NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2017 Ford Escape. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
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.
Coolant Leak. An Internet search revealed that this was a common problem among this model (coolant leaking into cylinder #2). I keep coolant in the car at all times in case of overheating.
My check engine light came on and the dealer ship says coolent leaked into the cylinders and car needs a new engine for $11,000. Car is at 100,000 miles. After doing research it seems a lot of Fords are having this problem because of a defective engine design and should be a recall
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.
My vehicle had shown a misfire of cylinder 3 at 300000 miles. Had it mantaineced and was told it was a fluke. A year later my car began stalling after starting, smoking out of the tail pipe, and having issues with low coolant levels causing the heat not to work. After research I found this issue to be reported on hundreds of times on forums and with technical service bulletins. There have been reports of engine failure while driving, smoking engine due to low or no coolant from leakage into the engine, and engine FIRES. There are over 502 complaints on the Ford Escape 2017 2.0 FWD engine alone. I have taken my car to a certified Ford dealer and had confirmation of a coolant leak into the engine cylinders due to defective cylinder parts failing prematurely. My car is currently at 60000 with a complete engine failure caused by defective parts. This problem has been reported on 1.5 ecoboost engines as well. This is a
Coolant is leaking into the cylinders. This seems to be because of a defect in the way the engine was cut from the manufacturer.
The coolant is leaking into the engine block. This is a no problem with these engines. I may have to replace the engine.
Last week my 2017 Ford escape started shaking. Soon after my check engine light came on, an overheating warning, and power train warning came on. I had my car towed to Ford to be serviced. They called and told me I need a new engine. Apparently my coolant has been leaking into the engine. After researching, I’ve found this seems to be happening regularly. It’s beyond frustrating that Ford has not resolved this dangerous issue and is refusing to help people with these enormous engine replacement costs.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed with coolant leak into the engine cylinders. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to retain documents regarding the cost of the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 83,290.
Transmission. Was replaced at 101,000 miles. Made driving situation unsafe, at risk for transmission failure. Replaced at independent service. Has been brought to a ford dealership and looked at. Check engine light appeared. 6 months before replacement.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the engine started to vibrate and misfire. The contact stated that DTC codes: P0302 (Cylinder #2 Misfire) and P0012 (Intake A cam shaft position timing) were retrieved. The contact drove the vehicle to a local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and advised that coolant had intruded into the engine block and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The contact was advised by the dealer that there was a TSB: 19-2346 Coolant Intrusion into The Cylinders (Engine and Engine Cooling) related to the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 91,000.
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.
Car misfires and loses coolant due to antifreeze intrusion into the engine. Engine warning light came on, concern of overheating. I have taken it to a car dealership and they have said yes, it is a know problem. There was a customer satisfaction program-21N12, that replaced customer satisfaction program 19B37-Supplement #4; that references Technical Service Bulletin 22-2134, of which I was never made aware of the 21N12 customer satisfaction program that offered a one time repair to affected vehicles by November 30, 2022. I did not receive the paperwork, sample letter sent is dated June 9, 2022, thus making me unaware of the dire issue and offer for repair. I do not know if my car was experiencing the problem then, but I would like to have know there was a known engine concern from Ford. Instead, I have had the following timeline since not receiving the notification: Extended Warranty expires: February 2023 Replace Water pump, costing $1666.82 in May 2023 Replace Auxillary pump, all vehicle filters, and spark plugs in August/September 2023. Found out about Customer Satisfaction Program 21N12 and know engine issue in September 2023. Vehicle will now not start. I continued to own my car that had an extended service warranty expire in February 2023.
Auto Start/Stop feature stopped working. Shows unavailable no matter setting. Have had battery checked multiple times and dealership supposedly fixed prior but it is not working again
The automatic idle stop jerks very bad I have had to disengage it for safety It should be a recall issue in my opinion ASAP. Thankyou
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
I took my vehicle to the Ford dealership I purchased it from as I started to have white smoke coming from my exhaust on startup. Ford ran the diagnostics to identify that the engine short block is failing, causing coolant intrusion into the cylinder bores. This issue will not notify on the dash of the vehicle and it will eventually cause the car to catch on fire. The dealership informed me this is a known issue identified by Ford with the motor. Instead of an official recall, Ford issued a customer service program for 5 months in 2022 to fix the issue if your car was exhibiting this issue but will not fix the issue now as that program has ended. I never received notice of this program and the dealership I purchased my car from did not reach out to me. At the time of the program my car was not experiencing the issue. Now my car is experiencing the issue and Ford will not fix this under my warranty or provide financial assistance for a new engine for an issue that is a manufacturers defect.
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.
Coolant entering engine
Coolant is leaking into engine. Check Engine light then engine shutting down on highway.
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.
Emergency brake sets itself. Car won't start. Takes many attempts to get brake to release and be able to drive car.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated and stalled. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle hesitated and started to shake. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that coolant had leaked into the cylinder block, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, a diagnostic test was not performed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacture was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the Extended Warranty program had expired. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.
