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, Dec 16, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated, and the vehicle failed to properly accelerate. The contact stated that the coolant had leaked out of the coolant reservoir. The vehicle was eventually taken to the local dealer who diagnosed and determined that there was coolant inside the cylinders, causing damages to the engine short block. The contact was informed that the engine short block 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 108,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Dec 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. While the contact’s wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated. The temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the cylinders and engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was advised to contact the dealer to make them aware of the failure. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the contact was informed that the repair was not covered under warranty or recall. 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 62,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Dec 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to the dealer for routine maintenance, the dealer informed the contact that there was coolant intrusion into the cylinders. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under recall or warranty. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 84,749.
Engine and engine cooling, Dec 11, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The coolant level was low. The contact cleared the check engine warning light. The contact stated that coolant was entering the cylinder and pistons. There was no indication of a coolant leak. The contact linked the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: 20-2100. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who determined that the engine needed to be replaced. 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 report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 32,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Dec 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, there was an engine misfire. Additionally, the contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, where the DTC code was cleared. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving. The vehicle was taken to another dealer and DTC code: P0301 (Cylinder #1 Misfire) was retrieved. The dealer determined that cylinder #1 had misfired due to coolant intrusion and informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Dec 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to properly accelerate, and the vehicle was driving rough. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that there was coolant inside the engine. The vehicle was later taken to the local dealer who confirmed that the failure was caused by coolant intrusion into the engine. The contact was advised that the engine long block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 62,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Dec 6, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust. In addition, the contact stated that the coolant level was low. The contact stated that occasionally when the vehicle was started, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The contact stated that in 2022, the vehicle was repaired under the Customer Satisfaction Program: 19B37. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact had researched Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12; however, the contact was informed that the vehicle was not covered under the program. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Dec 4, 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 the dealer where it was diagnosed that coolant was leaking into the engine, causing head gasket failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted and referred the contact to the manufacturer for additional assistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 68,898. The VIN was not available.
Engine and engine cooling, Dec 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that there was white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe at start-up. The contact stated that the check engine and "Vehicle Overheating" messages were displayed. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to a dealer where a diagnostic test was performed. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced due to coolant intrusion into cylinder #4. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but offered no assistance; the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Dec 3, 2024
The contact owns 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive coolant consumption, and there was white smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe while starting the vehicle and while driving. Additionally, the contact stated that the engine was running rough, and the vehicle almost stalled while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the coolant hoses, the radiator cap, the spark plugs, the ignition coils, and other unknown parts were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that while at a complete stop, the engine was running rough and the vehicle almost stalled. The contact stated that upon depressing the brake pedal and the accelerator pedal simultaneously, the contact was able to continue driving; however, the failure recurred and the vehicle almost stalled while decelerating. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under Ford Campaign Number: 21N12. The failure mileage was approximately 185,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Dec 3, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the check engine, and several other unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and turned off. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine had seized due to coolant intrusion and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was being repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 120,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Nov 25, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated and there was white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that there was coolant intrusion into the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Nov 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his son was driving 30 MPH, the message "Hot" was displayed. The driver pulled over to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to Gear Repair, where it was diagnosed that the head gasket was leaking coolant into the engine block and cylinders. The dealer was notified of the failure and related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered due to the manufactured date. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Nov 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the engine started revving abnormally. The contact stated that the check engine light illuminated and remained illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to the local AutoZone to be diagnosed and DTC code: P0303 (Engine Misfire – Cylinder #3) was retrieved. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the failure was confirmed. The contact was informed that there was coolant intrusion into the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Nov 21, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked and attempting to start the vehicle, the check engine warning light Illuminated. The contact stated that there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion into the engine. The vehicle was at the dealer for an engine replacement. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, opened a case, and offered to cover half of the cost of the repair. The failure mileage was 51,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Nov 21, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle was shuddering while starting and while driving at various speeds. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to Honest-1 Auto Care, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion in the engine. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where the diagnostic result was confirmed. 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 85,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Nov 20, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle started shuddering violently. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion in cylinder #3. The dealer determined that the engine block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to TSB Number: 22-2229. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 146,075.
Engine and engine cooling, Nov 20, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The contact discovered that there was white smoke coming from the exhaust. The failure had occurred on several occasions. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the flex plate and transmission clip needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure occurred. The vehicle was towed to another independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion into the cylinder and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Nov 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his daughter driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became regular. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that coolant intrusion into multiple cylinders had damaged the engine. The contact was informed that the engine would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, who confirmed the diagnosis. 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, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 72,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Nov 15, 2024
See attached document for complaint.
Engine and engine cooling, Nov 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle was running roughly after a cold start. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 MPH the vehicle was losing power. The contact said when she depressed the accelerator pedal the check engine light was flashing and the vehicle was not gaining forward momentum. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the spark plugs needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle was again exhibiting the same failure symptoms and was taken back to the same dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that coolant had intruded into the engine block. The dealer recommended that the engine be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact had researched online and related the failure to a known problem with coolant intrusion into the engine block. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact to the Safety Hot Line to file a complaint. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Nov 7, 2024
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, who determined that coolant intrusion had caused a misfire in the engine. The contact was informed that the engine would eventually need 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, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 65,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Fuel system, Gasoline, Nov 7, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while his wife was driving 35 MPH, the vehicle briefly jerked and hesitated before returning to normal functionality. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who observed that the coolant reservoir was empty but was unable to determine if there was a coolant leak. The contact inspected the engine but found no damages. After further inspection, the dealer observed that the fuel pump was cracked. The vehicle was repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 78,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Nov 7, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle was running abnormally rough, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who determined that coolant intrusion into cylinder four was causing a misfire, resulting in damages to 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, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 42,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Nov 7, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local mechanic who replaced the spark plugs and the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust pipes. The vehicle was driven to the local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the was a coolant intrusion in the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the vehicle did not qualify for the Extended Warranty Coverage under TSB: 22-2229. The failure mileage was 40,000.