2017 Ford Escape

Hi my name is [XXX] and I have a problem with my coolant leaking in the engine of my 2017 Ford Escape 2.0 turbo all wheel drive SE. case, [XXX] is from ford I have contacted ford several times on this issue. My vehicle is currently in the shop now since 11/14/2023. Ford says they are not going to fix my vehicle and it's a known issue I have included the service bulletin from Ford's website below. Any help getting my vehicle fixed would be greatly appreciated. My transmission is also slipping. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

On November 26, 1923 I had a flat tire on my 2017 Ford Escape. I tried to take the flat tire off & put the spare tire on with the lug wrench provided by Ford & it would not fit on the lug nuts enough to remove them. The size of the lug nuts were bigger than the opening on the lug wrench & I could not get any lug nuts off. My son gave me the lug wrench from his wife’s 2014 Ford Focus. It was identical to my lug wrench. He told me this lug wrench would not fit the lug nuts of his wife's car. It would not fit on the lug nuts of my car. We called roadside assistance to change the flat, but they could not. We borrowed our daughter’s 2016 Ford Escape to drive home. I took the lug wrench out of her car & it was an exact match of my lug wrench & the one from my sons wife's car. I tried to put this lug wrench on the lug nuts of my daughter’s car & it would not fit. All 3 vehicles had lug nuts that could not be loosened by the lug wrenches Ford provided. The next day our 2017 Ford Escape was towed to a Walmart & they fixed the flat tire without any difficulty removing or reinstalling the lug nuts. I have spent about $50 on tools that allow me to remove & tighten the lug nuts on my 2017 Escape. On November 30, 2023 I took our car to my local Ford dealer & they confirmed I had swollen lug nuts. They said the solution was for me to buy new ones that would not swell & the cost would be about $100. On December 1,2023 I talked to Ashley at the Ford Customer Care Center about this & was told Ford considers swollen lug nuts normal wear & tear. I have been driving & maintaining Ford vehicles for 50 years & never experienced this problem before now. I sent a letter to the Ford Customer Care Center requesting Ford solve this problem. Ford should tell owners of its vehicles that may have swollen lug nuts of the possible implications. In certain circumstances this could have caused my wife & I great harm or death. I have attached the letter I sent to Ford.

The engine failed due to antifreeze leaking into the #2 cylinder. I use the vehicle daily and drive long distances on the highway several times per year. From my understanding an engine fire could be a result of this issue. I have the car at a garage now to replace the engine at a cost $8700.00. The issue first appeared approx. 11-7 when the temperature gauge immediately shot to hot after running for only 2 or 3 minutes. The vehicle was then taken to my local garage as I thought it was a minor issue. When Vickers Garage did a thorough inspection he found that there was coolant in the engine. He stated that he thought I needed a new engine but insisted I get a second opinion before I made any decision because of the cost that would be incurred. I then took the car to another garage, Benzy's Diesel where he confirmed that a new engine was needed and I instructed him to complete the repairs - again at a cost of $8700.00.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled as the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where a diagnostic test was performed, and the diagnostic result showed that coolant was leaking from the head gasket which caused engine failure. The contact had the vehicle repaired out of pocket; however, the failure recently returned. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle had not been repaired and remained in the possession of the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 73,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon inspection of the vehicle, it was discovered that the coolant reservoir was nearly empty. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed and determined that engine coolant had leaked out due to a faulty engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 51,000. The VIN was not available.

I purchased a brand new 2017 Ford Titanium 2.0L Ecoboost from a Ford dealership. I also had the maintenance service so every service was done by the dealership. Due to the Covid pandemic, I had not driven the car much so it only has 39,777 miles on it. On the evening of Nov 9th, 2023, I noticed the car sputtering a bit when pressing on the gas while on my way home and the engine light briefly came on and then went away. The next morning, on the way into work, it was much worse and the car started to shake randomly while driving it and didn't always respond to pressing the gas pedal. The engine light came on and stayed on. It was less than 6 miles to the dealership so I took it straight there where it still remains. After a week, I got word (17th) that coolant has leaked into cylinder 2 and that I would need to replace the long block and some other items for a total of $7,641.17. They are filing something called a "GCCT" where they approach Ford with the issue and ask for them to cover the replacement but told me Ford hasn't been helping customers. I'm very upset that I spent nearly $40,000 on a top of the line Ford Escape, have put only 39,777 miles on it, done every single service at the dealership, and less than one year after my powertrain warranty and extended service are up, I have coolant leaking into my cylinders causing major vibrations and power loss. After some research, it appears this is known issue with the engines going back to the 1.5L Ecoboost. It appears there is a known fault in the manufacturing of the engine design and Ford is not taking responsibility for ALL of those engines. The 1.5L engines seems to have reached some sort of settlement. It appears the 2.0L engine needs to be addressed. The car is no longer safe to drive until the $7,641 repair, and even then, no guarantee that the same issue won't happen again in the future while driving 65 down the freeway.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while reversing into the driveway, there was smoke coming from the engine compartment. After a visual inspection of the engine compartment, the contact observed smoke coming from an unknown location. The smoke eventually dissipated independently. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the freeze plug. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 112,000.

I have been told by my mechanic and the Ford dealership that my 2.0 Ecoboost engine overheated as a result of coolant leaking into the cylinders and cracking the engine block. I addressed the issue immediately when the check engine light came on and had the #2 cylinder replaced. The car ran for a brief period of time before the engine light came back on along with the information signal which turned red and stopped the car due to overheating. I had not driven the car that day and travelled about 7 blocks. The car was towed to the dealership on 10/31/23. I had an appt for an unrelated recall on 11/1. Otherwise, I would have had to wait until 11/20 for an appt. My car remains at the dealership awaiting delivery of the 30 parts required. I have no estimate when it will be addressed. In the interim I have been told I am not eligible for a loaner car. At the request of the dealership I contacted Ford Customer Service and was given a case number. The rep said my car didn't qualify for any form of compensation from Ford Motor. When I questioned this, I was told very politely that the information was "proprietary". The dealership later said my car was "too old" and approximately 10,000 over the limit of approx. 84,000 miles to qualify for Ford to cover the repair, quoted at just under $8,000. While the dealer has been professional, it is clear they have dealt with this problem multiple times. I have read on-line extensively and on Consumer Reports that this is the result of a redesign to the engine to improve performance and mileage to something called the "open deck" engine. It didn't exist with previous engine designs and subsequent ones when the problem was addressed. The volume of complaints is extensive and well known to Ford and the automotive industry for a very long time. I have always maintained this car exquisitely addressing problems and regular maintenance. Ford's faulty design caused this and they should be held responsible for the entire cost.

I have filled out this form before. I had to have my engine replaced in my 2017 Ford escape 1.5l. so many people are having problems with these cars with the coolant intrusion problem. Ford refuses to acknowledge it don't know why you guys won't make them put a recall on these engines people owe too much money on their vehicles to keep doing this they can't just get rid of their cars. Now some people are realizing the new engines are not working either and they're forced to get a second new engine or lose all that money on their car. There is a Facebook page it's Ford EcoBoost Nightmares. You might want to check in on this so you actually know what's going on. This is not a joke anymore people are losing a lot of money Ford needs to be reimbursing people for their engine problems and if they have other engine problems they need to replace them too until they can learn how to fix these engines. I'm in the hole now and I have no money I have put every penny I have into this car and I still owe nine grand on it. I'm barely keeping a roof over my head. Please make them put the recall out people need to get reimbursed.