Owner-reported complaints naming the powertrain system, filed with NHTSA
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Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials. 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. 372 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 372, in the owner's own words
Transmission failed/malfunctioned. Available for inspection. Safety at risk due to driving on busy road when transmission failed and car wouldn't move. Transmission recall for VIN [XXX] Vehicle component has not been inspected. No warning of any kind prior to failure. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I am requesting that NHTSA document and investigate this issue, including the frequency of coolant intrusion and engine failure involving 2017 Ford Escape vehicles equipped with the 1.5L EcoBoost engine. I would also like NHTSA to determine whether the existing Ford service programs, technical service bulletins, recalls, or other corrective actions adequately address affected owners. My VIN is [XXX]. I believe Ford should be held responsible if this engine failure resulted from a known defect rather than ordinary vehicle wear INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Repeated Check Engine light issue Ford failed to diagnosis and follow service bulletins regarding a defect in the engine block. Now Ford tells us that the engine block is cracked and wants us to pay full price for their faulty engine. Car was purchased with 31,388 on Dec. 4, 2020 as a Certified Pre-Owned Ford vehicle from a Ford dealership. 12/10/2022 with 46,728 miles Levittown Ford serviced the vehicle due to engine issues. 9/17/2024 with 64,885 miles Levittown Ford serviced the vehicle due to engine issues. 7/15/2026 with 77,401 miles Levittown Ford serviced the vehicle due to engine issues.
At about 90000 miles my car was acting like a misfire so I changed plugs was a little better we went on a trip and half way home my car was losing coolant no over heating no puddles added more coolant when got home all my coolant was gone bought a new coolant tank still didn’t help white smoke so changed spark plugs again and coil and still misfire told it’s my coolant intrusion and no recall so I am stuck still paying car and car was fine something has to be done selling people cars and out of money and car
The car developed a sudden metalic rattle noise and with no service indication lights on the dash. It was immeaditley serviced by the local Ford dealership and diagnosed as a cracked flex plate in the drivetrain after just 51,000 original miles. This is still within the original milage warranty but outside the warranty limit by years dispite the fact a flexplate doesn't go bad by age. Failure of the flexplate (between engine and transmission) can result in a sudden and major failure of the vehicle's transmission and risk to occupants. I have learned this is a very common point of failure for Ford Escape, Fusion, and Edge vehicles with the 1.5 and 2.0 Ecoboost engines. A CSP repair notice 22N12 and 22N112 has been issued pertaining to certain Fusion and Edge vehicles with 2.0 engines. However, neither the Escape model or the 1.5 engine is included although it uses the same flex plate part and transmission. In addition, the problem was also in SSM-48725 that missing or damaged aliginment pins is a primary cause of failure in the flex plate. Ford is knowingly putting people at risk of harm and financial hardship with a documented and chronic failure of this specific defective part.
