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

My vehicle was towed back to the dealership to have the transmission replaced, under warranty. After confirming the failure and warranty, I was informed, by emailed service order, that the airbag light was illuminated.it also listed the cost to diagnose the light and that I declined this "recommended service". What I said was that I absolutely wanted it diagnosed and addressed. What I declined were the charges they were quoting as the light came on while they had my vehicle-to replace my previously replaced transmission, 100% under warranty. I finally got the dealership to email me a printout/workorder so I could see what repairs have been completed. Re:Airbag light: says I stated the light was on, the tech got it to come on, that I declined a time of original transmission diagnostic; light is off now, they’re unable to replicate, listed as "intermittent airbag fault”, may come back on and would require additional diagnostic fee and repair cost.

NHTSA ODI 11748087

Transmission, AAMCO inspected and verified, no warnings just grinding noise and jerking of vehicle

NHTSA ODI 11747708

After years of driving Escape with issue finally found a mechanic that could definitely diagnose the problem. Was told that it was the torque converter and now possibly the transmission because it had been happening for so long. It shifts gears hard, shakes badly when idling (we always put it into neutral to avoid the shaking), stalls out sometimes when stopped at lights and trying to accelerate, can be coasting at a slow speed and the car will want to accelerate on its own like you were pressing on the gas.

NHTSA ODI 11744925

The vehicle is operating with a Ford remanufactured transmission assembly which was installed at the dealership of purchase. The repair was completed under the Extended Ford warranty I purchased with the used vehicle 6 months prior and the replacement parts and labor are covered by an active 3-year/36,000-mile Ford Service Parts Warranty from the date of installation with approximately 20,000 miles of coverage remaining at the time of the first incident. On May 5, 2026, at 151,033 miles, the vehicle began exhibiting a severe internal mechanical rattle under brake load, indicating a progressive hardware failure of the internal torque converter assembly. On May 19, 2026, at 151,663 miles, the internal failure escalated, causing the vehicle to suffer a sudden power loss/stalling event while in active traffic, triggering the vehicle's factory 'Stall Alert' dashboard safety warning. The problem has gotten significantly worse, and I can show at minimum, it stalled again on May 27 (video shows car in D but failing to move ), twice on June 4, and again today, after being told there were “no codes”, causing complete loss of propulsion and power steering. This sudden stalling in active traffic creates an immediate highway safety hazard and an extreme risk for a rear-end collision. Because Ford's computer programming automatically clears transient/temporary fault codes upon turning off the ignition, standard diagnostic scanners do not store a permanent code after a key-cycle, hiding an active mechanical safety defect. Authorized Ford repair facilities are refusing immediate diagnostic triage or alternative transportation due to a multi-week service backlog, leaving a safety-compromised vehicle on the road and violating consumer warranty rights."

NHTSA ODI 11742352

My power lines were not installed properly and leaked all over burning up my transmission. This is aVERY common ford issue to the point where the place where I took it said I got a lot further than others. Ford needs to do better

NHTSA ODI 11741676

See Attached Letter for Complaint

NHTSA ODI 11741288

Manufacturing defect causing coolant intrusion and misfire/rough idle. This is also after rebuilding transmission less than a year prior due to failure.

NHTSA ODI 11741137

I am the only owner of this vehicle and it has 114,000 miles At 90,000 miles i had to replace the transmission and now, its at the dealer due to turbo leaking oil internally and externally AND coolant intrusion. These issues are commonly known and the coolant intrusion is from a design flaw. Why is this engine not included with the recall for the very same issue on other ford ecoboost engines

NHTSA ODI 11739250

Coolant intrusion defect. Had to replace engine. Power train fail also.

NHTSA ODI 11734803

April 2025 our Ford Escape, a 2017 model, had an issue with the car overheating, we brought to a dealer and the diagnosis was coolant leaking into the cylinders of the engine . Repair costs range $8-10,000.00 , new engine $11,000 plus. Through research on chat rooms we have discovered that this is a known issue with Ford's design, several consumer complaints and open class action lawsuit exists. Our dealer offered no assistance financially, we were told auto is out of warranty and no restitution is available to us. We've taken excellent care for this car and are seniors on fixed income. Like many other consumers facing the same engine issues, we are left with no choice but to absorb costs to repair the auto. Any trade in or resale value is diminished. Thank you for accepting our submission on this critical consumer issue. We are the original owners of this vehicle. Ford is showing no customer loyalty and, no concern for consumer safety as this "coolant intrusion" issue can cause the car to fail, shut down or catch fire.

