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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
5 / 9
Injuries / Deaths:
4 / 0
Average Mileage:
24,635 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2017 Ford Escape engine problems

engine problem

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2017 Ford Escape Owner Comments (Page 3 of 51)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #973

Feb 062024

Escape

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

In January 2024, the check engine light came on and we had an ignition coil and spark plug replaced. Less than a week later, the check engine light came back on and diagnostics showed a "misfire" on the same coil. The technician noticed the coolant was empty, refilled and found coolant entering the cylinder while engine was cooling. Engine had a "failed head gasket or cracked/warped head." Had to replace the engine, this was at 67,863 miles. Later I was speaking with a friend and was informed that this is evidently a known issue with the 2017 Escapes- some are already under recall, but my particular VIN number is not included in the existing recall. As I was researching online, it seems that many others, also not included in the recall, are having the same issue.

- Ball Ground, GA, USA

problem #972

Sep 272024

Escape

  • miles
Sept. 2024, while driving my 2017 Ford Escape, four-cylinder Eco boost engine 2 L down the highway, without warning all the dash lights came on and the engine quit running leaving me stranded on the side of a very busy highway. I had not noticed any engine problems at all until this moment. After a Good Samaritan told me the radiator was almost completely empty of fluid, he added water to my radiator reservoir and told me to immediately -??gently nurse it-?? to an auto repair shop. Which I did. The shop owner took several hours to examine the engine. He told me it ran hot because the radiator fluid had leaked into the oil. He later told me the smoke also coming from the tailpipe, the way the engine was hesitating to start up and radiator fluid in the oil was an indication my engine had a cracked head. He showed me the oil which was a chocolate brown. The shop owner told me it was not supposed to be that color. He told me it was a direct indication that my radiator fluid/antifreeze had leaked into the oil. He informed me this would lead to complete engine failure, and I needed to immediately take it to a shop/dealership where the engine could be rebuilt or completely replaced (he already had several vehicles he was currently working on and would not have time to get to it for several months). I drove my SUV home which was just 4 miles from this shop. It took me awhile to make arrangements for a local Ford dealership. In the meantime, I had not tried to start it back up at all. The morning I was to take my SUV to the dealership it would not start at all. I had to call a wrecker to have it towed to the Ford dealership, where they confirmed the findings of the initial mechanic. My SUV only has 89,748 miles on it. I still owe $11,000 and it will not start at all.

- Jonesboro, AR, USA

problem #971

Dec 222024

Escape

  • 70,000 miles
The contact's wife owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

- Plymouth, MI, USA

problem #970

Dec 112024

Escape

  • 48,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 70-75 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The front of the vehicle began to jerk. The contact was able to pull over to a rest area before the engine seized. The vehicle failed to crank up. The contact used a scope to see if the camshaft was moving. The low pressure and engine light were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was contacted, who opened a case, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000.

- New Castle, IN, USA

problem #969

Dec 122024

Escape

  • 98,000 miles
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road. The contact inspected the vehicle and refilled the coolant reservoir. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a coolant intrusion into cylinder #2 and a failed engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a coolant intrusion and a failed 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 contact referenced an unknown recall repair, which had a similar failure description. However, the contact was informed that the contact's VIN was not associated with any unknown recall repair. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.

- Destin, FL, USA

problem #968

Dec 182024

Escape

  • miles
Engine fault popped up on the instrument panel on 12/16/2024. Diagnostic said misfire on cylinder 3, replaced the plug and coil pack and topped off the antifreeze.Two days later vehicle overheated and started blowing white smoke out of the exhaust, antifreeze was totally gone. Took it back to the mechanic and was told the engine needed replaced.

- Eudora , KS, USA

problem #967

Dec 012024

Escape

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The car experienced a sudden loss of boost power and, at the same time, and MUCH more concerning and dangerous, a total loss of brake power assist. The brakes were firm (hard), but had ZERO power assist, and I could barely stop the car at idle in my driveway, much less on a highway or open road. I thank God that my son, who was driving at the time, was not in a dangerous situation when this failure occurred. It turns out, a single vacuum pump, mated directly to the camshaft, applies vacuum boost to the turbo (power loss) and brakes (catastrophic brake failure). I replaced the vacuum pump, but the problem persisted, so I had to take it in to the dealership for evaluation. I was told the problem is the bolt that mates the vacuum pump to the cam shears off when the vacuum pump seizes. I subsequently read of many cases of this problem on the Escape, but also on the F-150 (for which there is apparently a recall"?") -- really, any Ford with an Ecoboost turbo engine. Additionally, the bolt shearing and vacuum pump disintegrating, leads to metal shavings that destroy the turbo. How this VERY serious road hazard caused by a terrible engineering design flaw (single point of catastrophic failure) hasn't resulted in a MAJOR safety recall for all these Ford Ecoboost engines is totally shocking and beyond me. This is coming from an engineer who has spent 50+ years working on cars. NHTSA has absolutely failed in not addressing this terrible safety and design problem.

