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, Jan 19, 2023
The contact's father owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his father was driving at an undisclosed speed, there was white smoke coming from the engine compartment with the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle experienced rough driving. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion and engine failure. The dealer replaced the engine. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN for the failure. The contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: 19-2346 (Coolant in Cylinders, White Exhaust Smoke) however, the vehicle was not covered by the TSB. The failure mileage was 70,986.
Fuel/propulsion system, Jan 19, 2023
Owner of a 2017 Ford Escape; After refilling vehicle at local fueling station the vehicle would not start. Check engine illuminated. Attempted to start; however the vehicle would not; and everything lit up on dashboard. Finally after the 3rd/4th try the vehicle finally started. Taken vehicle to dealer and was informed it was the purge valve. Headed towards dealership shortly to find the reason. This happens every time I fill up the vehicle; otherwise it starts perfectly. Having to pay a $149. fee for them to check why the engine light is on; although, a gentleman checked it previously for free at the dealership; the representative stated they had to do further testing. Consequently, I see the Ford Focus had the same issue..
Wheels, Jan 14, 2023
Was having brakes replaced and was informed the aluminum coating on the lug nuts had swollen and could not be removed/tightened with the normal sized lug wrench. Was not concerned until I realized that meant that if I had a flat on the road, the lug wrench that came with the vehicle would not work. Not a fan of being stranded on the side of the road with no way to change a tire. Understand that Ford is not recognizing this as an issue. I find it to be a serious safety issue if you have to be stuck on the side of the road for an extended period because you have to wait for someone with the correct tool to show up because the one provided with the vehicle is no longer sufficient.
Electrical system, Engine, Jan 13, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while pulling out of a parking lot, the vehicle shuddered and lunged forward. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the failure recurred, and the vehicle stalled while exiting the highway. The contact veered to the side of the road and restarted the vehicle. The contact was able to continue driving. The contact stated that the Auto START/STOP feature engaged independently whenever the failure occurred. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 39,000. The contact was instructed by the dealer to drive the vehicle for 100 miles to reset the components. However, the vehicle only made it about two blocks from the dealership before losing engine power again. The vehicle still remains at the dealership as it is still undiagnosed and unsafe to drive.
Power train, Wheels, Engine, Jan 12, 2023
The engine light comes on it doesn’t act like it wants to run the gears won’t shift and it loses power and doesn’t want to go just about got hit because it went from 35mph to 5mph in seconds without me giving warning by hitting my brakes and it makes a loud sound when running and a loud knock sound on right front side where wheel is they say it’s safe to drive but no it’s really not
Engine, Jan 11, 2023
Service engine soon lamp came on. Didn't notice any issues with the car and drove it home. Next morning the car seemed to start a little hard. Took into the dealership and was told that it was a misfire in cylinder #2 caused by leakage of engine coolant into the cylinder and requires a total replacement of the long block of the engine for roughly $7500. Did some internet research and this appears to be a known issue with the engine with no assistance or recourse from Ford. No apparent fix for the problem without replacement of the engine. This could cause seizing of the engine and could be a safety issue if the engine would seize during driving.
Power train, Exterior lighting, Jan 11, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH up an incline, the vehicle downshifted and stalled. The powertrain malfunction message was displayed. The headlamps had previously become inoperable. The contact stated that while driving, the vehicle hesitated and was idling high while reversing. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 103,000.
Electrical system, Jan 9, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle started shuddering and slightly decelerated. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the spark plugs were misfiring. The independent mechanic related the failure to Ford Campaign Number: 21N12. An unknown dealer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under Ford Campaign Number: 21N12 due to the mileage. Additionally, the manufacturer advised the contact that NHTSA was responsible for the parameters for the recall and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.
