problems 33 reports
- Brakes grind, pulse or wear early 32 reports
- Engine leaks oil 30 reports
- A/C blows warm or the compressor fails 28 reports
- Turbo failure or loss of boost 27 reports
- Airbag warning light or recall 26 reports
- Multiple warning lights come on at once 25 reports