What 2,613 owners told NHTSA about the 2017 Ford Escape

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the gear shifter indicator failed to display the correct gear that the gear shifter was shifted into. The contact stated that there was a message for a transmission issue; however, the contact was unsure what the message indicated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11651251

January 2, 2025, I took my car to Huntley Ford for a Complete Multi Point Inspection and oil change. It passed on all accounts. One of the many items checked was the Transmission Fluid. It was marked Good. March 25, 2025 (3 months later) I took my car back to Huntley Ford for a vibration / noise. They informed me that the transmission is now shot and needs to be replaced. They said the transmission fluid is black and thick and filled with debris. The inspection report they gave me 3 months ago, said that the Transmission Fluid was Good. My transmission didn't go from Good to damaged beyond repair, in just 3 months. Huntley Ford is negligent, and they expect me to pay $7,000 to replace the transmission. In addition, when Huntley Ford replaced the engine just 8 months ago, they made no note of a failing transmission. It’s common practice to check the transmission during an engine replacement. The engine and the transmission work together to provide the power and control for driving.

NHTSA ODI 11651191

I was driving stopped at a red light and when the light turned green and I proceeded my car continuously jerked and would not pick up speed then it would go and start jerking while in the middle of traffic putting me and others at risk for possible pile up multi accidents.Given no warning just out if the blue no lights on dash either.Yes it's is available for inspection took it to shop today was advised to take it to transmission specialist which I plan to.

NHTSA ODI 11649547

I tried to accelerate pulling out of a parking lot and there was a whizzing sound and no acceleration. I pulled to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle and restarted it. I got up to 55 mph and the transmission service light came on and it de-acelerated. I ended up going 20 mph for the next mile to get it home in my driveway to park it. I had the vehicle towed to the dealership for diagnostics, the same dealership that had to replace the short engine block due to coolant intrusion in my engine at 84,000 (which I found by accident EVEN though I had a Ford.com account - they never notified me even though they had my email, address, and phone number - also to note i tried to get the repair at three other local dealerships that said they did not see the CSP for this issue and would not get me in - I did notify Ford customer service). The same dealership also replaced a shifter bushing cable when they did the engine. Dealership called today to advise that it was the torque convertor and I needed a new transmission. They are going to have warranty department see if Ford will assist with repairs, but I'm sure they won't. Mileage is 121,000. At this point there is a class action for transmission related issues for this year, make and model and Ford has STILL Not issued a recall. In speaking with the dealership, they said this is a common issue with the year, make, and model. And that anything over 100,000 is subject to trannie issues for this car. So obviously Ford knows this is an issue. I see they also recalled the torque convertors for other vehicles. And I see several other complaints where customers are being told the same thing as I am. Could a defective shifting bushing cable cause this? Should the torque convertor have been included in their other recall for the Ford Escapes? How does both an engine and transmission need replaced with 120,000 miles on the car. I used to love Ford. I will NEVER buy another Ford again as long as I live.

NHTSA ODI 11649303

As has happened to many others, a coolant intrusion destroyed the engine. The engine was replaced around 60k miles. Now around 84k miles, my transmission needs to be replaced. Ford is telling me that a new engine and new transmission for a 2017 car with 84k miles on it is something they see. The Customer Experience team told me there's nothing they can do. I can't believe a car this new, with that mileage, has had such significant and dangerous failures.

NHTSA ODI 11648135

No warning lights turned on but antifreeze just started spraying out everywhere without warning and car was not overheating or showing any signs of overheating emptying the entire contents of the radiator and the antifreeze reserve.

NHTSA ODI 11647224

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while his wife was driving 35 MPH, the vehicle hesitated. In addition, while attempting to depress the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The “Engine Fault - Service Now” warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that an independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the shifter cable had failed, and the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (POWER TRAIN). The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance, and informed the contact that the recall was closed. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 16,821.

NHTSA ODI 11644575

The contact's husband owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated and lost motive power while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed with transmission failure. The transmission was replaced under warranty by the dealer. The contact stated that recently the failure recurred with an abnormal cranking sound coming from the vehicle. The contact was unaware of any warning lights being illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed with a defective flywheel and transmission. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle was no longer under warranty. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 62,798.

