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2017 Ford Escape

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Escape years

Owner complaints for the 2017 Ford Escape are substantially higher than the model-year median of 996.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

1,155 reports with mileage · 1,522 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Engine. Review the 1,564 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 507 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 390 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

39 crash reports15 fire reports38 injury reports

Engine And Engine Cooling complaints

507 reports
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159,000 miles · Mar 11, 2025
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle was misfiring and hesitating to respond. Additionally, there was white smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to AutoZone, …

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The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle was misfiring and hesitating to respond. Additionally, there was white smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to AutoZone, where it was diagnosed that cylinders #2 and #3 were misfiring due to coolant intrusion. The vehicle was then taken to an unknown dealer, where it was not diagnosed; however, the dealer performed a visual inspection of the vehicle and informed the contact that the short block had a factory defect and needed to be replaced. 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 approximately 159,000.

NHTSA ODI #11647559

52,000 miles · Mar 6, 2025
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 25 MPH, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact was able to drive to the intended destination despite the failure. The vehicle was then driven to a dealer where a diagno…

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The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 25 MPH, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact was able to drive to the intended destination despite the failure. The vehicle was then driven to a dealer where a diagnostic test was performed. The diagnostic test indicated that there was coolant intrusion into the engine, resulting in engine failure. The vehicle remained unrepaired with the dealer. 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 approximately 52,000.

NHTSA ODI #11646721

120,000 miles · Mar 4, 2025
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at slow speeds, the vehicle stalled with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the residence, and then to a dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine, causing engine f…

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The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at slow speeds, the vehicle stalled with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the residence, and then to a dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The contact stated that the engine had overheated weeks before the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and the water pump was replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 120,000.

NHTSA ODI #11646315

86,741 miles · Mar 3, 2025
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the "Engine Overheating Shut Down" message was displayed on the instrument panel. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle remained at the residence. A dealer was contacted, and the dealer made the contact aware of an undiscl…

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The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the "Engine Overheating Shut Down" message was displayed on the instrument panel. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle remained at the residence. A dealer was contacted, and the dealer made the contact aware of an undisclosed recall; however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 86,741.

NHTSA ODI #11645946

87,000 miles · Feb 28, 2025
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 50 MPH, the engine fault warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to Technical Service Bulletin: 19-2375 or 20-2100. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined…

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The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 50 MPH, the engine fault warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to Technical Service Bulletin: 19-2375 or 20-2100. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that there was a coolant leak in the engine and that the engine needed to be replaced. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.

NHTSA ODI #11645619

39,000 miles · Feb 27, 2025
EngineEngine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal sound emanating from the engine compartment, prompting the to discontinue driving the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure wit…

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The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal sound emanating from the engine compartment, prompting the to discontinue driving the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the head gasket, resulting in damages to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. 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 39,000.

NHTSA ODI #11645358

83,000 miles · Feb 26, 2025
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her daughter was operating the vehicle, the vehicle lost automotive power and stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The m…

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The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her daughter was operating the vehicle, the vehicle lost automotive power and stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was approximately 83,000.

NHTSA ODI #11645081

138,000 miles · Feb 20, 2025
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the engine made an abnormal beeping sound and then unexpectedly shut off. The check engine warning light was illuminated, and the "Engine Fault Service Now" message was displayed. The vehicle was restarted, but the engine overheated. The con…

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The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the engine made an abnormal beeping sound and then unexpectedly shut off. The check engine warning light was illuminated, and the "Engine Fault Service Now" message was displayed. The vehicle was restarted, but the engine overheated. The contact added coolant to the reservoir; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who determined that there was a crack in cylinder #3 and coolant intrusion into the engine. 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 opened. The failure mileage was approximately 138,000.

NHTSA ODI #11643983

111,390 miles · Feb 19, 2025
Engine And Engine 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 the vehicle was diagnosed and the contact was advised that coolant intrusion had been found in the short block of the engine, and that the short block needed to be replaced. T…

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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 the vehicle was diagnosed and the contact was advised that coolant intrusion had been found in the short block of the engine, and that the short block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 111,390.

NHTSA ODI #11643762

98,000 miles · Feb 18, 2025
EngineEngine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while her daughter was driving out of the school parking lot at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal sound and stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and d…

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The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while her daughter was driving out of the school parking lot at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal sound and stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine block was fractured, and there was coolant intrusion in cylinders #3 and #4. The mechanic determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The contact related the failure to an undisclosed TSB. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.

