Known issue with 2.0L Ecoboost Ford Escape 2017 motors. Coolant is leaking into cylinder causing misfire, white smoke and rough driving. Also, engine light is on and sometimes flashing when driving is particularly rough. All of this has been checked and diagnosed at a repair shop.

- San Diego, CA, USA

Coolant intrusion into the cylinders

- Havertown, PA, USA

Engine block suffered coolant intrusion into #2 cylinder. Engine died suddenly. Car was losing coolant at alarming rate for weeks/ months ahead of time.

- Benton, KY, USA

Vehicle misfires. I have taken this vehicle to my mechanic for the same issue 3 times. Each time it has be diagnosed as cylinder 3 problem. My mechanic did an investigation and found that this particular engine has been identified as a problem motor with coolant leaks into the motor, causing failure in the cylinders. Ford has not issued a recall but is aware this is a major issue. I have to check the coolant constantly and there are not leaks in the coolant system. Mechanic has stated the only way to fix the issue is to replace the engine.

- Skiatook, OK, USA

Need a new motor at 60,000 miles. Iv never missed an oil change

- Collierville, TN, USA

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine made an abnormal rattling sound, and the vehicle lost motive power. There was thick white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The check engine warning light flashed but had not remained illuminated. Upon inspection, the contact discovered that there was no engine oil in the engine. The contact added engine oil, but the failure persisted, and no leaks were found. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: 20-2100 (Low Coolant, White Exhaust Smoke And/Or Illuminated MIL). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under the TSB. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.

- Lexington, KY, USA

This is an issue in general. I caught issue early on, but am now out a car. Engine has a known defect by Ford Motor Company that they refuse to recall. They have acknowledged this defect, but only slightly extended the warranty to fix issue. Any cars with this engine design will eventually fail. It is "When" not "If". This defect lead to coolant intrusion into engine's cylinders. If not corrected, car continues to burn more and more antifreeze, which will lead to catastrophic engine failure while driving, potentially in a high speed situation where others cannot react in time to avoid collision, or potentially during a turn where driver would be left in an intersection. Once intrusion begins, the car is basically not drive-able by the owner, but many people, having invested thousands into their new vehicle, cannot afford another $10k repair to fix the issue, nor can they afford a new car. Therefore they will continue to drive it until enough damage is done that the engine fails. Additionally, if this issue is unnoticed by driver or owner, engine could also overheat, leading to catastrophic engine failure or potentially fire within the engine bay.

- Polson, MT, USA

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start intermittently. The contact stated that several attempts were needed to start the vehicle. The failure had gotten progressively worse over time. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed and the contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and confirmed that there were no recalls on the VIN for the failure. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

- South Lake Tahoe, CA, USA

Design defect that allows coolant to leak into the cylinders and cause engine failure.

- Fort Worth, TX, USA

My check engine light came on (again) on my Escape (less than 80,000 miles). The cause appears to be coolant intrusion which I found can lead to engine failure, engine damage, misfires, corrosion and even potential fires. I understand this is a design flaw that well-known by Ford.

- Coolidge, AZ, USA

Vehicle was quoted a 7400 dollar engine repair for a coolant intrusion issues from a defect in the engine block. The dealership stated that the engine could fail if the engine wasn-??t replaced in ample time

- Grants Pass, OR, USA

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The contact stated that while driving 10 MPH, the vehicle hesitated and lost motive power. In addition, while attempting to depress the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The check engine warning light and TPMS warning light were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the oil, causing the engine to fail. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was towed to the residence and had not been driven since the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 124,000.

- Raytown, MO, USA

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal sound emanating from the engine compartment, prompting the to discontinue driving the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the head gasket, resulting in damages to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. 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 39,000.

- Sonora, CA, USA

Check engine light came on at 104,000 miles (after a recent 100K mile tune up) Independent mechanic diagnosed 2 issues: a P0301 Cylinder 1 misfire detected. Also a P0316 Cylinder 1 misfire detected on start-up. Mechanic pressurized cooling system, let sit, and then pressure dropped to 10 PSI. We were told it was a coolant intrusian with coolant was leaking into cylinder and if we drove it much longer the engine would fail. We were told we would need a new engine, approximatley $8000 quote. We were also told Ford knows of this issue and has since build a new engine for this car--yet has NOT recalled or helped all these people who have this engine failure due to this defect. This is a major defect that we (and others) should get help or compensation for. We are not going to spend 8K to fix. Today's diagnosis cost us $325 plus the $700 tune up a month ago. We put 1K into this car in 2 months --quotes and documentation attached

- Portland, OR, USA

My car has yet to hit 90k miles. 2017 ford escape. Recently my check engine light came on. Cylinder 3 misfire. Replaced the spark plugs and it went off. Came back on a week later. Same code. Replaced the ignition coils and went off. Came back on almost a week later again. Same code. Took it to ford to see what-??s going on. Apparently there is a KNOWN issue where the coolant leaks into the engine, causing misfires and more problems. It-??s not a recall apparently for my vehicle. The only thing to do to fix it is to, guess what, get a new engine.. I-??ve done some research now and many, many people are having this same issue. Ridiculous by ford to keep allowing this to happen.

- Webb City, MO, USA

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the contact heard an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The contact stated that a technician noticed coolant leaking into the engine. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to O'Reilly's and the contact was notified of a misfire in cylinder #2. The vehicle was then taking to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 109,000.

- Perris, CA, USA

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while his wife was driving 35 MPH, the vehicle hesitated. In addition, while attempting to depress the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The -??Engine Fault - Service Now-?? warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that an independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the shifter cable had failed, and the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (POWER TRAIN). The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance, and informed the contact that the recall was closed. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 16,821.

- Clarksdale, MS, USA

Coolant leaked out, and ran hot. Refilled coolant and it didn't leak out but still runs hot. Mechanic said the car runs hot as soon as it-??s turned on; coolant is leaking into the cylinders or warped cylinders causing engine block cracks. Another problem is when I get fuel and start the car back up -??auto manual restart-?? comes up on the dash and car shuts off. Car also sputters then shuts off every time I turn it back on after that until I press the gas pedal a few times. Has been smoking since April of 2024 but coolant problem occurred sometime in January of 2025. Fuel issue had been happening since September of 2024.

- Jackson , TN, USA

Cylinder 3 is leaking coolant please reference claim 11643983

- Uniontown, OH, USA

Oil is leaking into my cylinder 3 and 4. I-??ve been reading all over that a lot of people are having issues with same thing on there ford escape.

- Norwood , PA, USA