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: other or unspecified
153 reports, newest first. Show all
Other or unspecified, Jun 5, 2023
I had a regular service on my Ford today and the tech said I had "swollen lug nuts", which in my 56 years on this earth have never heard of. My vehicle has less than 30K miles on it. The tech said it is a common problem, and recommend replacement because if I got a flat tire I probably would not be able to change tire. The tech said it happens because they (Ford) use lug nuts that are made from two different medals which causes the problem. After some reading online it seems Ford has had this problem of damaged or defective lug nuts for many years. From what I read, yes I would probably have difficulty removing tire, but there is an added danger that if I did not replace there is a chance the lug nut could actually break causing other safety issues to include my tire coming off if it goes unnoticed (information from online). Since Ford is aware of this I didn't think I should be charged for something they should be responsible for.
Other or unspecified, May 30, 2023
On May 18,2023 my husband washed my car and realized the paint is peeling off around the windshield. It is bubbled up in areas and in some areas metal is showing. I have searched this problem on the internet and there are a lot of people having the same issue. I immediately called Ford and the warranty on the paint is only for 36k miles and they have no intentions on helping me pay to have my car painted. My car is in great shape and only has 70k miles on it. Seems to me that this is an issue for a recall.
Other or unspecified, Apr 13, 2023
The paint is peeling on both sides of the windshield. I called Ford Corporate Headquarters, and they provided me with Claim No. CAS-42176162. They also asked me to contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Admin. Team. I did some research online and found that it is a very common problem in the blue 2017 Ford Escapes.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Engine, Apr 13, 2023
I am currently financing the 2017 Ford Escape Ecoboost as of 2019. On multiple occasions my car has been in the shop due to the faulty engineering of the Ecoboost engine system leaking coolant. I have paid close to $4,000 in out of pocket repairs that Ford will not reimburse or address the issue. I have also made multiple calls to Ford where one person told me Ford did not know about this issue and another told me Ford is not responsible and there is nothing they can do about it. Ford issued a recall back in 2017 and put Band-Aid on the issue which obviously did not rectify the safety problem. On the first occasion back in January 2022 I was on highway the car started to shake and would not accelerate properly when the engine light came on with a “High temperature warning” across the screen. Had that repair done and then the same thing happened again months later. I was told since I work from home 4 out of 5 days a week it bought me more time than expected with the repair since the design of the Ecoboost engine is faulty and this was bound to happen again. As of April 2023 my car is in the shop again and Im being told the engine needs to be replaced which may not be a permanent solution. In reading the numerous complaints on this issue with other consumers this car has the potential to catch on fire while driving. This is a safety issue for consumers, their loved ones and anyone else on the road as well as a danger to the environment with the coolant leaking. The vehicle is available upon request for inspection.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Engine, Mar 18, 2023
In November 2022, my check engine light came on. The code was for a purge valve. That was replaced and repaired on November 10, 2022. In January 2023, my check engine light came on yet again. This time it was for the fuel regulator. That was repaired and replaced on January 9, 2023. My car did not make it the few miles to my house. On January 10, 2023, the mechanic picked up my car and drove it back to his shop. On the drive there, the Transmission Fault came on only one time. When he turned the car off and back on he never received the transmission error message again. The car is a 2017, purchased new, at the time had 75,000 miles and has always had maintenance checks on time. This was a catastrophic transmission failure due to manufacturing. After inspection transmission fluid was found burnt, filter was clogged, converter came apart and contaminated the unit. This caused a blocked filter which lead to a burnt clutched. Transmission was rebuilt and repaired. From vehicle purchased as new to November 2022, car had no issues. From November 2022 until January 10, 2023 it was a landslide of continual problems.
Other or unspecified, Feb 21, 2023
2017 FORD ESCAPE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO PARTS BEING UNAVAILABLE TO PERFORM NHTSA SAFETY RECALL 22V-413.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Oct 8, 2022
The vehicle check engine light has lit up on multiple occasions. We have had diagnoses that say "it's fine" from Ford, but we are concerned that it's not "fine" because of a code that indicates a problem with a cylinder misfire. This is a known mechanical defect in the year/make/model. However, Ford claims that our vehicle is not in the VIN range. My teenager drives this vehicle and we are now anxious about the reliability of the car. We paid over blue book value for the vehicle. We have spent hundreds of dollars on diagnosis with independent mechanics.
