2017 Ford Escape complaints

I was accelerating onto the freeway, heard a knocking sound and the was hesitancy in acceleration. I traveled a few moments, the check engine light came on for the first time and the vehicle began to shake and sputter. Thankfully, I was able to exit the freeway out of harm's way. This is the first time this malfunction occurred. Upon evaluation by a trusted mechanic, and after diligent testing and problem solving attempts by his technicians, I was informed that there had been complete engine failure due to coolant leaking into the cylinders. I have contacted Ford Customer Relations twice with no response as of this writing. The vehicle has less than 32K miles on it and it has been very well maintained. Through investigation I have found that this problem is wide spread. There is an obvious and dangerous design flaw in this particular engine. It must be addressed.

Engine Coolant is leaking into Cylinder #3 causing significant miss firing of said cylinder. The car is consuming gallons of coolant, which contaminates the gas and oil in the engine…which renders the car unsafe to operate. This is a long standing problem for the open head design and has caused fires. Check engine light, and low coolant warnings are evident.

Started the vehicle to run errands and upon exiting the driveway the vehicle was rough idling and the check engine light was blinking. Immediately turned around, brought it home and checked the manual. Scheduled service with dealer and left it parked until the service date. Dealer reproduced the problem, ran diagnostics and verified concern. Diagnostic codes P0304 and P0316 returned. Dealer found cylinder 4 misfiring. Dealer swapped ignition coils from 3-4. Misfire stayed on cylinder 4. Dealer swapped spark plug on cylinder 4. Misfire cleared up. Dealer noted coolant was not low and had not been added by customer. The vehicle was in for regular oil change service at the same dealer on 6/7/24 and the service package included fluid top off, but the paperwork received did not note specifically whether coolant had been topped off. Dealer let vehicle sit overnight at dealership and checked cylinders for coolant the next day. Dealer found coolant leaking into cylinder 4. Dealer states long block assembly needs replaced due to coolant intrusion. Quoted price of repair $8585.03. Repair not covered by Ford even though it seems to be a known issue. We declined repairs at this time. Why our vehicle has not been included in the recall is a mystery. It meets the date and the final assembly plant location. It is a 2017 Ford Escape Titanium 2.0L EcoBoost engine, assembled in Louisville.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated on several occasions while starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the vehicle was shaking violently before the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced due to coolant intrusion into cylinder #2. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion into the engine. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 76,421.

Coolant is somehow invading the spark plug cavity. I fill up coolant reservoir and it disappears. Car uncontrollable shaking and engine light is on with a warning the car is unsafe to continue driving.

My son was driving this car home from school and while going through a busy street, the car suddenly buckled and stalled and he was almost t-boned. Thankfully he was not hit. We later found out that this vehicle was assembled in a plant that has a known line issue with their engine blocks. This issue caused one of the cylinders to crack and fluid to leak in causing the issue that almost caused the accident. We were made aware that this is a known issue by our service person. Ford is aware of it as they have issued CSPs and TSPs regarding the issue but have yet to issue a recall and will not cover repair costs or offer to fix vehicles before they have the issue. Ford should have a safety recall to prevent possible accidents as these vehicles age and the problem occurs more regularly.

Dealership has confirmed coolant intrusion in motor due to a faulty design of the ecoboost 1.5 engine. I have found research saying this could cause engine fire or complete engine failure while driving. This is scary since I drive my 3 year old in this vehicle.

Car is exhibiting symptoms of coolant intrusion into cylinder 3, but needs to be confirmed by Ford. Was getting a misfire on cylinder 3 and replaced the spark plugs and coil pack. Coolant consumption with no visible leaks has begun in the last 2 weeks. This is a known issue and Ford has not issued recalls to fix this. If Ford would like to inspect and troubleshoot the issue at no cost, I am willing to take the vehicle into the dealer. Engine seizure is a possible result of this defect and could cause an accident and even death.

