Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2017 Ford Escape submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 154 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 154, in the owner's own words
The customer may notice coolant spots on the driveway or garage floor, a loss of cabin heat, powertrain unit overheating, or a warning indicator for a low coolant level. Additionally, the condition can cause heat damage to the block heater electrical wiring and connector and the customer may notice an odor or smoke Matching Recall 26V011 my car is a 2017 Ford Escape 2.0 that was manufactured in Louisville KY
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle failed to start. The contact check the vanity lights but there was no power inside the vehicle. The vehicle was without electrical power for approximately 30 minutes before power returned to vehicle. The contact was concerned about driving the vehicle because the potential failure reoccurring. The dealer was notified of the failure; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 73,000.
Vehicles auto start stop malfunctions and turns car off at red light. Message states to shift to park and then to press ignition.
While driving on the highway at speed of 65-70 mph, there was a loud and felt "clunk" and immediate loss of power. Dashboard screen said "faulty engine service immediately" and warning bells came on. Frightened, I immediately pulled over in the shouldee of the highway and turned off ignition. When I turned the car back on, dashboard read same faulty engine message, then started to go through a diagnostics in which it reported sensors not functioning (parking sensors). Vehicle was able to be started after this incident and drove fine afterward. This was not the first time this Vehicle has had electrical issues. It has been known to have intermittent start up issues where the engine would not turn on but only the lights and accessories will come on. After some varying amount of reattemtps to turn on car, the dashboard screen will go through same messages: "fauly engine" and go through sensors not found or working etc. After these messages appear, then the car is able to start normally. I have taken this car in to 2 different Ford dealerships, 1 Buick/GMC dealership, and 2-3 independent auto shops, all of which cannot get the vehicle to replicate the issue enough times for them to diagnose the car. It does not store any codes to pinpoint the issue. The vehicle has been in and out of shops for a total of 4-6 weeks now with no answers. Now, it did this while driving on the highway! I am fortunate it did not cause a crash, but I am scared to death to drive it on the highway again. I dont know what to do because my job requires a lot of driving, especially on the highway. I do not want to get in an accident if this happens again or becomes worse the next time. There are no warning sounds, lights or medsages before it happens. Plus I owe way more on it than the car is worth, so selling it is not really an option. Please help.
Tail light has water intrusion and water shorted out the LED brake light on the driver's side rear of vehicles and has to be replaced as the ED'S are not serviceable.
Low beam headlight bulbs fail consistently every 90-120 days. I've replaced them approximately 20 times in 9 years. This is a common failure across this vehicle line, as noted in many online forums. This is a safety hazard.
The failure appears to involve the vehicle’s auto start/stop system and related electrical control systems, including the battery management system and/or body control module. The vehicle shuts off unexpectedly while driving and fails to automatically restart, displaying “Auto Start/Stop – Manual Restart Required” and “Shift to Park.” The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The vehicle has shut off unexpectedly in active traffic, causing a sudden loss of power. This creates a dangerous situation where I am unable to accelerate or move with traffic flow, increasing the risk of being rear-ended or involved in a collision. This has occurred on public roads with other vehicles present, putting both myself and others at risk. The issue is intermittent and has not consistently been reproduced on demand. However, it has occurred multiple times during normal driving conditions. I am in the process of having the vehicle inspected and documented by a dealership. The issue has been reported to the manufacturer, and a case has been opened with Ford Motor Company. At this time, the vehicle has not yet been inspected by police or insurance representatives. There were no consistent warning lamps prior to the failure. At the time of the incident, the vehicle displayed messages including “Auto Start/Stop – Manual Restart Required” and “Shift to Park.” These messages appeared simultaneously with the loss of power. The issue has occurred intermittently without advance warning.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. While driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle suddenly stopped on several occasions and lost automotive power. The Automatic START/STOP message was displayed. The contact manually turned off the feature, but the Automatic START/STOP feature was activated independently. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 193,000.
Vehicle suffered acute catastrophic engine failure. No dash lights alerted me. Engine just started rattling and smoking. Dealership it was towed to pulled codes p0302 p0304 p0012 p0014 tried to blame it on us despite known coolant intrusion issue
Coolant leak and dealership advises that the car will need a engine replacement to fix the problem. The car is constantly running rough and misfiring. Driving this vehicle this way put myself and small children at risk that there could be a potential complete engine failure while driving the vehicle. This problem has been confirmed by the dealership and I was told that Ford Motor Co. is aware of the issue however they are choosing to do nothing about it or offer a recall. The vehicle has been inspected by a police officer who has driven the car and states that the car is very unsafe to drive. The car has a current "check engine" light constantly on. The car also has severe issues with the electrical system and sealing system. The car is now leaking water when it rains through the front windshield. Also, the pain is chipping in areas all over the vehicle.