I’m submitting this on behalf of my daughter before someone gets hurt or killed. My daughter purchased a ford escape in 2018. Over years the driver rear door has gotten impossible to open. You have to pull so hard that sometimes the door is rip from your hand and snaps shut. Other times you can pull so hard that it rips the door panel off. So, she stop using that door. She then had a child and decided to put the car seat on the rear passenger side due to the door. Now that I know about her problem and she’s expecting a second child. Well, do I need to say more. She will need to use both side for car seats. If theres an accident and they can’t get the babies out, god forbid. The car hasn’t been in an accident and has been cared for properly with all maintenance done as scheduled. Please help. The dates and such don’t apply and there’s no N/A available. Since I’ve learned of her issue I’ve researched and saw there were recalls on door hinges but not for her year. Any help would be great.
On Friday, September 15th, 2023 I was driving an on- ramp to enter a highway. I was driving approximately 40mph, as I was merging onto the hi-way I accelerated and the car lost acceleration. There was a loud bust and the car began to sputter. I was not able to drive over 40mph. I exited the hi-way and as I was came to a stop at a red light, the car began to take on gas fumes. The fumes were so strong I thought the car was going to catch on fire. I pulled into the nearest parking lot and called for roadside assistance. The car was towed to the Ford Dealer and I was told the engine blew and would require a new one. The car only had approximately 56,000 miles. The car is still at the dealer having the new engine installed. This was the second such incident with this car. In January 2023, the car was doing the same thing, but as I was driving the car on the street. I took the car to the Ford Dealer and they replaced valves. At that time the car had under 50,000 miles.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the spark plugs needed to be replaced. The spark plugs were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer and the spark plugs and coils were replaced however, the check engine warning light returned. The vehicle was then taken to Pep Boys and the contact was made aware of the engine cylinder failures. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 39,744.
Engine check engine came on and found coolant low, refilled, and 2 weeks later coolant low again. I suspected coolant leaking into the engine since no coolant on the ground. Dealership confirmed this and said new engine block is required. It is a 2017 Escape with only 33,000 miles now. It is ridiculous that Ford knowingly went into production with this bad engine design which they redesigned later. I found out that there was a TSB to replace the engine block. Ford knows the engine is an issue and only fixed some of the vehicles as the issue happens. However, my SUV has no warranty and I was told engine replacement is not covered. This poses a risk to my daughter with the possibility of engine fire if coolant burns out, not to mention hesitation at lights while turning that can cause an accident. SUV is available for your inspection. I feel Ford issued a TSB to prevent a recall so they do not have to address problem with all the vehicle. NHTSA should force this recall or force Ford to expand TSB to all affected vehicles with no limit. Communication with Ford Dealership and Ford Customer Relations is available.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while stopped at a traffic light, there was smoke coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that coolant and oil were leaking and the turbocharger and hoses needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. On another occasion, while driving approximately 35 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the residence where a handheld diagnostic machine diagnosed that the spark plugs needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic where it had faulty wheel bearings, spark plugs, and a coolant leak. The contact was informed that the spark plugs and wheel bearings needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the check engine light illuminated within a week. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the coolant leaked into cylinder #1 and the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 84,340.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact attempted to slow down to exit the Interstate and the vehicle started jerking and driving rough. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was determined that coolant had leaked into cylinder #2, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. After receiving the repair, the check engine warning light illuminated again. The contact decided to trade the vehicle instead of repairing the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,175.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, the vehicle began shaking abnormally. On another occasion, while driving at approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle began shaking abnormally. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced due to coolant intrusion. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 105,000.
2017 Ford Fusion Coolant Intrusion into cylinders
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while the vehicle was at the dealer for routine maintenance, the contact was informed that the lug nuts were swollen and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The manufacturer declined to cover the cost of repairs due to wear and tear. The failure mileage was 44,346.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the spark plugs had been replaced previously; however, there was a misfire in the engine, and there was coolant leaking into the engine. The contact stated that the coolant reservoir had to be refilled constantly. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that there was a coolant leak present and that the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
Known common problem of coolant leaking into engine and ford says they will only replace up to 84,000 miles. This is clearly a dangerous manufacturing flaw.
The car has coolant intrusion problem that is known to Ford. The check engine light came on. Fortunately, I was not far from home. Upon arriving at home, we discovered that the coolant level was suddenly well below the minimum level. If we hadn't been diligent in checking the coolant, the car could have caught on fire. October 4, 2023 this was confirmed by our local Ford dealership. We have received the cost of repair and contact Ford. They will offer no financial assistance in addressing this known problem.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while making a left turn into traffic, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle was shaking abnormally. Additionally, the contact stated that when the heat was turned on, there was an abnormal burning odor in the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that coolant had intruded into a cylinder and caused damage to the engine block. The contact was informed that the engine block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the gear shifter was firm causing the vehicle to become inoperable. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and determined that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 113,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message “Pull Over Safely” was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was notified of coolant intrusion into the engine and that the cylinder block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was being repaired. The contact was informed that there was an unknown recall for the failure however, the recall had expired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to contact the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 54,400.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was driving normally; however, when the vehicle was started in the morning, the vehicle was idling rough for approximately 5 minutes. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that coolant had entered the cylinders and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin Number: 19-2139 Coolant Intrusion into the Cylinder (Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 122,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed with coolant leaking into the engine cylinder. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.
