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

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the "Low Engine Coolant" message was displayed. The check engine and ABS warning lights were illuminated. The contact added coolant to the coolant reservoir, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the cylinders, and it was determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V209000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 78,200.

NHTSA ODI 11605398

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 25-26 MPH, the message "Engine Fault" was displayed, and the contact noticed an abnormal burning odor. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The contact stated that upon inspecting the vehicle, there was coolant leaking onto the ground. The contact drove to the residence and parked the vehicle. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V209000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included. Additionally, the contact stated that rear passenger's side taillight failed to operate as needed, and the taillight bulb had been replaced several times; however, the failure persisted. The contact also stated that the infotainment system and the rearview camera were inoperable. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 171,000.

NHTSA ODI 11604531

The contact’s mother owns a 2014 Ford Escape. While the contact's mother was driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with coolant leak and engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000.

NHTSA ODI 11604123

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated, and the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced an oxygen sensor, but the failures persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 68,000.

NHTSA ODI 11602618

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled and failed to restart. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to the residence. The contact stated that prior to the failure an oil change was being performed by a local dealer who advised the contact that coolant was leaking into the engine and that it was a well-known failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to Manufacturer Communication Number: 19-2139 - Coolant Intrusion Into The Cylinders (Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

NHTSA ODI 11601513

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating, after which the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to restart after cooling down. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed failures with the coolant hose and coolant valve. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V209000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 160,000.

NHTSA ODI 11600895

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. After several days, while driving, the contact became aware that the engine was misfiring, and the coolant fluid was low. The contact was able to inspect the fluids, and immediately after opening the coolant reservoir, the coolant level went up. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with air bubbles; however, the failure persisted. The local Toyota dealer was contact, and the contact was advised to take the vehicle to a Ford dealer for assistance. The vehicle was taken to the local Ford dealer where it was diagnosed with a coolant intrusion into cylinder #3. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V209000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the vehicle was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 85,300.

NHTSA ODI 11600906

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at 50 MPH, the engine overheated, and the vehicle stalled with the high-temperature warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent where the vehicle was diagnosed with a cracked plastic coolant reservoir. The contact was informed that the coolant reservoir needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to the same independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed as a failure with the coolant tubes. The contact was informed that the coolant tubes needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The dealer was not contacted, and the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,768.

NHTSA ODI 11592246

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact became aware of a leak underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the dealer discovered a coolant leak; however, the dealer was unable to determine the location of the leak. The contact was instructed to wait several weeks and then insert a dye to determine the source of the leak. The dealer insisted that a faulty sensor needed to be replaced because the engine temperature could not be determined. The sensors were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA ODI 11588660

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would shake without warning. The contact also stated that the coolant needed to be frequently replenished. The failure persisted and the contact stated that the vehicle was starting to hesitate while depressing the accelerator pedal. Upon investigation, the contact discovered that coolant was leaking into one of the cylinders. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

NHTSA ODI 11587594

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed the vehicle lost motive power and the engine overheated, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart on the third attempt; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed as failure with the head gasket and the engine block. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for a diagnostic test however, the result was undisclosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11587131

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at approximately 55 MPH, she observed smoke issuing from under the hood and from under the vehicle. No warning lights had been illuminated. The contact was able to pull over and shut the vehicle off, however upon exiting the vehicle she saw that flames were coming from under the vehicle from an area just behind the front tires. The contact called the fire department, and the police department also was on the scene and issued an incident report. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot and was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 133,355.

NHTSA ODI 11580616

There's coolant intrusion in my engine due to - as best I can figure - a manufacturing defect that Ford acknowledges in their 2.0L EcoBoost engines (per TSB 22-2229), but NOT in their 1.5L and 1.6L EcoBoost engines (mine is a 1.6L and was produced in parallel with the 2.0L, though they later replaced it with a 1.5L). This is an acknowledged defect, plain and simple, and a safety issue because the engine can catastrophically fail during use due to it! The only fix is literally replacing the engine. Ford won't do anything because it's past the drivetrain warranty.

NHTSA ODI 11580738

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the high engine temperature warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The contact was informed about NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V209000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 94,000.

