2017 Ford Escape
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 2,686 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 2nd highest complaint count among 26 Escape model years with reports.
Of the 2017 reports, 39 involved a crash and 15 involved a fire. 56 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Visibility, power window devices and controlsJun 9, 2026
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017 Escape vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall number 16V617. The power-operated windows may exert excessive force when encountering an object, before they automatically reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 118, "Power-Operated Window Systems."
A closing window that does not reverse direction as expected can pinch a driver or passenger before retracting, increasing the risk of injury.
Dealers will update the power window operating system software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 22, 2026. Owners may contact customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C29. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 6, 2026.
Campaign 26V374000 on NHTSA.gov
Equipment, electrical, engine block heaterJan 15, 2026
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Focus, 2013-2019 Escape, and 2015-2016 MKC vehicles equipped with a 2.0L engine. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.
An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed March 6, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S01. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on January 16, 2026.
Campaign 26V011000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, automatic transmission, gear position indication (prndl)Jun 10, 2022
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2019 Escape, 2013-2018 C-Max, 2013-2016 Fusion, 2013-2021 Transit Connect, and 2015-2018 Edge vehicles. The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach.
A damaged or missing bushing may prevent the vehicle from shifting into the intended gear, and cause the vehicle to move in an unexpected direction. Additionally, the vehicle may roll after the driver selects the 'Park' position. Either scenario increases the risk of a crash or injury.
Dealers will replace the under hood shift bushing and add a protective cap over the shift cable bushing, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters, informing owners of the safety risk, were mailed July 1, 2022. Remedy parts are expected to be available in 4th Quarter 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed October 27, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S43.
Campaign 22V413000 on NHTSA.gov
Visibility, power window devices and controlsAug 24, 2016
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2017 Ford Escape Titanium and SE vehicles manufactured October 5, 2015, to May 12, 2016. The settings for the closing-force of the power-operated windows may allow the windows to close on an object such as a body part and injure it before the windows auto-reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 118, "Power-Operated Window Systems."
If a window closes on a body part, it can increase the risk of injury.
Ford has notified owners, and dealers will update the power window operating system software, free of charge. The recall began on September 6, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16C12.
Campaign 16V617000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: engine
1,983 reports, newest first. Show all
Engine, Engine and engine cooling, Oct 21, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a loud noise coming from under the hood. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. In addition, the contact thought that the vehicle was going to explode. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure due to coolant intrusion. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 38,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Fuel system, Gasoline, Oct 21, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled with no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the fuel pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to another dealer where the same diagnostic was provided to the contact that the fuel pump failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was determined that there was coolant intrusion into the engine, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 21, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond while the RPMS had risen significantly high. The contact stated that upon releasing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle responded as needed. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive coolant consumption. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that while driving 60-65 MPH, the engine overheated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that there was coolant leaking from the head gasket. The mechanic replaced cylinder #3 and the spark plugs; however, the failure persisted. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle would be repaired at the contact’s expense because the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to TSB Number: 19-2346. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 21, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the same diagnostic was provided, and the contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 95,000.
Engine, Oct 19, 2024
On my 2017 Ford Escape with ecoboost, my check engine light came on we noticed a sweet smell right after Iturn the car on to drive it and a big puff of white smoke came out of my tailpipe. I did notice that it hesitated when i would start to go at a stop light but not enough to make it stall. We took it to the dealership and they are saying there is coolant intrusion on the 4th cylinder and the only way to fix it is to have a new motor put in it. That's about $9,000.00. I only have about 43,000 miles on it.
Power train, Engine, Oct 19, 2024
In September my check engine light came on, codes were for spark plugs, ignition coil and misfire cylinder 2. I took it to mechanic he said my spark plugs were covered in oil I changed the spark plugs, replaced valve cover gasket and intake gasket. Engine light went off car felt great not even 2 days later I felt the misfire again and there's the engine light back on and white smoke from my exhaust. Brought it back to mechanic I mentioned my coolant issue to him I have to fill my coolant every 2 days no puddles under my car. After looking at my car he said coolant is leaking into cylinder 2 so that's why when I start my car is shakes really bad coolant is burning off from the cylinders. He said I need new heads but they are warped so my best option is to get a new engine or trade my car in. I don't have money for a new engine I'm a single mom I'm upside down on this car because it's only worth $3600. Ford wake up and do something and stop screwing us customers who trusted you and your vehicles and now you left us stranded no help nothing. I have a vehicle that doesn't drive unsafe for my kids and I still need to make car payments on for years still. Someone needs to help and do something
Engine, Oct 18, 2024
the coolant leaked into cylinder of engine and might cause engine damage fortunately the engine light was on and was noticed by me prior to sending vehicle to dealer for checking the problem was confirmed by Ford dealer at Winchester, MA. It was also confirmed by independent service shop.
