2017 FORD ESCAPE reports

ENGINE

It is common knowledge that my particular vehicle has a known engine defect - coolant intrusion - that in effect renders the engine inoperable eventually in models from 2013-19. Mine is a 2017. It was sold to me without anyone referencing the known engine issue. Over the last couple of years, my family was nearly stranded when the car suddenly began to experience shuddering, very rough driving, coolant disappearing and having to be replenished, and the engine coils misfiring and having to be replaced. Now, the engine has failed and is in need of more than $4,000 in repairs. While Ford did not issue a recall, it did alert its dealerships to the known manufacturing defect. As a consumer, I was NOT told of this problem during the sale.

ENGINE

Vehicle Information: Year/Make/Model: 2017 Ford Escape Titanium Engine: 2.0L EcoBoost 4-Cylinder Drivetrain: All-Wheel Drive (AWD) Current Mileage: Approximately 118,000 miles Description of the Safety Problem: The vehicle experienced a sudden and severe loss of engine coolant with no external leaks visible on the ground. Diagnostic inspection revealed that engine coolant is intruding internally into the engine cylinders due to a known structural defect in the Ford 2.0L EcoBoost engine block/head gasket design.Prior to diagnosing the failure, the vehicle exhibited rough idling, misfires, and white smoke from the exhaust due to coolant burning in the combustion chambers. Unrelated components, including the ignition coils, were previously replaced in an attempt to correct the misfires before the internal coolant intrusion was identified as the root cause.This defect poses an immediate safety hazard. The internal coolant loss causes the engine to overheat rapidly and threatens to force the vehicle into an abrupt emergency "limp mode" or cause complete, sudden engine failure while driving at highway speeds. This creates a severe risk of a rear-end collision or stranding the vehicle in active traffic without warning. Ford has failed to issue a recall for this systemic powertrain defect, leaving consumers to operate unsafe vehicles or face catastrophic out-of-pocket engine replacement costs.

ENGINE

My 2017 Ford Escape starting having issues about a year ago and was losing coolant and then car would read hot. It’s an Ecoboost motor and coolant is leaking into the motor and damaging it. The motor needs replacing and ford knew about this issue but refuses to repair it. I have repaired car 5 times or so trying to fix this but keeps getting worse and now destroyed the engine. It is a known flaw by ford repair and many people but I was not told anything when I bought the car.

ENGINE

well known problem with ford 2,0 Eco boost engines. mine is 2017 escape 2.0 Eco boost. radiator loosing fluid, pep boys checked it and said it was a cracked head gasket and would cost about 5,000.00 to fix.looked up info about this engine and found it is a well known problem and Ford will not fix it.said to call NHTSA and report it and hope you have Ford do a recall to replace engine.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. While driving at an undisclosed speed, the "Service Engine Soon" warning light illuminated on the instrument cluster. On a separate occasion, the vehicle shut off unexpectedly while driving but was able to be restarted. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer for a diagnostic test associated with the warning light; however, the technicians only replaced external sensors. The warning light remained illuminated. The manufacturer was notified of the issue and referred the contact to the dealer for assistance.

ENGINE

Engine problem. Blown head gasket. Common problem among 2017 Ford Escape models.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

My vehicle has been giving me warning messages at complete stop at red light, stop sign or even park. Engine turns off and the message pop ups as auto startstop manual restart required put on p shift position restart engine manually. Im scared this will happen while driving. Vehicle completes shuts off in the middle.of intersection.

ENGINE

My car has experienced Catastrophic Engine Failure. There is a coolant intrusion into the cylinders and now the car is inoperable. It runs for 2 minutes before shutting the engine off.

ENGINE · FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

A coolant intrusion caused the head gasket to fail

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING · ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at the service center for an instrument panel failure, a diagnostic test was performed on the engine. The contact was informed that in addition to the instrument panel failure, there was coolant inside the cylinders, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The failure mileage was 105,000.

ENGINE

Head gasket and coolant intrusion issue, requiring complete replacement of engine costing over 7,000.00

ENGINE

Coolant leaks internally into the engine cylinders. This is resulting in needing a full engine replacement for 15,000. It has been confirmed by the dealership. The check engine light came on.