2017 Ford Escape coolant leaked into engine causing vehicle to, all of a sudden, not accelerate when driving on city road. This happened at night with woman driving alone which obviously not safe! Since vehicle would not go over 2-3 mph traffic was backed up and had to put hazard lights on until could get car over. Vehicle was taken to dealer and found out the issue of coolant leaked into engine. The only way to fix the Escape would be to replace the engine. We did get the engine replaced costing $7,439. Researching this problem we have found this is a known issue but Ford has not issued a recall. This problem is not safe for anybody on the road. This should be a recall and Ford should reimburse us for the cost of repair. I do have the receipt as proof of what we paid to replace the engine. This happened in August 2023

This is a 2.0L ecoboost engine with known manufacturing defect that causes leak of coolant into cylinders. Check engine light came on. Diagnostics at automotive service center disclosed by Ford Technical Service Bulletin. The engine cannot be repaired it must be replaced with a new engine that has been upgraded to correct the internal defect. Cost is $7,000. This same defect occurs in other model Fords built in same year and the Fusion engine was recalled. The engine poses an imminent danger for seizure during operation, overheating and fire. The engine is scheduled to be replaced. A new upgraded engine is on order with expected delivery by August 31. The defective engine is available for inspection as well as mechanic report of duagnostics.

The dealership reported that coolant was leaking into the engine cylinders, and now the whole engine needs to be replaced. They also informed us that this was a "known issue" but is not covered via a recall. This is due to a flawed design, and they do not have a way to prevent it from happening again if we were to replace the engine. We started with a check engine light, and the car had issues getting to highway speeds and reversing uphill. Then the temp warning would go off if we used the AC even for short trips.

I have a 2017 Ford Escape with a 1.5L engine. I bought the car 4 years ago certified pre-owned from a ford dealer. Four weeks ago I brought my car to another dealer (one that was recommended) because I was experiencing problems starting my car, a pop up message saying “Engine Fault - Service Now”, and some vibrations while driving the car. But no check engine light or any other problems. That ford dealer when I brought it in said they could not duplicate the problems I was expecting after 2 days of testing and gave the car back to me. Two weeks later and I get the same problems but worse. I start seeing some smoke coming from my exhaust when starting the car, engine light came on and the last straw was a pop up message saying “High Engine Temp - stop car safely” and the car would not excel over 12 mph. So I took it to my local mechanic since I could not drive it far and they said to bring it to my dealer because they thought I needed my Powertrain Control Module repaired. I had it towed to a new dealer (closer to me) than the first one who diagnosed it saying I needed my long block engine replaced due to a coolant intrusion. They said it would cost at least $10,000 and recommended I get rid of it and offered me $500 for them to buy it. After doing my research I can see that this is a huge problem with ford and that there were 2 customer stratification programs done to fix the issue. Luckily the dealer I purchased the car from completed the first customer satisfaction program

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, the message "Service Engine" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there was coolant inside the engine cylinders, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 67,245.

7 year old car with less than 90k miles is going to new a new transmission at the cost of $8.1k. Very unacceptable from Ford this needs to get look into. So many people on forums are having same issue right outside of warranty coverage ending. There is even a potential lawsuit out there.

Both rear side/outer brake lights have failed. They are BOTH full of water. The plastic fused/welded seam along the top has completely separated and allows the unit to FILL with water. This has then resulted in electrical short, water in wiring plugs/harness, failed LEDs. The vehicle will end up with NO easily visible brake lights. It is a MAJOR safety issue. 2017 Ford Escape SE. This should be IMMEDIATELY evaluated and a recall/replacement program issued. Thank you.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and turned off. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that there was coolant intrusion in the engine, and the short block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was determined that the short block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 46,000.

The engine light came on, we took it to a mechanic who replaced the spark plug and a coil. We were told it was safe to drive long distances. We drove the car about 8 hours with no issues. The car was parked for 2 days. We then turned it back on to drive home and white smoke blew out of the exhaust and the engine over heating light came on. We turned the car off and had it towed to a mechanic in the area who stated coolant had leaked and the entire engine would need to be repaired. The car has less than 60,000 miles on it, but is over 5 years old, so it is out of warranty. We have maintained it carefully. Original mechanic stated the gasket must have blown when the white smoke came out because we could not have driven 8 hours if there had been an issue when we originally brought the car in. Ford dealership quoted us $11,000 to repair/replace engine. Ford customer service stated no goodwill repairs were available. Looking into joining the class action lawsuit for the manufacturing defect in the engine that we are now painfully aware of. We are thankful that the gasket blew in a drive way and not on the highway as it easily could have.

