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
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated. The contact stated that an unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 79,900.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at approximately 70 MPH, the transmission slipped out of gear. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal and the engine revved; however, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that the "Service" with an exclamation point warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but became a recurring failure while driving at various speeds. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local mechanic who flushed and refilled the transmission fluid. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the transmission failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 154,000.
We purchased a vehicle from Tom Holzer ford in Farmington Hills, MI back in 2017. We just took the vehicle in for service and the repair shop stated we need a new motor because it is leaking coolant into cylinder number 1. They are able to see exhaust in the cooling system and the vehicle is unsafe to drive. There is a technical service bulletin and is a known issue for ford escapes. We need to have Ford cover the cost of the new motor and get it done immediately.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the engine ran rough. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 47,000.
Coolant intrusion causing engine failure
My vehicle is currently with a Ford Dealership and I was advised one of the cylinders is bad and the repair bill is $13,000.00. I have 55,000 miles on the vehicle. This appears based on my research this has been a common problem. Since the 60 months has passed, I am told I have no recourse to address this problem. Ford needs to honor any problems that happen before 60000 miles and not 5 years OR 60000 miles whichever comes first! In this society people work from home and don’t drive cars like they have in the past!
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact became aware of an oil leak, and transmission and engine failure. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnosis and repair. The contact was informed that the engine block and turbocharger needed to be replaced; additionally, the transmission needed to be rebuilt. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 62,000.
There is a known design flaw in 2013-2019 Ford EcoBoost engines where coolant leaks into the cylinders and causes the engine to overheat/fail. There are currently lawsuits pending about this issue but they are mostly focused on the 1.5L model; however, my 2017 2.0L model was just diagnosed with this issue at only 71,150 miles and the car is done. It needs a new engine and Ford has, as of yet, refused to issue a recall or make this right. All three versions of this engine have the same design flaw. I’m being told that my car is “too old” to meet any of Ford’s requirements for help, so I’m essentially being punished for using my car gently and because the issue did not manifest until after the warranty expired. This issue eventually causes a fire if the driver is not able to safely pull over when the engine begins overheating. Luckily, this did not happen in my case but the car is now undriveable.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the vehicle was idling roughly, causing the vehicle to vibrate abnormally. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but had become a recurring failure. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that ignition coil #2 needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred, and the vehicle was taken back to the same independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the air intake assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that failure reoccurred, and the vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic who informed the contact that coolant had leaked into cylinder #2, and that the valve cover was cracked. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The contact stated that the independent mechanic related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin Number: 19-2208 - Coolant In Cylinders (Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was 104,590.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the "Service Engine Now" and "Engine Service Require" messages were displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who replaced the water pump, but the failure persisted. The vehicle stalled while driving. The vehicle was towed to a transmission specialist, who replaced the transmission for the second time; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic, who replaced the alternator and coolant pump; however, the failure recurred, and the cause of the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 137,000.
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. CAR MISFIRED A LITTLE. HAD CAR CHECKED BY MECHANIC. THEY TOLD ME THIS VEHICAL HAS HISTORY OF ENGINE COLLANT LEAKING INTO CYLINDERS. TOOK TO LOCAL FORD DEALER AND THEY CONFIRMED COOLANT IS LEAKING INTO THE ENGINE CYLINGER. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. CAR ONLY HAS 67,600 MILES BUT WAS TOLD ONLY FIX IS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE ENGINE AT A COST OF ALMOST $10,000 OR ENGINE WILL FAIL IF I KEEP DRIVING IT.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the engine overheated. The contact stated that the messages “Engine Overheating” and “LIMP Mode” were displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced due to coolant leak into the engine. The contact believed that the failure was associated with Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 84,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 25-30 MPH, the vehicle started jerking. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact's husband was able to pull to the side of the road and then drove to the residence. The dealer was contacted and advised the contact to not drive the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion in the cylinders due to a crack in the engine block. The dealer determined that the engine block needed to be replaced. The contact related the failure to Ford Campaign Number: 21N12. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000.
