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.
Power train, Engine, Apr 25, 2024
Bought the car used in December 2023 for my son's first vehicle. Small dealer - had their mechic check everything out and was in good condition. Even had spark plug/coil replaced. Drove vehicle coupld of times a week - small trips 30-40 miles round trip. About 3 weeks ago, check engine light came on. Finally got it to a Ford dealership yesterday and they checked it out. This is one of the 2017 Ford Escapes with the 2.0 Ecoboost engines and it was the coolant intrusion issue. Car looses coolant rather quickly and coolant was present in 1 of the cylinders. Only solution is to replace the enginer - about $7600 solution. Since we've only had the car for 4 months, we haven't made much progress on the loan. So for a first vehicle, he's learning a hard life lesson - and may become upside down on the loan very quickly or we will have to take out another loan to pay for the repairs - even though Ford knows about the issue, issued a recall on the 1.5 Ecoboost (but NOT the 2.0)! Or I have a brand new driver in a very unsafe car - that may or may not accelerate correctly or may catch on fire! We'll be into this car for almost $20,000 when this repair is done - and for that price, I could have brought something newer, with less miles and with no major engine defects!
Exterior lighting, Apr 23, 2024
The headlights on my escape constantly go out. The bulbs are never burnt out but the headlights will not work. I have seen countless ford escapes that are the same style (so I assume a similar year) that are driving on the road with the same issue. I’ve had two shops look at it and say the bulbs are not burnt out but could not find the issue. This is a severe safety issue and needs to be recalled.
Engine, Apr 23, 2024
Coolant leaking into engine and now I need a whole new engine
Engine, Engine and engine cooling, Apr 23, 2024
I own a 2017 Ford Escape SE with an eco boost engine. All service of the vehicle was done in the dealership except the tune up. At 100,000 miles, I had a full tune up done on the vehicle. 30 days later, the engine light turned on so I had it checked. The frequency of the light turning on increases. I notice a slight shaking at times when the vehicle was cold. The company that did the tune up told me that they notice the car is loosing coolant but there were no visible leaks. When the coolant is replenished, the light turned off and the car works until one morning it just would not start. I towed the vehicle to the dealership to have it checked. They kept the vehicle for three weeks trying to figure out what was wrong with it since the car was not giving them any codes. They notice the second cylinder bore was corroded and so was the spark plug indicating that there was coolant intrusion into the cylinder bores. The car never gave me any indications of overheating. I spoke to Ford customer care to address the issue and was told I’m out of luck. I had found a letter they sent to me back in 2020 “ Customer Satisfaction Program 19B37. The letter described coolant intrusion into the cylinder bores that can lead to coolant loss, excessive tailpipe smoke, or illuminated malfunction indicator lights ( MIL ) due to engine misfire and could potentially lead to engine damage. Ford dealership said this recall has expired. They diagnosed the issue of the car as engine failure due to coolant intrusion in the engine and quoted me $10,000 to replaced the engine. Upon my research I learned that there’s a class lawsuit again Ford regarding this issue with their eco boost engines. I have a voice message from regional manager of the dealership claiming that all recall on this issue has expired and they can not do anything about it. The fact that the car did not give proper code for its engine light is a safety issue. Please investigate.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Apr 23, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon start of the vehicle, the check engine warning light appeared on the instrument panel with heavy white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The contact also stated that vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was initially taken to an independent mechanic where the contact was informed that the high-pressure fuel valve needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer where it was determined that there was coolant intrusion into cylinder #1. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that there were no recalls on the VIN. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
Structure, Apr 23, 2024
The roof metal is defective. I brought my car to the dealership because the rain was pouring in all around the inside of the vehicle coming from the roof, they misdiagnosed it as rodent damage to the sun roof drainage tubes. I had another mechanic look at it who found that the water was coming through the roof rack. He was able to see inside of the car through the roof metal. Doing a bit of research, I found this is a common problem with these cars and/or Ford roof metal. There is in an open lawsuit from the collapse of a roof that resulted in the death of a couple. I drive with my 2 little children and I’m very concerned about the safety of my car and other Ford vehicle owners.
Engine, Apr 23, 2024
check engine light came on. took to dealer. Dealer reported coolant bottle was empty. Verified coolant is leaking into engine and recommended replacement of long block. Estimated cost $9000. Vehicle has 65000 miles.
Engine, Engine and engine cooling, Apr 22, 2024
Coolant intrusion into engine cylinders causing engine overheating.Due to defective ford 2.0 ecoboost engine.
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, Apr 22, 2024
Since last four months I get multiple warning lights with alarm in my car . 1) Engine failure contact dealer immediately announcement 2) steering assist failure announcement ( & steering becomes heavy) 2) Hill assist failure 3) rear park aid failure announcement 4) 911 assist is not operational contact dealer . The odometer and speedometer goes blank and I can not see what speed I am driving at. I have given my car to dealership 4 times so far. For multiple weeks. still the same issue. I am not getting any replacement vehicle . I am concerned about safety of my, my family and other people on the road. I need help to get a reliable vehicle that I can use safely. I have valid extended warranty. I have attached example invoice showing I was asked to pay lot of money out of pocket ispite of having warranty.
Engine, Apr 21, 2024
Started out as misfire codes. Replaced spark plugs then ignition coils. Still getting misfire codes. Discovered engine coolant low and through research found there to be an KNOWN design flaw/issue with these engines that usually results in an entire COSTLY replacement to the customer. Listed in Ford TSB 22-2229. This should be a recall covered entirely by ford.
