Driving back home from downtown Tupelo, my transmission completely went out. Vehicle had to be turned off and back on to move a few feet. It took over 45 minutes to drive 4 miles to my house. Cost of transmission more than value of the vehicle. Ford stated there is no recall on the vehicle for the transmission.
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.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Escape years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
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.
Power Train complaints
390 reportsMy ford escape had a recall for lower engine block back in late 2020. As of yesterday they are now telling me I need to get the same part they replaced then replaced again. Its been under 23k miles since the recall replacement was done and they want to charge me 9k
Vehicle suddenly started not shifting gears correctly and lost power, took to dealer and was told it is a known problem with this model of Ford Escape, the service manager went as far as stating there was nothing we could have done. We had no warning lights, no leaking of any type but was told the coolant was empty. Service man…
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Vehicle suddenly started not shifting gears correctly and lost power, took to dealer and was told it is a known problem with this model of Ford Escape, the service manager went as far as stating there was nothing we could have done. We had no warning lights, no leaking of any type but was told the coolant was empty. Service manager said engine had absorbed coolent. They stated it had also caused the transmission to malfunction and cost to repair would be around $20,500. This is way more than the vehicle is worth yet we still owe $6,800 on a vehicle we have made regular oil changes and has presented no prior signs of problems. Obviously, Ford is very aware of problem yet has not made a recall. What can we do?
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, …
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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.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle shuddered abnormally. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer on three occasions, where it was diagnosed and determined that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaire…
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The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle shuddered abnormally. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer on three occasions, where it was diagnosed and determined that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to two independent mechanics, who determined that the failure was due to the torque converter. The manufacturer was contacted and referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while pulling out of the driveway, the messages that "Engine Overheating, Do Not Drive" and "Power Train Failure" were displayed on the instrument panel. Additionally, the vehicle was jerking. The vehicle was placed in Neutral(N) and coasted back into the garage. The v…
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The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while pulling out of the driveway, the messages that "Engine Overheating, Do Not Drive" and "Power Train Failure" were displayed on the instrument panel. Additionally, the vehicle was jerking. The vehicle was placed in Neutral(N) and coasted back into the garage. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the short block needed to be replaced due to coolant leaking into cylinder #3. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 116,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, the vehicle downshifted with no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure recurred, and the transmission warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determi…
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The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, the vehicle downshifted with no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure recurred, and the transmission warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 136,000.
Per my mechanic, after 2 rounds of Cylinder #2 misfire, it seems as though there is coolant leaking into the engine. I have had this card for 2.5 yeas and have less than 100K miles on it. Research shows that I may need a new engine at $6-8K on a car that I have put 5k miles on in 2 years and still owe over $10k on. Per resear…
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Per my mechanic, after 2 rounds of Cylinder #2 misfire, it seems as though there is coolant leaking into the engine. I have had this card for 2.5 yeas and have less than 100K miles on it. Research shows that I may need a new engine at $6-8K on a car that I have put 5k miles on in 2 years and still owe over $10k on. Per research, this has been a known issue for years and nothing has been done about it. Vehicle is available for inspection upon request, if it will assist in my situation. Per research, this issue causing severe overheating and some cars run the risk of catching on fire and some just stop functioning altogether. My car was sputtering on a cold start, and then my car and Ford App told me there was an issue with the engine. My first plug/wire/boot replacement was on 8/10/24 due to the check engine light. ODB showed it was a misfire on #2, and on 9/7/24, the check engine light came on again and per the readouts from the ODB, it is another misfire on #2 and the plug has fouled again. I have currently spent over $600 on just diagnosing this issue, and the paperwork uploaded it just for the first visit. I have also reached directly out to Ford, who advised me to take it to a Ford Dealership for their diagnostics, and then they will see what is covered, if anything. My case number for that is CXH-02610243-K4Z7X8. My diagnostic for Ford will only be covered if they find an issue that is covered by a recall, warranty, Service Plan, or Customer Satisfaction Program. So that is going to add to additional costs, as according to my research, there is no recall.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the "Service Engine Now" and "Engine Service Require" messages were displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who replaced the water pump, but the failure persisted. The vehicle stalled while driving. The vehicle was…
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The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the "Service Engine Now" and "Engine Service Require" messages were displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who replaced the water pump, but the failure persisted. The vehicle stalled while driving. The vehicle was towed to a transmission specialist, who replaced the transmission for the second time; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic, who replaced the alternator and coolant pump; however, the failure recurred, and the cause of the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 137,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after shifting into drive(D) however, the vehicle failed to respond. Additionally, while the transmission was in park(P) or neutral(N), the engine continued to rev high. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to determine the cause of the failure but …
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The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after shifting into drive(D) however, the vehicle failed to respond. Additionally, while the transmission was in park(P) or neutral(N), the engine continued to rev high. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to determine the cause of the failure but indicated that the transmission was faulty. The manufacturer and local dealer were contacted but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 75,456.
Official recalls
426V374000 · 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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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