Other or unspecified, Sep 28, 2022
Was driving and tax went up to 4 and only going 30 mph. It said on the dashboard about transmission I have also had an ongoing problem since I got the vehicle new with the part in the gas tank that has a vacuum seal or something. I have had the part replaced and it still continues to have problems. It will stop and say that manual restart required. It makes an extremely loud noise when it does this. Also after filling up with gasoline it is very hesitant to start and takes 4-5 minutes to get it started.
Other or unspecified, Sep 5, 2022
Vehicle warning indicated to restart car. Pulled over and car did not restart. Dealership indicated that the power steering belt broke the crank sensor on the motor and if the sensor was broke it would not start. They stated that they wouldn’t look for any other issues if it was the sensor that was out and that was the reason for the car not starting so they would not look further. Diagnostics was run but they only pinpointed the initial Pcode failure and worked on that specific issue. There was an open recall on the vehicle at the time the vehicle was in the shop but that was overlooked. The vehicle failed to operate properly the day AFTER I picked up the vehicle. The vehicle was driven for 5hrs, next morning the vehicle was going 25mph when the transmission became faulty. Vehicle would not accelerate past 20mph in any position. Had to tow it to another service location. Looking up vehicle history, it appears that Ford Motor company is aware that this year/model vehicle has this same issue but have been unwilling to issue a Recall or Service notice to fix/alleviate the problem. This vehicle has apx 89,000 miles and it is currently unusable. Many forums indicate they have had the SAME issue but never received any help from ford although it is a known issue. Dealership reported transmission related codes talking about ratio is incorrect. Not electrical but commanding the gears and causing a slip. Codes observed: Pcode: P0731 P0733 P0734 P0735 Transmission will require replacement as the vehicle will stop moving completely yet the dealership claims that the recall is only for the transmission shift at park and is unrelated.
Other or unspecified, Aug 26, 2022
I was driving on the highway on a hot (100*) day. I heard a loud boom. I looked at all of my windows and driver control panel, and did not see an issue. Then I heard wind, and realized it was coming from above me. The front panel of my moon roof had exploded - shattering into a million tiny pieces. The majority of the tempering held for a short period of time, but eventually the glass collapsed in. I had an approximately 8 inch hole in my roof, and the rest was in tiny pieces, which continued to rain in until I had the glass repaired. When I heard the sound, I attempted to open the shade, and small fragments of glass rained on me. If this had been open when it occurred, this would have been disastrous. I took it to my car repair facility and it was over $1000 to have the piece of glass repaired. They confirmed that spontaneous explosion of sun/moon roofs is an issue that is increasing in frequency due to the size of these structures on cars. My insurance repaired the glass due to my "glass - full coverage." There were no prior warnings.
Wheels, Other or unspecified, Aug 24, 2022
Took vehicle in for routine service and was told need new lug nuts. Said they were swollen and if we had a flat we would not be able to change our tire. We have had a problem with navigation for years. Told dealer is working with Ford for a solution, been over a year and still waiting. Phone is delayed, GPS is way off, sitting in Delaware and navigation says we are in Maryland. This is a major disappointment
Other or unspecified, Jul 18, 2022
As of Monday, July 18, 2022, 2017, Ford Escape is not starting. I do not know as to why it won’t start. I have called Lamarque Ford in New Orleans, last week on July 13th and14th and kept getting transferred back and forth with no solution. Called, Monday, July 18th, and was told the department was back up until October. Told Eddie/ person I spoke with that I had the VIN number would he tell me if the part was in. Eddie said no the car would have to be serviced to tell what was wrong. Yes I hung up no immediate help being given. First off Ford se r me a letter stating a recall on the vehicle. At this point the car is not starting up at all.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Jul 11, 2022
Engine was not able to continue accelerating onto a freeway entrance ramp or up a hill. It began to struggle and would not increase in rpms. The low pressure oil light flashed for a second when this happened. Never saw an engine light go off. Since the engine light never went off I continued to drive this vehicle, on highways where there were situations where I could not maintain a safe highway speed. It was scary and felt the engine would quit any second. But it would settle and again no indicators went off. After any struggle on a freeway the next 24 hours the engine would struggle even driving on local roads (under 40mph); could not accelerate and all and felt the car would stall any second. Sometimes the oil indicator would go off, sometimes not. This was reproduced and confirmed by a Ford Dealer. They found metal in the engine oil and said the entire engine needed to be replaced. They currently have the faulty engine. No others have inspected the engine at this point. Again no engine warnings went off and my entire engine needed to be replaced, it was not an option to wait. It wasn't safe to drive. This is not related to the current recall.
