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, Oct 25, 2023
The engine began to misfire on cylinder 1.The check engine light came on and verified the problem. The sparkplugs were replaced and coil 1 was swapped with #2 to ensure the coil wasn't malfunctioning. the problem resolved for a couple of days and once again misfires and the check engine light indicated a misfire problem in cylinder one. This time I looked at the coolant level and it had dropped significantly. I believe I have a coolant intrusion problem that the 2.0 Ecoboost engines are known for. In speaking with the Ford dealership they estimated a new engine to be 12000-13000 dollars in repair costs. If I continue to use the vehicle I am certain the engine will overheat possibly blow and catch fire as the coolant will run out or thin the oil. Ford should be held accountable for this problem
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 25, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact smelled fumes coming from the vehicle. The contact inspected the vehicle and noticed that the coolant was leaking onto the floor. The Engine Service warning light was illuminated. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
Power train, Oct 24, 2023
The vehicle began experiencing a slight vibration when accelerating. When the vehicle reaches 28 mph through 54 mph, the vibration is noticeable. Very noticeable when going uphill. It feels like the rumble strips you drive over at a road construction area. When the vehicle reaches close to 60 mph the vibration is not felt. It began around May/June 2023 and got worse as the months went on. I took the vehicle to the dealer and they said it was a known issue with some Ford vehicles where a transmission torque converter would fail. Their recommendation was to pay them $6K for a new transmission that would come with a 3-year warranty. I already paid them $8K for a new engine for another known problem. I am not giving them another penny.
Engine, Oct 24, 2023
My 2017 Ford Escape Titanium, with ~65K miles and just past the warranty period had the engine smoke at times and emit a chemical burn odor inside the vehicle. Took the vehicle to a repair shop, paid for a diagnosis and it came back that there was a known issue to Ford Motor Co. of the engine used in this model Escape where coolant did leak into the engine's cylinders. This would eventually cause the engine to stop working. The shop recommended I take it to a Ford dealer as the Ford Motor Co. report on the problem and fix was a multi-page report where every piece of the engine was replaced, in essence, Ford recommended a full engine replacement. I called the Ford Corp office and they responded there was nothing they could do to help, not even offer a discount on a new engine. I wound up paying the dealer $8500+ to put in a new engine. A month after the new engine was put in the vehicle, the Auto-shut off feature where the vehicle engine shuts down when stopped at a traffic light, for example, stopped working. The dealer said this may not be an engine problem as that feature of the vehicle had a multi-page list of requirements that had to be met in order for the feature to work. This included engine working fine, battery power above a certain level, and numerous others.
Engine, Oct 22, 2023
Engine staying at medium temperature the entire ride but quickly escalating with little acceleration. White smoke from exhaust. Coolant leak into cylinder causing smoke and vehicle not operating properly at normal speeds. Discussed this with the dealership that vehicle was purchased from and serviced at prior. They said my warrantee just expired at the end of august but that the manufacturer is aware of the defect and would have fixed it if it was still under warranty. The repair they said would be 7500$ vehicle still not operating properly and coolant leak noted.
Engine, Oct 22, 2023
Coolant leak/ intrusion to cylinder causing white smoke and sputtering when idle and driving. Manufacturer defect noticed prior to warrantee expiring in august 2023 unable to schedule inspection prior to warranty expiration. Manufacturer has tcb on this exact issue. No check engine light. Multiple Mechanics reviewed issue stating need to replace the engine due to manufacturer defect causing issues and concerns for greater loss. The vehicle is available any time for testing etc
Engine, Oct 21, 2023
I purchased my Ford escape 2017 "new" from Gainesville Ford dealer in 11/2016. Over the years I have serviced my vehicle well, changed all my four tires and brake pads in 06/2023. On 10/2/2023, while I was driving on highway- I 75 &Florida turnpike the engine suddenly showed Engine overheated stop for safety. I stop the car and drove. The sign kept on coming on and off throughout my drive. Since I was on a busy highway, and also in the construction area, there was not a possibility to stop every time the sign appeared. Finally, I reached my destination in Orlando and parked the car in covered parking. That afternoon as I was trying to return home, I started the car, car was moving slowly, I pulled out of the parking lot into the road and the car would not go beyond 10-15 mph. Thankfully the cars around me were considerate and I was able to circle back into the parking lot. From there the car had to be towed to one repair shop who diagnosed that there was coolant leakage into the engine, causing damage of the engine cylinders. I called Ford dealership in Orlando and the car was again towed there. Ford dealership told me that the coolant had leaked into the engine causing damage of the engine and now the whole engine had to be changed and it would cost me $9600. 1 year earlier I had received a letter from Ford stating that my car had a recall on coolant leak into the engine causing engine failure. I had taken the car to the Gainesville Ford dealer where the agent told me that it will take about 3 months for the car to be repaired as they had to order the part. I did not have an alternate vehicle so the agent told me he will order new parts and call me. They never called me. Now my car has total engine failure. I spoke with Ford customer service multiple times, and Ford refused to pay for my car repair. Orlando Ford dealership was no help at all. After 2.5 weeks of multiple calls and no help I had to junk my car and buy a new car. Ford has to be held accountable.
