What 2,068 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 Ford Escape Gas

Coolant leak just like as listed in other 2014 Ford Escape recalls. It leaked into the engine block causing misfire of spark plugs and thus the Ford dealership tells me I am required $14,000 engine rebuild which I can't afford. It is dangerous for me to drive as the engine may misfire or overheat at any time. The Ford company says I have no recalls and yet this issue was a recalled issue on this year of Ford Escapes.

NHTSA ODI 11681603

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the local dealer sent a mobile mechanic to the residence to repair a bushing on the vehicle. The contact stated that the ABS warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was repaired, but the mechanic had forgotten to replace a tubing on the vehicle. The vehicle failed to start, and the contact's husband noticed that the tubing was disconnected. The contact's husband was able to attach the tubing, and the vehicle restarted. While her husband was driving the vehicle and making a turn, the vehicle stopped. The vehicle was restarted after several attempts. The contact stated that the transmission was slipping. Roadside Assistance was contacted and left the parking brake activated during towing. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer and several DTC were retrieved. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact called the customer service at the manufacturer, but no assistance was provided. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who discovered an failure with the muffler. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.

NHTSA ODI 11680629

On [XXX] - vehicle was started and when turning out of the driveway I notice a puddle which was coolant. The vehicle started to overheat. I turned back and went home then called a tow truck to retrieve the vehicle which they were able to do on Monday. The vehicle was towed and investigated by Fosters Towing in Fraser, MI. They found no evidence of a leak but there was a code (which they did not write down). They cleared the code and tried to replicate the issue but, after running it for an hour and searching for leaks, nothing was found. The vehicle has not been taken to a dealership. The mechanic at Fosters is certified to deal with this vehicle. At the time of the incident I had my kids in the car - ages [XXX] and [XXX] - and their safety was more important than the trip to the grocery store. Fosters performed an oil change (filter and oil) and test drove the vehicle several times to replicate the issue but could not. This is the first time this issue has occurred. I have 128,000 miles on the vehicle. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11680200

Coolant leak into engine gasket/block. Moderate acceleration or freeway driving depletes coolant then overheats. No signs of coolant underneath vehicle upon stopping. Vehicle is now lurching/jerking with any acceleration at any speed.

NHTSA ODI 11679621

The 1.6L EcoBoost engine is leaking coolant into the #3 cylinder. The vehicle lost power while in motion on a busy road. The check engine light came on with a warning that the engine was overheating, and traffic behind me had to slow down, causing a potential rear-end accident. The engine was scanned, and the fault code P1299 was discovered.

NHTSA ODI 11678749

I was driving up a hill on the highway with my father in the car with me when my car began to rattle slightly. I looked down and saw that my engine heat dial was somewhat higher than its standard setting, which was weird because I had just put engine coolant in a day or two prior. A second later, my dash said, "Severe engine failure. Pull over." At the same time, the smell of smoke wafted into the car, and soon after, smoke began billowing into the vehicle as well. We pulled to the side of the highway and got out to check what was happening with the engine. At this point, tons of smoke was coming out of the hood. I tried to lift the hood to inspect the engine, but I couldn't because the metal was too hot. I peered through the slit of the hood and saw flames. At this point, we began grabbing all of our belongings from the car and moving out of the way. A few minutes later, the fire became much larger and ended up jumping onto the side of the hill next to the highway. It then continued up the hill and spread to 8 acres before the fire department was able to halt it. I am not sure exactly what part of the engine failed, but I suspect it was the coolant. I had always had issues with the coolant leaking or running out fast, but figured nothing of it, as there was no recall and whenever the car was serviced nothing was said. I don't know where the car is but I do know the front half was completely destroyed by the fire. My dad's and my safety were at risk due to the car we were driving bursting into flames while we were inside. Additionally, one of the doors were broken and we lucked out not sitting in the seat with the broken door. I dont know if the problem has been confirmed. I dont think it has been inspected yet. There was an engine coolant warning minutes before the fire started. But it was just one time and I had put in engine coolant days before. It was not enough warning.

NHTSA ODI 11677919

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH, the messages "Temperature High" and "Pull Over Safely" were displayed. In addition, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was able to pull to the side of the road. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the coolant was leaking. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that, on a separate occasion, the coolant reservoir was constantly low. The vehicle was taken to a different independent mechanic who diagnosed coolant intrusion into cylinders 2 or 3, causing engine failure. The contact was informed 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 140,000.

NHTSA ODI 11677094

Left my home and drown about 1 mile and car Oil light came on then battery light came on then car started rolling I had no control of the speed and car stopped in middle of street got it towed to mechanic . Mechanic advises known issue with fords and should be under a recall. coolant leaking from turbo lines

NHTSA ODI 11675360

Vehicle overheated caused the cylinder head that crack. I am concerned it may catch fire as others before the recall. When I key in the VIN it shows no recall. However the NHTSA recall no 17V-209 or 17S09 shows all Escapes produced 2/12/13-9/2/14 have this issue and should have gotten a part to prevent this. With a production date of 5/14, shouldn't this vehicle be included?

