Ford Escape 2013-2019 Service Manual

The 2013 model year brought a genuine reinvention rather than a refresh — Ford completely dropped the boxy, Mazda-developed design of the first two Escape generations in favor of a rebadged version of the European Ford Kuga, built on the C1 platform shared with the Focus and related Volvo/Mazda products. It was the first Escape with nothing to do with Mazda's engineering, and the results showed: a claimed 10% improvement in aerodynamics over the outgoing generation, plus styling that finally read as crossover rather than boxy SUV.

Three four-cylinder engines anchored the lineup, all paired with a 6-speed automatic (Ford dropped the manual transmission entirely for this generation, and the long-running 3.0L V6 and Escape Hybrid were both discontinued). The base S trim ran a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter making 168 hp, while the SE and SEL stepped up to a turbocharged 1.6-liter EcoBoost four — the first Ford vehicle to offer this engine — delivering around 178 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque, matching the fuel economy of the previous-generation Hybrid model according to Ford's own claims. The range-topping Titanium trim carried a 2.0-liter EcoBoost turbo good for up to 240-245 hp and 270 lb-ft, more torque than the outgoing V6 ever produced. The dual-clutch PowerShift automatic transmission, notorious for reliability issues across other Ford models, was introduced on this generation as well — CarBuzz's own model history flags transmission failure as a common problem trend, particularly on 2014 models, often surfacing around 70,000 miles and running roughly $4,500 to repair.

The 2013 launch brought the MyFord Touch infotainment system, along with newly available features like a hands-free foot-activated liftgate and adaptive cruise control. A meaningful mid-cycle facelift arrived for 2016-2017: a redesigned front fascia with a chromed three-slat hexagonal grille, new fog lights, a revised tailgate and taillights, and — most significantly — the switch from MyFord Touch to the considerably more user-friendly Sync 3 system, which let owners remotely lock, start, and check on their vehicle through a smartphone app. The 2017 refresh also introduced a new 1.5-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder to replace the smaller 1.6-liter unit. This generation ran through the 2019 model year before the fully redesigned fourth-generation Escape arrived for 2020.