ENGINE

My Ford Escape Titanium 2.0L 2017 started overheating. The coolant had just disappeared. The car sputtered in the morning with large plumes of white smoke. Due to the overheating my thermostat failed. I brought my car to the Art Hill Ford dealership in Merrilville Indiana for service. After a 5 hour pressure test, Tiffany A Depowski at Art Hill Ford Lincoln brought me to her desk and notified me and confirmed that I need a new engine due to Coolant Intrusion. The check engine light had been on for a couple months. I kept bringing the vehicle to my local mechanic. After he couldn't fix it I brought it to the dealer where they told me my engine needs to be replaced. Fortunately safety wasn't a direct factor. The risk of the engine seizing up while driving was a key factor with safety. The Ford invoice states verified coolant leak, recommend new engine is on the upload I sent under the section J#2

ENGINE

The vehicle suffered catastrophic engine failure at 72,000 miles due to a known Ford EcoBoost manufacturing defect where engine coolant leaks internally into the cylinders. Upon starting the vehicle in the parking lot, the engine began misfiring violently with blinking check engine light. The vehicle suddenly began misfiring, lost power, and became completely inoperable, creating a severe driving hazard. Code P0301 indicates Cylinder 1 Misfire detected. A professional mechanic ran diagnostics and confirmed a permanent Cylinder 1 Misfire caused by internal engine failure. The internal heating was so severe it cracked the spark plug on cylinder 1 rendering the car inoperable at 72, 000 miles. The mechanic said evidence of moisture was detected in the chamber.

POWER TRAIN · UNKNOWN OR OTHER · ENGINE

Vehicle just hit 70k miles, started abruptly shaking between 30 and 50 mph. Torque converter is needing replaced. PCV hose has cracked and needs replaced. COOLANT DISAPPEARING DUE TO INTRUSION LEAK. Extremely costly repairs for a vehicle that isn't even close to 100k miles. Engine overheating on highway which is an extreme fire risk.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that during the initial start-up, the vehicle would sputter. The Check Engine Light illuminated. While driving at approximately 45 - 50 MPH, the vehicle displayed the message, "High Heat,' meaning that the engine was overheating. The contact had pulled over and turned on the fan, which allowed the engine to cool off. The contact put antifreeze in the vehicle, and the next morning there was no antifreeze in the vehicle. After completing some research, the contact believes they're experiencing coolant intrusion. The dealer was informed of the issue. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the issue. The manufacturer confirmed that the engine block was no longer covered. The failure mileage was approximately 76,000.

VISIBILITY

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V374000 (VISIBILITY); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and a mechanic was sent to the residence to perform a software update, but the mechanic was unable to complete the software update. The vehicle was later driven to the local dealer, who was unsuccessful in completing the software update. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

ENGINE

2.01 block features a narrow cooling slot machined into the block surface right between the cylinder bores. Under high boost pressure and thermal stress, the narrow metal section around this slot distorts or cracks. This erodes the head gasket clamping force and allows pressurized coolant to bypass the seal, leaking heavily into the combustion chamber. An engine replacement is required to repair.

SERVICE BRAKES · HYDRAULIC

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake warning light was persistently illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the brake booster and brake master cylinder assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 14,643.

ENGINE

Received P0304 code for 4th cylinder missfire. Appears to be affected by the know coolant intrusion issue with these models

ENGINE

The 'Engine fault, service now' warning came on. Car started sputtering and in reverse engine shuts off. Car shakes while driving and loss of power. Upon further inspection looks like a coolant intrusion.

ENGINE

The check engine light came on, indicating a misfire in cylinder one and later cylinder two. The local Ford service center states that Coolant has been leaking into cylinder 2 and that a full engine block replacement is required due to complete failure. The vehicle overheated a couple of times while driving before this diagnosis.

POWER TRAIN · ENGINE

The 4th cylinder started misfiring due to a coolant leak, which is being caused due to the known engine design flaw with the Ford EcoBoost engines. My local mechanic diagnosed the problem and said that the car needs a new engine.

ENGINE

Purchased this vehicle in April of this year for my granddaughter. Check engine light came during test drive. Was told it needed some oil added and that took care of the issue. Soon after the check engine light continued so I made an appointment with auto mechanic. Code reads a misfire on 3rd cylinder with coolant leaking into cylinder. Extended warranty will not cover the $8k cost to replace engine. Ford knows of this issue. Many others do not understand why there isn't a recall on the engineering debacle. My granddaughter is pregnant and I'm worried about her driving this vehicle.

ENGINE

I got coolant into 1 of cylinders due to a faulty long block on my 17 Ford escape 2.0l . This is known to b a common issue on the 1.5 1.6 2.0 l ecoboost engine. Ford refuses to do anything even though they know its a design flaw

ENGINE

Coolant intrusion. Same probably with every other 1.5L engine Ford knew had a problem but shipped anyways.

