NHTSA Complaint #11655811 — 2017 FORD ESCAPE

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that there was a hard shift in the transmission when accelerating and decelerating. The contact stated that the vehicle was shaking abnormally while being started. The contact stated while driving approximately 10 MPH, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust system. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated and there was a misfire coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed and the contact was informed that there was coolant leaking into the spark plugs, causing the spark plugs to fuse inside the cylinder. The spark plugs were removed, and it was determined that there was coolant inside cylinder #3 and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who confirmed the engine failure and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and opened a case. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.