20k miles on this engine and it broke down on the highway doing 70 mph. Suddenly it started losing power and sputtering, then the check engine light came on. Had it towed back to the dealership. Car turned on and off - it's not the battery, alternator or electrical. Replaced spark plugs, wires, coils, etc... but nothing. 2 cylinders are misfiring and 1 is not firing at all. It has now been at the Ford dealership for more than 2 weeks with no resolution in sight. I mentioned the Ford service bulletin for this engine regarding leaking coolant and the service manager assured me that was not the issue.

It seems to me there is a bigger problem with this engine than Ford is owning up to, considering like many people on this page, the next steps will a full engine replacement. I am then concerned that if a recall is not issued, I will just get another "faulty" engine that will be back in the shop after a few thousand miles.

I had the car for 3 weeks and I'm being told it will be a month or longer before I get it back. This is beyond just a consumer complaint, there is certainly action that needs to be taken on Ford's behalf.

Update from Oct 25, 2019: Update I received a call today that the entire engine needs to be replaced. Oh, but there's a back order on engines because everyone else's Escape engines are bad too. So in 2 months - maybe - I will have another faulty Ford engine that will start sputtering after 20k miles. WHY is there no recall?

Took it to Dealer and I asked about the battery (not this issue). Then I asked about all the sensors (they looked but were not for sure). The service man said the tech found a purge valve in the stuck open phase, not closed. I never use the Autostart feature. I always disengage it. The service department "suspects" this is part of the emissions system issue - with the purge valve in stuck open frame, this could possibly be the reason for the stall outs, such as line flooding. And at the cost of $703 for replacement part/install.

I will be sure to update this thread should the problem not be resolved. Results are pending. This is truly a scary experience when the car suddenly powers down. The screen declares to put it in park and restart (whether on the full run speed or a crowded street/intersection). Ford needs to get their engineers involved, as this event can be catastrophic. Been looking at MANY (too numerous to count) episodes of this very detail happening to the Escape. There should be serious investigation on this matter. A RECALL perhaps.

My wife drive the car most all of the time and has expressed concern with the engine shutting off. This usually happens as she is slowing down to stop. The engine will shut off and then a message will appear that you must put the transmission in park before you restart the engine. I have called the dealer who seemed baffled and made an appointment to get it checked out two days from now. It happens on average at least once a day. It may not happen one day and then it may happen 2-3 times the next day. Very annoying and potentially dangerous in heavy traffic.