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, Oct 28, 2024
Bought vehicle (used 91.5K miles) from Hyundai dealer and on drive home the check engine light illuminated, checked it at home and was P0301 (misfire on cylinder #1). After back and forth with the dealer I agreed to bring in the vehicle for them to diagnose. On the trip to dealer the vehicle overheated and I had to add water and wait roadside before I could continue. At the dealer the problem was diagnosed as coolant leaking into the #1 cylinder at the head gasket (i.e. per TSB 22-2322 and related TSBs) and the fix was a new long block.
Engine, Oct 26, 2024
Coolant leaked into the engine according to McCarthy Ford. Located in North Little Rock, AR. The vehicle started smoking pulling out of the garage.
Engine, Oct 26, 2024
My child and I were driving in the car when it suddenly overhead to extreme temperatures. I've only had this car 2 years, come to find out there's a faulty design to the engine cylinders causing coolant to seep in to the engine, also causing the head gasket to blow. This is ford's fault and there's currently class action lawsuits because this can cause the engine to combust, incredibly dangerous. There needs to be recalls
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 25, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the ignition coils and spark plugs needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred, and the vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic again and the ignition coils were replaced; however, the check engine warning light became illuminated. The contact was informed that there was a coolant leak into cylinder #1. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 106,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 25, 2024
The contact's mother owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while her mother was driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver noticed a significant amount of smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe. The driver drove to the residence. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle had experienced difficulty in starting. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine. The mechanic determined that the failure was related to Ford Campaign Number: 21N12. The contact was referred to the manufacturer for assistance. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 25,901.
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 25, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked in the garage it was discovered that large amounts of oil had leaked from the engine onto the garage floor. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the engine had been damaged due to coolant intrusion into the engine cylinders. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 123,000.
Engine, Oct 25, 2024
I was driving home from my second job, when the "check engine" light came on. I thought "no big deal". As i got further along, I noticed a "skip" in the engine. The "skip", or misfire, continued. Several more miles down the road, there was a sudden jolt with the car. A message with an alarm suddenly displayed on my cockpit instrument cluster; " Service Required, See Dealer now". By the time I arrived home, the engine was misfiring quite regularly. I parked the car, called the closest repair shop to set up appointment, and they told me go ahead and bring in car. The car would not restart, so I had car towed to repair shop. The next day, the repair shop called saying vehicle had "Blown Head Gasket " and would take a major repair. The car has not been repaired yet because of the major expense.
Engine, Oct 24, 2024
The "engine light" came on and reported a misfire in cylinder 3. After further research, I found that this is an indicator of the failure of a gasket allowing coolant to leak into the cylinder causing the misfire. I have had the issue diagnosed, confirming the gasket failure by two garages, one being a Ford dealership. Further research has shown that this is a known flaw to the Ford Company, caused by the engine design. The "fix" is a long block engine replacement. If no action is taken the engine will eventually loose coolant and over heat, or the damage in the cylinder will ultimately cause the engine to lock up, likely causing an accident and thus putting occupants of the SUV and possibly others at risk of injury. My car had approximately 100,000 miles when the issue was first indicated, approximately six months after purchasing the vehicle from a Ford dealership.
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 23, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine misfired with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed 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 vehicle was towed to the dealer where the same diagnostic was provided, and that the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 55,162.
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 23, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the engine started misfiring. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the residence, where the contact scanned the vehicle and retrieved a DTC code for cylinder #2 misfire. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, where the same assessment was made, and the dealer determined that the cylinder #2 exhaust valve was burned. The dealer determined that the cylinder head assembly needed to be replaced. Additionally, the dealer informed the contact that the short block had a manufacturing defect and recommended that the short block be replaced. The contact related the short block defect to Ford Campaign Number: 21N12. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
Engine, Oct 23, 2024
My car overheated and went into limp mode while I was on the freeway, I was almost involved in a crash due to this. I took the car to an auto repair facility where they stated that this is a known issue with Ford 2.0T Ecoboost engines that cause a sudden and full internal burn of all coolant and the engine overheats. Ford has acknowledged an issue on the engines since 2022. However, Ford has not issued a recall for these engines. There is an NHTSA TSB on these engines TSB 19-2346. I could have lost my life due to sudden loss of forward momentum, the car could have combusted due to overheating.
