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, Sep 24, 2022
Coolant is leaking into the engines cylinders according to my mechanic. Engine is dead now, car wont start. Smelled coolant while operating and then the check engine light came on which is when i took it to the mechanic. They said only solution is a new engine. Less than a year out of warranty. Google shows this as a known issue with ecoboost engines, but ford has not issued a recall or solution. Dealership basically blew me off when i called and said they could look at it in a couple months.
Structure, Wheels, Engine, Sep 17, 2022
I am writing this to inform you of (4) safety issues in just the past year. Last August while driving in Massachusetts (I live in PA) I heard a strange noise. After pulling off the busy highway I found the bottom of my car dragging on the road. I had to find a place that sold duct tape as a temporary fix. Next problem was swollen lug nuts (never heard of such a thing). While getting new tires I had spent money for new lug nuts. The next problem again, the bottom of the car was falling off and dragging on the road. Most recently, two weeks ago while driving down the highway in West Virginia the car stated shaking and the engine light stated flashing. After being towed to Greenbrier Ford in Lewisburg, WV the dealer informed me the engine had a catastrophic failure. This is the second engine failure. Every time I get in this vehicle I feel unsafe because I never know what is going to happen next.
Engine, Sep 15, 2022
On July 1, 2022 we were turning left onto another street and the car started hesitating and the dash indicator said "stop vehicle, severe/extreme engine heat, do not drive". The Police came right away and we were blocking traffic, they told us we had to move it out of the driving lane and they couldn't push us with their cruiser. Other cars trying to pass were honking and had to move in the other travel lane to get around us. We are lucky we were not hit by another motorist, it was rush hour. We had no prior incidents or warnings. We had to keep trying to complete the turn and it would jerk forward a little, it took at least 20 times of putting it in park, starting engine and put it in drive to jerk along the road to a safe lot that was about 20 yards away. We had to get a AAA Tow Truck to take us to our place nearby since the Ford Dealership was closed for the 4th of July Holiday weekend. On July 5th we got another Tow Truck to take us to the Dealership. The Estimate we received by phone on July 6 said the small block engine had to be replaced because the coolant had entered the engine and it ruined the motor. We only had about 45,000 miles on the odometer. The Estimate was $5,100 and we were several months past the warranty so we had to use up about half our savings. I called Ford Motor Co. and asked if there was any help available for the repairs, but they said there was none and there is no recall for this problem. I checked the Internet for this specific issue and there have been many people complaining of this happening and there are a few pending Law Suits trying to force Ford to recognize they have a Manufacturing failure with these vehicles that have the Eco-Boost feature. The final bill was $5,400 because they also discovered the Water Pump had damage too and had to be replaced. It took 49 days until the vehicle was completed. We had to rent a car for 2 weeks, then got a loaner from Ford shop. The repair only has a 3 Yr Warranty.
Engine, Sep 15, 2022
Coolant leaked into engine cylinder and locked the engine. This is a known defect from TSB 22-2229. Only fix is replacement of engine.
Engine, Sep 14, 2022
The engine over heated on interstate 1-94 while I was going 70 miles per hour and I had to pull off the side of the road. The engine coolant leaked into my pistons and caused this issue. It is ridiculous that ford knows this is an issue and isn’t forced to recall and fix it. It is an extremely dangerous issue.
Engine, Sep 14, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the temperature gauge fluctuated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that coolant had leaked into the engine cylinders and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The manufacturer advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Aug 29, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the engine was misfiring. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving. The contact, who is an independent mechanic, diagnosed that cylinder #2 was misfiring. Upon further investigation, the contact diagnosed that coolant was leaking from the radiator into cylinder #2. An unknown dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact there was no recall associated with the failure. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring increasingly while driving. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
Power train, Engine, Aug 24, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the dealer previously replaced the Auto START/STOP relay twice; however, the failure recurred with the vehicle turning off and intermittently failing to restart immediately. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Aug 23, 2022
The vehicle started over heating for no reason, filled the coolant with last oil change within a few days before. Would get to the point the car would stop driving. Happened a few times a day then spread out to less and less. Then happened randomly one day and the car never started again. It stays in a dangerous over heat mode where the car won’t start. I had to have it towed almost 60 miles home and then Uber myself home. We had the car looked at. Never diagnosed, but we were told we have a cracked head. Possible coolant leakage. Total Engine failure. The cause is because the vehicle is defective p
Electrical system, Air bags, Engine, Aug 22, 2022, crash
I was in an accident 12/24/2021due to other parties at fault, and my air bags did not deploy. The diagnostic with the collision Calliber (78216 zip code) reflected there was a faulty air bag and should have deployed . I suffered neck and back injuries. Half a year later my entire AC compressor needed to be replaced a month later my Entire engine needs to be replaced (8700 price). I’ve only had this car over a year and work remotely. I have under 50k miles on this car and have had so many dangerous And unfortunate high cost issues. The
Engine, Aug 19, 2022, fire
The contact owned a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while at a stop light a plastic electrical type odor was present coming from the air conditioning vents. Moments later while driving approximately 40 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated and smoke was present coming from the engine compartment before the vehicle stalled and caught on fire. The contact indicated that the flames started in the engine compartment and quickly engulfed the entire vehicle. The fire department was called to the scene and extinguished the flames. During the incident, the vehicle was destroyed. A police report was filed and the vehicle was towed away from the scene. The cause of the fire was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 120,000.
