2017 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

This 2017 ford escape titanium with ecoboost engine suffers from coolant intrusion into the engine. The known design flaw allows coolant into the hot engine which causes cracked heads and eventually a cracked engine case. It also blows oil into the turbo and intake system that leads to engine fires. Our current recommendation from mechanics is to replace the engine, the turbocharger assembly and the valve cover with decontamination of the intake system. This is a known engine design flaw and ford does not recall or fix so we are out the entire value of the car. Our car currently has ~60k miles on it. So is rendered inoperative at very low mileage and has a high risk of engine fire.

The engine in my 2017 Ford Escape EcoBoost experienced a known “coolant intrusion” defect in which engine coolant leaks into the engine cylinders. This defect is widely associated with the 1.5L and 2.0L EcoBoost engines and can cause engine misfires, coolant loss, overheating, corrosion, and catastrophic engine failure requiring engine or short-block replacement. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The vehicle is driven by a college student traveling away from home. The coolant intrusion defect creates a serious safety concern because the engine can suddenly misfire, lose power, overheat, or fail unexpectedly while driving. A sudden engine failure could place the driver and others at risk, especially during highway driving or in remote areas. The issue developed shortly after the vehicle was purchased from a dealership in June 2025. The symptoms are consistent with the widely documented Ford EcoBoost coolant intrusion defect acknowledged by Ford through Customer Satisfaction Program 21N12. The vehicle has exhibited symptoms including coolant loss and engine performance concerns consistent with this known defect. The dealership has been notified of the issue. The dealership has been contacted regarding the issue. Ford has previously acknowledged this defect through Customer Satisfaction Program 21N12 relating to coolant intrusion in affected EcoBoost engines. The vehicle experienced symptoms consistent with coolant intrusion, including coolant loss and engine performance concerns/misfires. These symptoms are widely reported with the affect EcoBoost engines and has progressed to severe engine failure.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while the contact's granddaughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine and the engine overheating warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion and a failed engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 122,000.

My vehicle is suffering from a severe coolant intrusion to cylinders 2 and 3 and I’m constantly getting bad misfire codes while driving.

I am the only owner of this vehicle and it has 114,000 miles At 90,000 miles i had to replace the transmission and now, its at the dealer due to turbo leaking oil internally and externally AND coolant intrusion. These issues are commonly known and the coolant intrusion is from a design flaw. Why is this engine not included with the recall for the very same issue on other ford ecoboost engines

Complete engine failure in my 2017 Ford Escape 1.5L caused by coolant intrusion. I only have 67,000.

I own a 2017 Ford Escape equipped with the 1.5L EcoBoost engine. The vehicle began experiencing severe coolant loss with no visible external leaks, requiring nearly a full coolant reservoir refill daily. Along with the coolant loss, the vehicle developed constant bubbling/gurgling noises from the cooling system, rough cold starts, engine shaking/misfires, intermittent failure to start, loss of acceleration, and “Engine Fault Service Now” warnings on the dashboard. Diagnostic scans revealed persistent cylinder 2 misfire codes, additional cylinder 3 misfire codes, and a crankshaft position sensor intermittent code (P0339). Replacing/swapping ignition coils and spark plugs did not resolve the issue. After researching the symptoms and speaking with Ford, the vehicle appears to match the well-documented coolant intrusion issue associated with the 1.5L EcoBoost engine. The coolant loss and misfires create serious safety concerns due to sudden loss of power, unreliable engine operation, and the possibility of complete engine failure while driving. Ford Corporate declined assistance despite the vehicle exhibiting symptoms consistent with the known defect and despite the vehicle being purchased during the timeframe when Ford’s customer satisfaction program related to this issue was active.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that when attempting to turn on the AC unit, it would fail, causing them to have to fill the vehicle with new coolant every 2 to 3 weeks. There were no leaks underneath the vehicle or warning lights. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnosis or repair. The dealer informed the contact that there was no recall attached to the VIN. The manufacturer was not informed. The failure mileage was 140,144.

Coolant leak into the engine. Told that Ford knows about this but refuses to do anything to help me. Said the car would need $14,000 worth of fixes when I only bought it for $12,300.

The Ford Escape 2017 experienced a transmission malfunction involving delayed shifting, sudden jerking during operation, and difficulty shifting gears properly. Unusual noises were also coming from the transmission, along with ongoing symptoms indicating a clear mechanical and technical defect. This defect placed the driver, passengers, and other motorists at risk, especially during acceleration or while merging onto highways, due to the vehicle’s delayed response and the possibility of sudden loss of control or unexpected stopping while driving. Prior to the complete failure, several warning signs and recurring symptoms appeared, including vehicle jerking during driving, delayed or rough shifting, abnormal transmission noises, and in some cases the illumination of the Check Engine warning light. These symptoms began gradually before the problem significantly worsened.