Home · 2017 Ford Escape Gas · Complaints

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

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (2,628)Crash / fire / injury (69)Engine (1,530)Engine & cooling (501)Transmission & drivetrain (384)Electrical system (151)Fuel system (92)Wheels (76)Body & structure (62)Brakes (48)Steering (48)Lights (37)

501 of 2,628 complaints match · Engine & cooling · clear filters · page 3 of 21

Aug 4, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds on several occasions, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and was inspected. The contact continued driving, but the vehicle shuddered and lost motive power. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that coolant had leaked into the cylinder. The contact was informed that the spark plugs and ignition coils needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred 2-3 days later. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the message "High Engine Temperature - Stop Safely" was displayed. The contact inspected the vehicle and noticed that there was no coolant in the reservoir. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 94,500.

NHTSA ODI 11678305

Aug 4, 2025EngineEngine & cooling

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that an abnormal, rumbling sound was coming from the vehicle at start-up, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and a tune-up was performed on it. Despite the tune-up, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, and the contact was informed there was coolant intrusion into the engine and the head gasket needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to two other independent mechanics, who advised the contact not to replace the head gasket because it was not a permanent repair. The contact was advised to replace the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 67,895.

NHTSA ODI 11678321

Jul 31, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated while attempting to drive from a complete stop on several occasions, the vehicle sputtered and stalled. The message "Engine Fault - Service Now" was displayed. The contact related the failure to Ford Customer Satisfaction Program Number: 21N12. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion in the cylinders through the engine block. The dealer determined that the short block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided due to the mileage of the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 80,065.

NHTSA ODI 11677443

Jul 31, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while at a complete stop at a red traffic light, a driver walked up to the contact and informed the contact that there was smoke coming from the rear of the vehicle. Additionally, the contact noticed an abnormal sweet odor coming from the exterior of the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to the residence. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was determined that the engine was consuming coolant excessively. The contact was informed that the engine block assembly needed to be replaced. The contact was informed of Ford Technical Service Bulletin Number: 22-2229, which the contact related to the failure. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 137,000.

NHTSA ODI 11677571

Jul 30, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed due to coolant intrusion and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.

NHTSA ODI 11677214

Jul 30, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact's mother owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her mother was driving at an undisclosed speed and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond. The message "Engine Fault" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine, and the dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was related to the failure of Ford Technical Service Bulletin Number: 22-2322(- Low Coolant, White Exhaust Smoke And /Or Illuminated MIL -); however, the vehicle was not covered. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to file a vehicle safety complaint. The failure mileage was 27,000.

NHTSA ODI 11677246

Jul 29, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving 30-35 MPH, the vehicle was running rough on several occasions. The service light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was like Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was determined that there was a coolant intrusion into the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 121,764.

NHTSA ODI 11676936

Jul 29, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact's wife owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that approximately one year ago, the engine was misfiring, and the vehicle was shuddering when the vehicle was started. The contact stated that his wife had not seen any warning lights illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the spark plugs and coils needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The contact took the vehicle back to the same mechanic and was informed that the cylinders in the engine had failed a pressure test and referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that there was coolant intrusion into the engine block, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: 19-2346 (Coolant intrusion into the cylinders - Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that the program to replace the engine did not cover the vehicle and had expired. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

NHTSA ODI 11677032

Jul 25, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start in the morning as expected. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who determined that coolant intrusion into various cylinders had resulted in damages to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12 (Short Block replacement after Coolant Intrusion). The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 150,000.

NHTSA ODI 11676199

Jul 25, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the temperature gauge displayed that the engine was overheating. The coolant temperature warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who determined that there was coolant intrusion into the engine and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, who determined that there was coolant intrusion in cylinder #4, and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 93,993.

NHTSA ODI 11676203

Jul 25, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated and remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the engine was faulty due to coolant intrusion and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 55,000.

NHTSA ODI 11676280

Jul 24, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to Midas where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion in cylinder #1, causing engine failure. The spark plugs were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that on another occasion, while driving 75 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal, before the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, no cause for the failure was found. A tune-up was performed on the vehicle, and spark plugs and ignition coils were replaced. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact arrived at the dealer to pick up the vehicle, and the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle remained with the dealer. The contact was informed that several maintenance repairs were completed on the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but denied assistance in covering the cost of the repair. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11675910

Jul 23, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle jerked, and the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that there was coolant intrusion in cylinder #2, 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 approximately 56,000.

NHTSA ODI 11675742

Jul 21, 2025Engine & coolingFuel systemEngine

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after refueling at several different gas stations, the engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact added fuel cleaner to the fuel tank. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V187000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

NHTSA ODI 11675110

Jul 18, 2025Engine & coolingEngine

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating, prompting the contact to discontinue driving the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that coolant intrusion into various cylinders had resulted in damages to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 120,000.

NHTSA ODI 11674569

Jul 18, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed and the contact was informed that the engine was faulty due to coolant intrusion. 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 approximate failure mileage was 78,000.

NHTSA ODI 11674655

Jul 15, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the vehicle started shaking and vibrating abnormally, and the engine became overheated. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the engine head gasket was blown and recommended that the engine be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 55,000.

NHTSA ODI 11673576

Jul 15, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust pipes. The contact stated that vehicle hesitated while accelerating. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle with coolant intrusion into the engine and advised the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 80,000.

NHTSA ODI 11673711

Jul 15, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a knocking sound coming from the engine. In addition, the vehicle vibrated, and the transmission was shifting rough. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the head gasket, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 66,000.

NHTSA ODI 11673734

Jul 14, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that the engine was faulty due to coolant intrusion. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 34,500.

NHTSA ODI 11673448

Jul 14, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated when the vehicle was started, there was an excessive amount of white smoke coming from the exhaust pipes. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the 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 contact was advised to not drive the vehicle because the engine could seize. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 66,900.

NHTSA ODI 11673484

Jul 11, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light was illuminated, and the vehicle experienced a rough idle. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed due to coolant intrusion and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 34,397.

NHTSA ODI 11672743

Jul 11, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the message to pull over at the earliest safe warning light illuminated. The contact immediately drove the vehicle to the dealer. The contact was informed that there was coolant was leaking into the engine and engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 79,000.

NHTSA ODI 11672773

Jul 11, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle sputtered and the engine was running rough. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic, who diagnosed that the spark plugs had failed and needed to be replaced. The spark plugs were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was returned to the mechanic, who replaced the ignition coils; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was returned to the dealer a third time, and the mechanic diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion in cylinder #3. The mechanic determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V431000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 81,277.

NHTSA ODI 11672816

Jul 11, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked and was running abnormally rough. In addition, the check engine warning light was illuminated, and the contact became aware of smoke coming from the exhaust. The contact stopped and parked the vehicle. The contact inspected the fluid levels, and the fluid levels were sufficient. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a coolant intrusion and engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then taken to another independent mechanic where it was confirmed that the failure was due to coolant intrusion, causing engine failure. In addition, the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with 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 a case was filed. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000.

NHTSA ODI 11672864

← NewerOlder →

Working with the data? Download all 2,628 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 18, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2017 Ford Escape Gas verdict →