NHTSA ODI 11673771

Engine overheated, lost power, and smoke came from the exhaust. Mechanics opinion is the engine block is cracked and what had caused the heating is a blown head gasket.

NHTSA ODI 11672613

1. The transmission has continuously slipped and stuck in gears when significantly outside of standard RPM:Speed standards for the vehicle. 2. The vehicle has recently started leaking oil via a lower pressure valve. 3. The engine thermostat and/or sensor need to be replaced with faulty internal temperatures being registered. 4. The rear collision warning and camera system started malfunctioning after an update that happened middle of 2024. The camera won't work at all approximately 50% of the time. 5. The brake issues haven't been fully diagnosed, but I'm aware of the model year/series of vehicle having several faulty components that could have a hand in the weakened braking. 6. I recently had AAA come diagnose the vehicle (reference the photos provided). My objective is to have my vehicle included in the widespread recalls that were released for my car model, year, and overall series. For some reason my VIN in registering as a vehicle that qualifies for the recalls but seems to have the exact same issues. I'm more than happy to take part in an investigation and or third-party inspection to expedite the process as well. I've also included the reports I've found when searching for the 2014 Ford Escape recall/repair list (via your website and others).

NHTSA ODI 11671920

While doing oil change, I realized car has rear seal oil leak. Transmission experiences slippage in cold weather. Car has a very good maintenance record.

NHTSA ODI 11668981

Engine light came on and over heates

NHTSA ODI 11659590

The car has been in the shop on and off for two years because of coolant leaking but the coolant pressure test show no leaks. As of March 2025 the car was checked again and showed no pressure leaks. Over the course of time, The radiator was replaced and several other things have been attempted. We are at the point where we don’t want to put more money into the vehicle because we are afraid it is the classic coolant intrusion situation with this car. I have read many reports of this problem. I am only reporting on the most recent incident below. I do not have an invoice for the March, 2025 visit for coolant pressure test.

NHTSA ODI 11659040

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated and the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic but was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.

NHTSA ODI 11655423

A few months ago, Engine coolant light came on and had more coolant added. Then the week after my card stopped in the middle of the road because the engine was over heating, I had to get it towed. Took it to mechanic and there was a hole and coolant leaking. My engine coolant light just came on again, requiring further inspection.

NHTSA ODI 11649681

Initially diagnosed as a coolant leak due to requirement to constantly add coolant. There was no evidence of a leak. Shortly thereafter the car began experiencing hard starts and illumination of the check engine light (CEL). Code showed number 3 cylinder misfire. Subsequent starts had white smoke in conjunction with rough idle and CEL. Took to my mechanic and he said this is a known issue with this Engine and quoted me 9K for repairs. I did some searching online and found that this issue is VERY well known and Ford is currently in litigation over it.

NHTSA ODI 11648438

Coollant leak

NHTSA ODI 11642669

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal amount of smoke coming out of the exhaust pipes. The contact stated that the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic to be diagnosed and the contact was informed that there was coolant leaking into the engine and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V209000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); to the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 121,656.

NHTSA ODI 11642155

while driving on a busy road, the vehicle went into LIMP mode and would not move forward, the coolant was below the sensor and the vehicle said it would over heat, the block leaks coolant into the engine cylinder and there is no fix for this but to replace entire engine as per dealer. I was almost hit from the rear from traffic. the car had to be pushed into our driveway via a police car bump guard. the dealer could not find where the coolant was going too.

NHTSA ODI 11641840

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle hesitated to accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the cylinder head was cracked, the spark plugs were seized, and 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 not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 63,000.

NHTSA ODI 11641095

Engine has antifreeze leak. (white smoke and bad smell noticed in [XXX] On August 9th, Ford Motor stated that I need a new engine due to antifreeze leak. $9,999.00 is what they quoted me for a new engine. The car has sat for months since August. I do not have $9,999.00 for a new engine. Per other recall information on the same type of vehicle and engine. The engine could catch on fire. Yes, diagnosed and confirmed by Ford Motor Auto Ranch, Ontario Oregon on 8/9/2024. No, the vehicle has not been inspected by police or insurance. No, there has not been any warning lamps or messages. Any and all help is very welcome. I do not have the money for a new engine and have to rend a car for my medical appointments. I now get a ride to my job daily. Please help me, thank you, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11640631

The engine failed on due to coolant intrusion causing misfires on cylinder 3.

NHTSA ODI 11639222

I saw that there is a current recall dealing with the cooling system on the Escape. My car has been over heating saying engine fault for the past two months. There now appears to be coolant in the engine.

NHTSA ODI 11635746

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated. The failure persisted with the message that the engine was overheating before the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic on two separate occasions where the spark plugs and other engine repairs were performed; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure, and the contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.

NHTSA ODI 11634439