I have a 2016 Escape 1.6 SE Turbo, and it’s been doing some odd stuff lately. It’s parked in my garage, but it’s still really cold since the temps have been below zero recently.
Here’s what I’ve noticed:
When I start it, sometimes I get a message saying “Hill Assist is not working.”
Last week, it said “Four-wheel drive is not on” when I started it.
A few days ago, it switched the dash screen on its own to the “Miles to Empty” display, even though I always leave it on the speed screen. It showed 30 miles left, so I went to fill up. After filling the tank, the screen showed it was full with 250 miles to empty.
I’ve never had the dash change displays by itself like that. Do you think this is just a glitch caused by the extreme cold? Has anyone else had similar issues?
I have a 2017 Escape S, and I’ve noticed the screen changing randomly too since the temperatures dropped. The other night, I stopped for gas, and when I tried to start the car, it acted like the battery was dead. I went inside to ask for help, but when I came back, it started up fine without needing a jump. No battery light came on or anything.
My 2017 did the same thing twice. The temperature dropped, and the next morning it wouldn’t start after a few tries. I grabbed my jumper cables, but on the last attempt, it started without a jump. It happened again a couple of days later, so I took it to the shop. They tested the charging system and found out the battery was bad.
It sounds like your battery might be weak. Subzero temps can really stress a battery that’s barely hanging on. A weak or dying battery can cause all kinds of weird errors and glitches. I’d check the battery first before looking into anything more serious.
My 2013 Escape hates cold weather too. I get the ‘Hill Assist Unavailable’ message all the time when it’s really cold. We had temps around 7 degrees recently, and even when it warmed up to the 20s, my backup sensors started acting up. It’s like the car just can’t handle the freezing temps.