NHTSA ODI 11579320

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle overheated and was shaking abnormally. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a failed freeze plug. The contact was informed that the freeze plug needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed about NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V431000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11577686

The contact owned a 2014 Ford Escape. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for a service appointment which included a system scan and replacement of the coolant valves. The contact stated that after the repair was completed and the mechanic was test-driving the vehicle, the engine caught on fire. A nearby Police Officer alerted the mechanic to pull the vehicle over to the shoulder of the road because the vehicle was on fire. The mechanic drove the vehicle to the shoulder of the road and exited the vehicle. The Police Officer extinguished the fire by using a fire extinguisher that was in the trunk of the officer's vehicle. No injuries were sustained. The vehicle was towed back to the independent mechanic. The contact was informed that the cause of the fire was the engine and the engine coolant. The vehicle was destroyed due to the fire. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

NHTSA ODI 11577362

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, the "Coolant Low" message was displayed. Upon inspection, the contact discovered that the coolant reservoir was extremely low, but no visible evidence of a coolant leak was present. The contact added coolant to the reservoir, but the failure continued to occur. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 60,000.

NHTSA ODI 11576629

I have had coolant issues with this car for 7+ years. No matter what work I have done to it, it still looses coolant. I'm currently topping off the reservoir every 3-4 days. Pressure test does not find a leak but it must be going somewhere!! Within the past 3 months I have had: - heater hose replaced ($500+ at dealership) - valve cover gasket and turbocharger wastegate control solenoid replaced ($800+) - coolant tube and vac system replaced ($1000+ at dealership) I have had other extremely expensive repairs done over the years, including recalls, and the car still looses coolant somehow.

NHTSA ODI 11573473

Coolant intrusion around 130,000 miles. I swapped the motor from a 2013 Escape that had 107,000 miles on it and the coolant intrusion is happening with that one after driving 15,000 more miles.

NHTSA ODI 11570939

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the high temperature gauge alert was red and the notification to stop and the turn off engine soon warning light was illuminated. The contact's wife parked the vehicle and turned the vehicle off. The engine had overheated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 112,000.

NHTSA ODI 11569243

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that a message indicating that the coolant level was low was displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive coolant consumption because he was adding coolant to the vehicle more frequently than usual. Additionally, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that coolant was leaking in a cylinder. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where no coolant leak was found; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the water pump was leaking and needed to be replaced. The dealer provided an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 116,000.

NHTSA ODI 11568981

After remote starting the vehicle, the vehicle timed out. Upon entering and starting the vehicle, a check engine light and overheating notification were received. The vehicle was undrivable and this occurred during single-digit temperatures. The vehicle was left overnight (single-digit cold weather) and upon return the following day, the vehicle was started and still had a check engine light and engine overheating notification. The vehicle was towed to the dealership for diagnosis. The dealership determined that coolant was leaking into cylinders 1 and 2. The dealer indicated that the necessary repair would be an entire engine replacement and was quoted $10,000 dollars. The repair estimate was declined and the vehicles check engine light was cleared and ran fine.

NHTSA ODI 11569148

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle started to blow white smoke out of the exhaust PIPE. The contact stated that the low coolant level warning light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that there was a coolant leak and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V209000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 161,000.

NHTSA ODI 11567419

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the service engine warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was initially taken to an independent mechanic where a coolant leak was discovered between cylinders #2 and #3. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer and the failure was confirmed. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The engine was replaced out of pocket. Recently, another coolant leak was discovered during an engine inspection. The vehicle was repaired; however, there was a strong fuel odor coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and the contact was informed that the fuel odor was not detected. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 124,173.

NHTSA ODI 11567501

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while her daughter was driving 55 MPH, the vehicle shut off inadvertently. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact's daughter was able to veer to the side of the road. The contact's daughter inspected the coolant level and noticed that the coolant level was significantly low. The contact's daughter added coolant to the vehicle and was able to continue driving. The contact stated that coolant was being added to the vehicle every two weeks. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that coolant was leaking into the turbo, and the turbo needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V209000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the VIN was not included. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

NHTSA ODI 11565980