NHTSA ODI 11734242

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving 50-60 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated and jerked. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was determined that the failure was related to an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under the recall because the VIN was not included. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired and was towed to the residence. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11734366

There is a known issue with coolant intrusion into the engine with this vehicle. The vehicle has less than 40,000 miles. The engine stalled three times over a two mile trip and completely shut off during a left hand turn with oncoming traffic putting my family and other drivers in danger.

NHTSA ODI 11733324

I started having trouble with my car idleing hard and driving jerky. Around November of 2025, I took it to the local Ford dealership and they couldn’t find anything wrong with it. The check engine light was on at this point So I took it to an independent local shop. They looked at it and saw that the valve in cylinder one was broken and not firing. At this point I took it back to Ford along with pictures of the busted valve. I went back to Ford because I have a lifetime power train warranty they are my authorized repair shop. So with the pictures of the busted valve they filled a claim. The warranty people said that if the head gasket was the only thing messed up they would cover the repairs. If the block was warped they would not cover anything because Ford knows about the problem and there is a Technical Service Bulletin TSB 22-2229 about the problem. I just want to know what to do. How do I proceed ?

NHTSA ODI 11732784

My transmission blew had to be towed home

NHTSA ODI 11730635

1. Transmission failure, it is available for inspection up until time of repair. 2. The vehicle lost power while driving, had incidents of jerking forward without warning, and shifter would get stuck. 3. Yes, independent service center. 4. Yes, when the incident occurred (Transmission Fault Service Now) P0301-00 Cylinder 1 Misfire Detected P0316-00 Misfire Detected on Startup P059F-00 Active Grille Air Shutter A Performance/Stuck Off P0729-00 Gear 6 Incorrect Ratio P2702-00 Gear 5 Incorrect Ratio

NHTSA ODI 11720701

When driving, the car has stopped 4 times in the last 3 years. Last week the car came to a red light and the inside lights started flashing. There was a warning that read "transmission not in park." The car's power steering and brakes went out and the car went through the red light. Three other times the car was on the expressway and it died with the same warning. Fortunately, the car was in the slow lane and was able to pull onto the shoulder. Once the car is put in Park and turned off, it is able to be restarted and everything is working.

NHTSA ODI 11720114

2017 Ford Escape 2.0 AWD with 155,000 miles with Known coolant intrusion issue... (Vin has not been apart of the recall) second owner, original owner never knew about engine replacement because issue never happened under him. now im stuck with a car that has plenty of new parts and i cant get it inspected or use it regularly because of the coolant intrusion, now I have to get a engine replacement which will probably be around 5 grand if im lucky and I dont have that money. now im stuck with a car I cant drive. yes the car is available for inspection on request. my dad was using the car as a daily out of town driver, driving on the high way first overheat issue happened. no the car has not been inspected by any other source. the only warning was the check engine light after coolant intrusion started.

NHTSA ODI 11717486

Vehicle transmission failed at 60k miles and again at 146k miles. Had to pay around $4000 each time the transmission broke. This is a nightmare and these vehicles have constant transmission problems that are expensive and cause heartache. I have spent so much money on towing, dealership diagnostics, and drain and fills/flushes for the transmission to keep the fluid clean. The fluid gets dark and dirty so quick and smells burnt so quickly. The manufacturer (Ford) are a bunch of crooks. They tell you the transmission fluid lasts over 100,000 miles but that's a lie! I have 146k miles and have already had two transmission failures with the 6F35! This is terrible. They need to be held accountable or they will keep ruining peoples lives.

NHTSA ODI 11717672

In January 2025, my 2017 Ford Escape experienced a sudden and unexpected transmission failure at approximately 69,500 miles while the vehicle was in operation. The failure occurred without warning and resulted in an immediate loss of propulsion, making it impossible to accelerate or maintain speed in active traffic. This created a dangerous situation and nearly caused a collision with surrounding vehicles before I was able to pull over. The vehicle became completely undrivable following the failure. Sudden loss of propulsion presents a serious safety hazard, particularly in high-speed or congested roadway conditions. Multiple other owners have reported similar sudden transmission failures in 2017 Ford Escape vehicles, including loss of acceleration, stalling, and unexpected breakdowns at relatively low mileage, often requiring full transmission replacement. These repeated incidents demonstrate a recurring safety-related defect that poses a significant risk to public safety and warrants further investigation.

