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.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Mar 21, 2022
My 2017 Ford Escape’s check engine light turned on 02/24/2022. The next day I fueled up the vehicle and when I attempted to start vehicle it misfired and I had to try starting it multiple times. I went to Auto zone to have the light read and was told error code P1450 was the reason for issues. I made an appointment with the Ford Delear I purchased the vehicle from. The delear explained that the SUV’s purge Cannister Valve was bad and that is why my engine was Misfiring after fueling up. I was told the part would be here within 2 days. After about 4 days I was told no eta on parts and that the issue was with transportation on part but that it will be here soon. I called a different Ford delearship in town and when they looked up my vin the explained that the part was recalled by Ford as it was faulty and they didn’t know when it would be fixed. I then attempted to take my car to a different mechanic shop and had them look at the aftermarket supply for the part and we were advised that Ford Motor Company has a nationwide shortage on this part and has a demand/priority with aftermarket manufacturers to suppply Ford’s needs first and that no clue as to when this would happen as this is affecting all escape owners with this part issue. We also learned from inquiring with aftermarket part manufacturing that in just in the Northeast part of our state there are over 1100 Ford escapes waiting for the same part as well and that the shortage just happened recently as many Ford escapes recently reported having a bad Cannister Purge Valve. Looking at how this has progressed and how the engine misfires after fueling up due to faulty Cannister purge valve i am asking for an investigation into this issue since this is part of the vehicles emission system and can lead to engine issues due to misfires as we are not able to utilize the vehicle out of fear that it won’t start or misfires potentially causing other system issues down the line.
Engine and engine cooling, Mar 21, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle started to overheat. The check engine warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and diagnosed with an engine coolant failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified and provided contact with a long block service replacement kit. The approximate failure mileage was 115,000.
Power train, Mar 20, 2022
At 19,500 miles, we stopped at a rest stop. Turned car back on 5 mins later, pulled out into traffic and the car would no longer go above 10-15 miles per hour. RPMs would shoot up, but car wouldn't go accelerate. Appeared to be "limp mode." Could still go into reverse. No warning lights on at this time. Stopped, turned car off and back on after a few minutes. No change. Eventually tried 'sport' mode just to see. At this point the car recognized an error, warnings came up and read "service transmission now." Towed car, mechanic read out error code P0984. Tech replaced valve body, filled transmission, and reset computer. At 21,250 miles, while in large amount of stop and go traffic between 45-10 MPH in left lane of interstate, car without warning again suddenly lost power and wouldn't go above 10-15 MPH and RPMs would shoot up with no acceleration. This time warning lights immediately lit up with "service transmission now" again. Had to maneuver across three lanes of traffic to pull over. Tried turning car on and back off several times. Could reverse, but could never get above 15 MPH. Towed car home. Three days later, go to drive car to mechanic and suddenly it was working normal again, no warning lights. Went to mechanic anyway, again read out P0984 error code. Mechanic did entire transmission replacement, stating he's seen this before and entire transmission replacement was only way to fix and guarantee this would stop happening. Completed work. Sold car at 23,000 miles.
Engine, Mar 18, 2022
Warning lamp came on, I repaired. A month later warning light again. Repaired again. Warning light back on a week later. I called Ford company to let them know what happened to their engine. They told me to get this checked out at their automotive company and I did. The result was I needed a new engine due to coolant leaking into cylinder 2. My life and others were a danger any time I was driving the vehicle due to fire hazard while driving. Yes it has been inspected
Engine, Mar 18, 2022
coolant runs into cylinder blocks, engine overheats and left stranded.
Engine, Mar 6, 2022
Check engine light turned on at 65,000 miles, with no other engine symptoms. Brought to Ford dealership for maintenance, told there is a design flaw with the engine that caused gasket head to go bad, now need a brand new engine, unable to drive until then due to possible engine fire. Ford refusing to pay entire repair bill, and has not acknowledged the existence of this problem in other vehicles.
Engine and engine cooling, Feb 25, 2022
The main issue with the engine is the check engine light comes on prematurely, the coolant leaks into the cylinders, and the engine lacks power. My vehicle is having a cylinder 2 and 4 misfire. Coolant leaks are a big problem! Not only does the leak have to be repaired, but the cylinders also have to be replaced or repaired. my vehicle is a newer ford with vary low mile and has been well managed and taken care of with oil changes and yearly checks and tuneups when necessary. I would have never imagined to run across this issue purchasing a newer vehicle, At a certified ford dealership with less than 29,000 miles on the vehicle. This has affected me in my life so greatly. I need a dependable safe vehicle to drive and when I purchased this vehicle I thought I was getting just that. I had nothing but problems after buying this new vehicle and been having to pay out of pocket to fix it. It’s been a safety concern driving. I have to drive this vehicle knowing it can stall and the engine smoke up and be damaged at any time. Please look into my concerns for this vehicle. Thank you for taking the time to read this statement. Sincerely, [XXX], Army Veteran, Nurse. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Engine and engine cooling, Feb 25, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. Upon inspection, the contact noticed that the coolant level was low. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the cylinder wall, causing engine failure. The dealer replaced the engine. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to file a complaint with NHTSA. The contact related the failure to TSB Number: 20-21000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 36,000.
Structure, Feb 23, 2022
Purchased a 2017 Ford Escape Titanium in lighting blue in October 2019. Now it's February 2022, the odometer reads 32,500 miles, and the paint is peeling on the driver's side next to the windshield. The warranty does not cover this issue. No accidents.