ENGINE

There was a sudden loss of power/acceleration while driving our [XXX] on the highway. The car would bog down, then briefly accelerate, then lose acceleration again. The car started to shake at this point and then the check engine light came on. No symptoms prior to failure. Very dangerous as the car suddenly slowed down well below speeds for highway, resulting in cars swerving around us. Local mechanic and dealership both confirmed coolant intrusion due to engine block Crack. Car only has 65k miles and has been meticulously maintained. Currently available for inspection INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

UNKNOWN OR OTHER · ENGINE

I have had to repair the transmission twice. Recently the coolant intrusion has forced me to not have a car with engine failure. Mechanic confirmed gasket was blown.The car did not give a low coolant warning, but only an overheating warning, which I immediately called AAA. This car has been well taken care of, with oil changes and everything that comes with an oil change on time! This has been confirmed with an independent business. There needs to be a nationwide recall on this consistent malfunction!

POWER TRAIN

Transmission failed/malfunctioned. Available for inspection. Safety at risk due to driving on busy road when transmission failed and car wouldn't move. Transmission recall for VIN [XXX] Vehicle component has not been inspected. No warning of any kind prior to failure. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

ENGINE

The engine is showing signs of coolant intrusion. Symptoms began by experiencing intermittent low power while driving, particularly when moving from complete stop. First discovered when we were at an intersection and the engine provided enough power to pull into the intersection, but not enough to complete the turn forcing traffic to swerve around us. There is a pending class action suit.

POWER TRAIN

I am requesting that NHTSA document and investigate this issue, including the frequency of coolant intrusion and engine failure involving 2017 Ford Escape vehicles equipped with the 1.5L EcoBoost engine. I would also like NHTSA to determine whether the existing Ford service programs, technical service bulletins, recalls, or other corrective actions adequately address affected owners. My VIN is [XXX]. I believe Ford should be held responsible if this engine failure resulted from a known defect rather than ordinary vehicle wear INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

ENGINE

Coolant intrusion. A known 2017 escape issue in the motor block that is not being addressed. This repair costs $8,000+ and is a manufacturing defect.

ENGINE

Driving uphill and the power dropped. Even flooring it the car could not get to 35 mph. We were on a windy mountain road with no safe place to pull over. Eventually found a spot and turns out there is a known design flaw that causes coolant intrusion and we have to pay $14,000 for a new engine and new turbo. The car has only 48,000 miles on it!

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM · ENGINE

The customer may notice coolant spots on the driveway or garage floor, a loss of cabin heat, powertrain unit overheating, or a warning indicator for a low coolant level. Additionally, the condition can cause heat damage to the block heater electrical wiring and connector and the customer may notice an odor or smoke Matching Recall 26V011 my car is a 2017 Ford Escape 2.0 that was manufactured in Louisville KY

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced rough start-ups with the check engine warning light remaining illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle with a cracked cylinder. The contact was advised that 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 failure mileage was approximately 30,000.

ENGINE

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the temperature gauge became elevated and there was smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road, and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that upon inspecting the vehicle, the coolant inside the reservoir was boiling. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed of coolant intrusion into the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 131,778.

ENGINE

The water pump went Back and had to be replaced, because it was leaking coolant into the engine. Also there is coolant infusion into the cylinders. This is a known problem that Ford knew about. My car has 131000 miles and is out of warranty. The car car needs to have the engine replaced.

POWER TRAIN · ENGINE

Repeated Check Engine light issue Ford failed to diagnosis and follow service bulletins regarding a defect in the engine block. Now Ford tells us that the engine block is cracked and wants us to pay full price for their faulty engine. Car was purchased with 31,388 on Dec. 4, 2020 as a Certified Pre-Owned Ford vehicle from a Ford dealership. 12/10/2022 with 46,728 miles Levittown Ford serviced the vehicle due to engine issues. 9/17/2024 with 64,885 miles Levittown Ford serviced the vehicle due to engine issues. 7/15/2026 with 77,401 miles Levittown Ford serviced the vehicle due to engine issues.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, an unknown warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a failure in cylinder #3. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and was diagnosed with coolant intrusion in cylinder #3. 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 74,200.