Engine, Oct 21, 2023
I bought this car "new" from Ford dealer in Gainesville , FL in Nov 2016. A dashboard sign suddenly appeared on 10/2/2023 (overheated engine, risk of fire, please stop driving immediately) while driving on I-75 S from Gainesville to Orlando. The vehicle odometer reading was about 78000 miles. The vehicle would not move past 20 miles per hour. I finally was able to reach my destination in Orlando and took the car to the "Sun State Ford" dealer in Orlando, FL on 10/3/2023. Their inspection stated that the coolant leaked into the engine cylinders and the engine is completely damaged. They stated it will cost me USD 9600 for parts and labor to replace a new engine. I called Ford manufacturer 11 times and spoke to multiple representatives who told me that "it is not Ford's responsibility to replace the engine". Ford had a recall on the same problem in July 2022 and the recall expired in Nov 2022. I took the car to Gainesville Ford dealer at that time when I received the recall message even though there was no problem with my car at that time. The dealer that time stated that it will take 2-3 months for the repair to get completed. Since I had no alternate vehicle to drive and since the car that time had no issue, I did not fell it was necessary to do so. Finally, I sold the car to the "Junk car buyer" for few hundred dollars one 10/18/2023. From 10/3/2023-10/18/2023, I rented multiple cars and paid diagnostic fees to the Orlando Ford dealer. Finally, I bought another used car on 10/18/2023. I feel that this defect in the coolant/engine put my life at risk while driving on 1-75 S on 10/2/2023 and Ford seems to be very irresponsible. A one-owner car's engine should not go down at 78000 miles.
Engine, Oct 20, 2023
my check engine light came on yesterday and i took it to the dealership this morning. they ran diagnostics and told me one of the cylinders is misfiring due to coolant from another cylinder leaking into it. i commute over one hour each way to work, so this puts my safety in danger - they said the car is drivable but i need to keep putting coolant into it weekly. after doing research when i came home, i found this is a common reoccurrence with this model/engine type in ford cars.
Power train, Engine, Oct 19, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the Auto START/STOP feature failed to operate as needed and the engine failed to restart after depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact also stated that the vehicle failed to immediately start after refueling. The contact stated that the “Auto START/STOP - Shift to Park(P) and Restart Engine” message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
Engine, Oct 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 MPH the engine temperature warning light illuminated. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road where condensation was observed on the ground under the front of the vehicle. Additionally, The contact stated that when powered on the gear did not shift smoothly from gear to gear. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine and transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that during cold starts, the engine shuddered, and the check engine warning light flashed on and off. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced cylinder #2 and the spark plugs. After retrieving the vehicle, the failure reoccurred, and the vehicle was taken back to the local dealer who diagnosed that coolant was present inside the engine and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 52,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 17, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle decelerated to 2 MPH. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle then started to sputter. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that cylinder #4 coil needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, after driving for two miles, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the failure was due to cylinder #4 failure and that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact was informed there was coolant intrusion into the engine. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the repairs were not covered under Extended Warranty and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 76,000. The VIN was not available.
Steering, Electrical system, Oct 17, 2023
When driving the vehicle an error pops up stating steering fault service now. When this pops up the steering tends to go tough. If you turn off the vehicle and turn it back on the error goes away and the system does not store any codes. There is no reason or repeat action to trigger this error. It was coming up monthly and the last month has popped up 3 times. This is a huge issue especially for myself who has kids and if something happened to my steering while driving I would be screwed. I have attached one service invoice but have been to a dealership 3 total times to get this issue looked into.
