What 2,628 owners told NHTSA about the 2017 Ford Escape Gas

Coolant leaked out, and ran hot. Refilled coolant and it didn't leak out but still runs hot. Mechanic said the car runs hot as soon as it’s turned on; coolant is leaking into the cylinders or warped cylinders causing engine block cracks. Another problem is when I get fuel and start the car back up “auto manual restart” comes up on the dash and car shuts off. Car also sputters then shuts off every time I turn it back on after that until I press the gas pedal a few times. Has been smoking since April of 2024 but coolant problem occurred sometime in January of 2025. Fuel issue had been happening since September of 2024.

NHTSA ODI 11644479

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle was difficult to start after refueling. The contact stated that after the vehicle was started, the vehicle shut off while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the vehicle was able to be restarted and responded as needed after several attempts. The contact stated that the failure had become a consistent failure. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the canister purge valve had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.

NHTSA ODI 11641898

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle started to lose motive power. The contact stated that unknown warning lights illuminated, and an audible chime sounded. The contact merged to the side of the road and the vehicle failed to respond. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission module and fuel pump had failed. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to a second independent mechanic and was diagnosed with gas tank failure. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The vehicle was then taken to a third independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a blown head gasket. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired for the most recent failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

NHTSA ODI 11637416

My 2017 Ford Escape has a 1.5L EcoBoost engine that has been leaking fuel into my cylinders. My mechanic says I'm lucky it didn't cause a fire while I was driving it. Due to the damage, I now have to replace my long block engine, quoted at $11.2K. A week after I bought the car in late May 2024, the car began to smell of gasoline whenever I used my A/C, which I rarely do. A constant problem I've experienced since purchasing this car is misfiring, specifically cylinder two misfires. Ford needs to recall these engines, as I believe their design is faulty and these problems could have been prevented. The longer they refuse to acknowledge the problem they've caused, the more time unsuspecting people such as myself can drive around their new Fords and potentially have their cars burst into flames.

NHTSA ODI 11633936

My ford escape was diagnosed 12/31/2024 with a slight coolant intrusion. The dealership said my escape would require a new short block engine at the tune of $7555.28. I still owe $5800. I bought my car 12/2020 from a ford dealership with 3rd party extended warranty with 45k and now vehicle has 72k. Ive been having vehicle serviced at different ford dealership located closer to my house.

NHTSA ODI 11633496

-PURGE VALVE SOLENOID REPLACED TWICE FOR EVAP SYSTEN, CODE 1450 OCCURED 01/05/2021 & 05/14/2021 AND -LEAK IN RADIATOR, UNKNOWN IF BLOWN GASKET. RECEIVED MESSAGE “HIGH ENGINE TEMPERATURE STOP SAFELY” WITH ZERO RADIATOR FLUED IN TANK OCCURED 11/2/202. THIS HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED BUT I HAVE BEEN AWARE OF CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT RELATED TO THIS ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI 11629511

The oil pump failed due to the coolant intrusion into the engine, causing low pressure and sludge. My mechanical breakdown warranty inspected it and will not cover the replacement due to the sludge. The check engine light came on and off after I hit 70000 miles, and I was alerted to a recall when I got my last oil change in March of 2024, but the Ford dealership stated I had no warranty and no recall to address.

NHTSA ODI 11627828

Coolant intrusion into combustion chamber requires new engine. Verified by Ford dealer. Not covered by warranty. Ford technician states engine block manufacturer issue.

NHTSA ODI 11627141

Our car started slipping gears, jerking, take forever to accelerate, and would lose power. We took to dealership thinking it was a transmission. They told us no it wasn’t the transmission and we needed the replace the fuel pump injector we did that. A week later SAME issues happened again they replaced the pump again. A month later SAME symptoms again this time they told us we needed our engine replaced. So we got a brand new engine in. A month later I lost power while turning onto to a highway and the dealership told me that it was the new engine breaking in. Not even 3 months later after the new engine being put in our car starts to act up with the SAME symptoms. We took it back since the engine was under warranty. They tell us we need a new transmission. We told them we knew it was the issue the first time around. We can’t afford a new transmission after just putting a new engine in 3 months ago! Stay away from this year ford escape. Our car only had 116,000 miles and it’s our family car so we can’t drive it anymore cause we can’t afford another big issue to be fixed. Mainly because we think the dealership doesn’t want to admit their mistakes and won’t resolve the issue for us. Can’t believe the car has these two huge issues in one year let alone less than 6 months apart!

