1. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request" The engine coolant system failed due to coolant intrusion into the engine cylinders, a known defect in the 1.5L EcoBoost engine. This caused white exhaust smoke, engine misfires, overheating, and eventual engine failure. The vehicle is currently undriveable and available for inspection upon request. A Ford dealership diagnosed the issue and provided a written estimate for full engine replacement. 2. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The vehicle experienced loss of engine power, stalling, and overheating while driving, posing a significant safety risk on the road. There were instances where I felt unsafe continuing to drive the vehicle, and I was concerned about the possibility of engine failure while driving at highway speeds or in high-traffic conditions. 3. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes. The issue has been diagnosed and confirmed by Colorado Engine, which provided an $11,000 estimate for a complete engine replacement due to coolant intrusion. 4. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? The vehicle has been discussed with a certified Ford dealership. I have not involved police or insurance representatives at this time. 5. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear" Yes. Symptoms included: Low coolant warnings (despite no visible leak) White smoke from the exhaust Rough idling, engine shaking, and occasional stalling Intermittent engine overheating warnings These symptoms began in late May 2025, roughly 3 years after I purchased the vehicle from CarMax. The issues progressively worsened until the vehicle became undriveable.

- Denver, CO, USA

Coolant leaking unknown source

- London, OH, USA

Engine failure. Engine was confirmed by a dealer to have engine failure from coolant intrusion into the cylinder body. Check engine light appeared before failure occurred.

- Leroy, MI, USA

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, the transmission downshifted and upshifted intermittently, and the vehicle lost motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that while attempting to slow down and exiting the highway, the brake pedal was depressed however, the brake pedal was extremely stiff. The vehicle was shifted to neutral(N) for the vehicle to slow down. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where a handheld diagnostic machine retrieved information that the cam shaft sensor was not working properly, and the engine needed to be replaced. Additionally, the brake booster was defective and failed to build up pressure as needed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000. The VIN was not available.

- Houlton, ME, USA

My car began throwing codes for a Cylinder 2 misfire in October of 23. We did a tune up. Within a few months, same issue. By Oct of 24 my head gasket needed replaced. Now it is August of 25 and I am having the same issue and signs that the head gasket is bad again. I am told by dealers this is due to a faulty head gasket that Ford knowingly put in the vehicles. There is a limited recall for the 1.6L but not the 2.0 EcoBoost motors. I am now out thousands of dollars for the new head gasket less than a year ago and am being told the only fix is to replace the engine as a whole which will be thousands of more. This is due to Ford putting in faulty parts, and not taking responsibility. I am now out of a car, while working full time with an [XXX] and a baby on the way because Ford my & my childrens safety is not worth driving a car that could break down at any moment. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Barnhart, MO, USA

coolant leaking into engine causing overheating

- Johnson City, TN, USA

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request" 1.5L short block, due to coolant intrusion to the cylinder bores How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The engine could stop running. I drive with two small children so their safety would be at risk. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center?Confirmed by a dealer. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear" Check engine light. This is a known issue that Ford is aware of. I did not receive any communication that this should be fixed and am now facing a repair that exceeds that value of the vehicle.

- Indian Trail, NC, USA

I am loosing coolant into the engine, most likely into cylinder#2, spark plug is seized in the block, I have to add coolant every 3-4 days to prevent overheating.

- Springfield, IL, USA

I bought a used 2017 Ford Escape Titanium in September of 2024. Around a month and a half later, the check engine light came on and had the code P0302. The check engine light has been intermittent since then. My car only has 56,558 miles on it and it is a 2017 so this has been extremely frustrating.

- Pittsburgh, PA, USA

I discovered, after my Ford Ecoboost engine light came on, that my engine needs a total replacement with only 67,000 miles on the engine. I have learned that it was a KNOWN design flaw by Ford Motor Company since 2020, the year I purchased my vehicle slightly used with 20k miles. The engine can overheat, catch fire, or seize up while driving, due to coolant leaking into the piston chambers. I was NEVER sent a recall notice, or warning of any kind from Ford Motor Company, even though this could cause an accident. I am expected to pay over $10,000 for a new engine that SHOULD have been recalled, due to their own design flaws. I see that there are multiple class actions law suits pending over this issue.

