I-??m reporting a safety concern related to engine failure in my 2017 Ford Escape SE. My vehicle is showing signs of coolant intrusion, including white smoke from the exhaust, a sweet chemical smell, and rapid coolant loss with no external leaks. A diagnostic tool confirmed a possible blown head gasket. This exact model is already known for engine issues, and I confirmed that Customer Satisfaction Program 19B37 was completed in 2020 to prevent this-?"but the issue has returned. I drive this vehicle daily with my two young children, including a baby. If the engine were to overheat or fail suddenly while driving, it could put us in serious danger. There are also known risks of engine fires from this defect, which is terrifying for a parent. The dealership says they can-??t help, and Ford cannot offer assistance. I am asking NHTSA to investigate this further, as it is clearly a recurring and unsafe condition affecting many 2017 Ford Escape owners.

- East Hartford, CT, USA

Blown Head. Is available for inspection. Check engine light came on and private mechanic noted cylinder 2 issue. Shortly thereafter car seized.

- Howell, NJ, USA

Coolant leaks into engine cylinders

- Conroe, TX, USA

The contact owns a?2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 65-70 MPH, the vehicle unintendedly decelerated to 40 MPH and shuddered violently. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic, who determined that there was a hole in the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. No further information was available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and?advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately?76,000.

- Peabody, MA, USA

A very known issue of coolant intrusion to 2.0L ecoboost engine. Ford even admits they know and have redesigned replacement engines, but has consumers pay over 8K to put redesigned engine in! Absurd! Engine can lock/seize at anytime. Which can ultimately cause death by wreck if car quits unexpectedly on the road! My 2017 Ford Escape 2.0l ecoboost engine was confirmed today to have coolant intrusion. These cars keep being resold and becoming new owners headache while the dealer KNOWS! THIS SHOULD BE RECALLLED!! If Hyundai can stand by a faulty engine and fix their faulty engine, Ford should too!!

- Henderson, TN, USA

Coolant leak. Originally had my transmission rebuilt in January 2025. My coolant overflow was completely empty, and upon filling it to the max, the next day it was below the minimum line on the overflow. I filled my coolant overflow on 3/23/25, and now it's completely bone dry again.

- Livermore, CA, USA

The contact called on behalf of the owner of the 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while his mother-in-law was driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated and the engine overheated. Additionally, the contact stated that the message to -??Pull over and turn off the vehicle-?? was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was being repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the NHSTA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,826.

- Ozark, MO, USA

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a misfire coming from the engine with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The mechanic contacted a dealer for further assistance. The dealer confirmed that there was a known issue with the engine failure in similar vehicles. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

- Lynn Haven, FL, USA

I purchased this vehicle very recently, and it has only 46,620 miles on it. However, the engine completely failed. I had it inspected by a licensed mechanic, and the diagnosis showed serious internal engine failure, including no compression and a blown head gasket. The repair estimate is over $6,000. I contacted Ford Customer Service, but they said they cannot provide any help at this time. The dealership I bought it from also refused to take responsibility. This has caused me significant financial and emotional stress. I would like to formally report this issue, and ask NHTSA to investigate whether this is a common defect in 2017 Ford Escapes with EcoBoost engines.

- Shoreline , WA, USA

Engine coolant leaks into the engine and it shuts down. Happened 3 times. We repaired not knowing it was same issues and now it broke down again on the highway. Now the mechanic says "you need a new engine". Perfect service records.

- Hernando, MS, USA

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that there was coolant intrusion into the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

- College Grove, TN, USA

Engine block problems, fluid leakage.

- Ashley, IL, USA

Check engine light came on and code said cylinders 1 and 2 were misfiring. Took it to dealership and were told coolant leaked/intrusion that has ruined the engine. Dealership stated that Ford is aware of the problem that is due to a design flaw but has yet to rectify the problem for customers. This is absolutely putting the safety of vehicle operators in danger as well as others on the road.

- North Chesterfield, VA, USA

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact's daughter stated that while driving 40 MPH around a bend, the brakes failed to function as intended. The contact's daughter depressed the brake pedal, but the brake pedal seized. The contact's daughter had to depress the brake pedal with force. The vehicle came to a stop when the contact's daughter shifted the vehicle into park(P). The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle with vacuum brake booster pump failure. The vehicle was repaired. The contact's daughter stated that when the mechanic took the vehicle for a test drive, the timing belt fractured. The vehicle was then diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 126,000.

- Wadsworth, OH, USA

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting and driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle hesitated with a misfire in cylinder #2. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine. The dealer informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.

- Kansas City, MO, USA

Our engine light came on in our 2017 Ford Escape Titanium with 51,917 miles on it on February 3, 2025, so we immediately visited our Ford dealer. The codes were P0302 and P0316 for misfire. Repairs completed included spark plugs, induction kit, air intake cleaner, sealant belts and gaskets, brake cleaner, antifreeze, and oil conditioner. We paid $3,979.21 for this repair. We picked up the vehicle and shortly later at 52,144 miles, it exhibited the exact same symptoms. We went back to the dealer and we were told that we then needed a new engine due to a coolant leak that had damaged ours. They did credit us back a small amount from the previous repair, but we paid this time $7,371.85 to have our car repaired. All of this has happened before 53,000 miles. We were told there was a coolant leak and that is what damaged the engine. Ford is very aware of this problem. We did speak with our service advisor as well as the service director.

- Sun City, AZ, USA

Block has crack in it and is losing coolant and running rough. I found out that is a problem with lots of 2017 Ford Escapes.

- Thurmont, MD, USA

Transmission failed turbo failed electrical systems failed.

- Abingdon , VA, USA

Coolant intrusion, a defect where coolant leaks into the engine's cylinders, causing misfires and engine damage.

- Wellington, OH, USA

My 2017 Ford Escape 2.0 liter has a crack in the engine block and coolant leaking into the #1 cylinder. My car was diagnosed at Columbia Ford in CT. My car has < 80,000 miles and needs a new engine! No recalls found at this time. I did contact Ford and am waiting to hear back. This is a known problem by Ford and I believe there is a recall on the 1.5 liter engine with the same problem.

- East Hampton , CT, USA