2017 Ford Escape problems, complaints & recalls

2017 Ford Escape recalls (4)

• Recall 26V374000Jun 9, 202618,124 vehicles
  VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS

  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.

  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.

• Recall 26V011000Jan 15, 2026116,672 vehicles
  EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:ENGINE BLOCK HEATER

  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.

  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.

• Recall 22V413000Jun 10, 20222,925,968 vehicles
  POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL) · 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.

  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.

  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.

• Recall 16V617000Aug 24, 201617,985 vehicles
  ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE · 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."

  Risk: 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.

NHTSA 5-Star safety ratings

Recent 2017 Ford Escape complaints

Excerpts of the newest owner complaints, lightly cleaned of personal details. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

1. Filed Oct 6, 2026WIEngine

   Our Escape has had the head gasket replaced twice (6/2023 & 8/2024) and now needs the engine completely replaced. We have paid almost $8,000 out of pocket for the 2 fixes and now have been given an estimate of $10k for a new engine. In all three cases we have had the engine light turn on, the warning "High Engine Temperature. Stop Safely" appear and a dramatic decrease in coolant (which we have to fill daily). We are now stuck with a car that isn’t safe/fit to drive and in…

   NHTSA complaint #11769316 · source
2. Filed Oct 5, 2026DEEngine

   Dealership service department just called to inform me that my car is showing signs of the coolant intrusion issue that is known by ford for my 2017 ford escape titanium and that i should probably not waste the money to get the maintainance service done that I had taken it in for because the engine will most likely need replacing soon , and after further review online , vehicles with this condition have caught even caught on fire . And ford even acknowledging the issue is…

   NHTSA complaint #11769069 · source
3. Filed Oct 4, 2026KSLighting

   Purchased as a pair of aftermarket replacement headlight assemblies for a 2017 Ford Escape. Both left and right assemblies developed internal plastic melting around the projector area after several months of normal use. Seller states the assemblies are limited to a 60W 9005 bulb, but no such wattage limitation or overheating warning was disclosed on the Amazon product listing. The seller also appears to list the bulb positions incorrectly. I am reporting this because both…

   NHTSA complaint #11768798 · source
4. Filed Oct 3, 2026TXEngine

   I am reporting a severe safety hazard regarding a known factory engineering defect in the 2017 Ford Escape 2.0L EcoBoost engine. A documented design flaw in the open-deck engine block allows engine coolant to slowly intrude into cylinders 3 and 4 [1.10]. This internal leak causes a rapid, un-warned loss of coolant volume without leaving any visible puddles on the ground [1.10]. The vehicle suffered a sudden loss of occupant cabin heat, immediately followed by the Cylinder…

   NHTSA complaint #11768666 · source
5. Filed Oct 1, 2026PAEngine

   On [XXX], I was driving the 2017 Ford Escape and while attempting to merge onto [XXX] at Greencastle, PA, the vehicle started to lose power and I couldn't accelerate to the speed of other traffic. I was almost hit on the left side by a tractor/trailer and the car behind me almost rear ended my car. While being at an almost stand-stii in the right lane of [XXX], traffic had to swerve to the left lane to avoid me. With much difficulty, I was able to get the car to the side of…

   NHTSA complaint #11768265 · source
6. Filed Sep 27, 2026INEngine

   I have a 17 escape with a 1.5l engine. Few years ago I had engine block replaced. The engine block that was installed in my engine has the coolant intrusion issue. This is the second motor put inside my vehicle due to this issue. (Last motor was due to neglect from previous owner aka my ex wife)

   NHTSA complaint #11767242 · source
7. Filed Sep 26, 2026ALEngine

   With just over 115,000 miles, and overall our 2017 Ford Escape being in excellent shape and well taken care of, the check engine light came on and all of a sudden on the interstate the car stopped running. We ahead to pull to the side and have it towed as whatever we did would not get the car to start. The issue turns to be with coolant leaking into the cylinders and per the mechanic the only solution is to have the engine replaced. This appears to be a known issue with this…

   NHTSA complaint #11767154 · source
8. Filed Sep 26, 2026NCEngine

   The engine light on my 2017 Ford Escape EcoBoost 2.0L has come on a couple times in the last few months. My trusted mechanic has diagnosed the following codes: P0301 and P0316 - which indicates cylinder misfire and misfire detected on start up. There is an active TSB 22-2226 (Coolant intrusion into Spark Plug/Cylinder Bore) that matches up with those codes. This is my daughter’s primary vehicle and we are not comfortable with her continuing to drive it for fear of total…

   NHTSA complaint #11767130 · source

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Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data, as of Oct 10, 2026. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology