Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
1510–25K
17625–50K
30450–75K
25375–100K
237100–150K
34150K+
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
What owners actually said
2,677 reports
Mileage unknown · Oct 22, 2023
Engine
Engine staying at medium temperature the entire ride but quickly escalating with little acceleration. White smoke from exhaust. Coolant leak into cylinder causing smoke and vehicle not operating properly at normal speeds. Discussed this with the dealership that vehicle was purchased from and serviced at prior. They said my warra…
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Engine staying at medium temperature the entire ride but quickly escalating with little acceleration. White smoke from exhaust. Coolant leak into cylinder causing smoke and vehicle not operating properly at normal speeds. Discussed this with the dealership that vehicle was purchased from and serviced at prior. They said my warrantee just expired at the end of august but that the manufacturer is aware of the defect and would have fixed it if it was still under warranty. The repair they said would be 7500$ vehicle still not operating properly and coolant leak noted.
NHTSA ODI #11551227
Mileage unknown · Oct 22, 2023
Engine
Coolant leak/ intrusion to cylinder causing white smoke and sputtering when idle and driving. Manufacturer defect noticed prior to warrantee expiring in august 2023 unable to schedule inspection prior to warranty expiration. Manufacturer has tcb on this exact issue. No check engine light. Multiple Mechanics reviewed issue statin…
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Coolant leak/ intrusion to cylinder causing white smoke and sputtering when idle and driving. Manufacturer defect noticed prior to warrantee expiring in august 2023 unable to schedule inspection prior to warranty expiration. Manufacturer has tcb on this exact issue. No check engine light. Multiple Mechanics reviewed issue stating need to replace the engine due to manufacturer defect causing issues and concerns for greater loss. The vehicle is available any time for testing etc
NHTSA ODI #11551225
Mileage unknown · Oct 21, 2023
Engine
I purchased my Ford escape 2017 "new" from Gainesville Ford dealer in 11/2016. Over the years I have serviced my vehicle well, changed all my four tires and brake pads in 06/2023. On 10/2/2023, while I was driving on highway- I 75 &Florida turnpike the engine suddenly showed Engine overheated stop for safety. I stop the car and …
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I purchased my Ford escape 2017 "new" from Gainesville Ford dealer in 11/2016. Over the years I have serviced my vehicle well, changed all my four tires and brake pads in 06/2023. On 10/2/2023, while I was driving on highway- I 75 &Florida turnpike the engine suddenly showed Engine overheated stop for safety. I stop the car and drove. The sign kept on coming on and off throughout my drive. Since I was on a busy highway, and also in the construction area, there was not a possibility to stop every time the sign appeared. Finally, I reached my destination in Orlando and parked the car in covered parking. That afternoon as I was trying to return home, I started the car, car was moving slowly, I pulled out of the parking lot into the road and the car would not go beyond 10-15 mph. Thankfully the cars around me were considerate and I was able to circle back into the parking lot. From there the car had to be towed to one repair shop who diagnosed that there was coolant leakage into the engine, causing damage of the engine cylinders. I called Ford dealership in Orlando and the car was again towed there. Ford dealership told me that the coolant had leaked into the engine causing damage of the engine and now the whole engine had to be changed and it would cost me $9600. 1 year earlier I had received a letter from Ford stating that my car had a recall on coolant leak into the engine causing engine failure. I had taken the car to the Gainesville Ford dealer where the agent told me that it will take about 3 months for the car to be repaired as they had to order the part. I did not have an alternate vehicle so the agent told me he will order new parts and call me. They never called me. Now my car has total engine failure. I spoke with Ford customer service multiple times, and Ford refused to pay for my car repair. Orlando Ford dealership was no help at all. After 2.5 weeks of multiple calls and no help I had to junk my car and buy a new car. Ford has to be held accountable.