Power train, Jan 8, 2023
Driving my 2017 Ford Escape on a freeway about one hour from home. All of a sudden, I get the transmission warning message to take it to a dealer for service. (Vehicle had 49,000 miles on it and I had no fluid leaks or warnings prior to this incident). I immediately head to a Ford dealership in area until the vehicle refuses to move forward at a busy intersection. I have it towed to the dealer and they tell me they can't look at it for another month (Not enough trans service guys employed). I had it towed back to a transmission repair facility closer to my home. Their findings: Torque converter went bad and threw metal throughout transmission. Transmission facility contacted local Ford dealer in Vero Beach, Fl to see if they would cover any parts.....Nope! I needed the vehicle so I paid the $4,390 to replace the torque converter and rebuild the transmission. I recently visited the the same Ford dealership to plead my case. Service tech said he understood my problem and admitted torque converters on various Ford vehicles are going bad but there was no recall. This vehicles powertrain warranty ended in prior year, but a transmission should definitely last longer than 49k miles! Ford is aware of these issues and there are all kinds of similar complaints on the internet.
Power train, Jan 6, 2023
The vehicle shudders while it is being driven. We took it to the dealership and they advised us that the torque converter is bad. They said the transmission needs to be replaced or rebuilt. There is a recall on the Edge, Fusion and currently not on the Escape.
Power train, Engine, Jan 6, 2023
The contact's son-in-law owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while he was driving at various speeds, an abnormal cranking noise was coming from the vehicle. The contact also noticed there was an unknown fluid leak underneath the engine compartment. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was discovered that the flex plate had fractured, causing the torque converter and transmission to fail. The contact was then informed that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred her to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired and remained in the possession of dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
Power train, Jan 4, 2023
Transmission yes it is available for inspection right now until next week I called a talked with a mechanic that does transmission and told him my problem. He stated the converter is coming apart in the transmission and has repaired several in this make and model of car. No No warning lights or messages or problems displayed before the failure. My car complete lost gear and tack revd up and was stranded on the side of road.
Engine, Jan 3, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact received an unknown recall notice however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Power train, Dec 28, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle stalled. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was then towed to an Metropolitan Ford where the vehicle was purchased and was diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 79,040. The consumer stated engine, transmission, electrical circuit, and turbo failure.
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Engine, Dec 21, 2022
I was stopped at a red light, in Drive, when the car suddenly died. All the screens went black and the engine cut. I was also unable to use my electric locks or hazard lights. The car was eventually jumped, driven to a mechanic for the alternator and battery checked, with battery changed. Since receiving my car back with new battery, the media console does not work. Buttons illuminate but don't do anything, screen only shows time/date/temperature and backup camera. No SYNC, radio, bluetooth, CDs. Ford support attempted multiple resets with no change.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Dec 20, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the vehicle nearly stalled and was idling rough for approximately 15 minutes; after which, the vehicle operated normally. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact had driven the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that coolant had leaked into cylinder #4. The coolant caused cylinder #4 misfire. Additionally, the spark plug was corroded. The mechanic determined that the short block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The independent mechanic related the failure to manufacturer Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12 (Short Block Replacement). The failure mileage was approximately 57,000.
Engine, Dec 19, 2022
2017 Ford Escape 2.0 liter with approx 23K miles has coolant leaking into the engine cylinder. Ford is repairing the 1.5 liter engine for same problem when outside of original warranty under customer satisfaction program 21N12 but will not honor making same repairs for 2.0 cylinder engine. Engine is at risk of overheating and failing. Customer has to pay for full cost of long block replacement engine to resolve the issue. Ford corporate blankly states they will not cover the cost of engine replacement as they do with the 1.5 liter even though they have issued Dealer TSB 22-2220 advising dealers to replace the 2.0 when covered under original factory warranty.
Engine, Dec 17, 2022
The engine failed causing driving to be erratic due to engine surges and loss of power. This created safety issues for myself and others. Called to get serviced June 15 and the next available appointment was July 7. The car went out of warranty between June 15 and July 7. Dealer confirmed that the engine needed to be replaced because the radiator fluid was leaking into it. The check engine light came on, went to AutoZone and they referred me to dealer resulting in the June 15 call.
Engine and engine cooling, Dec 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the engine started to misfire and started losing motive power. The contact stated that the check engine and Service Engine Now warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was driven to a local dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine malfunction was caused by coolant leaking into cylinder #2. The mechanic determined that the engine short block needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 89,600.
