2017 Ford Escape

The contact's fiancé owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer for sale. The contact stated that while the dealer was test-driving the vehicle at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The dealer determined that the head gasket and engine block had failed, resulting in coolant intrusion into cylinders #1 and #3. The dealer also discovered that the engine had consumed a quart of oil, and there was smoke coming from the exhaust pipe due to engine blowby. The dealer added a quart of engine oil and informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 24,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle started shaking abnormally. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was flashing, and the vehicle started losing motive power. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal, but the vehicle was not responding as needed. The contact stopped and turned off and restarted the vehicle; however, the vehicle was still shaking. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and retrieved DTC: P0304 (Coolant Intrusion into engine) Engine and Engine Cooling. The mechanic linked the failure Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12 - Short Block Replacement After Coolant Intrusion (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that there was coolant intrusion in the engine and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 69,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed and 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 88,000.

In May 2023, I paid an independent service center to repair and replace the transmission flex plate. In December 2023, I paid the same service center to repair and replace the transmission flex plate a second time. The repairs exceeded $5000. In November 2024, I paid Morries Minnetonka Ford to diagnose transmission vibration. It determined that the torque converter was failing and that I needed a new transmission. The cost of the repair is expected to be in excess of $6000. A search on the internet revealed that Ford recalled torque converters (Recall Number 17S16). Not that the internet is the source of truth, but it appears that transmission issues with Ford vehicles with lower miles is a relatively common event. I believe that my issue is a manufacturing issue. The torque converter and flex plate are parts that should not fail at 73,000 miles. They are designed to last the life of a vehicle. Further, the flex plate should not fail independently of other failures. The parts are interconnected. Neither Morries Minnetonka Ford, nor Ford are willing to consider that this is manufacturing issue that Ford should cover the cost of repair. I would appreciate the NHTSA looking into the matter with Ford.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. While the contact's son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the engine started to overheat. The contact stated that the temperature gauge was raised beyond the hot level. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a cracked head gasket and a failed sensor. The contact was informed that the head gasket and the unknown sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle had been taken to the dealer several times due to the failure. The contact stated that the dealer installed a camera on the head to check for a coolant leak. The contact was unclear of the diagnostic reports; however, the contact was informed that the spark plugs, and the crankcase sensor needed to be replaced. The spark plugs and crankcase sensor were replaced; however, the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 74,000.

Vehicle operated poorly at start up for 10-20 seconds. Check engine light came on. I had limited control with braking and accelerating. If my son was outside, I could have accidentally run him over. The dealership told me that it is a known issue involving coolant leaking into the engine cylinder. This issue can only be rectified by replacing the entire engine, which is not covered by any recalls, warranties, etc. at this time. The dealership printed a Technical Service Bulletin for me 22-2229 "2.0L EcoBoost - Coolant in Cylinders, White Exhaust Smoke And/Or Illuminated MIL". This is a known and documented issue that costs $10,000+ to fix and there is no recall?!?!

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon coming to a complete stop, the message "Engine Hot" was displayed. The contact stated that while driving from a complete stop, the vehicle failed to exceed 10 MPH. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where the contact was referred to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a misfire in cylinder #1 due to coolant intrusion into the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to Ford Campaign Number: 21N12. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 53,500.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon inspection at a local Tire Shop, the contact was informed that the lug nuts on all four wheels were cracked. The contact had 14 lug nuts replaced out-of-pocket; however, there were 6 lug nuts that still needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The lug nuts were OEM parts. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 54,135.