10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 6 / 10
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 5 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 23,369 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.
« Read the previous 20 complaints
With just under 61,000 miles and no check engine light my car overheated on shut off while driving I was able to pull over on the side of the road. Brought to a Ford dealership they a coolant intrusion in cynlinders which means I engine long block assembly
- Somerville, MA, USA
Check engine light points to cylinder 2 misfire, low coolant, white smoke from tailpipe, odor of coolant. A known defect in 1.5L Ecoboost engines causes coolant intrusion into the cylinder but for some reason 2.0L engines were left off the list for repair by the Ford dealers TSB 21N12. I-??ve made an appointment with the dealer but I have to wait three weeks for that. I-??ve had to stop driving my vehicle because I-??m afraid it could overheat and start a fire due to lack of coolant and driving it could cause more damage.
- Moses Lake, WA, USA
Check Engine light was going on and off for a month on 2017 Ford Escape SE with less than 60,000 miles. Was driving to dealership to have it checked out. Before getting to the dealership, an audible and visual Overheating Engine warning occurred. The dealership said they could not look at the car for at least two weeks. They replied that the engine needed replacement "REPLACE LONGBLOCK COOLANT IN CYL#4" with a price tag of $9,339.29. Ford knows about the issue and will not issue a recall. Not only is this extremely horrible product and customer service, it is a huge safety issue as the car could have overheated while going at high speeds and/or caused harm and damage to occupants and others on the road.
- Denver, CO, USA
Just purchased this vehicle on July 3rd and now have Coolant Intrusion and need a new long block engine. I've read online about the MULTITUDE of people having this same exact issue. 2017 Ford Escape SE (2.0 engine) Ford even issued a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) about it, but refuses to recall the vehicle, which doesn't make any sense. Ford TSB 22-2229
- Burnsville, MN, USA
Engine brought up a check engine light. I had the light investigated at a ford dealership. Diagnostic test showed coolant intrusion into the cylinders. Code 304 and 316 present. Engine was consuming antifreeze to the tune of 1 tank of coolant a day blowing white smoke out of exhaust and overheating. This made me afraid of a fire because of coolant loss.
- Sheridan , WY, USA
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled and failed to accelerate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with coolant leak into the cylinder and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle had previously been serviced at the dealer under a recall repair for the engine. The contact also stated that after careful review of the service appointment receipt, he discovered that the recall repair was not completed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and the uncompleted recall repair. The contact stated he was informed to contact the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 102,003.
- Kansas City, MO, USA
I purchased a 2017 Ford Escape a little over a year ago. My vehicle has less than 95,000 miles on it and it has been undriveable since August 14, 2023. I had it towed to a mechanic who advised that there were several cylinders that are not getting any compression which means the engines needs to be replaced. I have reached out to the local Ford mechanics and they are advising that there are no open recalls for this issue, but this is a common problem for the type of engine that my vehicle has.
- Germanton , NC, USA
The contact owns a 2107 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle vibrated violently, and the engine seemed to misfire. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined there was coolant intrusion into the engine resulting in damage to the engine, requiring replacement of the head gasket. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related it to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12, but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but was unable to assist. The failure mileage was 82,000.
- Valparaiso, IN, USA
Check engine light popped on while driving. No flashing or chimes. Initially told by Ford repair center that this means it is nothing major. Took car in for repair. Told need new $8000 engine. Coolant intrusion into cylinder. I paid car off 2 years. Check engine light came on less than a week later.... I have depleted all the savings I had for vehicle expenses so no money for down payment, taxes, license to purchase another. I took very good care of vehicle. Will never buy Ford again. Told everyone I know not to either. I'm very upset. This was not planned. Causing extreme financial difficulties for me. Have learned a new engine may also have same problem. Unbelievable that so many people have complained about this for at least 3 years and Ford won't acknowledge it. This is a huge problem. What do I do with the well taken care of and completely paid of vehicle in my garage now"? I'm physically sick with stress. What am I supposed to do now?" Please help us.
- Omaha, NE, USA
We purchased a 2017 Ford Escape near the end of May 2023. By 7/3/23, the engine failed with coolant leaking into the cylinder due to a crack in the engine block P0303 code. The car was at 101,801 miles and required a replacement of the long block engine costing us $8045 performed at a Ford dealership. We would totally expect Ford to reimburse for this cost as this is a known defect.
- Memphis, IN, USA
My check engine light came on a few weeks ago. I had it checked at an Auto Zone to see what the issues were. It showed cylinder 3 misfire detected. A week later while driving a warning appeared on my dashboard that the engine was hot. The gauge was at the top. I pulled it over and had it towed the next day. Two days later I was told by the Ford Dealership that I needed a new engine because coolant had leaked into the engine. They have let me know that Ford will not cover it. My safety and others were at risk as a fire could have started or the vehicle could have died in traffic.
- Ada, OH, USA
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. After a visual inspection of the engine compartment, the contact observed an excessive loss of coolant. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the engine was damaged due to coolant intrusion. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related it to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12, but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 92,300.
- Topeka, KS, USA
Coolant intrusion into cylinders 2 and 3 requiring short block replacement according to the Ford Dealer. This problem is described in Customer Satisfaction Program 21N12, but the VIN for my car isn-??t included even though it meets all the requirements. Please expand to include my VIN IN 22N12. I-??ve contacted Ford and the case number is CAS-44699591
- Eau Claire , WI, USA
My vehicle has been confirmed via a certified FORD service department to have a coolant intrusion issue that FORD is aware of via TSB 20-2100. However, I was never notified by FORD that my vehicle may have an issue & to take it to a service location to have it checked. Here I am 13,000 miles over my extended warranty & am being asked to pay $7,773 + tax to have my engine repaired but FORD was aware of this issue since 2019 and never once let me know.
- Clearfield, PA, USA
Coolant smell coming from car
- Guilderland, NY, USA
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, the vehicle jerked and failed to accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that while shifted to drive(D), the vehicle was unintentionally reversed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was shifted into park. The contact-??s husband also experienced the failure and had the vehicle towed to a dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 72,400.
- Winchester, VA, USA
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle started to lose motive power with white smoke coming from the exhaust before the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that coolant had intruded into the engine cylinders causing the engine to fail. The contact was informed that the engine short block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 31,000.
- Winter Park, FL, USA
Engine coolant being consumed by number 3 cylinder due to crack. Recognized when low coolant light came on and car began to overheat
- Norwalk, CT, USA
Auto restart stopped working Coolant leaking into 2 cylinders, causing full engine replacement
- Austin, TX, USA
- Sunset Beach, NC, USA