2017 FORD ESCAPE — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
5/5
Safety Rating
3,052
Owner Complaints
3
Recalls
99
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2017 FORD ESCAPE
The 2017 FORD ESCAPE has received a total of 3,052 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It earned an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program crash tests. There have been 7 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with POWER TRAIN:SHIFT LINKAGE/CABLE/ROD, POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL), ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE. 99 technical service bulletins have been issued by Ford Motor Company for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Engine (1,417 complaints), Engine And Engine Cooling (468 complaints), and Power Train (348 complaints).
Recalls for the 2017 FORD ESCAPE
NHTSA has recorded 7 recalls for the 2017 FORD ESCAPE, potentially affecting up to 6,237,922 vehicles.
Recall 22V413000 — POWER TRAIN:SHIFT LINKAGE/CABLE/ROD
| 2,925,968 vehicles affected
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2019 Escape, 2013-2018 C-Max, 2013-2016 Fusion, 2013-2021 Transit Connect, and 2015-2018 Edge vehicles. The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach.
Consequence: A damaged or missing bushing may prevent the vehicle from shifting into the intended gear, and cause the vehicle to move in an unexpected direction. Additionally, the vehicle may roll after the driver selects the 'Park' position. Either scenario increases the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the under hood shift bushing and add a protective cap over the shift cable bushing, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters, informing owners of the safety risk, were mailed July 1, 2022. Remedy parts are expected...
View full details →Recall 22V413000 — POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)
| 2,925,968 vehicles affected
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2019 Escape, 2013-2018 C-Max, 2013-2016 Fusion, 2013-2021 Transit Connect, and 2015-2018 Edge vehicles. The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach.
Consequence: A damaged or missing bushing may prevent the vehicle from shifting into the intended gear, and cause the vehicle to move in an unexpected direction. Additionally, the vehicle may roll after the driver selects the 'Park' position. Either scenario increases the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the under hood shift bushing and add a protective cap over the shift cable bushing, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters, informing owners of the safety risk, were mailed July 1, 2022. Remedy parts are expected...
View full details →Recall 16V617000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE
| 17,985 vehicles affected
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2017 Ford Escape Titanium and SE vehicles manufactured October 5, 2015, to May 12, 2016. The settings for the closing-force of the power-operated windows may allow the windows to close on an object such as a body part and injure it before the windows auto-reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to...
Consequence: If a window closes on a body part, it can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Ford has notified owners, and dealers will update the power window operating system software, free of charge. The recall began on September 6, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16C12.
View full details →Recall 16V617000 — VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
| 17,985 vehicles affected
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2017 Ford Escape Titanium and SE vehicles manufactured October 5, 2015, to May 12, 2016. The settings for the closing-force of the power-operated windows may allow the windows to close on an object such as a body part and injure it before the windows auto-reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to...
Consequence: If a window closes on a body part, it can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Ford has notified owners, and dealers will update the power window operating system software, free of charge. The recall began on September 6, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16C12.
View full details →Recall 26V011000 — EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:ENGINE BLOCK HEATER
| 116,672 vehicles affected
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Focus, 2013-2019 Escape, and 2015-2016 MKC vehicles equipped with a 2.0L engine. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.
Consequence: An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, are expected to be mailed February 13, 2026....
View full details →Recall 26V011000 — EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:ENGINE BLOCK HEATER
| 116,672 vehicles affected
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Focus, 2013-2019 Escape, and 2015-2016 MKC vehicles equipped with a 2.0L engine. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.
Consequence: An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, are expected to be mailed February 13, 2026....
View full details →Recall 26V011000 — EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:ENGINE BLOCK HEATER
| 116,672 vehicles affected
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Focus, 2013-2019 Escape, and 2015-2016 MKC vehicles equipped with a 2.0L engine. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.
Consequence: An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, are expected to be mailed February 13, 2026....