NHTSA ODI 11625203

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while his wife was driving 35 MPH, the vehicle briefly jerked and hesitated before returning to normal functionality. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who observed that the coolant reservoir was empty but was unable to determine if there was a coolant leak. The contact inspected the engine but found no damages. After further inspection, the dealer observed that the fuel pump was cracked. The vehicle was repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 78,000.

NHTSA ODI 11624034

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled with no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the fuel pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to another dealer where the same diagnostic was provided to the contact that the fuel pump failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was determined that there was coolant intrusion into the engine, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000.

NHTSA ODI 11621115

Cylinder (2) misfire causing coolant intrusion in engine block . Tested and failed damaged cylinder plug causing misfire. Engine ruined!

NHTSA ODI 11618562

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer for a diagnostic test. The contact was informed that the purge valve needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and the contact was informed that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 63,700.

NHTSA ODI 11617697

I was driving down the road and my vehicle stalled out and had little to no acceleration Was stuck in the middle of an intersection until I could move it to a parking lot putting my safety at risk. Dealer (Brondes Ford Toledo) ran codes, yet would not tell me the codes after they tried to charge $11,000. No Warning lights yet, had engine lights on until the dealer replaced Fuel vapor assembly and crankcase pressure sensor a little less than 30 days beforehand. After service Ford said it was good to go and stated this could not have been related to the bushing already recalled.

NHTSA ODI 11617618

Coolant leaking into cylinders, smell coolant through vents, smoke from exhaust, film of exhaust coming into front windshield, turbo charger 1, under boost, car just stopped accelerating

NHTSA ODI 11614587

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.

NHTSA ODI 11611237

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.

NHTSA ODI 11609368

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle was involved in a collision. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and depressing the accelerator pedal two days later, the vehicle lurched forward and hesitated to respond. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to exceed 30 MPH. Additionally, the RPM was revving significantly. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure recurred intermittently while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the high-pressure fuel pump (HPFP) tappet had fractured and caused metal pieces intrusion into the engine, fractured unknown parts, and blocked the oil flow. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced and that the failure was not related to the accident. 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 70,000.

NHTSA ODI 11607527

On a routine drive, my 2017 Escape SE, traveling at 68 mph on cruise control made a quick thud sound and instantly became unresponsive to gas pedal depression, and immediately began to slow down from 68mph, rapidly slowing to 30-35mph with fast moving traffic behind me. My Escape and displayed an Engine light that flashed continuously, and I drifted over to the shoulder and came to a stop noticing the rough and choppy engine operation. upon the use of a general OBD II scanner, P0300, P0301, P0302, P0303 were displayed as the cause for the engine light illumination. The vehicle was towed to a repair shop (receipt attached) and the spark plugs, coils were replaced at a cost upwards of $500. Upon the Escape being returned to me and its initial 50 miles driven, once again the engine light illuminated and the code P0302, P0303 were read once again as well as “Multi cylinder misfires detected” The vehicle vibrated violently, and accelerated was deeply compromised resulting in a near miss accident from the rear, and subsequently not being able to accelerate through an intersection. This was another safety issue as opposing traffic in all directions were required to go around my disabled vehicle at risk of collision with my vehicle. Vehicle was then taken to a Ford authorized dealership for inspection and possible repairs. At that time I was informed coolant had been leaking into cylinder 2 & 3 causing continued and extensive damage to the internal working components of my 1.5L Ecoboost engine. The repair required and sugggested was a Long Block Replacement with an estimated cost of $10,000+, surpassing the value of the vehicle three times over. I took the vehicle home and parked it, and bought a 2018 Ford Escape, and was unable to use my 2017 Escape as a trade in as it was considered a worthless vehicle due to its disrepair. Ford knows about this issue and refused assistance or advice knowing this problem exists and affects most of their vehicle lineup