NHTSA ODI #11551139
Mileage unknown · Oct 21, 2023
Engine
I bought this car "new" from Ford dealer in Gainesville , FL in Nov 2016. A dashboard sign suddenly appeared on 10/2/2023 (overheated engine, risk of fire, please stop driving immediately) while driving on I-75 S from Gainesville to Orlando. The vehicle odometer reading was about 78000 miles. The vehicle would not move past 20 m…
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I bought this car "new" from Ford dealer in Gainesville , FL in Nov 2016. A dashboard sign suddenly appeared on 10/2/2023 (overheated engine, risk of fire, please stop driving immediately) while driving on I-75 S from Gainesville to Orlando. The vehicle odometer reading was about 78000 miles. The vehicle would not move past 20 miles per hour. I finally was able to reach my destination in Orlando and took the car to the "Sun State Ford" dealer in Orlando, FL on 10/3/2023. Their inspection stated that the coolant leaked into the engine cylinders and the engine is completely damaged. They stated it will cost me USD 9600 for parts and labor to replace a new engine. I called Ford manufacturer 11 times and spoke to multiple representatives who told me that "it is not Ford's responsibility to replace the engine". Ford had a recall on the same problem in July 2022 and the recall expired in Nov 2022. I took the car to Gainesville Ford dealer at that time when I received the recall message even though there was no problem with my car at that time. The dealer that time stated that it will take 2-3 months for the repair to get completed. Since I had no alternate vehicle to drive and since the car that time had no issue, I did not fell it was necessary to do so. Finally, I sold the car to the "Junk car buyer" for few hundred dollars one 10/18/2023. From 10/3/2023-10/18/2023, I rented multiple cars and paid diagnostic fees to the Orlando Ford dealer. Finally, I bought another used car on 10/18/2023. I feel that this defect in the coolant/engine put my life at risk while driving on 1-75 S on 10/2/2023 and Ford seems to be very irresponsible. A one-owner car's engine should not go down at 78000 miles.
NHTSA ODI #11551137
Mileage unknown · Oct 20, 2023
Engine
my check engine light came on yesterday and i took it to the dealership this morning. they ran diagnostics and told me one of the cylinders is misfiring due to coolant from another cylinder leaking into it. i commute over one hour each way to work, so this puts my safety in danger - they said the car is drivable but i need to ke…
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my check engine light came on yesterday and i took it to the dealership this morning. they ran diagnostics and told me one of the cylinders is misfiring due to coolant from another cylinder leaking into it. i commute over one hour each way to work, so this puts my safety in danger - they said the car is drivable but i need to keep putting coolant into it weekly. after doing research when i came home, i found this is a common reoccurrence with this model/engine type in ford cars.
NHTSA ODI #11550972
Mileage unknown · Oct 19, 2023
EnginePower Train
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the Auto START/STOP feature failed to operate as needed and the engine failed to restart after depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact also stated that the vehicle failed to immediately start after refueling. The contact stated that the “Auto START/STOP - Shift t…
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The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the Auto START/STOP feature failed to operate as needed and the engine failed to restart after depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact also stated that the vehicle failed to immediately start after refueling. The contact stated that the “Auto START/STOP - Shift to Park(P) and Restart Engine” message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
NHTSA ODI #11550826
160,000 miles · Oct 18, 2023
Engine
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 MPH the engine temperature warning light illuminated. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road where condensation was observed on the ground under the front of the vehicle. Additionally, The contact stated that when powered on the …
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The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 MPH the engine temperature warning light illuminated. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road where condensation was observed on the ground under the front of the vehicle. Additionally, The contact stated that when powered on the gear did not shift smoothly from gear to gear. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine and transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
NHTSA ODI #11550667
52,000 miles · Oct 18, 2023
Engine And Engine Cooling
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that during cold starts, the engine shuddered, and the check engine warning light flashed on and off. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced cylinder #2 and the spark plugs. After retrieving the vehicle, the failure reoccurred, and the vehicle was taken back…
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The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that during cold starts, the engine shuddered, and the check engine warning light flashed on and off. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced cylinder #2 and the spark plugs. After retrieving the vehicle, the failure reoccurred, and the vehicle was taken back to the local dealer who diagnosed that coolant was present inside the engine and that the engine 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 52,000.
NHTSA ODI #11550658
76,000 miles · Oct 17, 2023
Engine And Engine Cooling
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle decelerated to 2 MPH. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle then started to sputter. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that cylinder #4 coil needed to be repla…
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The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle decelerated to 2 MPH. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle then started to sputter. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that cylinder #4 coil needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, after driving for two miles, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the failure was due to cylinder #4 failure and that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact was informed there was coolant intrusion into the engine. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the repairs were not covered under Extended Warranty and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 76,000. The VIN was not available.
NHTSA ODI #11550414
Mileage unknown · Oct 17, 2023
Electrical SystemSteering
When driving the vehicle an error pops up stating steering fault service now. When this pops up the steering tends to go tough. If you turn off the vehicle and turn it back on the error goes away and the system does not store any codes. There is no reason or repeat action to trigger this error. It was coming up monthly and the l…
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When driving the vehicle an error pops up stating steering fault service now. When this pops up the steering tends to go tough. If you turn off the vehicle and turn it back on the error goes away and the system does not store any codes. There is no reason or repeat action to trigger this error. It was coming up monthly and the last month has popped up 3 times. This is a huge issue especially for myself who has kids and if something happened to my steering while driving I would be screwed. I have attached one service invoice but have been to a dealership 3 total times to get this issue looked into.
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.
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.
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.
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 ↗