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, Mar 6, 2022
Check engine light turned on at 65,000 miles, with no other engine symptoms. Brought to Ford dealership for maintenance, told there is a design flaw with the engine that caused gasket head to go bad, now need a brand new engine, unable to drive until then due to possible engine fire. Ford refusing to pay entire repair bill, and has not acknowledged the existence of this problem in other vehicles.
Engine and engine cooling, Feb 25, 2022
The main issue with the engine is the check engine light comes on prematurely, the coolant leaks into the cylinders, and the engine lacks power. My vehicle is having a cylinder 2 and 4 misfire. Coolant leaks are a big problem! Not only does the leak have to be repaired, but the cylinders also have to be replaced or repaired. my vehicle is a newer ford with vary low mile and has been well managed and taken care of with oil changes and yearly checks and tuneups when necessary. I would have never imagined to run across this issue purchasing a newer vehicle, At a certified ford dealership with less than 29,000 miles on the vehicle. This has affected me in my life so greatly. I need a dependable safe vehicle to drive and when I purchased this vehicle I thought I was getting just that. I had nothing but problems after buying this new vehicle and been having to pay out of pocket to fix it. It’s been a safety concern driving. I have to drive this vehicle knowing it can stall and the engine smoke up and be damaged at any time. Please look into my concerns for this vehicle. Thank you for taking the time to read this statement. Sincerely, [XXX], Army Veteran, Nurse. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Engine and engine cooling, Feb 25, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. Upon inspection, the contact noticed that the coolant level was low. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the cylinder wall, causing engine failure. The dealer replaced the engine. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to file a complaint with NHTSA. The contact related the failure to TSB Number: 20-21000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 36,000.
Engine, Feb 9, 2022
The check engine light came on 01/31/22, the day I called for an apointment .On 02/09/22 the Ford Dealership mechanic diagnosed the problem as a coolant leak in the #2 cylinder. This will cause engine failure eventually. The engine has 61,030 miles. There was no indication of a problem, other than my routine fluids check two weeks ago where I ,for the first time ever, had to add coolant. The Ford dealership recommends a block replacement. My car is now past the 60,000 mile warranty. I have looked at the NHSA Web sight that this seems to be a common problem. My out of pocket costs could be as much as $9,000 ,on a vehicle I bought 2 1/2 years ago for $17,000.
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Engine, Feb 8, 2022
Had car in for 4 spark plugs replaced and one ignition coil replaced. After leaving mechanic, the car suddenly slowed down, dashboard screen came on with "High Engine Temperatures pull over safely and call your Ford dealer", and the check engine light came on. The car would not go over 10 miles an hour. I limped back to the mechanic. He could not find a problem, the scanner they use under the dash came back with several readings. None had anything to do with the spark plugs or ignition coil. He kept it for several hours, researching, then unplugged the battery for a while. Plugged it back up, then nothing wrong. He called me, I picked the car up and drove about 1.5 to 2 miles and same thing happened. the car suddenly slowed down, dashboard screen came on with "High Engine Temperatures pull over safely and call your Ford dealer", and the check engine light came on. The car would not go over 10 miles an hour. I limped back to my house. Had the car towed to a Ford dealership. They held it for 6 calendar days then ran a diagnostic on the car. It came back with sealant broke, coolant leaked into engine. I need a new engine. I am under the understanding this issue of coolant into engine was fixed back in 2020, with Ford's the Customer Satisfaction Program # 19B37. OF which I participated, but apparently, according to the Customer Satisfaction Program Customer Service person, the is nothing that can be done about it now. According to several Technical Service Bulletins and SSM bulletins, Ford has known about this issue for a while now. According to VehiclesHistory.com, NHTSA has a class action lawsuit concerning "coolant into the engine" against Ford. So here is one more complaint.
Engine and engine cooling, Jan 31, 2022
The contact's partner owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that he was with his partner who was driving approximately 45 MPH and the vehicle stalled. The contact's partner was able to pull over to the side of the road while the engine was misfiring. The contact stated that he was able to push the vehicle to an independent mechanic which was nearby. The mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and informed the contact that coolant fluid was leaking into the engine causing the misfire. The mechanic informed the contact that the vehicle should be taken to a dealer. The contact said that the vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that coolant was leaking into the second cylinder and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 147,000 miles.
