2017 FORD ESCAPE Engine Problems

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...

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...

The car started misfiring, check engine light came on. Took the car into shop to find out what the problem was. I was told coolant was in the cylinders and the engine was gone.

Error code P0303 misfire cylinder 3. Engine rough idle along with white smoke from exhaust and low coolant. This is a known issue with Ford that should be corrected with short block replacement through warranty.

2017 Ford Escape 2.0 AWD with 155,000 miles with Known coolant intrusion issue... (Vin has not been apart of the recall) second owner, original owner never knew about engine replacement because issue never happened under him. now im stuck with a car that has plenty of new parts and i cant get it inspected or use it regularly because of the coolant intrusion, now I have to get a engine replacement which will probably be around 5 grand if im lucky and I dont have that money. now im stuck with a car I cant drive. yes the car is available for inspection on request. my dad was using the car as a daily out of town driver, driving on the high way first overheat issue happened. no the car has not been inspected by any other source. the only warning was the check engine light after coolant intrusion started.

There is a searchable TSB for these vehicles from Ford basically stating the engine has a known defect and the only remedy is to replace the engine. Coolant intrudes into the cylinders causing premature engine failures or seizures

Vehicle: 2017 Ford Escape, 1.5L Eco Boost Component/System: Engine/cooling system The engine in my 2017 Ford Escape experienced a failure due to coolant intrusion into the cylinders, which was diagnosed and confirmed by an authorized Ford dealership. The dealership advised that coolant intrusion is a known issue with this engine design and recommended full engine replacement, with an estimated repair cost exceeding $10,000. Prior to diagnosis, the vehicle exhibited rough idle, shaking, and intermittent check engine warnings. The condition worsened over time and posed a safety risk due to potential engine failure while driving, including hesitation and reduced acceleration. The vehicle has been properly maintained, and the failure was not attributed to neglect or lack of service. Ford Motor Company has acknowledged similar failures in this engine family through service bulletins; however, my VIN is not currently included in a recall or customer satisfaction program. The defective engine is available...

I experienced a sudden and unexpected water pump failure on my 2017 Ford Escape while driving in active traffic. The failure occurred without warning and resulted in rapid coolant loss and engine overheating, causing the vehicle to lose power while in motion. This created a hazardous driving condition and required me to pull over to avoid a potential collision. Sudden cooling system failure presents a serious safety risk, as it can lead to engine stalling, loss of power steering and braking assist, and breakdowns in traffic or at highway speeds, significantly increasing the risk of crash or injury. Additionally, other owners of 2017 Ford Escape vehicles have reported similar sudden water pump failures without warning, often leading to overheating, loss of drivability, and vehicle breakdowns at relatively low mileage. These repeated incidents indicate premature component failure rather than normal wear and demonstrate a recurring safety-related defect that poses a significant...

I HAVE A 2017 FORD ESCAPE 2.0 ENGINE ECOBOOST. I HAVE AN ISSUE THAT THE CAR TELLS ME THAT ITS RUNNING HOT AND I AM SCARED TO DRIVE IT. I AM THE 2ND OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE. IT WAS PURCHSED IN STATESBORO AT FORD DEALERSHIP. THE VEHICLE HAS REGULAR MAINTENAINCE AND IS TAKEN CARE OF. I KEEP CHECKING FOR A RECALL ON IT; AND NEVER SEE ONE. BUT READING THE ISSUE ABOUT THE HEATING BLOCK. IT SHOULD BE ON THE LIST

I am filing this complaint due to repeated and dangerous safety-related failures in my Ford vehicle involving both the transmission and engine. Prior to a transmission recall repair, my vehicle experienced severe drivability issues, including sudden jerking while driving, loss of power on the highway, unexpected stopping, and shutting off at traffic lights. These incidents nearly caused multiple accidents and placed me and others at serious risk. The transmission was later replaced under recall by a Ford dealership. After that repair, I am now experiencing a major engine failure related to coolant intrusion. This defect is well documented by Ford in Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 22-2322, which supersedes TSB 22-2134. The bulletin states that to resolve the condition, the engine short block and head gasket must be replaced. This effectively requires replacement of the core of the engine and confirms the severity of the defect. The symptoms associated with this...

Engine suffered coolant intrusion known design defect on ford escape 1.5 L engines. Needs engine replacement.