NHTSA ODI #11643440

Official recalls

4

26V374000 · Visibility:power Window Devices And Controls

Jun 9, 2026

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017 Escape vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall number 16V617. The power-operated windows may exert excessive force when encountering an object, before they automatically reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 118, "Power-Operated Window Systems."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A closing window that does not reverse direction as expected can pinch a driver or passenger before retracting, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: Dealers will update the power window operating system software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 22, 2026. Owners may contact customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C29. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 6, 2026.

26V011000 · Equipment:electrical:engine Block Heater

Jan 15, 2026

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Focus, 2013-2019 Escape, and 2015-2016 MKC vehicles equipped with a 2.0L engine. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed March 6, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S01. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on January 16, 2026.

22V413000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission:gear Position Indication (prndl); Power Train:shift Linkage/cable/rod

Jun 10, 2022

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2019 Escape, 2013-2018 C-Max, 2013-2016 Fusion, 2013-2021 Transit Connect, and 2015-2018 Edge vehicles. The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A damaged or missing bushing may prevent the vehicle from shifting into the intended gear, and cause the vehicle to move in an unexpected direction. Additionally, the vehicle may roll after the driver selects the 'Park' position. Either scenario increases the risk of a crash or injury.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the under hood shift bushing and add a protective cap over the shift cable bushing, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters, informing owners of the safety risk, were mailed July 1, 2022. Remedy parts are expected to be available in 4th Quarter 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed October 27, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S43.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Power Train:shift Linkage/cable/rod

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2019 Escape, 2013-2018 C-Max, 2013-2016 Fusion, 2013-2021 Transit Connect, and 2015-2018 Edge vehicles. The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach.

Consequence: A damaged or missing bushing may prevent the vehicle from shifting into the intended gear, and cause the vehicle to move in an unexpected direction. Additionally, the vehicle may roll after the driver selects the 'Park' position. Either scenario increases the risk of a crash or injury.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the under hood shift bushing and add a protective cap over the shift cable bushing, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters, informing owners of the safety risk, were mailed July 1, 2022. Remedy parts are expected to be available in 4th Quarter 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed October 27, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S43.

Power Train:automatic Transmission:gear Position Indication (prndl)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2019 Escape, 2013-2018 C-Max, 2013-2016 Fusion, 2013-2021 Transit Connect, and 2015-2018 Edge vehicles. The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach.

Consequence: A damaged or missing bushing may prevent the vehicle from shifting into the intended gear, and cause the vehicle to move in an unexpected direction. Additionally, the vehicle may roll after the driver selects the 'Park' position. Either scenario increases the risk of a crash or injury.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the under hood shift bushing and add a protective cap over the shift cable bushing, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters, informing owners of the safety risk, were mailed July 1, 2022. Remedy parts are expected to be available in 4th Quarter 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed October 27, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S43.

16V617000 · Electrical System:software; Visibility:power Window Devices And Controls

Aug 24, 2016

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2017 Ford Escape Titanium and SE vehicles manufactured October 5, 2015, to May 12, 2016. The settings for the closing-force of the power-operated windows may allow the windows to close on an object such as a body part and injure it before the windows auto-reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 118, "Power-Operated Window Systems."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If a window closes on a body part, it can increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: Ford has notified owners, and dealers will update the power window operating system software, free of charge. The recall began on September 6, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16C12.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Electrical System:software

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2017 Ford Escape Titanium and SE vehicles manufactured October 5, 2015, to May 12, 2016. The settings for the closing-force of the power-operated windows may allow the windows to close on an object such as a body part and injure it before the windows auto-reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 118, "Power-Operated Window Systems."

Consequence: If a window closes on a body part, it can increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: Ford has notified owners, and dealers will update the power window operating system software, free of charge. The recall began on September 6, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16C12.

Visibility:power Window Devices And Controls

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2017 Ford Escape Titanium and SE vehicles manufactured October 5, 2015, to May 12, 2016. The settings for the closing-force of the power-operated windows may allow the windows to close on an object such as a body part and injure it before the windows auto-reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 118, "Power-Operated Window Systems."

Consequence: If a window closes on a body part, it can increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: Ford has notified owners, and dealers will update the power window operating system software, free of charge. The recall began on September 6, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16C12.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.

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