Structure, Feb 22, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at 70 MPH, there was an abnormal noise coming from underneath the undercarriage of the vehicle. The contact veered to the side of the road and noticed the plastic coverage under the vehicle near the engine had folded up. The contact was able to slowly continue to drive to the local dealer who inspected and removed the remaining plastic coverage from the undercarriage of the vehicle. The mechanic stated that the vehicle no longer needed that piece and it did not need to be replaced. The failure persisted and the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who inspected the vehicle and replaced some of the plastic screws that held up the remaining front plastic cover however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
Engine, Feb 9, 2022
The check engine light came on 01/31/22, the day I called for an apointment .On 02/09/22 the Ford Dealership mechanic diagnosed the problem as a coolant leak in the #2 cylinder. This will cause engine failure eventually. The engine has 61,030 miles. There was no indication of a problem, other than my routine fluids check two weeks ago where I ,for the first time ever, had to add coolant. The Ford dealership recommends a block replacement. My car is now past the 60,000 mile warranty. I have looked at the NHSA Web sight that this seems to be a common problem. My out of pocket costs could be as much as $9,000 ,on a vehicle I bought 2 1/2 years ago for $17,000.
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Engine, Feb 8, 2022
Had car in for 4 spark plugs replaced and one ignition coil replaced. After leaving mechanic, the car suddenly slowed down, dashboard screen came on with "High Engine Temperatures pull over safely and call your Ford dealer", and the check engine light came on. The car would not go over 10 miles an hour. I limped back to the mechanic. He could not find a problem, the scanner they use under the dash came back with several readings. None had anything to do with the spark plugs or ignition coil. He kept it for several hours, researching, then unplugged the battery for a while. Plugged it back up, then nothing wrong. He called me, I picked the car up and drove about 1.5 to 2 miles and same thing happened. the car suddenly slowed down, dashboard screen came on with "High Engine Temperatures pull over safely and call your Ford dealer", and the check engine light came on. The car would not go over 10 miles an hour. I limped back to my house. Had the car towed to a Ford dealership. They held it for 6 calendar days then ran a diagnostic on the car. It came back with sealant broke, coolant leaked into engine. I need a new engine. I am under the understanding this issue of coolant into engine was fixed back in 2020, with Ford's the Customer Satisfaction Program # 19B37. OF which I participated, but apparently, according to the Customer Satisfaction Program Customer Service person, the is nothing that can be done about it now. According to several Technical Service Bulletins and SSM bulletins, Ford has known about this issue for a while now. According to VehiclesHistory.com, NHTSA has a class action lawsuit concerning "coolant into the engine" against Ford. So here is one more complaint.
Power train, Feb 3, 2022
Catastrophic transmission failure and immediate loss off acceleration. Insurance tested transmission fluid by certified lab and found glycol coolant contamination in transmission resulting in catastrophic failure.
Wheels, Feb 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact indicated that while his son was attempting to remove the wheel from vehicle it was discovered that the wheel lug nuts had swollen and could not be removed using the manufacturer lug nut wrench that was provided with the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted and all the lug nuts had to be replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 85,000.
Wheels, Feb 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact indicated that while his daughter was attempting to remove the wheel from the vehicle, it was discovered that the lug nuts had swollen and could not be removed using the manufacturer’s lug nut wrench that was provided with the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted, and all the lug nuts had to be replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Jan 31, 2022
The contact's partner owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that he was with his partner who was driving approximately 45 MPH and the vehicle stalled. The contact's partner was able to pull over to the side of the road while the engine was misfiring. The contact stated that he was able to push the vehicle to an independent mechanic which was nearby. The mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and informed the contact that coolant fluid was leaking into the engine causing the misfire. The mechanic informed the contact that the vehicle should be taken to a dealer. The contact said that the vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that coolant was leaking into the second cylinder and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 147,000 miles.
Wheels, Jan 28, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his granddaughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the passenger’s side rear tire became flat. While attempting to remove the wheels to install the spare tire, it was discovered that the lug nuts had swollen, and the manufacturer’s provided lug nut wrench could not fit over the lug nuts. The contact was unable to remove the wheel. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who indicated that all the lug nuts for each wheel had experienced the same failure and would need to be replaced. The lug nuts were replaced, and the failure was remedied. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 30,000.
Wheels, Jan 18, 2022
I had to change a tire on the shoulder of a busy 4 lane highway. I was unable to fit the lug wrench onto a lug nut. I was unable to change the tire as I could not remove the lug nut. I had it taken to an independent service center where he confirmed that there were 4 other lugs total on the other (3) wheels that were swollen as well. There was no indication that these lug nuts were faulty.
Other or unspecified, Jan 16, 2022
Receiving auto start stop error and vehicle stalls while in drive. “Shift to P, restart engine”. Now vehicle will not shift and battery light also comes on.
Engine, Jan 14, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The "Engine Failure" warning message was displayed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with engine failure, which started with the water pump and blown head gaskets. The engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained with the independent mechanic. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact to tow the vehicle to a dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
Engine, Jan 12, 2022
My check engine light came on, and has since started chugging when I accelerate. Also have been adding coolant frequently. My safety issue is I am worried that I will stall when driving. I live in Minnesota and the weather here is brutal. My vehicle also kicks on the air conditioning by itself.
Structure, Jan 10, 2022
Tailgate lowers on its own without stopping on contact. Also does not beep.
Other or unspecified, Jan 9, 2022
Swollen lug nuts on all tires
Electrical system, Traction control system, Jan 6, 2022
Wiring harness rubbed on frame. It blew a fuse, disabled hill assist, traction control, and AWD.
Steering, Jan 3, 2022
Steering wheel was locked when went out to go to work. Finally got steering wheel unlocked and tried to continue to my destination. Power steering went out completely after a couple of turns. Vehicle towed to shop for determination of problem.