- Oakton, VA, USA

problem #966

Feb 012020

Escape

  • 50,000 miles
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while starting and driving at various speeds, the vehicle experienced rough idling. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the dealer, who determined that there was coolant intrusion into the engine block and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

- Glen Allen, VA, USA

problem #965

Dec 162024

Escape

  • miles
Coolant intrusion cylinder 4 no indicator light extremely low coolant level. A pressure leak down test was performed and it's getting in through the head gasket/cylinder wall.

- Santaquin, UT, USA

problem #964

Dec 022024

Escape

  • miles
Vehicle overheated due to low coolant level. Coolant was escaping cooling system and penetrating the 1.5L engine block, which required engine removal and replacement of short engine block and cylinder heads. My case#: CXH03199782 Ford issued a Technical Service Bulletin (#20-0010) which covered the cost of this repair through November, 30, 2022. This is a known problem caused by poor design of the cooling system. Ford will not cover the cost (over $5,000) for the engine repair now, even though I work at a Ford dealership. I had purchased my 2017 Ford Escape pre-owned in 2022 from a Hyundai dealership. Did they have an obligation to disclose that service bulletin to me?

- East Windsor, NJ, USA

problem #963

Aug 292024

Escape

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Took it to a mechanic was informed I had coolant leak into the 2nd rear cylinder cracking the head. Which caused the car to prematurely overheat and stall randomly on the highway. Was notified there is a issuse with coolant leaks with this model from the mechanic for the 2017 ford escape ecoboost models. Only had the coolant light come on the day prior to stalling.

- Kansas City, MO, USA

problem #962

Nov 252024

Escape

  • miles
Vehicle currently has 86K miles. The transmission is being replaced for the SECOND time. Replaced for the first time 2/17/23 at 63206 miles (invoice included). The dealer also informed me that coolant is leaking into the engine block pursuant to Ford Technical Service Bulletin 22-2229 [XXX] ) but I would have to replace the engine at my expense. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- St. Charles, MO, USA

problem #961

Dec 112024

Escape

  • 62,000 miles
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. While the contact-??s wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated. The temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the cylinders and engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was advised to contact the dealer to make them aware of the failure. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the contact was informed that the repair was not covered under warranty or recall. 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 62,000.

- Bellbrook, OH, USA

problem #960

Aug 192024

Escape

  • miles
2017 Ford Escape 1.5 ecoboost with only 50,571 miles. The engine failed as did the brakes due to the booster breaking off at the engine cam. I called Ford Motor Company and they asked me to take it to a Ford dealer because they have a customer service program on that engine which extended the power train warranty period to seven years. I notified Ford of the engine failure in August 2024, made an appointment at a Ford dealer per their request, had it towed to the dealer, and on 10/31/24 the Ford dealer notified me that the engine was defective and will cost $8000 to fix it. Ford Motor Company said sorry, the 7 year in service date on this vehicle expired on 10/19/24 just 12 days earlier, and refused to fix the engine. I had to pay the Ford dealer a $210 check out fee then go to the expense of towing the vehicle back home and stuck with a junk vehicle that Ford knows their ecoboost engine has a manufacturers defect.

- Greencastle, IN, USA

problem #959

Dec 012024

Escape

  • miles
2017 Ford Escape SE Ecoboost engine failure. Check engine light came on, engine did not overheat, but continued to misfire and make strange noises and motions during idling. After diagnostics, it was seen as a coolant leak issue, they later found pistons in my oil pan. Cost is $11,000 and they won't help cover any cost despite class action lawsuits and recall campaign. My car is out of warranty by year. I only have 78,000 miles on it, again should not be happening to a vehicle with this mileage. This is an obvious manufacturer issue and huge safety issue that Ford should be held accountable for.