Engine, Oct 16, 2024
I have experienced a 1.5L short block, due to coolant intrusion to the cylinder bores. My car is no longer safe to drive.
Engine, Oct 16, 2024
I bought a Ford Escape 2017 and noticed it started having engine problems I took it to a repair facility and they told me the coolant was leaking into the cylinders. They told me to fix it I would have to get a whole new engine for $8,000, this is so much for a car I just got; I can't get it fixed through Ford since there is no recall. I have already wasted so much money trying to fix it for what the mechanics thought it was, on top of that $2,530 for taking apart the engine to diagnose it. Ford needs to recall these vehicles, this is a manufacturing error on their part and they should pay to get it fixed along with the maintenance people have paid to try to fix this issue.
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle went into idle, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that coolant intrusion leaked into the engine's cylinders which caused the engine to fail. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 119,239.
Engine, Oct 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while the contact's fiancé was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle overheated. The contact stated that the indicator light illuminated, indicating that the vehicle was overheating. In addition, the contact stated that about a month prior, the check engine warning light illuminated but went off. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion and a failed engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline and report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 131,930.
Engine, Oct 14, 2024
Coolant intrusion into cylinder #2. This car is 7 years old with 77k miles and needs a new long block due to defective design. Car started stuttering when started and check engine light first came on and I took it to my local mechanic who said the code was for an engine cylinder misfire. He noticed coolant was low and told me this is a common, massive design defect causing coolant intrusion into the engine cylinder and ruining the engine. Had it officially diagnosed by Ford ASAP and they want $9600 to replace their defective engine. Ford recalled the 1.5 ecoboost for this exact issue. Mine is a 2.0 turbo. Please force Ford to recall these vehicles. Someone will die if you don't and they do not care. Ford denied "customer loyalty assistance" and is now leaving me with a paperweight for a car. We need help from the nhtsa. Contact me if you need more information.
Engine, Oct 14, 2024
Request for Immediate Resolution of Vehicle Issue I am writing to file a complaint regarding my vehicle, which has less than 40,000 miles and is under 7 years old. Recently, it displayed the error codes PO303-00 and PO316. I took the vehicle to the dealership, and they recommended replacing the entire engine, quoting a cost of $11,500. To seek a second opinion, I consulted a machine shop, and they informed me that these errors should not occur on a vehicle this new with such low mileage. I am deeply concerned, as this vehicle is relatively new and should not be experiencing major issues like this. I rely on my car for daily activities, including taking my child to school, and would appreciate a prompt resolution to this matter. Please assist in addressing this issue as soon as possible. Thank you for your attention and assistance.
Engine, Oct 11, 2024
- Engine coolant leaking into engine piston cylinder via a crack in head gasket and/or cracked cylinder wall. it's at a dealership now. - Engine could fail at some point. - Problem is confirmed by manufacture and at a dealership it was confirmed. Only some but not all verified cases will be fixed because of time or mileage. - Vehicle has been inspected by dealer and confirmed. - No prior warning signs happened untill vehicle started missing when first starting. Taken to dealer who confirmed cracks using a scope. They even have pictures.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Oct 11, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after a recent oil change, the contact was informed that the coolant level was lower than normal. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The failure persisted with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the mechanic discovered that there was coolant intrusion into a cylinder. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle remained in the possession of the dealer unrepaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 11, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 45-50 MPH, the engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that while driving, the engine started to overheat. The contact added coolant. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion into the cylinder, and that the long block needed to be replaced. The dealer referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 69,000.
Power train, Engine, Oct 10, 2024
My ford escape had a recall for lower engine block back in late 2020. As of yesterday they are now telling me I need to get the same part they replaced then replaced again. Its been under 23k miles since the recall replacement was done and they want to charge me 9k
Engine, Oct 10, 2024
Coolant intrusion in cylinders 1 & 2. If engine is not replaced it will cause engine to lock up. This is an issue that Ford knows about but there are no recalls.