Unknown. There's a white puff of smoke that comes out on a cold start every time. There is a small loss of coolant as well that I have to replace regularly. I was already told by the dealership to get rid of the car because it would need a complete engine fix that would cost 7000 to 10,000 dollars. It started doing this at 92k miles. The car was well maintained with regular oil checks and all maintenance recommended was done in a timely manner. All of the symptoms point to coolant intrusion.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. The low oil warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel prior to the failure. Despite the failure, the contact was able to drive to the residence. An independent mechanic inspected the vehicle and determined that a faulty wire connected to the spark plug had caused the failure. The dealer was notified of the failure, and the contact was informed that there were no recalls on the VIN for the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 28,000.

My wife had driven the car, it had given an error and I tested it for a code. The Code was PO304 Cylinder 4 Misfire detected. We scheduled a maintenance appointment with our local Ford dealership to have them look at this error and address a recall. We were informed that "coolant and freezant were leaking into cylinder #4!" The mileage is ~150300 and the vehicle has been serviced regularly. Prior to the Engine light on/code on, there have been no indication there was a problem. I am now reading about other 1.5L Escapes that have this same recall but mine was not included? This doesn't make sense, it's the same problem with the same motor that was manufactured in other facilities, with the same parts, and those engines were recalled but mine wasn't?? just fix my engine guys!

Engine failure when coolant leaked into #4 cyclinder causing loss of power, excessive smoke and total engine failure while driving on interstate. Ford supposedly knows this was an engineering problem in the 2 liter eco-boost engine for several years yet sold vehiles anyway.

The engine light came on. I plugged a diagnostic scanner in under the dash and it read “misfire on cylinder 1”. I installed a new spark plug and cleared the code. I also noticed the coolant level was low so I added some. I checked it the next day and the coolant was low again but it was not puddled on the driveway. The check engine light was back on again. I took the car to the local Ford dealer and after they run a couple of test, I was informed the car had coolant intrusion on cylinder #1. They said the engine had cracked and needed to be replaced . I did not drive the car until I was able to have it repaired. The cost was $9451.51.

My engine light went on and the car was shaking, stumbling. When I took the car to the dealership, and then to another shop, it was reported that the gas analyzer showed presence of combustion gases in the coolant system. The coolant present in cylinder is due to coolant intrusion that is a defect from factory. Ford refused to fix the problem because they would only fix the problem for cars with less than 84,000 miles and I was told by a representative at the dealership that recall letters were sent but only to those customers who presented with this issue between 2015 and 2019 or before that mileage. I never received any notification that this was an issue, or I would have brought my cay in. Now, I cannot afford a new engine and I have been left without a car since the incident, which was almost a year...

In my 2017 my check engine light came on at 70,000 miles throwing a bunch of different codes, ignition coil misfire and actuator making vehicle overheat and run rough, made extensive repairs to the vehicle based on what the codes were which didn’t repair the vehicle, finally engine gave out on me at 93,000 miles and I had the vehicle towed to Classic Ford In Mentor Ohio and they diagnosed the vehicle with a bad engine requiring the engine to be replaced, I was then informed by the service department that what killed the engine was coolant leaking into the cylinders due to a design defect by Ford Motor Company and these issues with these Ecoboost engines are very well documented across the internet, Dealership quoted me over $9,000 to replace the engine which I definitely can’t afford at all, Due to this not being my fault and I’ve kept...

The **engine system** failed due to **coolant intrusion into cylinder 2**, causing engine misfires and loss of power. This condition is consistent with known EcoBoost engine defects in this model year. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. This failure created a **safety risk** due to potential **loss of power or stalling while driving**, increasing the risk of a crash. An additional issue exists with the **electrical system**, specifically the **driver’s door control panel circuit**, which intermittently malfunctions and affects vehicle operation. The engine issue has been **confirmed by diagnostic trouble codes indicating a cylinder 2 misfire**. Dealer confirmation: **UNKNOWN**. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. Prior to failure, the vehicle displayed a **check engine light**, rough idle, and misfiring. Electrical issues occurred intermittently. Exact onset date is **UNKNOWN**.

Coolant intrusion into the engine from a manufacturer defect.

Coolant leaking into engine cylinder 2 possible head gasket issue associated with known problem for this vehicle. Will cause overheating due to coolant levels needing to be refilled on a regular basis.