After purchasing a 2017 Ford Escape with the 2.0L engine, a check engine light came on, indicating misfires in cylinder 1. Local mechanic found coolant leaking into the engine and advised not to drive more than a few miles as potential for further damage and/or possible engine fire may occur as oil may also be leaking into the cylinders. I found there is a TSB by Ford to it's mechanics as a known problem, but the Ford dealer is indicating they won't cover it as the car is 94k miles and there is no official recall.
antifreeze intrusion from head gasket into cylinder 3. broke down on roadway. was diagnosed by ford, Lincoln, mercury dealer kept having to fill antifreeze every other month for years when it became severe the check engine light came on with code to cylinder 3 Ford diagnosed failed head gasket do to bad engineering design and recommended replacement of engine... $10,200 called ford and was told no help available submit complaint on NHSTA, was my only option
Coolant leaks into the coils and this is a known design flaw with no recall issued
Ford told me I need a NEW ENGINE that will cost $11,000. Coolant leaked into the cylinder. The car only has 62,000 miles on it.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to respond with the accelerator pedal depressed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with front pump failure and a faulty part in the transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline and report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 68,125.
Coolant intrusion into the cylinders due to a faulty design on the engine block. The only fix for this is engine replacement. 2017-2019 ford 2.0 ecoboost motors. Ford technical service bulletin 22-2229 issued June of 2022 to its service departments acknowledges that there is a know issue and to correct it the engine must be replaced [XXX] This video explains in detail the issue and the fact that for motor company knows of this issue. In 2020 ford changed the deign to correct the issue INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
All four of the tail lights, on the hatch and on the sides of the car are leaking and retaining water which has caused the brake/tail lights on the rear to fail. This is an obvious safety hazard and a quick Google search reveals that it is a widespread problem. There has always been some water in the light, starting with condensation about a year ago, but as of the last few weeks, the lights are inconsistent, and now appear to not be working at all.
I had my car serviced with Ford 6/2024 for the replacement of a steering rack and pinion that cost $3,000. After repair, my check engine light came on. Ford capped all my fluids, but said they didn’t diagnose the check engine light because it would cost another $200 diagnostic fee. On 7/1/2024 I took my car to a local mechanic and he discovered I had no coolant fluid and a diagnostic test showed a misfire in Cylinder 1. He diagnosed this for free in a few minutes, while Ford refused and allowed me to drive back on the road in dangerous conditions. My coolant is leaking into cylinder 1. This is due to a manufacture defect in the open deck design of the engine block. My life was put at risk on the road driving with no coolant causing damage to my engine and reducing my car’s performance. Joes Auto shop confirmed my issue informing that I need a new engine costing around $8,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle shuddered. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The local dealer was not contacted. 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 approximately 100,000.
The "engine light" came on and reported a misfire in cylinder 3. After further research, I found that this is an indicator of the failure of a gasket allowing coolant to leak into the cylinder causing the misfire. I have had the issue diagnosed, confirming the gasket failure by two garages, one being a Ford dealership. Further research has shown that this is a known flaw to the Ford Company, caused by the engine design. The "fix" is a long block engine replacement. If no action is taken the engine will eventually loose coolant and over heat, or the damage in the cylinder will ultimately cause the engine to lock up, likely causing an accident and thus putting occupants of the SUV and possibly others at risk of injury. My car had approximately 100,000 miles when the issue was first indicated, approximately six months after purchasing the vehicle from a Ford dealership.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle was jerking and stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be repaired. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The contact stated that on another occasion while driving 35 MPH, the engine overheated and lost motive power with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with coolant leaking into the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 85,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the engine block. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 42,000.
I have to get a new engine due to the coolant leak.
The engines head gasket has failed causing coolant intrusion into cylinder 3. This seems to be a recurring problem with the 1.5L short block ecoboost engines. This caused the vehicle to be extremely low on power and unable to maintain speed dropping to 40mph on the highway with nowhere to safely pull over for a mile or so.
Seems I have one of the Ford Escapes that coolant is leaking into the cylinders, I have 47500 miles on my 2017 Escape. Was informed that the engine needs to be replaced. Car overheated with my [XXX] in the car during a torrential rainfall driving on a highway where people had their hazard lights on because of the rain. By the time we got home there wasn't a drop of coolant. Added some and it was empty the next day, nothing on the road, My mechanic said it's not leaking it's going into the cylinder to the motor. Now I have to go car shopping can't have a dangerous car like this with my granddaughter in the car. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Coolant leaking into the engine causing the vehicle to overheat
Vehicle over heated on the freeway on my way home. Engine light came on and info display said to stop driving immediately. Also had a loss of power reducing my speed to 25 mph. I pulled to the side of the road and opened hood. There was no coolant in the reservoir. I was able to get a ride to an auto parts store to purchase more collant. Took it to the ford dealer ship and the discovered coolant leaking into cylinder 2 and said a complete engine replacement was required. They quoted me $11,000 to replace. Found many similar issues posted online. Dangers included possible engine fire.