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2017 FORD ESCAPE
3,052 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2017 FORD ESCAPE. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
Most Recent Complaints
misfire in Cylinder 3 and coolant loss. My mechanic believes it is the coolant intrusion issue described in Ford TSB 22-2229
My 2017 Ford Escape equipped with the 1.5L EcoBoost engine is experiencing coolant intrusion into the engine cylinders, resulting in misfires, rough startup, and significant engine performance issues. The vehicle currently has approximately 150,000 miles. The issue presents itself with a rough idle and shaking at startup, followed by the engine smoothing out after several seconds. Diagnostic trouble codes indicate a cylinder misfire consistent with coolant intrusion. Upon further inspection and research, this appears to be a well-documented issue affecting this engine design. There were no external coolant leaks visible, and coolant levels dropped without explanation, indicating internal coolant intrusion. This type of failure poses a serious safety concern, as the engine can misfire unexpectedly, lose power, or potentially stall while driving. Loss of engine power while operating the vehicle creates a hazardous situation, especially at highway speeds or in traffic. We purchased this vehicle as safe and reliable transportation for our daughter, and there was no prior disclosure of engine issues. The failure appears to stem from a known defect related to the engine design rather than normal wear and tear. Given the widespread documentation of coolant intrusion problems with this engine platform, I believe this issue represents a significant safety and reliability concern that should be formally investigated.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and DTC: P0301, P0302, and P0304 were retrieved for a misfire in cylinder #1, #2, and #4. Due to the failure, the spark plugs and ignition coils were replaced. Approximately one week later, the check engine light illuminated again. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic, and the same codes were retrieved as before. The contact continued driving the vehicle, and the message "High Engine Temperature - Stop Safely" was displayed before the vehicle lost power and shut off. The dealer was notified of the failure, and the contact was provided with an estimate for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and DTC: P0301, P0302, and P0304 were retrieved for a misfire in cylinder #1, #2, and #4. Due to the failure, the spark plugs and ignition coils were replaced. Approximately one week later, the check engine light illuminated again. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic, and the same codes were retrieved as before. The contact continued driving the vehicle, and the message "High Engine Temperature - Stop Safely" was displayed before the vehicle lost power and shut off. The dealer was notified of the failure, and the contact was provided with an estimate for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
Vehicle Information • 2017 Ford Escape SE • Mileage (around 80,000) • VIN [XXX] 2. Problem Description My 2017 Ford Escape has experienced coolant intrusion into the engine cylinders, a known issue affecting this model year. The vehicle began misfiring and consuming coolant without external leaks. The dealership confirmed a Technical Service Bulletin applies to my VIN. This defect can cause engine failure while driving, creating a serious safety risk. It is a Safety Risk including • Loss of power while driving • Risk of engine stall • Overheating risk • Highway safety concern I have had the dealer fix this and an automechanic has looked at it as well. It is still leaking Started in the summer of 2025 and still happening as of today 2-16-26 There were no warnings prior to the failure The Car is burning the coolant INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Safety Rating for the 2017 FORD ESCAPE
The 2017 FORD ESCAPE received an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).
| Test Category | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall Rating | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Frontal Crash | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Side Crash | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Rollover | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Safety ratings are based on controlled crash tests conducted by NHTSA. A 5-star rating indicates the highest level of occupant protection.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2017 FORD ESCAPE
Ford Motor Company has issued 99 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2017 FORD ESCAPE. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
TSB 22-2134 — EQUIPMENT
Some 2014-2019 Fusion vehicles built on or before 10-Jun-2019 and 2017-2019 Escape vehicles built on or before 08-Apr-2019 equipped with a 1.5L EcoBoost engine may exhibit low coolant level, white exhaust smoke and/or runs rough condition with or without an illuminated malfunction indicator light (MIL) with only diagnostic trouble codes...
