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, Nov 14, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle was running rough. The contact stated that shortly afterwards the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a misfire in cylinders #4 and #6. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to TSB: 22-229. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 78,000.
Engine, Nov 14, 2023
I purchased car new and had all recommended service performed by the same dealership. At 56k miles (and six years) the check engine light came on. A Ford dealership diagnosed coolant in the engine block. The repair cost $7,700 for a new engine. Ford agreed to assist but only covered 2,700 leaving me an almost 5 thousand bill
Engine, Nov 14, 2023
Cooling system-related engine failure. Coolant intrusion leading to misfires, engine lag, overheating, and ultimately engine failure. The vehicle was purchased in July 2020 with approximately 30,000 miles and driven without issue until late July 2022 when the engine issue began to occur. By early August at approximately 68,000 miles the cooling system-related engine failure began to occur and made the vehicle inoperable. Inspection can be available upon request. The safety of myself, family, and all others nearby was put at risk due to this engine failure issue as it occurred and shutdown the vehicle while being operated on a local roadway. This engine problem has been identified by Ford Motor Company in one of their own Technical Service Bulletins and many other owners of this same vehicle have had the issue occur. The vehicle has been inspected by a local Ford Dealership Service staff and confirmed to have the defective engine issue described. There was an Engine Maintenance indicator code that coincided with the described issue that started to occur approximately 1 week before the engine issue occurred.
Engine, Nov 11, 2023
Coolant leaked into my Ford 2.0 Ecoboost engine and needs a full repair. It has been inspected by a Ford dealership. Ford is aware of this problem, it is a well known issue, and they are refusing to cooperate with me. The block on the 2.0L Ecoboost engine had a slot running between the cylinders for coolant. In some cases the coolant was going into the adjacent cylinders (coolant intrusion). The safety of me and my family were definitely at risk. My engine could fail in traffic, causing an accident. Fires have also been reported. This is a dangerous situation. The problem has been confirmed by the service department at a dealership. The vehicle was inspected by the dealership, not a direct manufacturer to my knowledge. A check engine light was on, the code was misfire. Then a red warning came on a few times advising me to pull over immediately and turn the engine off, and that it was too hot.
Engine, Nov 8, 2023
Coolant entering engine
Wheels, Nov 8, 2023
lug nuts are striped and wont spin off.
Exterior lighting, Nov 7, 2023
My headlights (low beam) constantly blow out. could become a major problem if both blow out while driving at night.
Engine, Nov 7, 2023
I was told that my head gasket failed and that there was coolant leaking into my engine which caused a total engine failure. I had the engine replaced, and am now having the same issue with a different engine that is being replaced now as I type this. I have read online that I’m not the only person having this issue with their Ford and I feel that there needs to be a recall on the engine. My car was first diagnosed at a small shop then diagnosed the second time at the ford dealership. Before the engine failed the first time I had the check engine light appear and the code was reading as a cylinder misfire. It appeared about a month or two before the engine failed.
Engine, Nov 7, 2023
Coolant intrusion risk of fire. Complete engine shut down. Ford dealership said I now need a new engine due to the coolant intrusion. Ford knows this is a bad design. They had a Customer Satisfaction Program 21N12 June 2022 for a short 2 months to repair. Ford needs to recall and repair. Dealer now wants 8k for new engine, now im out a car.
Power train, Engine, Nov 6, 2023
Check engine light came on and a diagnostic check showed that there was coolant intrusion in the cylinders. This apparently is known by Ford that there was a manufacturing defect.
Engine, Engine and engine cooling, Nov 6, 2023, crash
My vehicle shut off while i was driving on the highway. The check engine light flashed for a few seconds and then the whole car shut off while i was doing 70 on the highway. Thankfully nobody was hurt but i'm lucky to be alive. Cars swerving everywhere! When i took it to the dealer they say it was a cylinder misfire and its caused by coolant leaking into the engine through porous materials used by FORD. Its been to several ford dealerships. They inspect it, they know right away what the issue is because they see it all the time and they all say the same thing. Yes we know about it, no we wont fix it. I spoke to ford about the issue and they admitted that they know about the problem but they're refusing to recall my vehicle. These vehicles are at risk hurting thousands of people. Im being told that these engines were used in most ford vehicles from 2012 on... PLEASE HELP!!!!!!
Exterior lighting, Nov 3, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon approaching the vehicle, she became aware that the taillights were retaining water. As a result, the taillight brake lamps failed to function properly. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that water had caused severe damage, preventing the bulb from being replaced, and advised that the vehicle be taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the adhesive allowing the lens to separate from the housing. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 72,000.
Engine, Nov 3, 2023
Coolant has intruded into the cylinder block causing poor engine performance and illuminated MIL
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Nov 2, 2023
My car suddenly stopped accelerating. No warning lights came on. If I had been on a freeway, it could have been catastrophic. I had car towed to Sunrise Ford who said I needed a new Turbo boost, turbo charge assembly and VCT solenoids. I authorized that repair as cat only has 65,000 miles. After that repair, while the car was being test driven by the service technician from sunrise ford, the car failed again, completely immobilized and the tech pushed the car off to the side of the road. Now they say I have complete transmission failure and have to spend 7000-9000 to replace the transmission at 65,000 miles. It seems like a defect that could put other drivers at risk! It should be looked into as I hear other Fords have had issue with the turbo boost and transmission.
Steering, Nov 2, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while pulling out of the driveway and attempting to make a right turn, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The message "Steering Loss. Stop Safely!" was displayed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the steering rack assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 68,840.