Engine and engine cooling, Dec 12, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that cylinder #4 was misfiring, and that coolant was leaking into the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 81,005.
Engine, Dec 11, 2022
Firstly, this story will not surprise the NHTSA since the issue that plagued me has plagued many. It's clear that complaints started in 2010 & lead to Reed et al. v. Ford Motor Company. On the evening of September 18, 2022 my check engine light illuminated. I parked it/left it in front of my house that night, all day on September 19, 2022 & then was barely able to get to Perry Ford (Santa Barbara, CA) on September 20, 2022. There were no lead ups, no other warning lights, no increase in temperature, no messages - overall no other symptoms. One mile out from the dealership, the steering starting locking up & it started aggressively chugging. Luckily, I was on surface streets because it was dark out, there were cars honking at me & trying to go around me. I dropped my key & some details in the Early Bird drop box. A rep told me over the phone that I needed a new engine. He talked in circles & used the phrase - “coolant intrusion.” He gave me a $10K figure, so I had more questions. At the dealership & before I had read hundreds of accounts of the same EXACT issue from other Ford owners, I asked a different service rep about the absurdly inadequate warning system & the likelihood of this happening to an engine with 36K miles on it. He said, “This happens to this car a lot. We have a lot of these on the lot right now for this. I even had a girl in here a few weeks ago with the same thing that only had 10K miles on here car.” He also used the phrase “coolant intrusion.” I asked for a diagnostic report - I never got one. I asked for a lead time, I got 3 different answers. They ordered a new long block engine & 63 days later, my car was ready. The final invoice is attached you may also find it “funny” that the service notes say "low on coolant" - of course the level was low because it had intruded my engine prior to their inspection. By submitting this report, I would not only like to recuperate my money, but I would like to see Ford be held responsible.
Engine, Dec 8, 2022
There is coolant seeping into the number 2 Cylinder. It is a known issue on other models in the same model Year.
Power train, Dec 7, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving from a complete stop, the vehicle decelerated suddenly and stopped. A message indicating that the engine was turned on and the vehicle was in park(P) was displayed. The contact shifted into park(P) and turned off the vehicle. The contact stated upon restarting the vehicle and shifting into drive(D), the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact was able to continue driving; however, the failure had been reoccurring while driving. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the part was not yet available. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 76,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
Wheels, Dec 7, 2022
I cannot remove the lug nuts with the provided tool. The lug nuts are evidently swollen.
Power train, Dec 4, 2022
While driving at highway speed, the engine revved and it felt the car was no longer in gear and rapidly lost speed with traffic closing from behind. Shifting into neutral and back to drive caused the vehicle to jerk forward unexpectedly. Managed to steer to the side of the road and drive to a safer area on the highway. Forward movement was difficult and it appeared that the car would not stay in gear. No warning light or console messages. We had been notified in July 2020 of recall 22V413 from Ford, but parts were not available. We had just a few days (In November) before received the second recall notice that said parts were now available. I feel as if the recall was not competed timely (5 Months). I believe that the car was not going into gear because of the recall part potential failure affecting the transmission as the recall notice stated that the vehicle could "move in an unexpected direction". We had the vehicle towed home and to the dealer (Gosch Ford, Temecula, CA). We informed them of the issue and asked that the recall repair be done. The service writer told us they would do the recall service, but there was no way any transmission damage could have been caused by the recall. I disagreed and stated that the notice states that the vehicle may move unexpectedly, what if the part failed while driving? How would the vehicle behave? The were evasive and did not answer me directly. They told me that they had been instructed by Ford to not forward any claims for transmission damage related to the recall. We called after 2 days of service and they said the service was complete, the recall part had indeed broken and that the car was shifting normally. Upon picking up the car, my wife drove off the lot and immediately upon leaving the driveway, the drive gear again failed. She had to pull to the right to a bike lane to avoid traffic closing from behind. Service writer stated that car was not road tested before being returned. Car still at dealer waiting diagnosis.