My vehicle started slowing down, check engine light came on, and then the vehicle went into limp mode. The vehicle won't go faster than 10-15 miles per hour. I had the accelerator and sensor replaced, but the vehicle won't start or move. My car is not running and hasn't run for over a year.
When driving, the car has stopped 4 times in the last 3 years. Last week the car came to a red light and the inside lights started flashing. There was a warning that read "transmission not in park." The car's power steering and brakes went out and the car went through the red light. Three other times the car was on the expressway and it died with the same warning. Fortunately, the car was in the slow lane and was able to pull onto the shoulder. Once the car is put in Park and turned off, it is able to be restarted and everything is working.
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: 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.
Backup Camera display had lines then went blue and black. Backup camera no longer detected
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle started to shake and vibrate and decelerate. The vehicle was taken to a nearby mechanic who diagnosed that the alternator and alternator belt had failed and needed to be replaced. The alternator and alternator belt were replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission warning light illuminated, and the vehicle decelerated, and the steering wheel was difficult to control. After stopping the vehicle and shifting to park(P), the vehicle rolled backwards causing the driver to activate the parking brake. The vehicle was towed to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The transmission was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were not contacted regarding the failures. The failure mileage was 107,000.
The seat stopped working. The ford almost gave out on me multiple times today. On the highway and twice on the road. Apparently this vehicle has been recalled plenty of times. It has something to do with bush wiring. The seat will not adjust or move forward and the windshield wipers don’t work. It basically gave out and will not reverse.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the tailgate unexpectedly opened while driving. The contact stated that the tailgate could be opened manually or with the key fob. The contact stated that depressing the button near the tailgate failed to open the tailgate. The tailgate ajar message was displayed. The contact attempted to resolve the issue by changing the key fob battery, but the issue persisted. The local dealer was contacted and suggested a diagnostic test be performed. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that there was no recall coverage on the VIN and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle started shuddering intermittently. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to two independent mechanics, where it was diagnosed with alternator and pistons failure. The second mechanic replaced the alternator; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the second mechanic, where the contact was informed that there was oil and coolant dilution, and metal shavings were found inside the engine. The dealer and the manufacturer were not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 134,003.
When using automatic start stop I get a message to put in park and restart.
Parasitic draw in battery that Ford can't find reading for. Paid almost 1k in parts they suggested ' may' work along. Did not work and told us not to call corporate because they'll just tell us to go back to dealer. Then engine throws a p0303 code. Cylinder 3 seems to have the death sentence these cars are facing. We still owe 9800 on this car. It has 70k miles. The battery issue has been problem for over a year. It's our family car so never unsafe for my wife to be stranded with a child somewhere because the battery might die. And now the engine may seize. From reading all over, Ford was certainly negligent about this issue and it's sad so many people are in the same situation as our family
My car is having a coolant intrusion/ head gasket failure. There is a recall already for my car which was code CSP 21N12 for this issue. Yet when I put in my VIN for CSP coverage it shows no recalls for my vehicle. I have a 2017 ford escape eco boost 1.5L. It matches the make , year, and engine for the problem. My car is misfiring, white smoke from exhaust from cold start , and having coolant loss with no dripping on the ground.
This vehicle has had multiple issues with starting. But now there’s a “Steering Assist Fault” that clearly ford is aware of but has decided that manufacturing this vehicle anyway was the way to go. The vehicle won’t start again now because of this issue. What happens is the vehicle loses its assisted steering and sometimes while driving which is extremely dangerous.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 66,000, and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 199,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds, the 9-1-1 Assistance and seat belt warning alerts activated. The contact stated that the key fob sensor intermittently failed to recognize the key fob inside the vehicle with the message "No Key Detected" displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer however, the failure was not duplicated. The contact stated that during cold starts, the vehicle hesitated, and the RPM became elevated. There was no warning light illuminated. In addition, the contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was then illuminated. The vehicle was taken to Eby Ford (2714 Elkhart Rd, Goshen, IN 46526) where the vehicle was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into engine and cylinder #4. The contact stated that the engine relay was replaced after the vehicle failed to start. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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