2,063 of the 3,273 complaints about the 2017 Ford Escape are about the engine — 63% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 77,000 miles.
2,063
Complaints
8
Crashes
12
Fires
5
Injuries
Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.
ENGINE
Received P0304 code for 4th cylinder missfire. Appears to be affected by the know coolant intrusion issue with these models
NHTSA complaint #11758536 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11758594 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11757700 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11757782 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11757807 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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
NHTSA complaint #11757227 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
Coolant intrusion. Same probably with every other 1.5L engine Ford knew had a problem but shipped anyways.
NHTSA complaint #11757332 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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)
NHTSA complaint #11756911 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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!
NHTSA complaint #11756844 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11756081 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11755579 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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!
NHTSA complaint #11755273 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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
NHTSA complaint #11754820 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11754426 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11754587 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11754249 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11753261 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11753362 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11752998 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11753083 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
Coolant leak from faulty engine design into cylinder 2.
NHTSA complaint #11753179 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11752411 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
See attached document for complaint.
NHTSA complaint #11752058 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11752103 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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
NHTSA complaint #11752241 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11751777 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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)
NHTSA complaint #11751509 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
Intermittent Misfire of cylinder 1, service engine light is on, coolant level goes low very fast and needs to be added often. white smoke from exhaust.
NHTSA complaint #11751251 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
2017 Ford Escape SE. 77,000 miles. Blown head gasket due to coolant leak that ford was aware of in letter TSV19-2139 but no recall. Cylinder 2 misfire code even after tune up. Today catastrophic overheating with no warning and car went into limp mode at the intersection of Hull Street and Southshore Dr. Midlothian Va 23112. I reached out to local ford dealer and to Ford Consumer affairs but they are unwilling to repair though there was a a courtesy notice posted that the repair would be free if less than 7 years or under 84,000 miles which my vehicle is. I have joined a class action law suit regarding Fords knowledge of the problem in 2019 and their lack of a preventive recall.
NHTSA complaint #11750919 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
The vehicle experienced an internal engine failure involving the engine block/long block. The engine had a multi-cylinder misfire, and an independent repair facility inspected the vehicle and found coolant traces in multiple cylinders. The repair facility referenced Ford TSB 22-2133 and recommended replacement of the engine long block to correct the issue. The failed engine is not currently available for inspection because the vehicle was traded in after the repair estimate determined it was not economically feasible to repair. We suffered a big loss The safety concern was the potential for sudden loss of engine power due to the misfire and internal engine failure. A vehicle experiencing severe misfires while driving could have reduced performance, hesitation, or loss of power, creating a safety risk depending on driving conditions. The problem was confirmed by an independent service center. The vehicle was not inspected by Ford, police, or insurance representatives. Prior to failure, the vehicle developed engine symptoms consistent with a misfire. The check engine light/engine misfire condition occurred before diagnosis. The independent service facility confirmed the condition and found coolant traces in multiple cylinders.
NHTSA complaint #11750564 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.