Engine, Aug 15, 2022
Check engine light came on. Vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and I was told there was coolant leaking into the engine and causing engine failure. The car would not start and had to be towed to the dealership. They gave me a similar diagnosis and stated the engine was locked up and would need to be replaced. The car currently has about 57,000 miles.
Engine and engine cooling, Aug 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph, the engine stalled. The vehicle was jerking and lunging forward. There was coolant flowing into the engine. There were unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that spark plugs and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 108,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Power train, Aug 5, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that there was a coolant leak; however, the mechanic was unable to repair the vehicle. The mechanic referred the contact to a dealer for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Engine, Aug 3, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with coolant leaking into the cylinder head. The dealer informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 76,700.
Engine, Aug 2, 2022
Coolant leaking into #2 cylinder and short block needs to be replaced. Known issue with the ecoboost with Ford and yet they keep selling it and won’t cover the cost for replacement motor which costs $7,200! Car is 5 years old.
Engine, Aug 2, 2022
Purchased in late 2021 with approximately 68000 miles on the odometer. Began experiencing coolant loss despite no apparent leakage outside the engine. Coolant loss became so prevalent that vehicle overheated requiring towing to a garage. At garage they diagnosed that coolant was leaking into Cylinder 2 of the engine and this issue requires a complete engine replacement. Investigated for other similar issues and found that this is a known and very common issue with Ford Ecoboost 1.5 liter engines, and has been widely known about since 2019, apparently impacting 2013 to 2019 model years for various ford cars, common factor being the ecoboost 1.5 liter engine. Despite this being widely known and a special service bulletin that i found on your website from 2019 stating the issue. https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2019/MC-10162071-0001.pdf I have already paid out $4000 to order a new engine that will not be at the shop until mid September, and there will be an additional approximately $3000 labor bill for the engine replacement. How are they still allowed to sell these vehicles without advising potential owners of this common issue? And how has this not resulted in a recall action that would have saved many many people major financial damage.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Aug 2, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that cylinder #2 needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred with the vehicle experiencing rough starts. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that coolant had leaked into the cylinder and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 83,750.
Engine, Aug 1, 2022
The vehicle was running very poor after a long trip the day after the trip. It had a p0302 code and at my shop in Tempe AZ alerted me to the issue being, an engine needs to be replaced. I had 103,356 miles on it. We have a coolant intrusion and it was checked by putting 21 lbs of pressure on the cooling system and it leaked into the # 2 cylinder. This is a safety problem due to the engine in limp mode and no power. It was an engine replacement that cost $6000. The engine from Ford was only $2100. The only reason the engine was $2100 was the fact that Ford drops the price so the warranty does not damage their profitability. I am tired of this no recall settlements with car manufacturers that do not issue recalls and promise to pay and then they do not send the information to the dealers so they will not replace the parts on warranty for the dealership does not have records to do the repair. This gets Ford off the hook. I have gone through this with my Ford Focus 2012. Dual Clutch went out without recall. I had the first clutch replaced Then I had to pay $2600 for a clutch replacement with only 65,000 miles from the replacement. They installed the same parts on the vehicle that were like new. These were the same defective parts that came on the car when new. Now 65,000 miles later the clutch is again bad with the shaking and shuttering when the car was new. I read online an article from Car and Driver that if the customer requests a new clutch Ford is to replace it no charge. I went to Ford again today and nothing to tell the dealer to replace the clutch. Again Ford has gotten away with not changing the defective product. This was part of a Class action suit that NHTSA negotiated with Ford. Again Ford gets away with not replacing the part. If you negotiate a settlement with Ford a bulletin needs to be produced by Ford and you need to make sure that it is done
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 29, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that there was an engine misfire while starting the vehicle. The check engine warning light illuminated. The contact turned off the vehicle. The contact stated that a family member inspected the vehicle and noticed that the coolant level was low and that coolant was leaking into the engine. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact called the dealer and explained the failure; however, the contact was informed that there was no need for a diagnostic test, due to the failure being a known issue. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 109,000.
Engine, Jul 28, 2022
Engine failure due to loss of compression in two cylinders. Local mechanic believes that the cylinder block or head has failed.
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Engine, Jul 27, 2022
All of a sudden my transmission service fault light has came on, my escape won’t shift into gear, and when it is in park it won’t go into drive it any other gear without you forcing it. I have called farina, Effingham, Salem, Centralia, Newton and none of them can get my car in for a month. I am now without a vehicle and I’m needing something done.
Engine, Jul 27, 2022
On 7/24/22, upon starting the vehicle the “check engine” light on the dash display came on and stayed on during my trip to church and then again on my way home. Because it was Sunday, the Ford Dealer where I purchased the vehicle new in June 2017 was closed. I called the next day and made an appointment to take the vehicle to the dealer service department on 7/27. The service technician determined that coolant is leaking into the cylinders. The fix, according to Ford TSB 22-2229, is engine replacement. The repair estimate totals $7,852.16. The vehicle has 66727 miles on it and is out of warranty. From online research I have learned this is an issue that has occurred frequently with this and other ford models.
Engine, Jul 27, 2022
Illuminating malfunction indicator lamp, low coolant level, white exhaust smoke, runs then no start, blowing fuses, coolant intrusion into cylinder
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 25, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle hesitated and the contact heard a sputtering sound from the engine. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact noticed that she had to refill the coolant reservoir repeatedly. The contact had driven the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed a misfire in one of the cylinders. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed; however, the dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the engine might need to be replaced. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 176,000.