Coolant leaking into engine, making it misfire, and eventually engine will lock up. Verified by dealer. Needs engine replaced. This is happening to engines built prior to 2019. Ford has a service bulletin for it. Ford needs to issue a recall. The check engine light comes on due to the misfire as the coolant burns out of the cylinders.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, a message indicating that the engine was overheating was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the coolant level was low. The mechanic flushed the coolant. However, the vehicle failed to start two days later. The vehicle was towed to another independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that coolant was leaking into the engine, leading to low engine compression. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, where the same assessment was made, and the engine was replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle was involved in a collision. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and depressing the accelerator pedal two days later, the vehicle lurched forward and hesitated to respond. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to exceed 30 MPH. Additionally, the RPM was revving significantly. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure recurred intermittently while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the high-pressure fuel pump (HPFP) tappet had fractured and caused metal pieces intrusion into the engine, fractured unknown parts, and blocked the oil flow. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced and that the failure was not related to the accident. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 70,000.
The base of the carseat does not stay locked into position. it freely slides from 5-1 and back. i have video footage showing the carseat rocking forward and backwards when locked. this puts a child at risk for positional asphyxiation and at risk for severe injury or death in the event of an accident. evenflo is refunding the money for both of the carseats that i bought in the beginning of august and refused to replace with the same carseat. there are other reviews online that said this is a common occurence. these seats should be recalled. i drove around without knowing they were damaged for a month with my 2 yo and almost 1 yo.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the temperature gauge started climbing into the high temperature and then went below the normal engine temperature and then fluctuated. There was a message to stop and turn off the vehicle due to the engine temperature. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that coolant had intruded into the cylinders, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: 19-2346 - Coolant in Cylinders (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
Engine coolant intrusion short block needed replaced was taken to mt orab dealership to have reprogramming done which I just found out they did not even do the reprogramming back in 2022 I had appointment scheduled for the reprogramming I had made one in November around 11th but not sure what happened so was rescheduled dec 6 th I am so disappointed in dealership lack of communication with customers about this program because they did not get me in until dec 6th the program ended this is completely unfair for me to pay out of pocket for dealership mistake with not disclosing they did not do reprogramming when vehicle was brought in and the program was over by the time they did
Ford Motor Company has a known defect with their ecoboost engine in the 2013-2019 Ford Escapes, 2013-2019 Ford Fusions, 2015-2018 Ford Edges, 2016-2019 Lincoln MKCs, and 2016-2019 Lincoln MKZs. My 2017 Ford Escape started experiencing signs of this issue and had the check engine light come one. My research found that the issue can lead to overheating, engine damage, smoke from the exhaust pipe, the constant need to replenish coolant, and most importantly, engine fires. Upon inspection, the Ford Dealer is charging me $6,400 to repair the vehicle. I’ve driven it 49k miles out of the 60k warranty, but have owned the car slightly over the 60 months provided in the manufactures warranty. I don’t understand why the NHTSA won’t take a more aggressive approach by forcing Ford to repair a significant and serious issue. There have been recalls of other Ford models that have this same issue - they should be forced to recall these model years to ensure these cars are safe. They should also be forced to reimburse consumers who had to pay for these repairs out of pocket.
Coolant leaked through spark plugs and into the engine. The whole engine needs to be replaced. My mental health has been severely affected due to the repair being roughly the same amount I still owe on the vehicle ($11k) and have not been able to make it to work. Ford has acknowledged this specific known issue on a Technical Service Bulletin 22-2134. Check engine light came on indicating cylinder 3.
The engine needs to be replaced due to antifreeze in cylinder 3. There were no warning lights or codes, just kept topping off the antifreeze until I saw TSB 22-2229 and took it to a dealer where it currently sits and has been there 3 weeks waiting for the engine. My vehicle only has 50,000 miles on it.
Engine has a coolant intrusion defect resulting in the need of a complete engine swap. The vehicle is at the shop, but potentially available for inspection. The issue is widely known to be a common defect of the 1.5L ford ecoboost engine. It has already been inspected by the mechanics and an extended warranty inspector from Veritas Global. A flashing check engine light came on only at the time of failure, not before. When the failure occurred, engine power was lost in the middle of traffic and the car was vibrating vigorously. The vehicle was pulled off the road and towed to a Ford dealer.