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, Engine, Jun 14, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated intermittently. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the engine to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure and associated the failure with Manufacturer Recall Number: 21N12 (Short Block Replacement After Coolant Intrusion). The failure mileage was approximately 69,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Jun 7, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the engine was misfiring. The mechanic replaced four spark plugs and the ignition coils. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic, who replaced the ignition coils another time and informed the contact of a coolant leak. The contact called the local dealer, who informed the contact that the repair was not covered under warranty. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Jun 2, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the fuel injector needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure occurred several times. The vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the head gasket could be replaced; however, the contact was advised that the failure might reoccur. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was advised that coolant was leaking inside the engine and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 70,000.
Engine and engine cooling, May 31, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and it was stated that cylinder #3 was misfiring, and that coolant was leaking into the engine and that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact was advised to contact the local dealer. The dealer was contacted and stated that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed and advised to contact the manufacturer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but no assistance was provided and the contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 76,588.
Engine and engine cooling, May 30, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 10 MPH, the vehicle overheated and went into LIMP Mode. The engine overheating warning light was illuminated. The failure reoccurred while driving approximately 65-70 MPH. The failure recurred approximately four times. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic and the contact was informed that coolant was leaking into the engine block and the cylinders causing a misfire. The spark plugs and ignition coils were replaced but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 110,000.
Engine and engine cooling, May 26, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated and the engine misfired. The contact detected smoke coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that there was antifreeze leaking into the cylinder head. The local dealer was contacted, and the contact was referred to the manufacturer for assistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to check for recalls. The approximate failure mileage was 88,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, May 23, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated, and the contact became aware that the coolant level was low. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that cylinder #2 and #3 were misfiring, and that coolant had leaked into the engine and that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer was contacted and stated that the dealer was aware of the failure but that the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was not under recall and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 67,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, May 11, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light had been illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that coolant had leaked onto the spark plugs, and cylinder #3 was misfiring. The mechanic informed the contact that it was a known failure and referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that 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 Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000. The contact stated replacing the engine was in the amount of $7,303.39, as well as the diagnosis with two separate amounts of $289.52 and $113.43.
Engine and engine cooling, Apr 25, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the vehicle sputtered. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the cylinders were misfiring. The mechanic replaced the sparks plugs; however, the failure reoccurred. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that cylinder #3 was misfiring and that there was a crack in the engine block, causing coolant to leak into the engine. The mechanic diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. An unknown dealer was contacted and provided a repair fee. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 93,019.
Engine and engine cooling, Apr 21, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the “Service Engine Now” warning light was illuminated. The contact then stated that he noticed an abnormal burning odor. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who retrieved DTC: P0316 (PCM), and P2601 (Coolant); however, the contact was then advised to take the vehicle to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed and determined that coolant had leaked into the cylinder block and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was notified of TSB: 22-2322; however, the contact was also informed that the TSB had expired. The contact was advised to call the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 121,760.
Engine and engine cooling, Apr 12, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, there was a large amount of white smoke coming from the exhaust pipes. The contact stated that the vehicle was running rough. The contact stated that the failure was a recurring failure. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that coolant had entered the engine block and that the short block 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 Manufacturer Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12 (Coolant Intrusion into The Cylinder Bores - (Engine and Engine Coolant). The failure mileage was approximately 79,500.
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 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 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.
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.
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.
Engine and engine cooling, Jan 31, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the check engine warning light would illuminate, the vehicle would drive rough and would not properly accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the coolant had intruded into the engine. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not covered under the Manufacturer’s Special Coverage for the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 28,795.
Engine and engine cooling, Jan 31, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, the engine was misfiring, and the vehicle was shuddering. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the cylinders were misfiring. The independent mechanic cleared the diagnostic tests codes. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated two weeks later. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the diagnostic test codes were cleared for a second time. Additionally, the independent mechanic informed the contact that the coolant level was low, and the coolant reservoir was refilled; however, the failure persisted. The independent mechanic informed the contact that coolant was leaking into the engine. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that it was a known failure and referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Jan 24, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle shuddered and stalled. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The contact restarted the vehicle after several attempts. The contact continued driving however, the failure recurred. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle restarted after several attempts. The contact stated that upon arriving at her son's residence, the vehicle stalled and failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that coolant was leaking into the engine and there was coolant intrusion in the engine oil. The independent mechanic diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced and the failure was related to an unknown Ford Technical Service Bulletin. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 141,620
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Dec 20, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the vehicle nearly stalled and was idling rough for approximately 15 minutes; after which, the vehicle operated normally. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact had driven the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that coolant had leaked into cylinder #4. The coolant caused cylinder #4 misfire. Additionally, the spark plug was corroded. The mechanic determined that the short block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The independent mechanic related the failure to manufacturer Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12 (Short Block Replacement). The failure mileage was approximately 57,000.