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 and engine cooling
508 reports, newest first. Show all
Engine and engine cooling, Aug 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, while attempting to leave the residence, the vehicle made an abnormal sound. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was driven to a dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there was coolant intrusion into the engine and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 53,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Aug 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the vehicle was idling roughly, causing the vehicle to vibrate abnormally. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but had become a recurring failure. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that ignition coil #2 needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred, and the vehicle was taken back to the same independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the air intake assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that failure reoccurred, and the vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic who informed the contact that coolant had leaked into cylinder #2, and that the valve cover was cracked. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The contact stated that the independent mechanic related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin Number: 19-2208 - Coolant In Cylinders (Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was 104,590.
Engine and engine cooling, Aug 7, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 35-40 MPH, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a misfire in the engine. The mechanic cleared the check warning light; however, the failure recurred while driving. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine. The mechanic determined that the engine block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 51,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Aug 5, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his son was driving approximately 65 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, the vehicle started losing motive power and stalled. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the engine had failed due to coolant intrusion into cylinder #2. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 86,020.
Engine and engine cooling, Aug 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to respond as intended with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that several days later while attempting to start the vehicle, there was a considerable amount of white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The contact inspected the coolant reservoir and became aware that the coolant reservoir was empty. The contact refilled the coolant reservoir; however, two days later the coolant reservoir was empty again. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with a coolant leak. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Aug 2, 2024
The contact called on behalf of his daughter who owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine was misfiring. The contact stated that the failure persisted and the engine overheated. The contact was able to pull the vehicle to the side of the road, where white smoke was coming from the front of the vehicle near the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into cylinder #1. The vehicle was not repaired and remained with the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Aug 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that coolant intrusion had damaged the engine. The contact was informed that the short block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 78,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 31, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to several independent mechanics who diagnosed the vehicle with a coolant intrusion into cylinder #2. 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 failure mileage was approximately 93,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 31, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle hesitated and was slow to respond. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that there was an indication of coolant intrusion in the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was informed that there was no recall coverage for the failure. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 52,533.
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 30, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle overheated and stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road and the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the air compressor, water pump, and thermostat, and radiator were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that there was a coolant intrusion in the engine. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 118,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 29, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12 (Short Block Replacement After Coolant Intrusion). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 46,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 29, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where a tune-up was performed; however, the failure returned. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic where a code reader determined an oil leak in the head gasket. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that there were no recalls on the VIN. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 133,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 29, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact's son used a code reader that determined that the O2 sensor was defective. The vehicle was taken to a Ford dealer where it was confirmed the O2 sensor was defective; however, the mechanic also discovered coolant intrusion into an engine cylinder. 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 the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 29, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that on several occasions while the vehicle was running, the vehicle shuddered with the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that on each occasion, the vehicle drove rough, and while decelerating the vehicle jerked continuously until shifted into park(P). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the spark plugs needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced due to coolant intrusion. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 75,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 26, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated the admissions warning light had been illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact noticed that around this time the heating system had failed. The vehicle had been taken to an independent mechanic who noticed the anit-freeze tank had been low. The anti-freeze had been refilled and a fuse had been repaled. Approximately, 3 months after the admissions light had illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the anit-freeze was low again and that coolant was leaking with cylinder # 3 causing the engine to overheat and fail. The engine needed to be replaced. The engine had not been replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and it was confirmed the VIN was not covered under a recall or warranty. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to file a safety complaint. The failure mileage was 59,999.
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 26, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling in stop-and-go traffic, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the engine started running hot. The contact was able to pull over and check the coolant level and became aware that the coolant reservoir was nearly empty. The contact refilled the coolant reservoir, and the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion in cylinder #2, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the failure was related to the Technical Service Bulletin, NHTSA ID:10214126 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included. The contact was referred to the manufacturer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the TSB. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 88,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated intermittently. The contact stated that the dealer had previously replaced the engine. The vehicle was taken to AutoZone, where error code P0299 was retrieved. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, but the check engine warning light was no longer illuminated, and no error code was retrieved. The failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was determined that the turbo charger needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, the engine overheated while driving. The contact pulled over to check the coolant level and discovered that the coolant reservoir was empty. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer was made aware of the failure. 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 failure mileage was approximately 58,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 18, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated. The contact stated that an unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 79,900.
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 17, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving the vehicle. The contact stated while cold starting the vehicle, the vehicle was idling roughly but started operating normally after warming up. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but became a recurring failure. The contact drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that coolant had intruded into the engine block. The contact stated that the mechanic informed the contact that the engine was damaged and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was advised by the mechanic that the manufacturer had issued a Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12 - Coolant Intrusion into the Engine Block (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and advised the contact that the vehicle was no longer covered under warranty for the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 57,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 17, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who replaced the coil pack in cylinder #3 and spark plug. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic, who determined that coolant was intruding into cylinder #3, and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 129,300.
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the coolant fluid was significantly low. The contact was able to drive a short distance to the residence. The vehicle was inspected by a relative who replaced the spark plugs; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that the vehicle was losing an excessive amount of coolant fluid and needed to be refilled every three days. The contact stated that on one occasion, the warning light indicating that the engine was overheating had illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer who confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact attempted to slow down to exit the Interstate and the vehicle started jerking and driving rough. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was determined that coolant had leaked into cylinder #2, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. After receiving the repair, the check engine warning light illuminated again. The contact decided to trade the vehicle instead of repairing the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,175.
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30-65 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that coolant was leaking into the engine. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was unknown.
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving from a complete stop, the vehicle failed to exceed 5 MPH. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive coolant consumption. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion into the short block. The dealer determined that the short block needed to be replaced, and the dealer related the failure to Ford Campaign Number: 21N12. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.