- Largo, FL, USA

problem #958

Sep 182024

Escape

  • miles
My vehicle is a 2017 Ford Escape Titanium with a 2.0L EcoBoost engine with 57,315 miles. Check engine light came on and the Diagnostic Trouble Code came back P0301 so I took it to my highly trusted mechanic Aloha Auto Center in September for the repair of replacing the ignition coil and spark plugs. Unfortunately after the repair at 57,678 miles the indicator light came back on with the same code so I took it back to my mechanic looked it over saw that the coolant level was low (I think he mentioned white smoke but not 100% kind of a blur) so he did some quick research and found the TSB 19-2346 which includes my engine type, year, make and model along with the indicator code. My engine has the presence of coolant in the engine cylinder and it is running rough. He says it is clearly this TSB 19-2346 is the issue and that I should take it into Ford for the repairs and guessing at their Labor Rate I am looking at $10,000. Problem is my VIN doesn't show up in your system for this recall" It does for a different recall 22S43 for Cable Bushing. What do I need to do I have not contacted the dealership yet because after reading reviews online it sounds like Ford is being a pain to deal with and is not recognizing all the vin numbers of vehicles effected. I know those reviews might not have all the information correct but I am concerned that my VIN is not in the system, my warranty was 5 years or 60,000 miles whichever comes first and we are over the years but not the miles, I don't want to repair it with my money and then have my VIN in the system 5 months later and be out of luck and I really don't want my car to catch on fire with my family inside! The vehicle is available for inspection. The Mechanic shop that inspected phone number is 503-591-7442. Ford Dealership has not been notified. Really appreciate anything you can tell me and wondering would I be able to get my money back later if my VIN is added to the recall like 6 months from now or do I just let the car sit"

- Aloha, OR, USA

problem #957

Dec 012024

Escape

  • miles
2017 Ford Escape SE Ecoboost engine. Engine gasket broken. Vehicle only has 78,000 miles on it. Just out of the original warranty range. Consequently piston pieces ended up in the oil pan, ruining my engine. Dealership wants us to pay for it, $11,000. This is a common manufacturer problem that I've seen reported, there is potentially a campaign to get this recalled. I've also researched to where there is class action lawsuits against it. It is currently at Walker Ford in Clearwater, FL.

- Largo, FL, USA

problem #956

Nov 012024

Escape

  • miles
Car had error code P0301. Took car to Ford dealer and was told there is a known defect with the 2.0 liter Ecoboost engine, (Ford TSB 22-2229) regarding coolant leak into the engine cylinders. There is no fix, and Ford recommends replacing the entire engine at a cost of over $8,000. I have called Ford customer support, there is no recall and they are unwilling to do anything to assist with this problem.

- Mt Juliet, TN, USA

problem #955

Oct 152024

Escape

  • miles
2017 Ford Escape Titanium with 2.0 engine and 61,000 miles. Just had to replace the whole engine due to coolant leaks from engine block cracks. Extremely heavy smoking and very rough idling and driving. Will be picking up repaired vehicle tomorrow (12/10/24) after it being in garage for over a week. Estimated bill is ~$7,000.

- Salem, OH, USA

problem #954

Dec 052024

Escape

  • 138,771 miles
Check engine light came on while normal driving on highway and car immediately started running rough, power cutting out, engine sputtering. I immediately exited highway & pulled into a Ford dealership that was right off the highway. They hooked up a code reader & got a P0301 code error, misfire in cylinder 1. They said it could be a number of things wrong but couldn't get my car in shop for 2 weeks. Replaced spark plugs& coil, no difference, checked fuel injection & pressure seemed ok. Did some research found that there is a known issue with the 2017 escapes 1.5 liter eco boost turbo engines involving coolant leaking into cylinders causing the same exact problem I am experiencing with my vehicle. I have done regular oil changes & other maintenance on the vehicle since purchasing in 2020 and haven't had any problems really other than having to replace the water pump prematurely in my opinion at much higher costs than I have ever seen for such repair. I still owe a decent amount in the vehicle and this break engine issue is a great hardship to me personally as it is my only vehicle and is greatly hindering my ability to travel to & from work. I cannot afford a high repair bill and by my research I'm looking at a minimum of $750 and possible engine replacement at estimated $10,000 which is more than I owe & more than the car's estimated value. Ford has always been my family's preferred choice of vehicles so I'm counting on that confidence in Ford motor co to determine if my vehicle could indeed be included among the models affected by the published recalls on the 2017 escapes so that my vehicle can be repaired at no costs and I can get back on the road and otherwise avoid losing my job & having to voluntarily surrender the vehicle in lieu of repossession. I understand that repairs are sometimes required but the issue with my vehicle seems sudden with no prior warnings and with so many same model & year escapes having the exact same problem a recall seems very likely.

- El Reno, OK, USA

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