My [XXX] daughter was driving her 2017 Ford Escape 1.5L EcoBoost check engine light came on and a message to pull over immediately. Vehicle was out of coolant. The coolant isn't leaking. The vehicle has a design flaw that causes coolant intrusion into the cylinders. Extremely dangerous and could leave someone stranded. The cost to fix is about the same as the value of the car!! Thousands of dollars!! This is a known design, flaw, and thousands of customers are experiencing it. It can leave drivers stranded and dangerous situations, including drivers like my teenage daughter. Ford should be responsible to fix this dangerous design flaw! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The engine started sputtering. Took it to a mechanic, and they said that the engine block had a crack.

Coolant intrusion due to engineering defect in engine. Ford is more than aware of this, but will not help us at all. Car is effectively dead and unusable. Ford TSB admits to this defect and requires a "long block" replacement (full engine replacement), but is doing nothing to help customers. This is fleecing.

On 1/13/26, vehicle was taken to Don Hinds Ford, Fishers, IN 46038-2892 for loss of coolant and sporadic shaking during start. Service performed diagnostic "Diagnostic: PERFORMED COOLANT PRESSURE TEST AND USED BOROSCOPE TO INSPECT EACH CYLINDER. FOUND CYL# 3 & 4 TO HAVE COOANT INTRUSION. RECOMEND REPLACEMENT OF ENGINE LONG BLOCK." Service recommendation "Engine Rebuild/Replace: REPLCEMENT OF ENGINE LONG BLOCK VIA TSB 22-2229" totaling $9,229.68 to be paid by customer. TSB 22-2229 is expired and vehicle has 82K miles. Known issue with this engine design, but not covered by Ford. I contacted Ford Customer Service requesting goodwill assistance or out-of-warranty coverage. Both were denied over the phone.

Coolant leaking into cylinder car has under 60,000 miles.

Coolant intrusion due to head gasket wear from Ecoboost, a known defect on the Ford Escape from 2013-2019. Yes, safety was put at risk, as the entire vehicle started shaking violently without warning on the expressway due to misfire caused from coolant intrusion. Vehicle is currently at Roy O'Brien Ford, SCS MI, where it was diagnosed having coolant intrusion. No warning lights appeared until the incident on [XXX], with a flashing check engine light while driving, with the vehicle shaking violently. Prior to, I could feel and see the RPM's bouncing. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Engine, Yes. There is a known coolant intrusion engine fault with ford escapes. ford has issued TSBs over this How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Engine abruptly died. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Yes Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No

I am the single owner of this 2017 Ford Escape with an Eco-boost 2.0L engine. This vehicle has only been serviced by Ford dealerships. at approximately 60K miles I noticed a lag in acceleration between 1200-2200 RPM. At 88K this lag became more violent, and I took the car to a Ford dealership for diagnosis. No warning lights had illuminated. The ford dealership advised me that there was coolant intrusion in the cylinders, and an entire new long block engine was required. After researching I learned that the 2017 had a design flaw that allows coolant to leak into the combustion chambers. in 2020 Ford redesigned the engine from an open deck to a closed deck. Due to Fords design flaw, I required a completely new long block engine and was able to confirm it was the new closed deck design at a cost of $14K. This problem boils down...

Coolant Intrusion: A design flaw in the open-deck engine block allows coolant to leak into the combustion chambers, leading to misfires, white smoke, and severe engine damage. Affected Vehicles: Primarily 2017-2019 Escapes and 2014-2019 Fusions with the 1.5L EcoBoost engine, built before specific dates. Symptoms: Low coolant, white exhaust smoke, rough idling, check engine light, and DTCs like P0300, P0301-P0304.

I bought my 2017 Ford Escape from Cocoa Ford in Cocoa, FL on 8/23/2025. Less than a month after purchase, I noticed the coolant was low, and that the engine was making a weird noise. I also had the check engine light come on two different times and after using an OBD reader, I got code P0303. After the first instance, around Mid-November, 2025, I cleared the code myself, but then immediately scheduled an appointment with my mechanic. Seaside Auto Repair in Satellite Beach, FL on November 24, 2025. They came back stating that the problem is a known issue with Ford Escape cars, citing [XXX] & [XXX] . No repairs were made at this time, as I was assessing my options. Shortly after taking the car to the mechanic was when the check engine light came on again. Around December 5, 2025. Due to the holidays, and the car...

This is related to the class action lawsuit 2:20-cv-01796-DAD-CKD Miller v. Ford Motor Co. Concerning alleged engine defects in Ford vehicles, specifically focusing on issues like excessive oil consumption and premature failure in certain EcoBoost engines. My engine has developed symptoms regarding the known coolant leak into the engine. The engine looses power when accellerating, and produces white exhaust after starting cold. Replacing spark plugs and coils did not resolve the issue. I checked the coolant level and it was below the minimum, and I had to add more coolant. The ECU has logged misfires at cylinder 2 and 4. The MIL turns on intermittently.

