2017 Ford Escape problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Engine (1223) · Engine And Engine Cooling (471) · Power Train (343)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Ford Escape model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
1,158 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (4)
Visibility:power Window Devices And Controls 2026-06-09 · campaign 26V374000 · 18,124 vehicles
Defect: 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."
Risk: A closing window that does not reverse direction as expected can pinch a driver or passenger before retracting, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: 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.
Equipment:electrical:engine Block Heater 2026-01-15 · campaign 26V011000 · 116,672 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: 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. For
Power Train:shift Linkage/Cable/Rod 2022-06-10 · campaign 22V413000 · 2,925,968 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Electrical System:software 2016-08-24 · campaign 16V617000 · 17,985 vehicles
Defect: 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."
Risk: If a window closes on a body part, it can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: 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.
Service bulletins (249)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2026-04-29 · 25H05 S1 · Other
harvest program 25h05 – supplement #1 certain 2011-2021 model year vehicles software verification harvest program
Unknown Or Other 2026-02-24 · SSM 54601 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
ford and lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory wireless keyless entry keypad systems may or may not come with a wallet card containing the master code. unlike the integrated wired keypad, the accessory wireless keypad master code cannot be retrieved from the
Electrical System 2025-11-26 · TSB 25-2570 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this article supersedes tsb 24-2165 to update the tsb service procedure. some vehicles listed in the model statement above may exhibit various sync performance related concerns including but not limited to: display operation concerns navigation inoperative voice recognition concerns phone co
Power Train 2025-11-12 · SSM 54366 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some 2015-2021 ford and lincoln vehicles may exhibit an illuminated mil with diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) p0011, p0012, p0014, p0015, p0016, p0017, p0018, p0019, p0021, p0022, p0024 and/or p0025. pinpoint test hk in the powertrain control and emissions diagnosis (pc/ed) or in section 303-14 of th
Unknown Or Other 2024-10-10 · SSM 53040 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
while performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024 ford and lincoln vehicles, a transmission seal kit may be on backorder due to supply chain interruptions.
Unknown Or Other 2024-05-27 · TSB 24-2165 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this article supersedes tsb 21-2175 to update the tsb service procedure. some 2016 mks, 2016-2017 navigator, 2016-2018 f-150/focus/c-max/edge/fiesta/mkx/transit connect/mustang, 2017-2018 continental/fusion/mkz, 2017-2019 explorer, 2016-2019 escape/mkc/flex/mkt/taurus/transit/expedition/f-super duty
Showing the 6 most recent of 249 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-27 · Engine“the engine hascooling intrusion to do manufrature defect…”
2026-10-27 · Engine“1. the ecoboost engine block suffered a severe structural failure caused by a factory manufacturing defect known as internal cylinder block coolant intrusion (as documented in ford tsb 19-2208). antifreeze leaks directly past the cylinder wall block grooves into the combustion chambers. this vehicle is currently parked and is fully available for ph…”
2026-10-23 · Engine“while operating the vehicle, the engine experienced a loss of power accompanied by a strong burning oil odor. inspection revealed engine oil leaking from the camshaft cover assembly and onto the exhaust system, creating a potential fire hazard. mechanical diagnosis determined that cylinder #4 had lost compression, resulting in excessive blow-by an…”
2026-10-21 · Engine“when driving home my usual 5 miles from work, the car gave me a signal that it overheated and i should pull over immediately. this happened one other time during the week. the check engine light came on a few days later. when i brought it into the ford dealership, they reported that the head gasket had blown, the engine had cracked, and it was leak…”
2026-10-17 · Engine“the "check engine light" came on. we brought it to the ford dealership for checking. they told us there was coolant intrusion in the engine, and that the car was unsafe to drive and required a new engine. we had only put approximately 6,000 miles on the car after buying it used 2 years prior. we surrendered the car to the dealership and took a payo…”
2026-10-16 · Engine“one morning in july 2026, i woke up to turn on my car and the temperature was in the red, white smoke was coming out of it and it has since been non-operable with a recommendation for a engine replacement. i was told this could be related to coolant intrusion and it occurred at just 77,000 miles. i had just had my car at ford for a multipoint inspe…”
2026-10-14 · Engine“vehicle went into limp mode with my teeange daughter driving on the interstate due to the known coolant intrusion issue. …”
2026-10-14 · Engine And Engine Cooling · 94,000 mi“the contact owns a 2017 ford escape. the contact stated that while driving at 35 mph, the vehicle experienced a total loss of motive power without warning lights illuminating. the vehicle was towed to the contact's residence, where an independent mechanic inspected the vehicle and informed the contact that the engine failed due to coolant intrusion…”
2026-10-13 · Exterior Lighting“the head light bulbs continuously burn out every few months. brights and fog lights work …”
2026-10-12 · Engine“ecoboost engine defect coolant leaks into engine cylinders causing engine failure . i have a ford escape 2017 with the above defect and i had to replace the eco booster twice and last time i had to replace the engine because the block cracked. ford is not helping at all to fix the problem…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.