2014 Ford Escape · symptom sheet
Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard
- 97owner reports
- 82,000median miles
- $3,500median quote
- 2involved a crash
Newest report Jun 24, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
471 of the 2,020 complaints on this car are about the transmission and drivetrain. 97 of those describe transmission shudder.
Narrower sheets: Transmission jerks, lurches or bangs into gear (53 reports) · Transmission slips (30 reports)
Tick what matches of 97 reports
Transmission shudder 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: 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024.
What this problem usually is
This is the biggest drivetrain group on the site: a transmission that shudders, slips, hesitates or bangs into gear. It's the everyday version of transmission trouble, where the car still drives but doesn't drive right, and it has three narrower sheets of its own for jerking, hesitation and slipping.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the transmission (11 reports) and the torque converter (7 reports).
Recalls and investigations
2 recalls on the transmission and drivetrain cover the 2014 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.
The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach.
The bushing that attaches the transmission shifter cable to the transmission may degrade over time and cause the bushing to detach from the transmission.
All 16 recalls on the 2014 Ford Escape, with the owner complaints on each recalled system
What owners paid
19 of the 97 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $800 to $5,748.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 65,000 and 114,000 miles, from the 78 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 2 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.
MULTIPLE 2014-2016 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 6F35 TRANSMISSION AND BUILT ON 1-JAN-2014 AND THROUGH 31-DEC-2015 MAY EXHIBIT HARSH REVERSE ENGAGEMENT AND HARSH/DELAYED 3RD AND 5TH GEAR UP/DOWN SHIFTS WITH NO DTCS PRESENT.
FORD: SOME VEHICLES TRANSMISSION WILL EXPERIENCE, AFTER A COLD SOAK OR AN EXTENDED PERIOD WITH ENGINE OFF, A 2-3 SHIFT HESITATION DUE TO POSSIBLE HYDRAULIC CIRCUIT DRAIN. MODEL 2013-16 VARIOUS VEHICLES. *PE
What owners wrote
“Transmission has violent jerking and shuddering. Sometimes it has hard time accelerating. Dealer doesnt want to do anything. It is still messed up”
Filed Oct 1, 2025
“The vehicle make model and year has had recalls in the past with regard to the transmission and I recently purchased the vehicle a few months ago and the transmission started slipping and is now not operational.”
Filed Mar 27, 2025
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 2 of 97 reports involved a crash and 1 people were hurt. 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
- 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
- Battery dies or the car will not start 27 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