- Albuquerque , NM, USA

Check engine light came on for a fouled spark plug. When taken to repair shop, technician discovered that coolant was leaking into an engine cylinder. This is a known manufacturers defect that Ford Motor Company refuses to accept responsibility (see Ford Technical Service Bulletin 19-2208 - attached). Coolant is leaking at approx one gal per month. If not replaced, engine can overheat leading to further engine damage. Coolant in engine cylinder decreases driving performance with multiple misfires possibly leading to inability to avoid or causing an accident. White smoke from exhaust can hamper visualisation of following vehicles. Recall on all Ford models with Eco Boost engines is indicated with company paid repairs if coolant is leaking into engine.

- Alton, IL, USA

My engine died at 63,000 miles. I'm thinking it's a coolant leak issue that I've read about online. I am severely disappointed.

- Fort Wayne, IN, USA

Coolant intrusion in engine. My Ford escape has only 89,000 miles, it looks brand new. It-??s a manufacturer defect, the local Reno Ford is charging $9,000 to fix it. Why is not a recall from Ford? Thank you

- Sparks, NV, USA

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the vehicle was not fully diagnosed or repaired. The dealer informed the contact that the engine had failed, and that the contact would be notified what part of the engine needed to be repaired, or if the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.

- Hammonton, NJ, USA

On Sunday, 7/6 the check engine light came on. The vehicle was dropped off at a Ford dealership for review and it was determined that a coolant leak into cylinders causing internal damage to the engine. Recommendation is to replace the main engine assembly (long block) at $10,000. Which is more than what the car is worth. The car currently has 102,062 miles. This appears to be a known issue among the model year of the Escape and engine type. Currently there is no assistance in helping with the cost of repairs. We have contacted Ford and asked for assistance as we are long time Ford vehicle owners. They logged the following: CXH-05084174-H2Q6H1 and recommended that we log an issue with the NHSTA.

- Troy, MI, USA

Started having issues with the power of the engine, white smoke from exhaust, and loss of coolant. Apparently there are multiple TSBs about this problem, and has been discovered to be an engine design failure for several models under Ford and Lincoln and it is still not a recall. This issue is known to ruin the head gasket and ultimately crack the cylinder head. If I had not spoke to my mechanic about the white smoke and power loss, he would not have recommended that I check my fluids and saw I was losing coolant untimely. Due to it leaking into the engine every time I drove my car. He also stated that he-??s seen this issue before, found multiple sources around the country that have seen the same issue and basically fixing the issue won-??t ultimately fix the problem. Because the engine design is defective, the problem will happen again. The engine would have to replaced. Which costs more than the car is worth. It-??s very dangerous to have a faulty engine design and not do a proper recall or replacement plan.

- Lihue, HI, USA

I own a 2017 Ford Escape with approximately 102,000 miles. I am the original and only owner and have had regular maintenance done on my vehicle the entire time I've owned it. After a recent 9-hour road trip, I experienced sudden engine failure with no prior warning signs. My local dealership has diagnosed the issue as coolant intrusion into the engine, which caused catastrophic engine damage and now requires a full engine replacement at a cost of $8,800. After researching the issue, I discovered this is a known and widespread problem with EcoBoost engines in 2013-2019 Ford Escapes and other Ford vehicles. Ford has issued Technical Service Bulletins regarding this, and there is at least one ongoing class action lawsuit related to engine failure caused by coolant intrusion. This problem poses serious safety concerns, especially when it causes vehicles to fail unexpectedly at highway speeds or in unsafe conditions. I am filing this report to document the issue and urge NHTSA to investigate this known defect.

- Concord, NC, USA

[XXX] Car began to run rough as if it had bad gas and the engine would not idle smoothly. When I got into the vehicle the next day the instrument panel flashed lights and the vehicle stalled. I had it towed to the repair shop thinking it was overheating due to a bad thermostat. I was told that the engine coolant was leaking into cylinder 4 of the engine and I would have to replace the engine. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Bessemer City, NC, USA

My vehicle has been suffering coolant intrusion into the engine, specifically the cylinders, causing significant damage and leading to my vehicle overheating. After discovering the issue at my mechanic, I found out there was a recall for my specific vehicle for this issue, but my VIN was not included. Not being notified of this issue by a recall risked my vehicle overheating and potentially starting a fire which could have been hazardous to myself and any passengers.

- Atlanta, GA, USA

There is an issue with the type of engine used in these vehicles where coolant leaks into the engine causing cylinder misfires. This is a known issue that has not been issued a recall. I have had a complete repair done in the past involving the complete reconstruction of the engine, however after only 21,000 miles the repair failed.

- Gloucester, VA, USA