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
2,686 reports, newest first.
Engine and engine cooling, Aug 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was taken for routine maintenance, the independent mechanic discovered that the coolant reservoir level was low. The mechanic added coolant to the coolant reservoir however, two days later the coolant level was low again. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not covered under an extended warranty coverage related to the failure. The failure mileage was 103,000.
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Structure, Engine, Aug 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the ABS sensor lights was illuminated. Additionally, the engine block was previously replaced and there were unknown failures with the windshield wipers and windows operating previously. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the undercarriage of the vehicle was in a flood and was rusted. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and a complaint was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Aug 13, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle jerked, stalled, and hesitated while accelerating. Additionally, on several occasions, the vehicle failed to immediately start. The vehicle was towed to the local mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle and became aware that there was an odor of fuel on the spark plugs, due to a faulty fuel pump. The fuel pump was replaced, but the failure later reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the fuel pump was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the fuel pump had been replaced three times. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 75,000.
Engine, Aug 13, 2025
My vehicle recently generated engine codes p0302 and p0304. Taken to the dealer for a diagnostic which indicated water intrusion into cylinders. Ford has issued a TSB indicating this is a known defect for this style engine due to modifications to increase cooling led to failures in the engine block where water can enter the cylinders, which can cause acceleration issues, misfires, and engine failure potentially leading to danger while driving. No recall currently exists for the 2.0l version of this engine, although the 1.6l version of the ecoboost engine has been recalled for the exact same design defects. Problem affects multiple versions / displacements of the ecoboost engine and multiple class action lawsuits are in progress for the 2.0l engine. Please upgrade this issue to a recall as you did with the 1.6l version of this engine. The engine can be made available for inspection in the very near future. I will need to use the car as a trade in to get a working vehicle in the coming 1-2 weeks. thank you
Engine, Aug 12, 2025
I recently took my car to the dealership due to a check engine light. The troubleshooting discovered that there is coolant in the combustion chamber and will now require a new engine. My car has ~76K miles so it's disheartening to know that a new engine is needed. I've read that this is a known problem with Ford escape engines.
Engine, Aug 12, 2025
Our 2017 Ford Escape SE FWD 1.5L Ecoboost overheated on two separate occasions, on the second occasion the car also began to shake, and we took it to Pep Boys for evaluation. After the diagnostics were done, they told us it had to go to the dealership because it was serious and they could not handle this repair. We took it to the Ford dealership in Wesley Chapel, Florida, where we bought the car in 2017 and have been bringing it in for most necessary service. After being at the dealership for three days, we got called that the coolant has leak into the engine and we need a new engine block at the cost of over $13,000. We are unable to pay this and I’m currently attempting to figure out how to fix this car and make it drivable again without costing a fortune. They said there were no other fixes. This evaluation from the dealership took place on Monday, August 11, 2025. The car is not safe to drive and we are suddenly out of a vehicle due to this leakage from the coolant into the engine.
Engine and engine cooling, Aug 12, 2025
The contact’s friend owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his friend was driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The engine idled roughly, and there was white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The contact, an independent mechanic, diagnosed the vehicle and discovered that cylinder #1 had a blown head gasket. The contact determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact's friend to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.
Power train, Engine, Aug 11, 2025
My 2017 Ford Escape began leaking transmission fluid in May of 2025. I had it assessed at my local engine and transmission exchange shop and they found that the leaking was coming from the font main seal and the front pump bushing of the transmission was damaged. The only fix to ensure that this issue would not happen again was to put a different transmission in the car, because this model was so prone to have this issue. I spent the money to have a new transmission installed and the car worked well. Two months later, however, the car began having episodes of not starting, or the engine completely shutting down, no matter where I was on the road. When this occurred, a messaged popped up on the dash counsel stating "Engine Fault, Service Now." I had the car looked at at the same car shop and they found the engine now had an issue. A head gasket was damaged allowing coolant to enter the piston cylinders, fluid locking the engine and shutting down the car. Like the transmission, the only repair is to replace the engine with a new model due to the original model being so prone to this issue. Ford does have a warranty for these issues for a model that is less than 7 years old and less than 84,000 miles. I purchased this vehicle preowned and already outside of that warranty date, therefore these expensive fixes are not covered. The dealership did not report these issue or recalls when selling us the vehicle.
Engine and engine cooling, Aug 11, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle was shaking erratically. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a coolant leak and engine failure. 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 a case was filed. The contact was advised to contact NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 67,742.
Engine and engine cooling, Aug 11, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was a misfire coming from the engine intermittently while depressing the accelerator pedal. The failure persisted and the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on two separate occasions. On the first occasion, the check engine warning light was reset but the failure returned. On the second occasion, the spark plugs were replaced; however, the check engine warning light returned a month later. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic who discovered coolant intrusion into cylinder #3, resulting in engine failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.
Engine, Aug 8, 2025
I was told the head gasket was leaking coolant fluid into the engine and the engine needs to be replaced. I have only driven 37,000 miles on it, always treated on time and only in Ford dealerships. I found out Ford knew about that problem and did not issue a recall or extend the warranty on that issue. I was quoted $14,000 to replace the engine, which is roughly the value of the car.