Check engine light came on XXX. Engine coolant level was extremely low, shuddering "start" several times the previous week. My 2017 Ford Escape 2.0L EcoBoost Turbo engine, with only 38,245 original miles has the well known and documented issue with the 2.0L EcoBoost block with the P0302 misfire code. Numerous TSB's have been issued about this (some are TSP 19-2346 and TSB 22-2229). The engine coolant has intruded into Cylinder 2 necessitating a long block engine replacement. This was the formal diagnosis by the Ford Service Department at my Ford Dealership on XXX, after running a cooling system pressure test and a borescope inspection with photos proving coolant is in Cylinder 2. I've seen numerous other complaints online and on this website ([XXX]) about this exact issue with the same yr/make/model/engine. Since this is a premature failure of a major powertrain component due to a known factory defect which can cause safety issues, please issue a recall for 2017 Ford Escape cars with the 2.0L EcoBoost Turbo engines. This can cause a fire (and has from what I have read) and damage the catalytic converter if driven. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
8/17/25 - Check engine light. Codes for Cylinder Misfire 1,2 and 3. Very very low coolant. 8/19/25 - The mechanic where we bought the car said that they checked plugs, did a compression test, everything came back fine and looks fine. Cleared the codes, drove it around, left it running, no light back on as of yet. Said the low coolant may have triggered the codes. - Coolant Filled back up Jan 31 2026 Car over heated and went into limp mode. No coolant when I looked before the tow truck came.. Had it towed to where we bought the car from. The mechanic said they couldn't find anything wrong and did the oil change and added coolant. Place we got car from: “Doesn’t know why it keeps losing coolant. They checked everything” To keep filling it up. March 23rd. Misfire codes again and evap leak code and coolant ½ empty -Filled back up. Place we bought car from “Changed plugs - Compression test done again.” March 23rd Compression test from where be bought the car: They said it’s fine compression May 2026: Coolant low, See photo: Filled it up to max line. I brought it to a friend to have him look at the cylinders. These were the spark plugs and cylinder pictures Plug on right was Cylender 4. My friend says it doesn't look like the place we bought the car from even changed the spark plugs. Cylinder photos are of Cylinder 4 Low coolant, Filled it back up. July 5 2026 : Check engine light. Code below - Bringing to ford 7/7
My vehicle was towed back to the dealership to have the transmission replaced, under warranty. After confirming the failure and warranty, I was informed, by emailed service order, that the airbag light was illuminated.it also listed the cost to diagnose the light and that I declined this "recommended service". What I said was that I absolutely wanted it diagnosed and addressed. What I declined were the charges they were quoting as the light came on while they had my vehicle-to replace my previously replaced transmission, 100% under warranty. I finally got the dealership to email me a printout/workorder so I could see what repairs have been completed. Re:Airbag light: says I stated the light was on, the tech got it to come on, that I declined a time of original transmission diagnostic; light is off now, they’re unable to replicate, listed as "intermittent airbag fault”, may come back on and would require additional diagnostic fee and repair cost.
Transmission, AAMCO inspected and verified, no warnings just grinding noise and jerking of vehicle
After years of driving Escape with issue finally found a mechanic that could definitely diagnose the problem. Was told that it was the torque converter and now possibly the transmission because it had been happening for so long. It shifts gears hard, shakes badly when idling (we always put it into neutral to avoid the shaking), stalls out sometimes when stopped at lights and trying to accelerate, can be coasting at a slow speed and the car will want to accelerate on its own like you were pressing on the gas.
The vehicle is operating with a Ford remanufactured transmission assembly which was installed at the dealership of purchase. The repair was completed under the Extended Ford warranty I purchased with the used vehicle 6 months prior and the replacement parts and labor are covered by an active 3-year/36,000-mile Ford Service Parts Warranty from the date of installation with approximately 20,000 miles of coverage remaining at the time of the first incident. On May 5, 2026, at 151,033 miles, the vehicle began exhibiting a severe internal mechanical rattle under brake load, indicating a progressive hardware failure of the internal torque converter assembly. On May 19, 2026, at 151,663 miles, the internal failure escalated, causing the vehicle to suffer a sudden power loss/stalling event while in active traffic, triggering the vehicle's factory 'Stall Alert' dashboard safety warning. The problem has gotten significantly worse, and I can show at minimum, it stalled again on May 27 (video shows car in D but failing to move ), twice on June 4, and again today, after being told there were “no codes”, causing complete loss of propulsion and power steering. This sudden stalling in active traffic creates an immediate highway safety hazard and an extreme risk for a rear-end collision. Because Ford's computer programming automatically clears transient/temporary fault codes upon turning off the ignition, standard diagnostic scanners do not store a permanent code after a key-cycle, hiding an active mechanical safety defect. Authorized Ford repair facilities are refusing immediate diagnostic triage or alternative transportation due to a multi-week service backlog, leaving a safety-compromised vehicle on the road and violating consumer warranty rights."