Engine, Jan 14, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The "Engine Failure" warning message was displayed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with engine failure, which started with the water pump and blown head gaskets. The engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained with the independent mechanic. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact to tow the vehicle to a dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
Engine, Jan 12, 2022
My check engine light came on, and has since started chugging when I accelerate. Also have been adding coolant frequently. My safety issue is I am worried that I will stall when driving. I live in Minnesota and the weather here is brutal. My vehicle also kicks on the air conditioning by itself.
Engine, Dec 27, 2021
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the vehicle was shaking. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with an engine oil leak. The engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was out of warranty, but they would assist with half of the cost for repair. The manufacturer referred the contact to file a complaint with NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000.
Engine, Dec 8, 2021
Car was having a stuttering, shaking issue. Took it to the mechanic, and the engine block had cracked. The car is 4 years old, and this is a know manufacturing issue that Ford has not solved. The whole engine needed to be replaced.
Engine and engine cooling, Nov 30, 2021
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently started jerking. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road and opened the hood of the vehicle. The contact stated that he noticed that the vehicle did not have coolant and he refilled the coolant. The contact stated that as he continued to drive the vehicle, the vehicle started jerking significantly and was misfiring. The contact checked the engine coolant level and noticed that it was almost empty 15 minutes later. The contact stated that he added distilled water to the coolant reservoir. The contact stated that as he continued to drive that same day, the vehicle was jerking significantly. The contact turned off the vehicle and was unable to restart the vehicle without a jump start. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was then taken to the independent mechanic who diagnosed that the head gasket was fractured and there was water in the engine oil reservoir. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was also taken to the dealer who informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired as his VIN was not included in any recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired since the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 107,000.
Engine, Nov 11, 2021
The engine light illuminated, and diagnostic code P0304 was reported, which meant cylinder four is misfiring. The vehicle had about 44,900 miles on it. New Motorcraft spark plugs were installed by the owner and the vehicle appeared to drive fine. About 4 days later, the engine light illuminated again and codes P0300, P0301 and P0304 was reported. Also, the antifreeze reservoir was empty, but there was not any leaks on the ground. At this time, the vehicle had about 45,320 miles on it. I searched the internet to learn of any issues with these Ford Escapes and discovered TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN 19-2346 applies to our vehicle. The vehicle was immediately taken to Automax Ford Service Center on November 4, 2021, where they stated the engine needs to be replaced. As of November 10, 2021, the vehicle is still waiting to receive a new engine.
Engine, Nov 10, 2021
Coolant leak into engine destroyed cylinder needs engine block to be replaced. Problem not resolved with Customer Satisfaction Program 19B37, which was known cause of coolant intrusion, instead only delayed issue by putting a bandaid on it with reprogramming of the Powertrain Control Module. Advised not to drive vehicle for possible engine fire or worse.
Engine, Nov 3, 2021
Engine light came on, immediately took it to my mechanic that diagnosed it as a cylinder 3 misfire and recommended the spark plugs be changed $700.00, 3 days later the light came back on again and took it back in. The coolant leaks into the spark plugs creating miss fire cylinder “3” the mechanic showed me the documentation of this problem Ford has know about since 2019. The coolant will not last one day, car displays as overheating to pull over to a safe location, cannot even be driven for 2 miles without over heating. It is no longer safe to drive the car. The car needs a new engine. Tbs 20-2100, they have a technical service bulletin that stats this is a common problem. They want $9,200 new engine block. I owe on a car I cannot drive, cannot have smogged, cannot register in the state of California and Ford will not replace these engines. The Engines are a risk of catching fire, why are they not recalled? Also the entire navigation system is non operable.
Engine, Oct 22, 2021
Engine started missing getting on the interstate, almost got rear ended. Come to find out it has water in the cylinder. Which Ford has TSB out for it. Definitely needs recalled. My family could’ve been severely injured.