SSM 49596 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Some 2017-2019 Escape/Fusion vehicles may exhibit a rolling idle after an engine repair that required the crankshaft pulley removal, or a drive belt component failure. The crankshaft pulley to be slightly out of alignment in relation to engine top dead center (TDC) causing an incorrect crankshaft position (CKP) sensor signal....
TSB 20-2165 — POWER TRAIN
Some 2017-2019 Escape vehicles equipped with a 1.5L EcoBoost engine and all-wheel drive (AWD) may exhibit a bump or clunk from the rear drive unit (RDU) when turning at low speeds and parking lot maneuvers. This may be due to the software in the powertrain control module (PCM). To correct...
TSB 20-2165 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE
Some 2017-2019 Escape vehicles equipped with a 1.5L EcoBoost engine and all-wheel drive (AWD) may exhibit a bump or clunk from the rear drive unit (RDU) when turning at low speeds and parking lot maneuvers. This may be due to the software in the powertrain control module (PCM). To correct...
SSM 48725 — POWER TRAIN
2016-2019 Escape vehicles equipped with the 1.6L EcoBoost or 1.5L EcoBoost engines may have missing or damaged dowel alignment pins between the engine and transaxle. When either a new long block or new short block is installed in the vehicle and the dowel pins were found missing or damaged upon...
TSB-20-2031 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL
Some 2017 Escape vehicles built on or before 18-May-2017 may be unable to reset the oil change indicator following the Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 413-01 procedure. This may be due to the instrument panel cluster (IPC) software that was updated and/or an IPC replacement during a previous service visit. To...
TSB 19-2139 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Some 2014-2019 Fusion vehicles built on or before 21-Feb-2019 and 2017-2019 Escape vehicles built on or before 06-Apr-2019 equipped with a 1.5L EcoBoost engine may exhibit low coolant level, white exhaust smoke and/or runs rough condition with or without an illuminated malfunction indicator light (MIL) with only diagnostic trouble codes...
TSB 19-2347 — POWER TRAIN
Some 2017 Escape vehicles equipped with a 1.5L EcoBoost engine may exhibit an malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P051B stored in the powertrain control module (PCM). This may be due to the crankcase pressure sensor/tube assembly. To correct the condition, follow the Service Procedure steps to...
TSB 19-2347 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Some 2017 Escape vehicles equipped with a 1.5L EcoBoost engine may exhibit an malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P051B stored in the powertrain control module (PCM). This may be due to the crankcase pressure sensor/tube assembly. To correct the condition, follow the Service Procedure steps to...
TS 19-2348 — POWER TRAIN
Some 2017 Escape equipped with a 1.5L EcoBoost engine may exhibit an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P04DB stored in the powertrain control module (PCM). This may be due to the crankcase pressure sensor/tube assembly. To correct the condition, follow the Service Procedure steps to...
Showing 10 of 99 technical service bulletins.
NHTSA Investigations for the 2017 FORD ESCAPE
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the FORD ESCAPE
- 2012 FORD ESCAPE — 788 complaints
- 2013 FORD ESCAPE — 3,648 complaints
- 2014 FORD ESCAPE — 2,591 complaints
- 2015 FORD ESCAPE — 1,199 complaints
- 2016 FORD ESCAPE — 1,147 complaints
- 2017 FORD ESCAPE (current)
- 2018 FORD ESCAPE — 1,910 complaints
- 2019 FORD ESCAPE — 624 complaints
- 2020 FORD ESCAPE — 1,870 complaints
- 2021 FORD ESCAPE — 330 complaints
- 2022 FORD ESCAPE — 239 complaints
Other FORD Models
- FORD F-150 — 45,660 total complaints
- FORD EXPLORER — 42,140 total complaints
- FORD FOCUS — 29,539 total complaints
- FORD FUSION — 28,243 total complaints
- FORD TAURUS — 23,867 total complaints
- FORD WINDSTAR — 19,456 total complaints
- FORD EDGE — 17,247 total complaints
- FORD MUSTANG — 11,551 total complaints