2017 Ford Escape

After driving 200 miles for a vacation, the car overheated and would not start. The coolant had leaked into cylinder head and evaporated. Smoke was coming from underneath the hood. Had it towed to a shop where they did $2500 in repairs. Car ran for two months, and the same thing happened again. After looking online, discovered Ford knew about the design flaws that cause engine failure. There have been recalls regarding this issue, but not in Wisconsin.

At approximately 24509.37 miles the engine broke a valve and damaged a piston (hole in piston). We were never notified about Ford Motor Company's "Customer Satisfaction Program" 21N12 & 19B37 and Technical Service Bulletin reference (Technical Service Bulletin) 22-2134 pertaining to 2017-2019 Ford Escape Models. I have a copy of the Ford Motor Company letter sent to all U.S. Dealers dated June 9 2022 that was recently given to me by another Escape Owner. I believe this is commonly known as a "silent recall." The engine damage occurred on [XXX] at [XXX] at the mileage listed above. I believe there was a Class Action Lawsuit filed against Ford Motor Company that I, as an owner of this vehicle, was not notified about as required by law. This issue needs to be investigated so I can file a claim and seek remedy for damage to my vehicle. All the Diagnostic Trouble codes on my vehicle match all the codes on Ford's Program 21N12 as referenced above. All information points to Ford Company admitting to a known engine design defect that affects my vehicle. I have attached as many documents as can find to date since my engine damaged occurred. The local Ford Dealership provided Diagnosis of the engine damage and said they were well aware of the trouble with this Model. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Purchased Vehicle on October 11, 2024. Took car out of town check engine light came on. Took back on October 16th as it had a P0301 cylinder 1 misfire code. They replaced a coil pack said it was good to go. Check engine light came back on a few days later, went to auto zone to scan same code informed dealership. Took it to dealership on November 5th, 2024 they kept overnight to do a leak down test and found coolant in cylinder 1. Engine is bad. Vehicle has 60,000 miles on it and since it is new to me I can’t confirm how long this has been a problem and been covered up.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust pipes. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 22N12 (Rattle Noise at the Transmission Bellhousing Area – Flex plate Cracks); however, the VIN was not included in the Customer Satisfaction Program. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 84,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that coolant intrusion had caused a misfire in the engine. The contact was informed that the engine would eventually need to be replaced. 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, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 65,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the contact became aware of white exhaust smoke coming from the rear exhaust pipes. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 22N12 (transmission fluid pump, and torque converter); however, the VIN was not included in the Customer Satisfaction Program. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 113,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while his wife was driving 35 MPH, the vehicle briefly jerked and hesitated before returning to normal functionality. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who observed that the coolant reservoir was empty but was unable to determine if there was a coolant leak. The contact inspected the engine but found no damages. After further inspection, the dealer observed that the fuel pump was cracked. The vehicle was repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 78,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle was running abnormally rough, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who determined that coolant intrusion into cylinder four was causing a misfire, resulting in damages to the engine. The contact was informed that the short block needed to be replaced. 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, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 42,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local mechanic who replaced the spark plugs and the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust pipes. The vehicle was driven to the local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the was a coolant intrusion in the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the vehicle did not qualify for the Extended Warranty Coverage under TSB: 22-2229. The failure mileage was 40,000.

On the way to work, MIL came on that stated, “high engine temperature stop safely”. After pulling over and turning car off for about 10 minutes, trip to work continued and MIL came on again. Had vehicle TOWED IN to a trusted mechanic and he checked and advised: CONFIRMED OVERHEAT CONDITION, VEHICLE WAS LOW ON COOLANT, OVERHEAT CODE STORED IN PCM. REFILLED WITH COOLANT AND FOUND STEADY STREAM OF COMBUSTION LEAVING THE COOLING SYSTEM THROUGH COOLANT BOTTLE. SUSPECT DAMAGE TO HEADGASKET AND POSSIBLY ENGINE BLOCK OR CYLINDER HEAD.