I have a 2017 ford escape with a 1.5L engine. My engine is having an issue with the 1.5L short block, due to coolant intrusion to the cylinder bores. This is causing my motor to misfire at cylinder 1 as well as I have to constantly add coolant to my car due to the internal coolant leak. After much research I came across something called “customer satisfaction program 21N12.” This program also references “Customer satisfaction program 19B37 – supplement #4” AND “Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 22-2134” This program covers 2017-2019 Ford Fusion and Ford Escapes with the 1.5L engine that has the same internal coolant leak. My vehicle is experiencing exactly what this program (21N12) covers. I have called ford about this program, and they state that although this program does cover same type of vehicle and motor. However, my vin number is not associated with that recall/program. Ford customer relations informed me to contact you and make a complaint in order to add my vin number to that recall so that I can have my car’s engine replaced by ford, for a problem that is a known issue. Please add my vin number to this recall/program (21N12) so that I can have my car fixed. My vehicle was purchased new, and I am the only owner. My vehicle has approximately 74,400 miles on the odometer as I type this (8/22/24). I know for a fact that this engine has a internal coolant leak for the simple fact that I have to constantly add coolant to my vehicle every 1 - 2 weeks.

Took my car to a licensed Ford dealership for a large area of paint chipping off the front of my car near the windshield. Area is approximately 12"x2.5". Dealership says the primer under the paint is failing as part of a known factory defect in the painting process from that year.

Coolant leak and erosion into cylinder on 2017 Ford escape titanium 2.0L

Coolant leak causes miss fires should be a recall on this

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 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 where it was diagnosed with timing belt, water pump, and engine failure. The contact was informed that the timing belt, the engine, and the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under warranty or recall. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000.

Coolant intrusion into cylinder. Confirmed by independent service center. Known issue with Ford, reference Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 22-2134

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 where it was diagnosed with a misfire in cylinder #2. The contact was informed that the purge valve needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine and transmission failure. The contact was informed that the engine and the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was being repaired. The contact was informed that the repair would take approximately three weeks. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 120,632.

I have a 2017 Ford Escape Titanium with ~77K miles that has the 2.0L Eco Boost engine. The engine is going through anti-freeze and is leaking into the cylinders and getting burned through the engine. I understand Ford knows about this issue but there doesn't seem to be any mechanism to get reimbursed for the repair.

There is a known issue with EcoBoost engines that allows coolant to leak into the cylinder heads causing engine misfires, ruined spark plugs, white smoke in the exhaust, catastrophic engine failure, and fire. This vehicle has recently had this issue but is not covered by the extremely limited recall Ford submitted (7 years OR 84,000 miles). This issue needs a full and comprehensive recall as Ford is completely aware of the problem.

A coolant leak causing cylindrical failure and engine failure. There were no symptoms before. I woke up and the light came on and the car was shaking, i took it to the dealer and they diagnosed this problem. It was unsafe to drive I had to get it towed.

Vehicle began shaking and rattling upon acceleration onto freeway. Check engine light flashed, then stayed on. Vehicle taken to dealership where purchased (8 years ago, just paid off 10 months ago, 81k miles) to have service. Quoted appx $7600 to reinstall new engine after coolant intrusion into engine cylinder. Service rep stated this is a common occurrence for this vehicle. Gave me Number to ford customer care and said they couldn’t do anything to help. After researching more, this seems to be a very common problem in this “eco boost” 1.5 L engine in various years and models, some of which have been recalled. This is clearly a manufactured defect that is safety related and ford should be help responsible for producing low quality, knowingly faulty equipment that jeopardized myself and my children’s safety, as well as financial stability. Thank you for the consideration.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power with a misfire in the engine. The message of cylinder #2 misfire was displayed. The contact stated that there was smoke coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that there was 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. The failure mileage was approximately 124,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed with the accelerator pedal depressed. The transmission failure warning light was illuminated temporarily before the failure. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Coolant intrusion into cylinder bores. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Engine failure. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Problem has been looked at by Lens Auto Repair and Christian brothers auto who have both claimed issue is related to Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) for 2017-2019 Ford Escape vehicles with a 1.5L EcoBoost engine that were built before April 8, 2019. The bulletin, dated June 9, 2022, covers coolant intrusion into the cylinder bores and offers a one-time, no-cost repair for the 1.5L short block. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Yes, this has been inspected by Lou Fusz Ford Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Coolant leaked onto driveway one year ago. Now, coolant disappearing and not visibly leaking anywhere. Also, there is now excessive white smoke at startup on occasions. The smoke is excessive enough to fill the entire garage instantly.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while the vehicle was at the dealer for a tire rotation, the dealer informed the contact that the lug nuts were defective and needed to be replaced to perform the tire rotation. The lug nuts were replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall related to the failure. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 41,596.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, a message to “Have Vehicle Checked Immediately" was displayed on the instrument panel. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was notified of coolant intrusion into the engine and that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact researched online and became aware of TSB Number: 19-2346; and linked the failure to the TSB. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000.