NHTSA ODI 11641277

Transmission failed at 96,000 miles requiring replacement Cracked/bad cylinder block at 110,000 requiring replacement Ford knows of engine problem (Technical Service Bulletin 22-2322) will not assist with repair Repair invoices available upon request

NHTSA ODI 11641166

Vehicle stopped in roadway. Bad transmission at 64k miles.

NHTSA ODI 11638785

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle started to shudder. The contact stated that after releasing the accelerator pedal the vehicle to respond normally. No warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure persisted while driving the vehicle. The contact stated that a dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the torque converter had failed, and the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the failure. No additional assistance was provided. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 85,000.

NHTSA ODI 11638363

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was restarted; however, the vehicle unexpectedly reversed after shifting to drive(D). The vehicle was towed to a church parking lot. The contact stated that there was a fluid leak on the pavement. The check engine warning light was illuminated. An unknown dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 104,000.

NHTSA ODI 11635893

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train); however, the repair failed to prevent the failure. The contact stated that one year after the recall repair, while attempting to drive uphill, her grandson noticed that while attempting to accelerate the transmission failed to properly upshift while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact was able to replicate the failure. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with transmission and rear trailing arm bushing failure. The contact was informed that the rear trailing needed to be replaced, and the transmission needed to be replaced because metal shavings were found inside the parts. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 53,000.

NHTSA ODI 11635851

Transmission just stopped in the middle of me turning at a red light to get off the road. No lights. No warnings. Apparently that’s normal according to a Ford repair person. I was almost killed. Car wasn’t parked when in park. Car jumped and engine revved when on the brake. Car wouldn’t reverse. Ford says it’s not a recall, but it sure wasn’t anything I did. The car has 70k miles and has been babied. This needs to be fixed because they’re not doing a thing.

NHTSA ODI 11635490

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. Additionally, the contact noticed an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that the check engine warning light then became illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a fractured transmission axle, causing the transmission axle shaft to fail to operate as intended. The contact was informed that the transmission axle shaft needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,209.

NHTSA ODI 11633896

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at various speeds, the transmission was slipping into gear, and the vehicle started to jerk while accelerating. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, the contact was advised that the transmission was faulty 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 11633228

Transmission failed and burned after only 80,000 miles. Bought car used and only drove for 30,000 miles before it failed. I almost crashed on a busy road. The issue was confirmed by 2 service centers. Only 1 warning light saying oil change required the same day appeared.

NHTSA ODI 11631208

Transmission went out. No warning. 145,000 miles. No lights on dash, nothing. Complete failure. Car started whining when accelerating out of nowhere, jerked really hard, and then failed completely. Have had it serviced and maintained regularly and always at the dealer. Ford is aware of the problem on these transmissions and doing nothing to fix it. Service department confirmed it’s an issue they see with regularity. Transmission replaced by dealer at great expense and issue resolved.

NHTSA ODI 11630854

Vehicle currently has 86K miles. The transmission is being replaced for the SECOND time. Replaced for the first time 2/17/23 at 63206 miles (invoice included). The dealer also informed me that coolant is leaking into the engine block pursuant to Ford Technical Service Bulletin 22-2229 [XXX] ) but I would have to replace the engine at my expense. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11630565

2017 Ford Escape SE Ecoboost engine failure. Check engine light came on, engine did not overheat, but continued to misfire and make strange noises and motions during idling. After diagnostics, it was seen as a coolant leak issue, they later found pistons in my oil pan. Cost is $11,000 and they won't help cover any cost despite class action lawsuits and recall campaign. My car is out of warranty by year. I only have 78,000 miles on it, again should not be happening to a vehicle with this mileage. This is an obvious manufacturer issue and huge safety issue that Ford should be held accountable for.

NHTSA ODI 11630188

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

Notice coolant reservoir was empty after warning light, refill coolant check reservoir couple days later low again. Research and come to find out common issue with ecoboost engines produced by Ford. Design flaw in the engine block that allows engine coolant to get into cylinders. Took car to Ford dealership were it issue was confirmed, coolant in cylinders. Dealership wants 9k to replace engine that has 71k miles on it. The car is unsafe to drive possible engine failure or fire.

NHTSA ODI 11625914

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 that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle began to jerk, and she heard an abnormal sound emanating from the engine compartment, after which the vehicle failed to accelerate above 5 MPH. Later, the contact received a notification from the ford app reading "Powertrain malfunction reduced power." No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the powertrain control module. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V444000 (Power Train), but the VIN was not included. 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 158,000.

NHTSA ODI 11625088