2016 Ford Escape · symptom sheet

Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard

87owner reports
88,000median miles
$5,500median quote
0involved a crash

Newest report Sep 9, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026

320 of the 1,127 complaints on this car are about the transmission and drivetrain. 87 of those describe transmission shudder.

Narrower sheets: Transmission jerks, lurches or bangs into gear (44 reports) · Transmission slips (27 reports)

1 recall on this systemcovering the 2016 model year

No crash reportedin 87 reports

1 person hurtin these reports

Tick what matches of 87 reports

shudders or vibrates at low speed

slips or revs without pulling

bangs or clunks into gear

hesitates when I accelerate

a dealer did a software update

fluid was changed or flushed

Transmission shudder on other Escape years

201497 reports 201568 reports 201687 reports 201792 reports 201846 reports 201927 reports 202055 reports

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.

Read the full explainer · Which cars report it most

What got replaced

Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the transmission (17 reports), the torque converter (6 reports) and the clutch (3 reports).

Recalls and investigations

One recall on the transmission and drivetrain covers the 2016 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.

22V-413Jun 10, 2022

Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Gear Position Indication (Prndl)

The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach.

Risk, remedy and owner complaints on recall 22V-413

All 4 recalls on the 2016 Ford Escape, with the owner complaints on each recalled system

What owners paid

11 of the 87 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $1,600 to $6,500.

$1,600$5,500$6,500

$0k$2k$4k$6k$8k

When it happens

The middle half of failures fell between 63,500 and 111,000 miles, from the 67 reports that gave a mileage.

Is this a known problem?

The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 4 service bulletins or notices for the 2016 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.

Service bulletinSSM 46355Feb 2, 2017
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.
Service bulletinTSB 16-0125Sep 21, 2016
Some 2016 Fusion and Escape vehicles equipped with 2.5L engine may experience a delayed engagement/shudder during a drive to reverse shift. This condition occurs when the throttle is applied during reverse engagement.
Service bulletinTSB 16-2037Sep 14, 2016
Some 2015-2016 Escape and 2016 Fusion vehicles equipped with a 2.0L GTDI engine may exhibit a rolling reverse to drive engagement shudder on acceleration.
Service bulletinASI-45239Jul 1, 2015
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

“I have 2 ford escapes a 2015 and a 2016 (2016 referenced in this complaint) both have experienced catastrophic transmission failure within weeks of each other. The transmission would slip and hard shift, eventually disable completely and would indicate the transmission needed to be serviced.”
Filed May 3, 2024

“Driving the car with no signs at all, car instantly drops rpmâs and wonât accelerate at a busy intersection. Warning for transmission faulty or engine issues did not come on at all. Car was driving normal and then stopped as clutch started slipping. Confirmed with dealership that transmission is out. The car stopped in traffic.”
Filed Jan 9, 2024 · 120,222 miles

“The transmission has started to jerk/skip while driving. Sometimes it jumps and lurches forward suddenly as if suddenly catching the next gear”
Filed Aug 25, 2022

“Transmission failed while in motion; car slipped into reverse while at a light. Had to pull off and have car towed. It is now undrivable. Transmission must be replaced.”
Filed May 2, 2022

Should you keep driving it?

This page can't tell you that. 0 of 87 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