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 and engine cooling, Engine, Mar 29, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated to accelerate with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed by the contact's son, an independent mechanic, with coolant intrusion into cylinder #2, and that the short block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12 (Short Block Replacement After Coolant Intrusion) however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was 73,599.
Engine, Engine and engine cooling, Mar 28, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal amount of smoke come from the exhaust system. The contact reversed out of the garage and parked the vehicle in the driveway. The contact turned off the vehicle and while attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle would not restart. The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic and the mechanic stated that the head gasket had failed, and that the engine might need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 107,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Mar 28, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at approximately 65 MPH the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact pulled the vehicle off the highway as he was on the exit ramp and had slowed to 35 MPH the vehicle began to shake and then stalled. The contact stated that he noticed that when the vehicle had reached a half tank of gasoline, the check engine warning light would illuminate. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that coolant had leaked into the engine and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V209000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 93,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Mar 24, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the engine coolant warning light illuminated, and the "Pull Over Safely" message was displayed after starting the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic however, the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at approximately 40 MPH, the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that the vehicle was shuddering while driving at various speeds. The vehicle was towed to another independent mechanic, where a diagnostic test retrieved several codes for overheating and coolant failure. The mechanic made the contact aware of Customer Satisfaction Program 21N12 (Short Block Replacement After Coolant Intrusion) and advised him to take the vehicle to a local dealer for further diagnostic tests and repairs. The vehicle had not yet been taken to a local dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the Customer Satisfaction Program. The contact was advised to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 55,000.
Engine, Mar 24, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was shaking and there was smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion into the short block and related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12 (Certain 2017-2019 Model Year Fusion and Escape Vehicles Equipped with a 1.5L GTDI Engine – Short Block Replacement After Coolant Intrusion) however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the short block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The manufacturer advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Engine, Mar 18, 2023
In November 2022, my check engine light came on. The code was for a purge valve. That was replaced and repaired on November 10, 2022. In January 2023, my check engine light came on yet again. This time it was for the fuel regulator. That was repaired and replaced on January 9, 2023. My car did not make it the few miles to my house. On January 10, 2023, the mechanic picked up my car and drove it back to his shop. On the drive there, the Transmission Fault came on only one time. When he turned the car off and back on he never received the transmission error message again. The car is a 2017, purchased new, at the time had 75,000 miles and has always had maintenance checks on time. This was a catastrophic transmission failure due to manufacturing. After inspection transmission fluid was found burnt, filter was clogged, converter came apart and contaminated the unit. This caused a blocked filter which lead to a burnt clutched. Transmission was rebuilt and repaired. From vehicle purchased as new to November 2022, car had no issues. From November 2022 until January 10, 2023 it was a landslide of continual problems.
Engine, Mar 17, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was constantly illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to a certified mechanic who stated that the coolant was leaking into the engine causing cylinder #3 to misfire. The mechanic replaced the #2 and #3 spark plugs. After removing the spark plugs the hot evaporated coolant caused hot steam to affect the spark plugs and cause them to malfunction. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 103,000.
Power train, Engine, Lane departure, Mar 16, 2023
Was drive the car to a shop after getting a transmission fault service now code the car would not move and broke down in the middle of the road on a busy road shit car off it drove for two minutes and shut off again had no power to get to side of the road had to pay over $100.00 for a tow bill and still at the shop with no answers
Engine, Mar 13, 2023
On March 9th 2023, the very first time my engine light came on while I was on my way to work so I decided to take it and drop off at the dealership on the way which is 10 miles away. About 2 miles before I get to the dealership, my SUV started cutting out and the engine light started flashing. I left at the dealership and they called me later the same day and told me that i needed to replace my engine that antifreeze was leaking into my engine. My last oil change was in late Nov 22 and it was 700 miles from needing another one. My SUV only has 99837 miles on it and should last many more than that. The last oil change I had did not report of any unknown fluid in my pan and that the oil appeared to only be normal use.
Electrical system, Engine, Mar 10, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was stopped at a traffic light, the vehicle lost motive power and failed to restart with the Auto Start/Stop feature. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 53,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Mar 9, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the “High Engine Temperature - Stop Safely" message was displayed. The contact attempted to drive the vehicle and the vehicle hesitated upon the depression of the accelerator pedal. Due to the failure, the contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed with a coolant leak within the engine block. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 29,275.
Engine, Mar 7, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal amount of smoke coming from the tailpipe. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine block had cracked and caused the engine to misfire. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and agreed to cover 60% of the repair. The failure mileage was 65,000.
Engine, Mar 6, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while his wife was driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The engine was misfiring, and the vehicle was shaking. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that there was internal engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred him to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired at the dealership. The correct failure mileage was 116,898.
Engine, Mar 5, 2023
I own a 2017 Ford Escape eco boost which had 50,000 miles on it when SEVERE ENGINE OVERHEATING, SHUT DOWN ENGINE IMMEDIATELY flashed on my dash screen while I was driving around town. I let the engine cool, added coolant to the dry reservoir and immediately took my car to the mechanic where it was eventually diagnosed with coolant leaking into the engine. The No 2 cylinder was cracked and I would need a new engine at $7,500. Finding this problem of coolant leaking into the engine isn’t rare with my vehicle model and year, I wrote a letter to Ford, sending all my service records (I’m diligent about keeping up on service & maint.) & documents, hoping for financial help with the engine replacement. It took 3 MONTHS for Ford to respond. They said sorry. No help. I did take my Escape to a Ford dealership for a second opinion. They confirmed I need a new engine plus an added issue for which they quoted me a total of $11,500. My car was barely 5 years old, had 50,000 miles and was like new inside and out. Ford shouldn’t be allowed to sell disposable vehicles. Not at these prices!
