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 and engine cooling, Oct 20, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started to lose coolant. The contact checked and added additional coolant to the reservoir. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The parts were backordered, and the vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who referred the contact to the dealer. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that assistance would be provided for the repair. The approximate failure mileage was 50,300.
Engine, Oct 19, 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 where it was diagnosed that the cylinder, coil, and head gasket needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred two years later. The contact then stated that while driving at various speeds or while idled, he noticed white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe and the engine hesitated. The check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where the contact was informed that the failure was internal, and the engine needed to be disassembled to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised to call the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 2,000.
Engine, Oct 18, 2022
My 2017 Ford Escape was starting up rough and the check engine light was on, so I took it to a repair shop (Gere Auto Repair LLC in Snoqualmie, WA). They said there was a serious problem with the engine - there was a breach between cylinder 2 & cooling system, combustion gases were getting into cooling, there was a cylinder 2 misfire, the engine failed a block test, and there could've been a cracked cylinder head. I then took the car to a Ford dealership (Evergreen Ford in Issaquah, WA) and they said that they see this engine issue often with Ford Escapes - there's a defect in engine construction. There were slits in the engine that was causing coolant intrusion into the cylinders, causing fairly severe engine damage. Since this is clearly a systematic defect in Ford Escape engines, I'm not sure why there isn't a recall out for this issue already. This is a serious and expensive issue to repair - not to mention that driving with a damaged engine is dangerous. I ultimately spent $9,679 to get the engine replaced. Ford replaced it with a new re-designed engine without slits. The fact that they've re-designed their engine specifically to address the issue I ran into tells me that Ford knows this a problem.
Power train, Oct 17, 2022
Stranded off highway exit. Car jerked and revved then barely could go 10 mph. Car went from a slow winding sound to a quick and hard jerking. New Torque converter needed at 64K miles. However, torque converter requires significant transmission work in addition. Ford Dealership said part was back ordered with a 1 year wait at a cost of $4500. Other transmission repairman in area quoted me $6,000 and said he had another Escape with the same problem the week before I called. When I began looking for a replacement car, several dealerships refused to even accept the car as a trade in stating that this was a known problem with Ford cars .I looked at replacement cars at County Ford in Graham, NC where I had purchased it 2 years previously, however, I felt the sales team was overly aggressive and not empathetic at having sold me a car 2 years previous that was now unrepairable at their dealership. Awful, awful experience. I thought I had invested a lot of money in a dependable car. No car should need a new transmission 4,000 miles out of warranty. The experience has been an absolute nightmare.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Power train, Engine, Oct 17, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated upon refilling the gas tank at the gas station and attempting to drive, he shifted from park (P) to drive (D), however, the vehicle failed to move. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to drive the vehicle after turning off and restarting the vehicle several times. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring after refilling the gas tank. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer who provided an unknown diagnostic. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact received a recall notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train), which he associated with the failure. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time to complete the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Power train, Oct 12, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while at a complete stop at the traffic light, the vehicle stalled while utilizing the auto Start/Stop feature. The message "Shift To Park And Restart The Engine" was displayed. The contact was able to shift into neutral (N) or drive (D). An unknown dealer was notified of the failure but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Power train, Oct 12, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving and shifting into gears, the vehicle was jerking and surging. The contact also stated that the RPMs revved up; however, the vehicle decelerated independently. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving from a complete stop at the red light, the vehicle would hesitate to respond, and would surge while shifting into the intended gear. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for recall repair of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train). However, in the process of completing the recall repair, the dealer informed the contact that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.
Wheels, Oct 8, 2022
Tires could not be rotated during service at a Ford Dealer because one or more lug nuts were swollen due to corrosion. Had to replace all 20 lug nuts at an additional cost of $136.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Oct 8, 2022
The vehicle check engine light has lit up on multiple occasions. We have had diagnoses that say "it's fine" from Ford, but we are concerned that it's not "fine" because of a code that indicates a problem with a cylinder misfire. This is a known mechanical defect in the year/make/model. However, Ford claims that our vehicle is not in the VIN range. My teenager drives this vehicle and we are now anxious about the reliability of the car. We paid over blue book value for the vehicle. We have spent hundreds of dollars on diagnosis with independent mechanics.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Oct 7, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated after refueling the vehicle, she was unable to start the vehicle. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated she had to leave the vehicle running while refueling to not experience the failure. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the purge valve replaced. The vehicle was not repaired because the parts were not available. The contact continued to experience the failure. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Power train, Oct 6, 2022, crash
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train). The contact had experienced a failure while stopped at a traffic sign. The contact stated that the vehicle rolled forward at approximately 2 MPH and lightly crashed into a vehicle in front of him. There was no damage or injuries. The contact was aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train), however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had experienced a failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
Power train, Engine, Oct 4, 2022
Engine blown due to coolant intrusion. Vehicle has 61,000 miles on it and Ford will not do anything to fix it.