Two different things are happening with my car. 1) the paint is chipping and has caused corrosion on the body. Apparently this is a known issue but the peeling/chipping has gotten worse and will keep doing so until it is fixed. 2) car keep running hot and losing coolant but no leak to be found even after several rounds of tests.

Vehicle is slowly losing collant, and when I park I get a strong smell of collant. I took vehicle to have collant flushed and was took system was ok. From what I have researched is that there is a history of coolant entering engine cylinder because of defective engine and causeing engines to event ually seize.

Engine failure due to multiple coolant failures, due to poor design of the long engine block. Ford removed and replaced the long block in full, but it was out of warranty. There are multiple class action lawsuits against Ford for the defecting engine block design. There was only 49,187 miles on the car, well under mileage warranty, but above the 7 year old car age warranty. I paid $8379.39 for the new long block engine.

Ford Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) number is 21-2269. The engine block is leaking coolant into the cylinders which causes the engine to report over heating.

Coolant intrusion on the 2.0 ecoboost engine diagnosed by a ford dealer service center and a well documented issue. The coolant intrusion causes the engine to misfire rendering the car unusable and a potential road hazard.

Known coolant leak into the cylinders that ford won’t cover

Coolant in cylinder 2 due to crack in cylinder wall at head gasket due to thin sealing surface

While driving at a constant speed on the highway, the transmission shifted down a gear and revved into very high RPMs. I was dramatically slowing down despite pressing on the gas pedal. The car didn't provide any power and just revved while I had cars next to me going at highway speeds. Managed to get off the highway, a transmission fault indicator popped up on the dash. The car no longer was able to move. I had the car towed to the Ford Dealership. This car has a bad transmission at ~97,000 miles. Prior to this, I felt like the car's transmission maybe wasn't shifting on time but didn't make much of it. This could have easily resulted in a crash. Turns out this is a very well known problem with the Ford Escape. My friend has a 2016 Ford Escape who recently paid 8000$ for a new transmission. This...

Coolant intrusion on 2.0L Ecoboost Engine Car started running rough, oil light came on. Palmetto Ford Charleston SC indicated engine needed replacement due to coolant intrusion. This same dealer replaced the Turbo Wastegate 10/17/2025. 12/17/2025 the car ran rough.Service Bulletin 19-2346 seems to be the problem. Called Ford Customer Service who offered no assistance. Car has 75,000 miles, 1 owner, well maintained.

Stalled at Traffic lights when stopped and finally told engine coolant leak at 89K miles.

Coolant leaking into engine. Known problem they say they won’t fix

05/03/2025 - My Escape has the 1.5L 4-cylinder engine failed at 118763 miles. Local Ford Dealership installed new Short Block. 09/11/2025 - Engine failed at 122742. Local Ford Dealership installed new Short Block.

Coolant leaking into the engine and blowing white smoke

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and there was a misfire coming from the engine. In addition, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. In addition, the contact stated that the failure had occurred while the contact was driving on the highway. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a misfire in cylinders #2 and #3. The vehicle was diagnosed with coolant intrusion and engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was in the process of being repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.

The vehicle has experienced consistent overheating issues and coolant leak this Fall. My mechanic searched and realized that there were hundreds of thousands of vehicles that experienced engine performance issues traced to coolant intrusion—a known problem in certain Ford 2.0L EcoBoost engines (model years around 2015–2019). Coolant leaked into the cylinders, causing misfires and eventual engine failure. While this issue is widely documented and addressed under Ford’s Customer Satisfaction Program (CSP 21N12), it is not part of an official safety recall. As a result, coverage is limited to specific warranty or mileage criteria, leaving some vehicles, including this one, ineligible for repair under the program despite the severity of the failure. I have no recourse for this, and it seems as though a very costly repair is likely even though there is a known issue that Ford has acknowledged and fixed for many other owners.

In 2023, at around 77,000 miles the engine block in my moms 2017 Ford Escape Titanium (2.0L EcoBoost) cracked due to coolant intrusion and we had to have it replaced. Although the engine was replaced, the replacement engine was the same model, just from 2016 instead of 2017. The engine is still running fine, but due to the poor manufacturing of the engine block, I am worried it will happen again soon since the car itself has 108,000 miles, and the engine has around 85,000.