My power lines were not installed properly and leaked all over burning up my transmission. This is aVERY common ford issue to the point where the place where I took it said I got a lot further than others. Ford needs to do better
See Attached Letter for Complaint
Manufacturing defect causing coolant intrusion and misfire/rough idle. This is also after rebuilding transmission less than a year prior due to failure.
I am the only owner of this vehicle and it has 114,000 miles At 90,000 miles i had to replace the transmission and now, its at the dealer due to turbo leaking oil internally and externally AND coolant intrusion. These issues are commonly known and the coolant intrusion is from a design flaw. Why is this engine not included with the recall for the very same issue on other ford ecoboost engines
Coolant intrusion defect. Had to replace engine. Power train fail also.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving 50-60 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated and jerked. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was determined that the failure was related to an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under the recall because the VIN was not included. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired and was towed to the residence. The failure mileage was unknown.
April 2025 our Ford Escape, a 2017 model, had an issue with the car overheating, we brought to a dealer and the diagnosis was coolant leaking into the cylinders of the engine . Repair costs range $8-10,000.00 , new engine $11,000 plus. Through research on chat rooms we have discovered that this is a known issue with Ford's design, several consumer complaints and open class action lawsuit exists. Our dealer offered no assistance financially, we were told auto is out of warranty and no restitution is available to us. We've taken excellent care for this car and are seniors on fixed income. Like many other consumers facing the same engine issues, we are left with no choice but to absorb costs to repair the auto. Any trade in or resale value is diminished. Thank you for accepting our submission on this critical consumer issue. We are the original owners of this vehicle. Ford is showing no customer loyalty and, no concern for consumer safety as this "coolant intrusion" issue can cause the car to fail, shut down or catch fire.
There is a known issue with coolant intrusion into the engine with this vehicle. The vehicle has less than 40,000 miles. The engine stalled three times over a two mile trip and completely shut off during a left hand turn with oncoming traffic putting my family and other drivers in danger.
I started having trouble with my car idleing hard and driving jerky. Around November of 2025, I took it to the local Ford dealership and they couldn’t find anything wrong with it. The check engine light was on at this point So I took it to an independent local shop. They looked at it and saw that the valve in cylinder one was broken and not firing. At this point I took it back to Ford along with pictures of the busted valve. I went back to Ford because I have a lifetime power train warranty they are my authorized repair shop. So with the pictures of the busted valve they filled a claim. The warranty people said that if the head gasket was the only thing messed up they would cover the repairs. If the block was warped they would not cover anything because Ford knows about the problem and there is a Technical Service Bulletin TSB 22-2229 about the problem. I just want to know what to do. How do I proceed ?
My transmission blew had to be towed home
1. Transmission failure, it is available for inspection up until time of repair. 2. The vehicle lost power while driving, had incidents of jerking forward without warning, and shifter would get stuck. 3. Yes, independent service center. 4. Yes, when the incident occurred (Transmission Fault Service Now) P0301-00 Cylinder 1 Misfire Detected P0316-00 Misfire Detected on Startup P059F-00 Active Grille Air Shutter A Performance/Stuck Off P0729-00 Gear 6 Incorrect Ratio P2702-00 Gear 5 Incorrect Ratio
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.
Vehicle transmission failed at 60k miles and again at 146k miles. Had to pay around $4000 each time the transmission broke. This is a nightmare and these vehicles have constant transmission problems that are expensive and cause heartache. I have spent so much money on towing, dealership diagnostics, and drain and fills/flushes for the transmission to keep the fluid clean. The fluid gets dark and dirty so quick and smells burnt so quickly. The manufacturer (Ford) are a bunch of crooks. They tell you the transmission fluid lasts over 100,000 miles but that's a lie! I have 146k miles and have already had two transmission failures with the 6F35! This is terrible. They need to be held accountable or they will keep ruining peoples lives.
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.
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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