Electrical system, Oct 16, 2023
Both low beam headlights went out at the same time. Took it to the dealership and they were able to replace the bulb on the driver's side, but are telling me that the entire headlight assembly needs to be replaced on the passenger side for the light to function. I asked why, (headlight assembly replacement is more that $1600), and they said that the wiring may have burnt out in the assembly. Attached both the estimate for repair for the new assembly for passenger side and the actual repair I had done to change the bulb on the driver's side. I called Ford as I'm seeing similar issues on various Ford Escape forums online and they informed me that there were no recalls for this issue and that nothing could be done other than paying for the repair.
Latches/locks/linkages, Oct 16, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the tailgate failed to remain closed. The tailgate also occasionally failed to open as needed. The gate-ajar message was displayed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who was unable to assist. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 22,400.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Oct 14, 2023
Car idles poorly on Start. Check engine light came on and indicated misfire on cylinder 2. Smell of coolant coming from exhaust. Misfires without check engine light as well. Cylinder 2 and 4 have been replaced but engine continues to misfire. Believed to be a coolant leak into the engine
Engine, Oct 13, 2023
Engine failure at 82,000 miles due to coolant leak into cylinders resulting in need for new engine.
Engine, Oct 12, 2023
* Engine coolant leaked into cylinders causing a complete engine failure. This is a known issue and Ford previously recalled the 1.5L version of the engine for the same problem but not the 2.0L. Parts are not available to inspect as the engine has been replaced. * We were fortunate to be at home in the driveway when it gave out but it could have been a problem at speed. * Ford acknowledged that the engine was ruined and that it is a common problem. To the point that they offered to give me a discount on the work, but it still cost me $6,000. * There was a warning light which came on in the driveway when the car started and white smoke poured out of the exhaust, no prior lights came on and the car was not driven.
Engine, Oct 12, 2023
Engine failed at less than 60,000 miles. Defect is coolant leak into cylinders 2 & 3 (confirmed by 2 dealerships). Ford is aware of this problem with this engine for vehicles of this type with the 1.5L engine. Ford issued a recall on these vehicles and the repair is to replace the engine. Our vehicle did not get on the VIN list. Ford issued a TSB and implemented a repair program (19B37 & 21N12) to replace these engines. This vehicle failed precisely how they said it would fail and was the correct type and the correct manufacture plant and dates. But since the vehicle was not on the list they refused to cover the repairs. They offered to cover 40% of the cost which left us $3,000 out of pocket. This is after over $1,000 out of pocket on earlier repairs that were not effective and on having to tow the vehicle multiple times. The vehicle is out of warranty (over 5 years old) but not mileage. Not a satisfactory outcome. A lemon law complaint has been filed.
Power train, Oct 11, 2023
Rough startup and idle, white smoke out of tailpipe. Local shop ran Ford's TSB 22-2229 to find that coolant had leaked into cylinder #1 and that the long block needs to be replaced per Ford. I was quoted $9,600 for the repair. Upon further research, this is an engine design defect in the Ford 2.0L ecoboost 2017-2019 where the open deck block design creates thinner gasket areas prone to fail and leak coolant into the engine. Ford is making customers pay to replace engines with a faulty manufacturing design, out of pocket. It is completely unacceptable and needs to be a recall. The same issue is present on their 1.5L and 1.6L ecoboost engines.
Power train, Engine, Oct 11, 2023
Short Block replacement needed because of coolant inside engine. Current status at dealership for repair advisement. During routine drive to work, car reduced power, indicated 'over temp' light and check engine indicator while in the middle of morning commuter traffic. Inspected by Serra Ford, who indicated coolant leaked onto bearings and into engine requiring replacement of engine. Only warning issue was coolant level slightly low at last oil change ~3,000 miles ago.
Engine, Oct 10, 2023
Car was evidently overheating but did not register as hot on the dash, I started it up in the morning and it sounded bad so I was going to take it to have it looked at and then the engine idiot light came on, so I parked it until I could have it towed to a mechanic who told me that there was water in the cylinders.
Engine and engine cooling, Power train, Oct 10, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH the check engine light illuminated and a chime went off and "service engine now" appeared on the instrument cluster. The contact stated that he pulled over and turned the engine off due to seeing the "over heat" warning illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic who advised the contact to take the vehicle to a dealer due to a known manufacturer problem with the motor. The contact then had the vehicle towed to a dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine and transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 94,000.
Tires, Oct 9, 2023
Both my front driver and side passenger on tires the side wall has crack d and is separating