Engine, Apr 20, 2024
White smoke from the exhaust, engine knocking, low coolant levels with no visible leak and check engine light on. These things happened simultaneously out of nowhere. Went to the dealership to get diagnostic and was told water pump was leaking and needed to be replaced. Reported to my insurance company which prompted the dealership to investigate further by doing further diagnostic (a leak down test) and found that there was a coolant intrusion into the cylinder bores and the entire engine needed replacing. Repair is currently still in progress. My vehicle has been inoperable for 9 weeks, and at the dealership for 7 weeks now; with no ETA on repair completion.
Engine, Apr 19, 2024
The engine has a crack in cylinder 2. The vehicle is available for inspection in either Lakeland Florida or Dade City Florida. I am at risk of total engine failure while traveling, which could cause a multiple vehicle accident on the very busy roads here. The problem has been confirmed by a certified Ford mechanic who checked the engine fault code and pulled the ignition coil and spark plug to examine the cylinder. No others have examined the vehicle. I have contacted the local Ford dealership but have yet to hear back. The check engine light came on on [XXX], 3 days after I had a Ford dealership change the oil. I tried to make an appointment with the Ford dealership on April [XXX], but the clerk said I had to wait 8 more days (April XXX) for them to put it on the machine to read the code. I took it to a certified Ford mechanic who is at an independent garage on April [XXX]. He used the machine to read the code. He also noticed that the coolant was at the bottom of the tank. Had I waited until April [XXX] for the dealership to see my vehicle, the engine would have completely seized up and the entire engine would have been ruined. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine, Apr 17, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the cylinder head was cracked, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer who confirmed the original diagnosis that the engine was faulty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted regarding the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 85,000.
Engine, Apr 16, 2024
Engine coolant leaking causing overheating
Engine, Apr 15, 2024
Got low coolant light while on highway and car lost power. Had to pull over. Car was completely out of coolant but no visible coolant leaks. This apparently is a known problem with this model engine from Ford.
Engine, Apr 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while stopped at a traffic light, there was smoke coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that coolant and oil were leaking and the turbocharger and hoses needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. On another occasion, while driving approximately 35 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the residence where a handheld diagnostic machine diagnosed that the spark plugs needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic where it had faulty wheel bearings, spark plugs, and a coolant leak. The contact was informed that the spark plugs and wheel bearings needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the check engine light illuminated within a week. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the coolant leaked into cylinder #1 and the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 84,340.
Engine and engine cooling, Apr 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the engine experienced rough operation, reduced power, and the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed an engine misfire was present in cylinder #3. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 80,000.
Tires, Apr 14, 2024
I got an email about the tires not performing as they should with there being a recall issued for this. My tires are all cracked and don’t work as should in snow and bad rainfall
Engine and engine cooling, Apr 12, 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, who diagnosed a failure with the catalytic converter. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 94,000.
Engine, Apr 11, 2024
The coolant is leaking into the engine. I understand Ford is aware of this issue but refuse to fix it, Customers have to pay out of their pockets for a new engine after the engine blew from the coolant leak. My issue is the coolant is leaking into the engine and Bill Currie Ford is telling me the coolant is not leaking into the engine even though the car has no leaks. Bill currie ford was not able to tell my where all the coolant went(what mechanic can't tell you where coolant went?). I will upload pictures. Bill Currie filled the coolant pass the max on [XXX] and by the 1st week in Mar 24 the coolant was all gone. Took it back to bill currie on [XXX] just for them to say the same thing as they said the 1st time. At this point I will have to find a non ford mechanic to look at the car and to see if I can get the engine replaced before it blows. I am terrified of driving my car long distance for the fear that my engine my go out at anytime. When I crank the car white smoke comes out of the exhaust so I know the coolant is leaking into the engine. Whatever tests Bill Currie Ford is running on these vehicles are not sufficient and could lead to accident which could lead to lives being lost. They refused to take the engine apart and stated that looked between the cylinders. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine, Apr 11, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the check engine and two unknown warning lights illuminated, and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated that there was a loud thumping sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and started. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that antifreeze had leaked into the gasoline and caused engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 106,000.
Power train, Apr 11, 2024
My vehicles transmission went out while driving which cause my vehicle to abruptly stop in traffic, my vehicle at the time only has about 76,000 miles on it, it is a 2017, from googling more information it appears that transmissions going out on this year and model of vehicle is common, I am wondering if there isn't something more going on with this line of vehicles. I know that recalls have been issued before on certain Ford vehicles in regards to transmissions, I know I had them fix the one recall while it was in the shop, but this doesn't seem like it was a one vehicle issue.
Engine, Apr 11, 2024
Car began running rough and check engine light came on. Repair shop indicated coolant leaking into the cylinders - a known issue for the engine. Recommended replacement of all sparkplugs. 2 months later same thing happened. Now looking at a total engine replacement.
Engine, Apr 9, 2024
no coolant in degas bottle, cylinder one misfire no external leaks pulled spark plug and found coolant inside of combustion cylinder. Need short block replacement of complete long block. this vehicle was properly maintained every 5k miles. Vehicle was purchased in September 2016 and was a 2017 ford escape se, with current mileage of 53000. 2 days ago the engine warning symbol came on and was immediately taken to ford dealer.
Engine, Apr 9, 2024
The vehicle was working properly until a week ago when the check engine light came on and we then smelled a strong odor of coolant. When we went to the mechanic we were told that our engine was in need of total replacement because coolant had leaked into it. I have since been told that this is a common problem with the eco-boost engine. This replacement is expected to cost us $10000. This obviously a flaw in the engine design as I have read a number of accounts very similar to ours.