Engine, Oct 18, 2021
The check engine system alerted me to the vehicle overheating. I immediately turned off the engine and checked the fluid level. The coolant reservoir was empty. I added the appropriate coolant to the indicated fill line. The engine temperature returned to normal so I continued to drive and monitor the situation. Later in the day, I noticed white smoke emitting from the tailpipes. I know this to be a possible sign of coolant or water/fluid mixing with the oil. I parked the vehicle out of fear of permanent damage and scheduled service for the following morning. After diagnostics were run on the vehicle, it was determined coolant intruded into one or more cylinders and the head had cracked. Research shows that the problem is known by Ford (see tsb 19-2346) but Ford never notified me of the problem putting my family and myself at risk.
Engine, Oct 18, 2021
The contact's mother owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her mother was driving, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the driver was informed of an engine misfire. The contact stated while driving the engine hot message was displayed. The RPM increased to high. The contact pulled over and noticed that the coolant was low. The driver added additional coolant however, the next day the fluid was low. The contact called the local dealer however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact was concerned about the vehicle catching on fire or causing a crash. The contact associated the failure with TSB 19-2139 and 18-23553. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.
Engine, Oct 9, 2021
A couple of months the "check engine" light turned on. After three appointments, two diagnosis and almost $1,000 down the drain I was told that the coolant is leaking into the engine’s cylinders which is being caused, according to a Ford authorized dealer service department, by an engine design issue that has been apparently ignored by Ford for many years. I contacted Ford directly and they simply talked to me about "offering financial options to cover the cost" which ascend to almost $9,000, for a 5-year old car with less than 50K miles. They stated that this isn't covered by any warranty, that it's impossible to extend the warranty, and that there's no recall despite the many indications that this is a known issue. I found further information about this exact issue on: https://www.motorbiscuit.com/overheat-fail-fire-big-ford-ecoboost-class-action-lawsuit/ https://www.classaction.org/news/newer-ford-lincoln-vehicles-plagued-by-ecoboost-engine-defect-linked-to-coolant-leaks-class-action-says http://www.fordproblems.com/ecoboost-fires/ https://www.carcomplaints.com/news/2020/ford-ecoboost-problems-class-action-lawsuit.shtml
Engine, Sep 29, 2021
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine light illuminated. The contact had to refill the coolant to prevent the vehicle from overheating. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with engine failure from the hydro-lock due to an internal coolant leak from the cylinders. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that there were no recalls on the VIN and that the vehicle was out of warranty. The failure mileage was 83,958.
Engine, Sep 8, 2021
Ford dealership verified that check engine light coded P0304, engine misfire due to coolant intrusion caused by crack in cylinder. This is a known and well-documented problem with 2.0 L EcoBoost Escapes and Lincoln vehicles that use same engine (MKZ/MKC). VIN # of this particular vehicle matches those known to have the problematic engines. Ford is clearly aware, having released multiple Technical Service Bulletins on this subject of Engine/Coolant issue. The issue is Ford refuses to provide assistance to customers whose vehicles have surpassed 5 yr/60,000 Engine/Powertrain warranty. In this case, vehicle has 66,600 miles. A vehicle with a cracked engine block cannot be operated and presents a safety risk.
Engine, Aug 9, 2021
The coolant leaks into the spark plugs creating miss fire cylinder “3”
Engine, Aug 7, 2021
Engine started out running roughly a couple days later it overheated the car gave me a notice to pull over safely I turned the car off the oil looks milky , It only has 71,000 miles on it
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Aug 2, 2021
The car was overheating so I brought it to the dealership to have it looked at. I was informed that there was coolant leaking into one of the engine cylinders causing the car to overheat with the possibility of it even catching on fire.
Engine, Jul 28, 2021
Check engine light came on at 60,240 miles with a cylinder 2 misfire code. Took it to the dealer and they said it has coolent in cylinder number 2. It is no longer safe to drive the car. The car needs a new engine. Tbs 20-2100, they have a technical service bulletin that stats this is a common problem. They want $9,200 new engine block.
Power train, Engine, Jul 8, 2021
I went to Lenoir City ford with issues of misfiring cylinder and mostly Limp Mode on the highway. They cleared my codes and sent me on my way. ^ This occured while my vehicle was still under warranty. Now, expired warranty, I have the same issue and they will not cover under warranty when the issue was first discovered. Good lord I need me a recall