At random times, the engine would lose power without warning, sometimes very significantly. I was fortunate that this never occurred during a time when it could have resulted in an accident. This is a known issue with this engine (ref: Ford TSB 22-2229), yet Ford refuses to offer any corrective measures other than to replace the entire engine at the owner's expense. In my opinion, this is clearly a potential safety issue and the Ford Motor Company should be held responsible for correcting the problem with all owners of the vehicles affected.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the vehicle was jerking abnormally. In addition, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact stated that the failure was due to coolant intrusion into the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was excessive white smoke emanating from the exhaust. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 79,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the coolant intrusion had damaged the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 66,000.
I was having to go to stl to see my sons in the NICU in Creve Couer, and when doing so anytime I got over 70 mph for maybe 5 minutes, it would pop up with "Transmission fault, service now." I have to pull over, turn the car off, sit for 30 minutes, then turn my car back on and stay under 65 the rest of the way home. As a mom of a [XXX] little girl and a mom of twin boys I don't have the money to have it repaired right now, but I wanted to let someone know what is going on with my vehicle. Thank you INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
2017 Escape with fewer than 60k Miles on it is now requiring an engine replacement because of a coolant leak. The coolant leak causes a cylinder to misfire and shake the entire vehicle. This is apparently a known issue with this model year and those surrounding it according to my mechanic and a myriad of others on online forums.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start-up. The vehicle was able to be jumpstarted. The contact stated that a system failure warning light was illuminated. The battery was replaced; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the CPU motherboard had been wiped. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 156,480.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact's son used a code reader that determined that the O2 sensor was defective. The vehicle was taken to a Ford dealer where it was confirmed the O2 sensor was defective; however, the mechanic also discovered coolant intrusion into an 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 and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000.
The engine started rough and has white smoke. The car lost the speed on a highway all of a sudden. Then, it is diagnosed to be a coolant intrusion problem.
Without any warning, discovered the left brake lamp/tail lamp failed due to extensive water intrusion, caused by the failure of the plastic bonding all along the upper edge of the tail lamp assembly, which allowed copious amounts of water to leak in. The right tail lamp assembly appears to be susceptible to the same failure. Brake & tail lamps are safety components of any motor vehicle, and are critical for accident/crash avoidance/prevention. One online Escape owner's forum cites identical issues, indicating that this defective part is not unique or one of a kind. Original owner.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the pressure sensor needed to be replaced; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to the same dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that coolant had leaked into the engine block through the head gasket, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 54,000.
Engine has premature head gasket failure causing a coolant leak in a combustion chamber and low coolant levels. Vehicle at risk of sudden overheating and subsequent engine fire. Condition was not noticed by driver, and only noticed by a trained automotive technician. Failed component: Engine block and head gasket Safety risk: Severe engine fire Problem acknowledged by Ford: See TSB 22-2229 Problem verified by automotive technician Engine light and error code indicates cylinder 2 mis-fire
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that coolant intrusion had damaged the engine, requiring that the engine be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12, but the vehicle was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 71,000.
Coolant intrusion into cylinder. This is a known problem on my 2.0l ecoboost engine. The dealership is recommending an engine replacement to fix the problem. Only 94000 miles on it and 7 years old.
I had a check engine code on the car #p0304. I took it to the dealer. They told me I need an new engine for 9000 dollars. They said it was coolant intrusion on the #4 cylinder. Now I've found out that there are thousands of 2.0 litre engines with the same problem. Sounds like a recall issue to me. My car only has 81000 miles on it and in great shape. Now it is basically worth nothing. Unless I come up with 9000 dollars to fix it. I have never had anything like this happen before. Please make them recall these engines. They built them badly.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her mother was driving at an undisclosed speed, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating, prompting the driver to pull to the shoulder off the roadway. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that coolant intrusion had damaged the engine, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 39,000.
The contact called on behalf of her daughter who owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, she became aware of white smoke emanating from underneath the hood of the vehicle. The contact also noticed an abnormal coolant odor. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not repaired or diagnosed by an independent mechanic or local dealer. The contact stated that a relative advised that the head gasket might have been blown. The contact stated that while doing research, she became aware that it was a known failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 69,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The contact stated that upon start-up the vehicle would not properly accelerate. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed and determined that coolant had leaked into cylinder #3, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not eligible for the Extended Warranty coverage for the failure. The failure mileage was 80,000.
Less than 100,000 miles in and the car completely stopped working. It needs a new engine. The coolant was leaking into the engine apparently and hundreds of other people have had the same issue
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that coolant intrusion into cylinder #3 had caused damages to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 56,000.