Steering, Other or unspecified, Jul 8, 2022
Rear trail arm bushings are gone on both sides
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Engine, Jul 6, 2022
Car engine stopped running while driving. Car was taken to dealer, they said transmission but Ford Corporate says they have no record of the issue. How is that? The car is doing the same thing again and I am afraid to drive it, if it would start. Now ,it won't even start. How are they allowed to keep this stuff secret? I know nothing will happen , but the next time this occurs someone could die as it doesn't care where it shuts off.
Structure, Other or unspecified, Jun 23, 2022
Liftgate trunk won’t open with key fob or button most times and my things are stuck in there sometimes overnight until it will just magically open.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jun 16, 2022
While stopped at a red light the car spontaneously shut off and had to be put in park and restarted. This happened 3 times in the past 2 weeks on extremely hot days. No engine warning light has come on.
Other or unspecified, Jun 16, 2022
While I was driving on the freeway during traffic times, the vehicle would not accelerate upon pushing the gas pedal at first. All of a sudden it would jerk forward very fast. This could have caused me to unintentionally rear end the car in front of me or get stuck without being able to move with cars coming fast behind me. This could have cause an accident and myself or others could have been harmed. This happened multiple times during one trip. The check engine light came on a few days prior to this incident. The codes were ran for the check engine light and came up for "emissions" issues. The vehicle is currently at Norm Reeves Ford in Cerritos, Ca. They are stating it is a "flywheel issue and pump not properly aligning with the clutch". I am estimated to be charged $4,660.00 in repairs.
Other or unspecified, Apr 29, 2022
Rear window cracked into a spiderweb. Broken glass could have caused drivers behind to have issues with flat tires. The vehicle was not hit.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Apr 21, 2022
While driving a noise and vehicle slowed down. Light and info came on stating drive train problem take to nearest dealer. We drove it 2 miles to Bill Utter Ford. We were told it might be a week to get it back because of parts delay. Unknown cause of transmission failure. About 40,000 miles on vehicle. Consumer received a call from dealer about my vehicle. Dealer stated it was not the transmission, but a failed throttle body. They said it was not covered in the TSB-16-0139.
Other or unspecified, Apr 19, 2022
Auto stop/start feature is defective. Engine will turn off when stopping at a traffic light etc.., then engine will not restart. A dashboard message come up saying to shift into park and manually restart the engine. While this is an intermittent occurance it is dangerous in busy intersections. Full transmisision failure at 74,000 miles. The vehicle would not accelerate correctly and gear shifting was very loud and rough. On the way to taking the car into the dealer for service dashboard message"transmission fault service now" came up.
Other or unspecified, Apr 12, 2022
transmission failure on 2017 ford escape with less than 100k miles. transmission filed doing highway speed of 55mph. This particular year and model are a problem and has been reported by other vehicles owners. I've only owned this vehicle for 6montths and my vehicles only has 68k miles. there was absolutely no warning lamps or messages prior to or at the time of failure of the transmission.
Other or unspecified, Jan 16, 2022
Receiving auto start stop error and vehicle stalls while in drive. “Shift to P, restart engine”. Now vehicle will not shift and battery light also comes on.
Other or unspecified, Jan 9, 2022
Swollen lug nuts on all tires
Other or unspecified, Dec 6, 2021, fire
2017 FORD ESCAPE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE FIRE. THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE COMPLETING A ROAD TRIP AND PULLING INTO THE DRIVEWAY, THE VEHICLE EMITTED A PUFF OF SMOKE AND FLAMES FROM THE HOOD. THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO REMOVE THE KEYS, AS THEY WERE LOCKED IN THE IGNTION. THE VEHICLE WAS A TOTAL LOSS.