ENGINE

While at a 4 way intersection and red light my car went into extreme temperature overheat and shut down. I was the first car in the line at the red light. When the light turned green I started the vehicle, put on my emergency flashes and had to dodge other vehicles in limp mode ( 5 mile per hour) across 3 lanes of incoming to make it to a parking lot. This was all caused by the well known and documented Coolant Intrusion engine defect that Ford has been aware of since 2018 accordingly to their own Technical service bulletins. This is an extreme safety hazard and happened to me unexpectedly and without warning. I’m thankful I was not involved in a crash or that I did not cause injury to another driver. This vehicle needs to be recalled immediately before more consumers suffer injuries or death.

ENGINE

Coolant leak from faulty engine design into cylinder 2.

ENGINE

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20–25 MPH, the vehicle started shuddering and lost motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated and flashing. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who determined that there was no compression in cylinder #2. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by a dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 109,000.

POWER TRAIN

At about 90000 miles my car was acting like a misfire so I changed plugs was a little better we went on a trip and half way home my car was losing coolant no over heating no puddles added more coolant when got home all my coolant was gone bought a new coolant tank still didn’t help white smoke so changed spark plugs again and coil and still misfire told it’s my coolant intrusion and no recall so I am stuck still paying car and car was fine something has to be done selling people cars and out of money and car

ENGINE

The 2017 Ford Escape was purchased on November 11, 2025 as a used vehicle with 65,626 miles on it. The car began to give Check Engine lights in February and March of 2026 with codes P0301 (Cylinder 1 Misfire) and P0303 (Cylinder 3 Misfire). Replaced coil packs and codes went away for a time. In April the car began running very rough, so it was taken to a local Ford Dealership for repair. By this time, we became aware of the coolant intrusion issue with these Ford Escape engines due to design flaw. The service personnel found no antifreeze intrusion into the cylinders but noted that the spark plugs had been changed from OEM to another type (before the expected time for a tuneup) and they were all fouled out, indicating that a potential problem existed. The spark plugs were replaced with OEM plugs and the car ran fine for a time. The P0303 (Cylinder 3 Misfire) Check Engine code returned on April 13. Took the vehicle to a different Ford Dealership for repair. Provided previous maintenance information and extended warranty information to Service Manager. The inspection diagnosis revealed engine failure due to antifreeze intrusion into the cylinders requiring an engine replacement with cost of $10,875.00. The extended warranty company denied the repair claim due to the faulty design of the engine block by Ford. Although Ford had a Customer Satisfaction Program in place for the repair of this specific issue (21N12) which provided financial compensation for those affected by the antifreeze intrusion issue resulting in engine failure, this program ended on November 30, 2022. This left us no option but to replace the engine on a vehicle we purchased only a few months before.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING · VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

See attached document for complaint.

ENGINE

Ford has known of a coolant intrusion problem and even issued an extended 7 yr/84k mile warranty for this issue. The car has no issues during that time. I now have to replace the engine on a 9 year old car with only 80k miles on it. Cars engines should last more than 9 years. Ford told me that an engine replacement at 9 years could happen to anyone. There are hundred of complaints online about this known issue. If the engine were to go out on a busy road, it could easily cause an accident.

ENGINE

Coolant leaking into cylinder confirmed by independent mechanic. Unable to clear code P0303. This is a documented problem with this make model with eco-boost engines but Ford claims my car is not included in recall although i do have the eco-boost and make model and year. Need complete engine replace. This is a major engine design problem

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware that the coolant level was low. The check engine warning light and the oil warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a 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 not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000.

ENGINE

I am reporting a serious engine failure involving a 2017 Ford Escape SE AWD 2.0L EcoBoost, VIN [XXX]. The vehicle was purchased in October 2024 as a Ford Blue Advantage Certified vehicle from Lithia Ford of Boise with approximately 32,000 miles. The vehicle currently has approximately 45,000 miles. In June 2026, the vehicle developed a check engine warning light while being driven in [XXX]. Prior to this event, the vehicle had shown no unusual symptoms, warning signs, or performance issues. The vehicle was inspected by an independent automotive repair facility, Meridian Automotive in [XXX], and was diagnosed with coolant intrusion requiring replacement of the long block engine assembly. The estimated repair cost is approximately $9,000–$10,000. This is a major engine failure occurring at only 45,000 miles and after approximately 13,000 miles of ownership since purchase. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle failed to start. The contact check the vanity lights but there was no power inside the vehicle. The vehicle was without electrical power for approximately 30 minutes before power returned to vehicle. The contact was concerned about driving the vehicle because the potential failure reoccurring. The dealer was notified of the failure; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 73,000.