The bottom line: If your 2013 to 2019 Escape won’t shift properly, start with the free shifter recall at a Ford dealer, because a worn shifter-cable bushing causes some of the same symptoms as a failed transmission.
If the transmission itself has failed, fixing rarely leaves you better off. A dealer replacement costs more than a 2014 Escape sells for running. With a remanufactured unit, what you’d have after selling the fixed car is about what it’s offered broken, or less.
Fixing makes more sense on a newer, low-mileage Escape you plan to keep. Either way, Sell Car Advisor’s comparison tool gets you several instant offers at once, so you can set a real offer against your repair quote.
What would buyers pay for your Escape with a bad transmission?Fill in one form, answering whether your Escape still drives, and set real offers for it against your repair quote.
Key Takeaways
- Owners on CarComplaints report the 2014 Escape’s transmission failing at about 80,000 miles on average, with a typical repair bill of $5,100.
- A remanufactured transmission for a 2014 costs $2,460 to $3,315 bought on its own, about half to two-thirds of what a dealer charges for the part.
- For the broken Escapes we quoted, one buyer’s offer was up to three times the other’s, and which buyer offered more changed from car to car.
Automated assistant: general info, not legal advice
Answers come from our state paperwork data and published guides. Confirm anything binding with your state DMV.
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Could the Free Shifter Recall Be the Real Problem?
Every 2013 to 2019 Escape is covered by Ford recall 22S43. The bushing that connects the shifter cable to the transmission can wear out or come off. When it does, the car may not go into the gear you select, or it may roll after you shift into Park.
Dealers fix it free, replacing the bushing and fitting a protective cap. The 2013 and 2014 models were also covered by an earlier recall for the same part, Ford 18S20. Enter your VIN on NHTSA’s recall lookup to see whether the work has been done on your car.
How Can You Tell the Transmission Itself Is Failing?
Escape owners have filed 2,278 power train complaints with NHTSA for the 2013 to 2019 models, the most for the 2014.
Two of the problems they describe, not going into the selected gear and rolling in Park, are also what the faulty bushing causes. Jerking, slipping, shuddering and lost power point to the transmission itself.
Coolant going down or an overheating warning points to the engine instead, and our Escape engine guide works out whether that repair pays.
| What owners described | Share of complaints |
|---|---|
| Jerks, lurches or clunks into gear | 11% |
| Rolled while in Park | 10% |
| Won’t shift or stuck in a gear | 7% |
| Hesitates or delays | 7% |
| Revs or slips without moving | 6% |
| Lost power while driving | 5% |
| Shudders or vibrates | 4% |
Go in this order:
- Have a Ford dealer check the recall. It costs nothing.
- If the work is done and the problem stays, pay for a diagnosis. Kelley Blue Book puts a dealer’s diagnostic check at $196 to $286 in New York.
- If you’ve already decided to sell, skip the diagnosis. Buyers make offers on cars that don’t run.
How Much Does It Cost to Replace an Escape Transmission?
The price depends mostly on who supplies the transmission: a Ford dealer with a new part, or a shop fitting a remanufactured unit. A remanufactured transmission is a used one rebuilt to factory specifications, with new wear parts and a warranty.
| Route, 2014 Escape | Transmission | Labor | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ford dealer supplies and fits it | $4,678 to $5,119 | $1,995 to $2,205 | $6,673 to $7,324 |
| Remanufactured unit, fitted at dealer labor rates | $2,460 to $3,315 | $1,995 to $2,205 | $4,455 to $5,520 |
The dealer figures are Kelley Blue Book’s estimates for a 2014 in three cities. Each range runs from the cheapest city’s low figure to the dearest city’s high one.
| City | Dealer estimate | Of which labor |
|---|---|---|
| New York, NY 10001 | $6,741 to $7,251 | $2,015 to $2,183 |
| Houston, TX 77002 | $6,673 to $7,179 | $1,995 to $2,161 |
| Los Angeles, CA 90012 | $6,808 to $7,324 | $2,035 to $2,205 |
The remanufactured prices are Reman Transmission’s listings for a 2014 with the 1.6-liter engine, with a three-year warranty and the torque converter included.
That listing is for Ford’s 6F35 six-speed automatic. Escapes from these years came with 1.6, 2.0 and 2.5-liter engines, so check a listing against your VIN before you buy.
Owners who reported this repair on CarComplaints paid a typical $5,100, inside the remanufactured route’s range.
What it costs where you live. Kelley Blue Book prices the job for your own ZIP code. Open the repair page for your year: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019.
Kelley Blue Book has no figure for independent shops, which often charge less for labor than a dealer. Ask a local transmission shop for a quote too, and ask whether it will fit a unit you buy yourself, because some shops won’t. Fifteen owners told NHTSA what a rebuilt, remanufactured or used transmission cost them fitted, or what they were quoted: $3,100 to $9,500, typically about $5,200.
For a 2017 to 2019 Escape with the 2.0-liter engine and all-wheel drive, Powertrain Products lists a remanufactured unit at $3,199, plus a $700 core charge if the old transmission isn’t returned.
Is a 2014 Escape SE Worth Fixing?
A fixed Escape is only worth what a buyer will pay for it. Kelley Blue Book values a 2014 SE in good condition at $5,325 in a private sale and $1,775 as a dealer trade-in, at typical mileage.
For your own year, trim and mileage, open Kelley Blue Book’s value page: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019.
| Route, 2014 SE | Repair cost | After a $5,325 sale |
|---|---|---|
| Dealer replacement | $6,673 to $7,324 | $1,348 to $1,999 short |
| Remanufactured unit at dealer labor rates | $4,455 to $5,520 | Between $870 left and $195 short |
| Sell it as it is | None | Your best offer |
At the dealer price, fixing loses money. With a remanufactured unit, the best case leaves about what buyers offered for the broken 2014 SEs we quoted, and that assumes a buyer pays full Kelley Blue Book value for an older SUV that has just had a new transmission.