NHTSA ODI 11716299

Vehicle was purchased [XXX], the very next day multiple lights came on on the dash and it started bucking while driving. I took it back to the dealership for repairs.The right rear wheel speed sensor was bad. While the vehicle was being repaired a bolt that was seized up was broken requiring the Rr wheel knuckle to be replaced. July, the vehicle was treated for a water leak into the spare tire compartment.In September, more repairs were needed. I took it to my mechanic.The L axle shaft, wheel bearing, control arm w/ball joint, speed sensor and Rt.knuckle needed replaced. At this point, I was informed of the extensive rust under the vehicle and only being 8 years old, is a great concern. When it was taken in for an alignment, it was discovered there was a bolt broken off the Rr control arm, and it was repaired. October, it was treated again for the water leak. Water was still getting in with the spare tire when it rained. Also in October, I noticed a lag in shifting when accelerating. One incident that happened when merging onto a highway, the shifting lagged, delaying my acceleration and caused my vehicle to be traveling at a much slower rate than traffic. I took it to the dealership for repairs for the lag and a grinding noise. The transmission and torque converter were replaced. The grinding noise continued even after the repairs. January 2026, the vehicle was again taken in for the grinding noise and water leak. It now requires a transfer case, drive shaft, rear differential and the sub frame is cracked. I am greatly concerned about the structural integrity of this vehicle. Dealership claims the rust of the frame is from PA winters however the steering shaft INSIDE the car also has rust on it. For comparison, I also have a 2003 Jeep and it has minimal rust and is kept outside daily. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11713290

When driving the car suddenly stopped and made a loud clunk noise. Unable to get car to move when pressing gas petal. I had to call Police to get car out of busy road. Had car towed to Dorian Ford (where car was purchased) . Car was inspected to investigate problem. Was told "luck of the draw "that the transmission failed. Car has always been services at Dorian Ford with recommended maintenance and oil changes completed. This resulted in Dorian saying transmission had to be replaced at the cost of $7238.22. The car only had 82,608 miles on it.

NHTSA ODI 11712619

While driving at a constant speed on the highway, the transmission shifted down a gear and revved into very high RPMs. I was dramatically slowing down despite pressing on the gas pedal. The car didn't provide any power and just revved while I had cars next to me going at highway speeds. Managed to get off the highway, a transmission fault indicator popped up on the dash. The car no longer was able to move. I had the car towed to the Ford Dealership. This car has a bad transmission at ~97,000 miles. Prior to this, I felt like the car's transmission maybe wasn't shifting on time but didn't make much of it. This could have easily resulted in a crash. Turns out this is a very well known problem with the Ford Escape. My friend has a 2016 Ford Escape who recently paid 8000$ for a new transmission. This is clearly unsafe and the failure is definitely premature.

NHTSA ODI 11707206

Coolant leakage, intrusion into the engine block. This is a KNOWN issue by Ford. They have issued technical service bulletins to address it (attached), but those programs were only offered for a limited time and are expired, even though they know the issue exists. Also, owners were not notified of this because it wasn't an official recall.

NHTSA ODI 11706613

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that soon after the engine was replaced by the dealer under warranty, the vehicle started to hesitate and jerk while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The failure worsened, and the contact initially called the dealer and was provided an estimate for a diagnostic test. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic, where the vehicle was diagnosed with transmission failure, and the contact was provided with estimates to replace the transmission. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall. The contact was then referred to the NHTSA for additional assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 3,000.

NHTSA ODI 11706076

Coolant intrusion in my 2017 Ford Escape Titanium presents a serious safety hazard that warrants an immediate recall. When coolant leaks into the engine’s cylinders, it can lead to sudden engine misfires, stalling, loss of power, or complete engine failure while the vehicle is in motion. This creates extremely dangerous driving conditions—especially at highway speeds, during turns, or in intersections—because it removes the driver’s ability to accelerate, maintain speed, or safely maneuver the vehicle. In many cases, coolant intrusion causes the engine to overheat rapidly, which can result in thermal damage, smoke, or even fire risk. Drivers often receive little to no warning before these failures occur. The problem is both unpredictable and progressive, meaning a vehicle that appears to be operating normally can suddenly stall or seize without sufficient time for the driver to react. Ford has been aware of widespread coolant intrusion issues across multiple EcoBoost engines, yet many affected owners—including myself—have not received adequate support, coverage, or recall actions. This defect is not merely a mechanical inconvenience; it is a direct threat to driver, passenger, and public safety. The only appropriate response is a mandatory recall to inspect, repair, or replace affected engines before more drivers experience dangerous failures on the road.Paying for this on a teachers salary before the holidays is a struggle.

NHTSA ODI 11703365