Exterior lighting, Oct 23, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the rear driver’s side and rear passenger’s side brake lights and taillights failed to illuminate. The contact discovered water and condensation inside the rear taillight assemblies. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who informed the contact that the rear brake light and taillight assemblies needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 34,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated there was heavy white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe at start-up. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and a dealer, and a diagnostic test was performed. The contact was informed that coolant had leaked into cylinder #2. The contact was informed by the dealer that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact's wife called the manufacturer and was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 69,500.
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that there was coolant intrusion into the cylinder and that the engine long block needed to be replaced. The dealer made the contact aware of Customer Satisfaction Program Number: 21N12 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 42,198.
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the message "Service Engine Soon" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion in cylinder #3. The dealer determined that the long block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to TSB Number: 19-2208. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 29,499.
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while cold starting the vehicle, the engine was idling roughly. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the message “Stop Driving – Engine Overheating” was displayed and an audible chime was heard. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and retrieved DTC codes: P0302 and P0306; and determined that coolant was leaking into the engine block. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact then stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the "Stop Driving" warning light flashed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that the vehicle lost motive power and failed to accelerate above 10 MPH. The contact drove the vehicle back to the residence. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin Number: 22-2134 Coolant Intrusion into the engine block (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 70,517.
Engine, Oct 22, 2024
Engine fault light came on driving down the highway. Pulled over immediately due to car having trouble accelerating where I had to wait for help. Took it into a Ford dealership for a inspection and found out that it had a cylinder 2 misfire with fluid leaking into the engine. At that point, they recommend a full engine replacement. The engine failure happened unexpectedly, the engine light was not on during the drive and it was not driving any differently prior to the incident. The day the fault engine light came on was the first time I had ever experienced those symptoms. We took great care of the car, it never went over miles for oil changes, and got inspections at time of oil changes.
Engine, Engine and engine cooling, Oct 21, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a loud noise coming from under the hood. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. In addition, the contact thought that the vehicle was going to explode. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure due to coolant intrusion. 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 contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 38,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Fuel system, Gasoline, Oct 21, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled with no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the fuel pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to another dealer where the same diagnostic was provided to the contact that the fuel pump failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was determined that there was coolant intrusion into the engine, causing 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 referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 21, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond while the RPMS had risen significantly high. The contact stated that upon releasing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle responded as needed. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive coolant consumption. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that while driving 60-65 MPH, the engine overheated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that there was coolant leaking from the head gasket. The mechanic replaced cylinder #3 and the spark plugs; however, the failure persisted. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle would be repaired at the contact’s expense because the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to TSB Number: 19-2346. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 21, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the same diagnostic was provided, and 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 approximate failure mileage was 95,000.
Service brakes, Oct 21, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to slow the vehicle, the contact had to depress the brake pedal to the floorboard before the brakes functioned properly. The contact stated that an alarm activated while driving, prompting her to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the rear brake rotors. The contact was informed that the key fob needed to be reprogrammed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 124,000.
Engine, Oct 19, 2024
On my 2017 Ford Escape with ecoboost, my check engine light came on we noticed a sweet smell right after Iturn the car on to drive it and a big puff of white smoke came out of my tailpipe. I did notice that it hesitated when i would start to go at a stop light but not enough to make it stall. We took it to the dealership and they are saying there is coolant intrusion on the 4th cylinder and the only way to fix it is to have a new motor put in it. That's about $9,000.00. I only have about 43,000 miles on it.
Power train, Engine, Oct 19, 2024
In September my check engine light came on, codes were for spark plugs, ignition coil and misfire cylinder 2. I took it to mechanic he said my spark plugs were covered in oil I changed the spark plugs, replaced valve cover gasket and intake gasket. Engine light went off car felt great not even 2 days later I felt the misfire again and there's the engine light back on and white smoke from my exhaust. Brought it back to mechanic I mentioned my coolant issue to him I have to fill my coolant every 2 days no puddles under my car. After looking at my car he said coolant is leaking into cylinder 2 so that's why when I start my car is shakes really bad coolant is burning off from the cylinders. He said I need new heads but they are warped so my best option is to get a new engine or trade my car in. I don't have money for a new engine I'm a single mom I'm upside down on this car because it's only worth $3600. Ford wake up and do something and stop screwing us customers who trusted you and your vehicles and now you left us stranded no help nothing. I have a vehicle that doesn't drive unsafe for my kids and I still need to make car payments on for years still. Someone needs to help and do something
Engine, Oct 18, 2024
the coolant leaked into cylinder of engine and might cause engine damage fortunately the engine light was on and was noticed by me prior to sending vehicle to dealer for checking the problem was confirmed by Ford dealer at Winchester, MA. It was also confirmed by independent service shop.