Engine, Oct 10, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at a moderate speed, the engine started to misfire while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that there was an abnormal banging sound coming from the vehicle with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over and checked under the hood but could not determine the cause of the failure. Despite the failure, the contact was able to drive the vehicle to the residence at slow speeds. The contact attempted to replace the spark plugs but the failure persisted. Upon investigation, the contact discovered that the failure was likely caused by coolant intrusion into an engine cylinder. Two dealers were notified of the failure, and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not covered under recall or warranty. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
Engine, Oct 10, 2024
The vehicle began emitting white smoke from the exhaust upon start up after sitting cold. Smoke would disappear after warming up for a few seconds. The coolant was being slowly depleted from the reservoir. Spark plugs were inspected to find evidence of coolant burning in cylinders. Vehicle began running hot. Contacted service dealer for recalls, none related to issue. Contacted Ford customer service after finding this was a common issue with 1.5L engines. Ford stated my VIN wasn’t one of the vehicles affected. Other people were describing in forums and dealer mentioned that the short block on the engine had to be replaced with a long block along with a new head gasket. Dealer informed this was an $8500 repair. Vehicle at risk of running hot, destroying the engine and its components. This could lead to engine locking up or other catastrophic failure during use, placing myself and my family in imminent danger. Vehicle isn’t even paid off, Ford refuse to offer to assist with any of the cost or decree this a recall.
Engine, Oct 8, 2024
I bought a used 2017 Ford Escape Titanium 1.5 with 58k miles. The vehicle started consuming coolant a slow level at around 60k miles. The condition would cause me to need to refill the coolant reservoir every 2-3 weeks. At around 65k miles the condition got extremely bad. The vehicle would run completely out of coolant every 2 days. The vehicle would run extremely rough or at times fail to start. Excessive shaking and white smoke also. Ford refused to repair the vehicle. Currently spending $12k out of pocket for a new 1.5 EcoBoost engine. The vehicle has been at Ford for over 2.5 months so far as of October 2024.
Engine, Oct 8, 2024
These vehicles have a defect that causes coolant to leak into the engine’s cylinders, which can cause corrosion, oil dilution and contamination, and engine failure; and Ford failed to disclose these defects create a safety risk, because the lack of coolant created by the leaks causes overheating and can result in the cylinder head cracking, total engine failure, and/or engine fires. My car has shut off with my [XXX] son in the vehicle with me while I was driving, I also have to put gas in my vehicle while the vehicle is powered on or else my vehicle will not start for 20 minutes and now if I leave it running while getting gas it shuts off completely right when I pull away from the gas pump. I contacted Ford when I had 87,977 miles on my vehicle and they refused to cover the repair or buy it back. My car claimed to be overheating during the middle of a winter blizzard and wouldn't even turn over. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine, Oct 8, 2024
UPDATE TO TRACKING 11613924 AND 11617597: Due to the Coolant Intrusion on the 2.0L Escape that is a known issue, but has not been recalled yet, I had to replace my long block. Failure was at approximately 97500 and engine replacement was 97774. Engine replacement completed at a Ford dealership. $7,300 as the service manager might have taken pity on me, as he also stated this was a known issue. Original quote was $7,800. I had to max out a credit card to ensure that I have a safe and functional vehicle, instead of a garage ornament.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Oct 7, 2024
I believe I should not be charged for the needed repairs of my car. The dealership is charging me $7200 for repairs which I had nothing to do with. There are recalls pertaining to my vehicle. I posted the notes sent to me from the dealership. Note from tech: Verified the concern, engine has a misfire, CEL on some white smoke when started and also low on coolant. Hook up the IDS and found codes P0304, P0316 and P051B. Performed a cylinder balance test and found cylinder 4 misfiring. Performed a relative compression test and relative compression is ok. Reviewed mode 6 data and found cylinder 4 has been misfiring. During my visual inspection I found the coolant reservoir was empty/ low on coolant. Removed the cylinder 4 spark plug and the porcelain was cracked. Looked into the cylinder with my bore scope and the piston was clean aluminum indicating it has been steamed with coolant. Pressure test the cooling system and found cylinder 4 is seeping coolant into the cylinder. The short block will have to be replaced to fix the concern. I have contacted Ford corporate, the dealership, and the service/parts mgr has also contacted Ford pertaining to my situation. I bought my car with 41miles on it. My car only has 56,000 miles! Plus it has never had engine probs! Yet Ford corporate has denied the payment of the repairs due to my car's year (2017). I hope you can help in this situation. Ford corporate customer service said I could possibly be reimbursed by NHTSA if I go ahead and pay (because I need my car) the $7200 for the needed repairs. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Oct 7, 2024
Cylinder (2) misfire causing coolant intrusion in engine block . Tested and failed damaged cylinder plug causing misfire. Engine ruined!