NHTSA ODI 11607233

For the last few months, I’ve noticed that my vehicle’s brake mechanism hasn’t been stable, also audible /noises coming from brakes at time, vehicle has an EVAP leak, causing vehicle not to start after refilling with gas. Yesterday, 6/11, while traveling, there was a notice that said engine was overheated and to stop vehicle safely. I was on a restricted highway on a very slim shoulder, very traumatized, but after 3 hours successfully has vehicles towed to a repair shop. No work has started.

NHTSA ODI 11601438

I had my car serviced with Ford 6/2024 for the replacement of a steering rack and pinion that cost $3,000. After repair, my check engine light came on. Ford capped all my fluids, but said they didn’t diagnose the check engine light because it would cost another $200 diagnostic fee. On 7/1/2024 I took my car to a local mechanic and he discovered I had no coolant fluid and a diagnostic test showed a misfire in Cylinder 1. He diagnosed this for free in a few minutes, while Ford refused and allowed me to drive back on the road in dangerous conditions. My coolant is leaking into cylinder 1. This is due to a manufacture defect in the open deck design of the engine block. My life was put at risk on the road driving with no coolant causing damage to my engine and reducing my car’s performance. Joes Auto shop confirmed my issue informing that I need a new engine costing around $8,000.

NHTSA ODI 11601327

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that on several occasions while in park(P), the vehicle rolled forward inadvertently. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed twice and held down to stop the vehicle. Additionally, on several occasions, the contact observed an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle while driving at various speeds, and while the vehicle was idling, the vehicle was running rough. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the canister purge valve needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired approximately four times in one year; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

NHTSA ODI 11598564

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stopped the vehicle and checked the fluids, and the fluid levels were sufficient. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The independent mechanic retrieved DTC code: P0450. The vehicle was not repaired. The check engine warning light illuminated became illuminated again. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic and the failure code P0450 was retrieved again. The dealer was contacted and made aware of the failure and the failure code information. The fault code identified a failure with the evaporative emissions system failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 122,089.

NHTSA ODI 11589735

My check engine light on causing vehicle to run rough.and delay in engine performance.(transmission shifting). Ford dealer replace several Emission parts. (Warranty.) .Purge valve system. Oxygen sensors Etc. Car in shop for 12days.pick vehicle up drove 2miles check light came on again. Back to ford, Now ford wants Me to pay for needed repairs to charcoal canister, Purge Valve system. $400,00 to $ 800.00. This repair is EPA and Federal Emission Policy. Which Fotd and Dealer States no it's not. Dealer will not HELP with any assistance. Tried to explained Ford and Federal.EPA rules. Per Ford Warranty Parts statements and policy . Dealer 1st stated to me this part is under extended Ford Warranty. Hours later called Me back,Stating It's My responsibility to repair. This part is Electric vacuum operated. Prt# GV6Z9D333A Purge Control Valve (Block off switching Valve ) Which is a Hose and Solenoid Assy. The say it's a hose nothing else. I explained a hose is only a HOSE and has nothing to do with opening and closing of Emission Purge Valve .System. That is what the Solenoid is for which opens and closes Purge System from fuel tank Vapors system to charcoal canister. Please Help me in this repair clarification.

NHTSA ODI 11587479

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at unknown speeds downhill, the vehicle jerked, hesitated to accelerate, and stalled. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving uphill, and the vehicle stalled; however, the vehicle was still running. The contact stated that upon depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The vehicle was restarted but the failure recurred. The contact stated that on another occasion while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked, and the check engine warning light illuminated. The check engine warning light illuminated for several days, and the failure recurred while driving at approximately 65 MPH. The failure occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with a fuel line failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then taken to another independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with unknown failures and recommended that the vehicle be taken to the dealer due to the failure being related to a possible recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11581199