Presence of coolant in the engine cylinders with codes P0300, P0301-P0304 with low coolant levels. FORD is stating it is not part of the recall? Has not presented me with an invoice for repairs, fighting with extended warranty company. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the check engine, check oil, and several other unknown warning lights were illuminated, and the vehicle then stalled. The vehicle was not able to restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the wall in between the coolant and the piston was worn, and coolant was leaking into the engine. 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 approximately 77,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle shuddered and lost motive power. The check engine warning light was Illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was deemed as mechanically totaled. The contact was informed that the failure was related to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12; however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 61,836.

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 having the vehicle inspected, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion into engine and the engine could be damaged. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was informed that there was no warranty coverage on the vehicle. The contact was then referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 47,000.

My check engine light came on in my 2017 ford escape with 83,000 miles on it. I brought it to my Ford dealership where I purchased it on 8/2017. The service department employee lifted the hood and said "you need a new engine". I said "what"! "you can tell just by looking at the engine"? He said" I've seen a lot of them". He said the coolant is leaking into the engine. He quoted me $9500 for a new one. I took my keys and left.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle was making abnormal sounds and was shaking abnormally. The contact stated that the engine hot message was displayed, and several unknown warning lights were flickering on and off. The contact was informed that the water pump and thermostat needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure occurred. The vehicle was driven back to the independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that the water pump needed to be replaced again. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was driven back to the independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that there was fluid leaking from the bottom of the vehicle. The contact was informed that the radiator needed to be replaced and coolant added. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated that coolant was added constantly for the vehicle to operate as needed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,600.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while cold starting the vehicle, the vehicle was idling roughly. The contact stated that once the engine had warmed up the engine started running normally. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact checked the engine and observed that the coolant level was extremely low. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed and determined that there was coolant intrusion into engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the check engine warning light was illuminated and needed to be taken back to the independent mechanic. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.

Ford Escape 2017 consuming coolant. Confirmed by independent repair shop. Low coolant level constantly. Already had to replace water pump early because of this issue.

See attached document for complaint

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was flashing while starting the vehicle; however, while driving, the warning light independently turned off. The contact stated that after driving for a while, the check engine warning light illuminated and remained illuminated while accelerating after the vehicle had been parked. The contact immediately stopped driving. The contact called the dealer and was advised to have the vehicle towed to the dealer. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into cylinder #2; causing several engine misfires, and the spark plugs to oxidize between the cylinder head and the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The contact became aware of Customer Satisfaction Program, NHTSA ID Number: 10213732 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the vehicle was not included in the Customer Satisfaction Program. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 59,554.

Engine failure due to coolant intrusion in cylinders. Whenever an engine fails there is a safety issue. Local Ford dealer has diagnosed this problem. Check engine light and rough running on start up were the original symptoms. First appeared June 2024, when the vehicle had about 60,000 miles on the odometer.

The check engine light came on. I took it to a repair shop to have the issue diagnosed . I was told that coolant is leaking into the engine due to a design flaw with the engine. This is a safety issue as it causes overheating.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, an unknown warning light illuminated. The message, high heat, pull over immediately was displayed. The driver pulled over, but the vehicle failed to restart. The contact noticed there was no coolant inside the radiator. The contact stated that the mechanic added coolant and drove the vehicle to the residence. The vehicle failed to restart. The coolant reservoir was empty, with no indication of a leak. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that coolant had leaked into the cylinder, and it was recommended that the engine be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000.

Engine coolant is leaking into cylinder 2 After diagnosis from Goodyear, car was brought to Huntersville Ford where they ran their own diagnostics and obtained the same coolant leakage. The mgr there deemed the car undriveable. This is a known engine issue with 2017 Ford Escapes!