Engine, Nov 1, 2023
The 2.0L Ecoboost leaked coolant into the #1 cylinder, ruining the engine at just over 66,000 miles in my 2017 Escape. I am paying a local Ford dealer $7,500 for a new engine installation. I know that this problem is not unusual, but I wanted you to have this formation so you can add it to your collection. Ford must be held accountable and reimburse its customers for these common incidents. I have contacted Ford Customer Service and was told that they had no help available. My case # with Ford is 45936036-N5H2J5. I did not know about the problem in the engine until the check engine light came on.
Air bags, Seat belts, Nov 1, 2023, crash
My son and I hit a deer and his back passenger seat seatbelt didn’t lock and my air bag light came on but they never deployed
Engine and engine cooling, Nov 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of coolant. There were no visible coolant leaks. The contact was constantly adding coolant to the vehicle. The check engine and power train malfunction warning lights were illuminated. The contact detected an abnormal odor of antifreeze inside the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that the coolant was going intruding into the engine. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and informed the contact there was no coverage on the vehicle. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The contact stated that the failure was related to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12. The failure mileage was approximately 66,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 31, 2023
The contact's daughter owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while his daughter was driving approximately 40 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing abnormal coolant consumption. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the engine block was fractured and there was coolant intrusion in the engine, and the coolant was burning in the exhaust. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be repaired. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.
Engine, Oct 31, 2023
Vehicle showed a check engine light. Then the vehicle stalled on the side of the road with a temperature warning ("Engine Hot"). Once cooled, the vehicle was able to be driven home. Upon taking it to a repair center, was advised of recall (not in NHTSA database). Ford refuses to honor recall. Ford TSB: Ford Ford TSB 21N12 Make: Ford Number: 21N12 Title: Short Block Replacement After Coolant Intrusion Date: 6/9/2022 Models: 2017-2019 Escape 2017-2019 Fusion Summary: In some of the affected vehicles the 1.5L EcoBoost engine may exhibit a low coolant level, white exhaust smoke and/or may run in a rough condition with or without an illuminated malfunction indicator light (MIL) with only diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0300, P0301-P0304, P0316, P0217, P1285 and/or P1299 stored in powertrain control module (PCM). This may be due to coolant intrusion into a cylinder bore. Dealers are to inspect for DTCs P0300, P0301-P0304, P0316, P0217, P1285 and/or P1299 stored in the PCM, and confirm presence of coolant intrusion into one or more cylinder bores. If the above criteria are met, replace the short block using the provided kit listed in the parts table. This service must be performed at no charge to the vehicle owner. 19B37 must be completed in OASIS prior to 21N12 being available.
Other or unspecified, Oct 30, 2023
FORDPASS Module is controlling the car through the fob key. The dashboard appears "Ford Key Free No Key Detected". I was at the drive thru of IN & OUT BURGER Store last October 15, 2023 when I'm about to leave the car suddenly stopped, engine stopped running and it blocked the drive way no other car can pass thru. Towed the car to the dealership and charged me a new fob keys. Next day I pass by a gas station, locked the car. After pumping, the door can't open and found no key detected in my Fordpass app. If someone try to harm me that moment, I would be in danger because the car is controlled by the FORDPASS MODULE. It happened again in a parking lot of Costco, I'm denied of entry and the apps said there's a time for it to be activated, I am using the car to my destination without stopping the engine until I reach home.
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 30, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing rough starts with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the check engine warning light remained illuminated while driving. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that there was coolant inside the engine cylinders and that the engine needed to be replaced. The engine was replaced, and the failure was remedied. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 78,862.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Oct 27, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was hesitating with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed with coolant leaking into the engine block. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was currently being repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 54,000.
Fuel/propulsion system, Oct 27, 2023
The high pressure fuel pump failed causing damage to cam and shavings in motor. The mechanic said engine needs to be replaced. I could have been driving on the interstate instead of a back road when this happened and I lost power. Lucky for me I wasn't. It could have been very bad. Ford has had a service bulletin out on this issue for some time. I had to go to 3 different Mechanics before one would even touch it. They all said the same thing. You will need at least a new cam probably a new engine per the service alert. Ford says those mean nothing and they can't help me. If I had been on interstate and crashed then maybe they would talk to me.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Oct 25, 2023
Hello - I had my 2017 Ford Escape SE Ecoboost engine replaced by a Ford dealership in July of 2020 after a well-documented manufacturer defect (Ford Service Bulletin 222-2229) involving coolant intrusion into the engine occurred. This known defect can lead to engine failure, overheating, and combustion/fire. The automaker has failed to recall or address the inherent defect and safety risk. On October 15, 2023, noxious smoke came out of my exhaust pipe. There was no warning signal or indication from my vehicle that it required servicing, oil change, engine repair, or coolant replacement. I took the vehicle in for inspection immediately at a local Ford dealership. The service department concluded that the engine would again need to be completely replaced due to the exact same well-documented coolant intrusion manufacturer defect (Ford Service Bulletin 222-2229). It is important to note that the engine failure occurred only 30,000 miles after the first engine replacement in July of 2020. This time the full repair/engine replacement will require $9,191.96 payment out of pocket. The dealership directed me to Ford Corporate. They refused to provide financial assistance or repair despite the well-documented defect that has rendered the car completely useless and unsafe. I am so very disappointed and alarmed by the situation. Any support and assistance with this matter is sincerely appreciated, as Ford Corporate and related dealerships have been of no help.