Visibility, Structure, Aug 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced paint chipping on the roof of the vehicle near the front windshield causing a visibility and safety concern for the driver. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 67,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Equipment, Aug 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while stopped at a red traffic light, the contact noticed an abnormal sound coming from the front end of the vehicle, and there was an abnormal odor inside the cabin. Additionally, the contact stated that the A/C system and heating system became inoperable. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 137,300.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Aug 7, 2025
My check engine light came on and my mechanic found codes P0300 and P0316 for engine misfires. Upon further inspection, they found coolant leaking onto cylinders, which they deemed could be a failed head gasket, cracked cylinder blocks, or a cracked engine block, which does include a warranty extension for this. They referred me to the dealership because this is a documented common problem, but the dealership is saying that there are no extended coverages pertaining to that on my car. My vehicle is available upon request and there were no symptoms prior to the failure. It seemed to happen out of nowhere.
Engine, Aug 6, 2025
Engine block/head gasket failed prematurely (approximately 75,000 miles) allowing engine coolant to enter the cylinder leading to engine failure/replacement.
Engine, Aug 6, 2025
I am reporting a serious engine and reoccurring defect in my 2017 Ford Escape (1.5L EcoBoost), which poses a safety risk due to recurring cylinder misfire and engine failure.This issue aligns with Ford's known TSBs 19-2346 and 22-2134, and DTCs P0302 (Cylinder 2 Misfire) and P0316 (Misfire on Startup). This defect presents clear safety concerns, including rough idling, loss of power, increased emissions, stalling in traffic, is unsafe to drive, and potential risk of other mechanical failures with continued use without repair. In 2022, at approx. 83,747 miles, the engine was replaced by Bill Currie Ford under a recall related to cylinder 3 head failure. Now, less than 37,000 miles later on the replacement engine, the exact same issue has returned, with identical fault codes and driveability concerns. Despite this being a known and documented defect across the EcoBoost engines and replacement engines, Ford and the servicing dealership, Bill Currie Ford, refuse to cover the cost of another repair, claiming no further responsibility. Of note, the vehicle was habitually serviced there and the defective engine was installed by them. Multiple reports suggest this issue continues even after engine replacement, raising concerns about the long-term effectiveness of the recall and it actually being "fixed" with the replacement engines. I have contacted Ford Motor Company and the dealership directly to escalate the issue, but I have been denied resolution. I am now urging the NHTSA to: - Investigate the long-term safety and effectiveness of repairs done under the TSBs and related recalls. - Determine if replacement engines are also defective. - Consider expanding or reissuing a recall campaign for affected vehicles. - Ensure owners are not left with recurring failures at their own expense. - Assistance in helping me get my engine replaced by Ford, at their expense. Thank you for your attention to this safety matter.
Engine, Aug 6, 2025
The engine has a coolant leak into cylinder number 2 causing a misfire which was diagnosed by an auto repair business. The vehicle has 39,960 miles on it and Ford is saying that it would require a new engine at my cost of $8,000. Not acceptable with a known issue with this engine. I am scared to drive it due to this as this is supposed to be an issue that could leave me and my family stranded.
Engine and engine cooling, Aug 6, 2025
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 occasionally failed to start after several attempts. In addition, the engine overheated with the "High Engine Temperature - Stop Safely" message displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the contact was provided a fee for the vehicle to be diagnosed and inspected. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and mechanic determined there was coolant intrusion into the engine. The vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Engine, Aug 6, 2025
Engine light illuminating due to a known issue by Ford due to coolant leaking into the engine. Could potentially lead to fire within the engine. Ford has confirmed although they are aware of the issues, there are no recalls to fix the issue and we must pay for it on our own
Engine, Aug 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, white smoke was coming from the exhaust pipe, and the engine overheated while driving. The vehicle was taken back to the used car dealer, where the vehicle was purchased, and the spark plugs, ignition coils, and oxygen sensor were replaced, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: 19-2346 (Coolant in Cylinders, White Exhaust Smoke And/or Illuminated MIL); however, the vehicle was not covered under the TSB. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that the vehicle was not covered under the TSB. 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 91,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Aug 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to the Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12 (Short Block Replacement After Coolant Intrusion); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Aug 5, 2025
Engine light came on and then 3 days later, the car would not drive. Got the car inspected and found out the coolant is leaking into the engine.
Engine and engine cooling, Aug 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving 10 MPH in a parking area, the temperature gauge indicated that the vehicle was overheating, prompting the contact to discontinue driving the vehicle. The check engine and the low coolant warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that coolant intrusion into several cylinders had resulted in engine damage. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Ford Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was filed. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 98,000.
Engine, Engine and engine cooling, Aug 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that an abnormal, rumbling sound was coming from the vehicle at start-up, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and a tune-up was performed on it. Despite the tune-up, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, and the contact was informed there was coolant intrusion into the engine and the head gasket needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to two other independent mechanics, who advised the contact not to replace the head gasket because it was not a permanent repair. The contact was advised to replace the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 67,895.
Engine and engine cooling, Aug 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds on several occasions, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and was inspected. The contact continued driving, but the vehicle shuddered and lost motive power. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that coolant had leaked into the cylinder. The contact was informed that the spark plugs and ignition coils needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred 2-3 days later. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the message "High Engine Temperature - Stop Safely" was displayed. The contact inspected the vehicle and noticed that there was no coolant in the reservoir. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 94,500.