Try Your Own Quote
Put in your own repair quote, what your Escape would sell for once fixed, and the best offer you have for it now. The example figures are the 2014 SE.
No offer yet? Sell Car Advisor’s comparison tool gets you several instant offers at once.
Fixing comes out ahead more often on a 2017 to 2019 Escape. The transmission costs about the same for every year, while a newer car sells for more once it runs.
It also makes sense if the car has low miles and you plan to keep it. Then you’re paying to stay on the road, not to resell.
A 2015 or 2016 sits between the two, so put its own value and quote into the calculator.
What Were Broken Escapes Offered?
These four 2013 to 2019 Escapes were quoted through My Garage, Sell Car Advisor’s offer comparison form, with the transmission marked as not working. Two buyers made offers on three of them, and one buyer on the 2018.
| Escape | Miles | Condition | Best offer | Second offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 Ford Escape SE | 100,000 | Engine and transmission not working, won’t start | $955 | $303 |
| 2014 Ford Escape SE | 199,000 | Transmission not working, starts | $525 | $320 |
| 2017 Ford Escape SE | 115,000 | Engine and transmission not working, won’t start | $682 | $220 |
| 2018 Ford Escape Titanium | 132,000 | Transmission not working, starts | $1,710 | Not quoted |
On the 2014 SE with 100,000 miles and on the 2017, the best offer was about three times the second, and it came from a different buyer each time. No one buyer was always the higher one, so a single offer tells you little about what your car can fetch.
For the older Escapes in this range, those 10 or more years old when quoted, so 2016 or older, the typical offer in our offer data is $933, across cars in every condition. One with a failed transmission should expect less, and the model year moves it too.
Middle offer on an old Ford Escape, by model year 163 Ford Escape offers · 10,471 for all cars of the same years · Model yearsShow the numbers
Model years Ford Escape Offers All cars of the same years Offers 2001 to 2007 $420 52 $475 5,123 2008 to 2012 $555 73 $830 4,170 2013 to 2019 $933 38 $1,140 1,178 
How Do You Price and Sell an Escape With a Bad Transmission?
The quickest way to put a price on it is to ask several instant-offer buyers, because they price the failed transmission in for you.
How the car runs matters most. Across every make in our offer data, buyers offer 29% less for a car that starts but can’t be driven than for one that drives.
Tell buyers exactly what the car does:
- Whether it moves at all
- Which gears still work
- Whether a warning light is on
An offer made on a car described as driving is lowered at pickup once the driver sees it doesn’t.
If you sell to a private buyer instead, say in the listing that the transmission has failed. The buyer has to pay for the repair, so expect less than the $1,775 a dealer would give for a working 2014 on trade.
Have the title in your name ready, because the instant-offer buyers we quoted pay when they collect the car. Check your state’s rule on license plates before the car leaves.
See what buyers offer for your Escape. Sell Car Advisor’s comparison tool asks several buyers for an offer on your car, and you see each one before you decide.
Article Update History
Originally posted and shared with our readers.
Sources
NHTSA recall 22V413000 (Ford 22S43): shifter cable bushing, 2013 to 2019 Ford Escape
The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach; dealers replace it and add a protective cap free of charge. 2013 and 2014 models were also covered by recall 18V471000 (Ford 18S20) for the same bushing. Accessed October 11, 2026.
NHTSA: vehicle complaints, 2013 to 2019 Ford Escape
Complaints filed under power train, by model year, and the problems their summaries describe, read from NHTSA's complaints API. Accessed October 11, 2026.
Kelley Blue Book: 2014 Ford Escape check engine light diagnosis price
Fair repair range for ZIP 10001: $196 to $286. Accessed October 13, 2026.
Kelley Blue Book: 2014 Ford Escape transmission repair and replacement prices
Dealer estimates for a 2014 in ZIP 10001, 77002 and 90012: parts $4,678 to $5,119, labor $1,995 to $2,205. Accessed October 13, 2026.
Reman Transmission: 2014 Ford Escape transmissions
Remanufactured 6F35 listings for the 2014 Escape, with warranty and torque converter. Accessed October 10, 2026.
CarComplaints: 2014 Ford Escape transmission fault warning
Owner reports: typical repair cost $5,100, average mileage 80,450, 30 complaints. Accessed October 12, 2026.
Powertrain Products: 6F35 for the 2017 to 2019 Ford Escape 2.0L AWD
Remanufactured unit price, shipping and core charge. Accessed October 10, 2026.
Kelley Blue Book: 2014 Ford Escape values
Trade-in, private party and fair purchase values by trim, good condition, national averages at typical mileage. Accessed October 10, 2026.
Sell Car Advisor: My Garage instant offers
Instant offers from several buyers on the same car, with the condition the owner gave, quoted March to October 2026. These are the cars in this page's offer tables and the set behind the condition figures (how much less buyers offer for a car that doesn't start or doesn't drive), compared within groups of cars of similar age and mileage. The model-year charts come from a larger set of offers going back to 2021.
Middle offer on an old Ford Escape, by model year, Sell Car Advisor
"163 Ford Escape offers · 10,471 for all cars of the same years" Accessed Oct. 17, 2026
Junk Car Value Statistics, Sell Car Advisor
"On this page: 1 figure from 17,628 instant cash offers, and 1 figure from same-day quotes by several buyers" Accessed Oct. 17, 2026
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