Engine, Mar 3, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle overheated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a cracked cylinder head and the engine was replaced; however, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal sound. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic, who inspected the vehicle and determined that three bolts had detached from the cylinder head, causing the passenger's side engine to detach. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Mar 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the vehicle started smoking from under the hood. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer stated that the wiring harness under the hood had melted and that the vehicle needed a new engine, wiring harness, and catalytic converter. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 100,000.
Engine, Feb 28, 2023
CONSTITUENT WRITES REGARDING FORD ENGINE MOTOR RECALL AND ISSUES CONCERNING IT.
Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Feb 22, 2023
While driving on the freeway the engine suddenly lost power, stuttered, misfired, ran very rough and "buckled". I was unable to maintain speed and had to turn off the freeway a the next exit. I was able to reach a safe location in "crawl mode" from where the car had to be towed to the dealership. The check engine light was not lit before but stayed on during and after this incident, which was the first time it happened. The dealer confirmed the problem and identified the throttle body as the failed component, it is sticky on the inside and may have been stuck in a position that did not allow me to drive anymore. It is UNKNOWN if the dealer has initiated getting the vehicle or any faulty parts inspected by anyone else. Unrelated to this incident this vehicle had the entire engine replaced in March 2022, ref TSB 19-2346 https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2019/MC-10169807-0001.pdf ; the symptoms of failure last year were very similar, loss of power, misfire, stuttering, running rough.
Power train, Engine, Engine and engine cooling, Feb 21, 2023
The engine is experience the COOLANT INTRUSION problem . This is a SAFETY problem driving on the roads. It may at some point emit white smoke out the exhaust and causing the engine to run poorly. There by possibly causing a fatal accident !!! Ford REFUSES to fix the problem because the coolant intrusion happen after their November 30, 2022 deadline. The car only has 28,500 mile on it and running fine at that time. While at the dealership, Only to be told there was nothing they could do. It was up to Ford Headquarters, They weren't responsible because we missed the software update. Ford corporate as true to form. Gave us the RUN AROUND . Somebody going to get KILLED because of their defective product !!!
Engine and engine cooling, Feb 21, 2023
Coolant leaking into cylinders resulting in engine misfiring and not running correctly.
Electrical system, Engine, Feb 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start four days after NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) repair was completed on the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, where the battery and spark plugs were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The dealer informed the contact that there was an additional fee for the diagnostic tests to be performed on the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 81,292.
Engine, Feb 12, 2023
I just recently became I aware of a recall issue with my 2017 Ford Escape, vin #[XXX]. Apparently, coolant is entering my engine block. My vehicle’s coolant reservoir is constantly low and I see excessive white smoke coming from the tailpipe. I was never notified by Ford. I became aware about the issue while doing research on the internet. According to Ford’s recall campaign #19B37, the recall ended in November 2022. I need you to look into this matter because my engine is back firing and Ford never notified me of the issue. I attached the Ford recall I found in the internet. However, Ford never officially notified me. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Power train, Engine, Feb 12, 2023
On 129, 2023 I was driving on a highway 40 miles outside of Las Vegas Nevada and my car started shaking horribly and I took the nearest exit and had it towed and had a scan done on it on 1/30/2023. The scan showed oil on the spark plug misfire number two. Since I had a powertrain warranty, I had it towed to Fort country in Henderson Nevada. Took them four days to diagnose a problem and was told that it would cost $1200 to repair. They had my car for one week and was told by Ford it would not be covered. The car has 50,000 miles on it and six months left on the hundred thousand mile powertrain warranty. After paying the $1200 I was told by the dealer not to drive it as it was unsafe and to have it towed. It is now in the hands of a private automotive shop in Henderson Nevada. I am waiting for an additional diagnosis. I have owned this car for three years and only put 12,000 miles on it in that duration. I believe that this is a eco-boost problem as I have been reading about and plan to file a class action or private claim with the Ford motor company. My safety was at risk as I am a 76-year-old senior. I am out over $2000 , just covering the rental and then handing my keys and have used all of my toes with auto club. I would be most appreciative if someone could get back to me at their earliest convenience and advise me how to proceed. This situation has now gone on for two weeks . I have a case number with Ford motors and have made several calls and they tell me the car is not under their powertrain warranty. I believe the dealership was trying to get me to buy a new vehicle from them and offered me $5,800 for a trade in. I refuse to be backed into a corner to buy another vehicle. I believe that everyone who works for Ford knows of this situation and is pulling a bait and switch on clients. Please help me thank you for your time and courtesy.
Engine and engine cooling, Feb 10, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated when she started the vehicle, the "engine fault service now" message was displayed. The contact stated that later the "high-temperature stop now" warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that she pulled over and turned the vehicle off. Once she felt that the temperature was normal, she restarted the vehicle. The contact stated that the warning lights illuminated intermittently. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer who diagnosed and determined that coolant had intruded into the cylinder bores and the engine needed to be replaced. The contact was advised by the dealer that she would have been covered by Customer Satisfaction Program: 19B37 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the warranty had expired. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 88,802.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Feb 8, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion into cylinder #3, and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 77,747.