Power train, Oct 4, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer had been notified about the recall and confirmed that parts were not yet available. After receiving the notice, the contact stated that an abnormal clunking sound was coming from the vehicle with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the clunking sound returned as the vehicle lost power without warning. The contact managed to coast the vehicle off to the side of the road after nearly being struck by several vehicles. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it remained. The manufacturer had been notified of the recall. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Engine, Oct 2, 2022
My son's 2017 Escape just died on his trip from Idaho back home to Florida. He just had his oil changed and a complete tune up, including new spark plugs. He got an engine overheating alarm and was able to get coolant into the reservoir, which was empty at this time. Had to keep adding the coolant until he was able to stop at a friend's house in Wisconsin. The car would not start this morning. A friend of the family, who is a mechanic, told him he needs to have the head or entire egine replaced because coolant was leaking into the cylinders. We know now, this problem has been known by Ford since 2010.
Other or unspecified, Sep 28, 2022
Was driving and tax went up to 4 and only going 30 mph. It said on the dashboard about transmission I have also had an ongoing problem since I got the vehicle new with the part in the gas tank that has a vacuum seal or something. I have had the part replaced and it still continues to have problems. It will stop and say that manual restart required. It makes an extremely loud noise when it does this. Also after filling up with gasoline it is very hesitant to start and takes 4-5 minutes to get it started.
Power train, Sep 28, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that after parking and exiting the vehicle; upon return to the vehicle, the contact noticed that the vehicle had rolled away into the middle of the parking lot. 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 issue. The failure mileage was 29,940. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Engine and engine cooling, Sep 27, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the engine misfired while driving at various speeds with the check engine warning light flashing on the instrument panel. The contact also noticed that the coolant was being consumed at an excessive rate. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who discovered that coolant was leaking into cylinder #3. The contact was informed that the engine short block needed to be replaced. The dealer and the manufacturer were informed of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 99,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Sep 26, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while the vehicle was idling, the engine was running rough. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and then to an independent mechanic. The contact stated that there was no coolant in the vehicle. The contact stated that the coolant fluid bubbled over out of the hose. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the coolant leaked into the engine and the engine misfired and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case number was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 112,000.
Engine, Sep 26, 2022
Check engine light came on just over 67,000 miles. Took vehicle to nearest Ford dealership to get checked. Service technician noted stored code P0301and found coolant in one of the engine cylinders. They performed a coolant pressure test and found no external leaks. They also noted TSB 22-2229 and recommend long block replacement. Impacts noted online from other Ford Escape owners: https://www.carcomplaints.com/Ford/Escape/2017/engine/engine_and_engine_cooling.shtml https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2022/MC-10213732-0001.pdf
Power train, Sep 26, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after her daughter shifted the gear shifter into park, the vehicle continued to roll forward. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact's husband assisted her daughter with shifting the gear shifter into neutral(N) and the vehicle stopped rolling; however, the failure reoccurred on another occasion. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who informed the contact that they could not duplicate the failure. The contact received recall 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. 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 65,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Engine and engine cooling, Sep 26, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon a cold start, the vehicle would hesitate or jerk upon depression of the accelerator pedal with an unknown warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was discovered that coolant had leaked into the engine cylinders; with the engine short block malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) warning light needing to be replaced. The contact was then informed that there was a warranty on the vehicle for the failure; however, the engine size was not included in the warranty. The manufacturer was notified of failure. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000.
Power train, Sep 26, 2022
2017 FORD ESCAPE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO NHTSA SAEFTY RECALL 22V-413.
Engine, Sep 24, 2022
Coolant is leaking into the engines cylinders according to my mechanic. Engine is dead now, car wont start. Smelled coolant while operating and then the check engine light came on which is when i took it to the mechanic. They said only solution is a new engine. Less than a year out of warranty. Google shows this as a known issue with ecoboost engines, but ford has not issued a recall or solution. Dealership basically blew me off when i called and said they could look at it in a couple months.
Structure, Sep 23, 2022
Door latch failure, would not lock. had to get back door latch replaced cost $1600 for something that was Ford’s fault.
Power train, Sep 20, 2022
IN APRIL OF 2022 MY ESCAPE STARTED POPPING OUT OF GEAR, PUT IN PARK IT WOULD POP OUT, GOING DOWN THE ROAD IT STARTED POPPING OUT OF DRIVE GOING INTO PARK OR ANOTHER GEAR. YOUR RECALL IS FOR THIS PROBLEM. I WAS ACTUALLY ON MY WAY TO STOP AT A FORD DEALER IN APRIL 2022 AND IT QUIT PULLING ALL TOGETHER. I HAD TO HAVE TOWED TO A FORD DEALER. AND ALL THEY COUILD TELL ME WAS THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND IT WOULD BE 4 MONTHS BEFORE PARTS WOULD BE AVAILABLE AND COST OVER $5,400 TO REPAIR. THEY CHARGED ME $80 TO TELL ME THIS AFTER THE CAR HAD BEEN SITTING ON THEIR LOT FOR 2 WEEKS. I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO MY HOME, WHERE IT STILL SITS UNREPAIRED. WILL THIS BE COVERED UNDER THE RECALL SINCE THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT WAS HAPPENING TO THE TRANSMISSION AND I AM EXPECTING IT TO BE COVERED.