general problems of the 2014 Ford Escape - part 1

I am the original owner of a 2014 Ford Escape se equipped with the 1. 6 l ecoboost engine. The vehicle currently has approximately 122,000 miles. Within he first three years of ownership, while the vehicle was still under its initial warranty, it suffered from a cracked cylinder block that required repair at the dealership. The vehicle has a severe persistent history of cooling system failures. I am forced to constantly add engine coolant to the reservoir, and the vehicle previously broke down and left me stranded on the freeway due to sudden engine overheating. Most recently, the engine coolant turned into a thick, creamy, milky substance, confirming severe internal coolant intrusion and mixing with the engine oil. This is known, unrepairable structural manufacturing defect in the open-deck block and cylinder head design of the 1. 6 engine, which leads to catastrophic internal block cracking localized overheating. This severe cooling system failure directly present a critical vehicle safety and engine compartment fire hazard, directly matching the safety risks detailed in safety recall 17s09. The original safety recall remediation failed to fix the core manufacturing defect. The vehicle now requires a total long-block engine replacement. Sincerely, margaret aguiar.

In my 2014 Ford Escape has a coolant intrusion in the first cylinder.

At first, I just bought it two weeks ago. It was smoke coming from the engine and there was no coolant. The coolant wasn’t holding in the car now I was driving last night. I had coolant in it and there was just flames coming out by where the oil is.

My car warned me via service light that there was low coolant in my car, so I went to go get it topped off but the guys at valvoline said my coolant was almost completely full. I continued to drive it since the service light turned off, but when I drove it a day later, it suddenly warned me that my car was over heating and I needed to stop immediately. A local mechanic said that my head gasket failed and my coolant hose was leaking. My car only warned me once of the coolant being low, then the light turned off until my head gasket blew.

Car is eating antifreeze with no visible leaks. The vehicle overheats if not enough antifreeze. I had to use stop leak just to keep the antifreeze from leaking. The vehicle had a recall fix in 2018 for coolant intrusion by the previous owner but problem is occurring again. Have asked multiple Ford dealerships to help but they said the warranty is expired but after doing research I saw that even after a recall occurs if the problem was not fixed even after a warranty expires the company is still liable for repairs. I would like to make a complaint because I feel as if Ford is not honoring their recall policy. Even after correct information was given.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine light and low coolant warning light were illuminated. Upon checking the coolant level, the contact discovered that the coolant reservoir was empty. The contact added coolant to the vehicle; however, the coolant disappeared and gushed back into the reservoir. Additionally, upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle hesitated to start and chugged, with a white sweet-smelling smoke coming from the tailpipe while idling. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was purchased, and the contact inquired about a free diagnostic test, but the dealer denied assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 104,353.

Am reporting a potential safety defect involving my 2014 Ford Escape titanium 1. 6l ecoboost. While driving, I suddenly heard a pop/burst from under the hood. The vehicle then began producing white smoke/steam. There were no warning lights or temperature warnings before the smoke began. The high-temperature/overheating warning appeared only after the vehicle was already smoking/steaming. I immediately pulled over and stopped the vehicle. Green coolant had sprayed throughout the engine compartment. An independent repair shop confirmed that the plastic return-side heater-hose union/connector broke, causing a severe coolant leak. The shop recommended replacing the connector and coolant, performing a cooling-system pressure test, and a combustion leak test to check for possible engine damage. This failure created a safety risk because the vehicle suddenly lost coolant while being driven and gave almost no advance warning before overheating. The vehicle has not been inspected by Ford for this specific failure. I am concerned because these symptoms appear similar to the coolant-loss/overheating concerns addressed by Ford safety recall 17s09 involving certain 2014 Ford Escape 1. 6l ecoboost vehicles. My VIN is not currently listed in that recall. I am reporting this so NHTSA can determine whether similar sudden cooling-system failures are occurring in vehicles outside the original recall population.

My coolant mixing with the oil cause a severe overage. This is what I understood my recall to be about but the Ford dealership refused to fix it on June 1st. Now I’m subject to a very expensive car repair.

Coolant leak into the cylinder causing engine failure and need to replace the engine, it is not possible to fix this, must replace engine.

Coolant is leaking and overheats all the time. It has the 1. 6l engine and is being grouped with the 2. 0 engine.

In the Ford Escape, when the remote start is activated. The car will show as overheating. I was told it was a known issue with Ford. This occurred twice resulting in over $1900 in towing and repairs. Those repairs did not fix issue as 4 weeks later it did it again.

Today, my turbocharger was diagnosed as damaged and leaking coolant into the cylinders and visibly leaking throughout the undercarriage. Additionally, my cylinder 4 is misfiring. My mechanic said they've seen this problem many times and while the turbocharger can be replaced, it often fails or other parts of the engine are damaged beyond repair. I had sluggish performance, mainly with acceleration over the last month, but saw smoke late last week that I thought was just exhaust from a truck idling next to me while stopped, but then I saw it at home later that week when the check engine light turned on. At the same time, my idling was excessively rough and felt dangerous to drive, as was later confirmed by my mechanic. I have not taken this into a Ford dealership, nor do I want to because they have refused to help others in the same situation. I am considering contacting my insurance to figure out if they will do an evaluation that is less biased than Ford. I definitely think this is a fire risk as it has happened for many other owners of the same model and year range.

2014 Ford Escape. 1. 6l ecoboost engine. Bought the car a couple of years ago from a local Ford dealership. The car was immediately using coolant, but never saw where it was leaking. There was never a spot on the ground where it was leaking. Took car to local mechanic and they replaced water pump. Stating possibly leaking. Car continued to use coolant. A few mornings ago, tried to start car, loud pop sound, white smoke, and engine knocking. Car has 124,000 miles on it. What now?.

- component/ system: (unknown). Possible powertrain / transmission . - yes available for inspection. - my safety @risk: mine and my child (passenger) - problem confirmed : yes at local mechanic shop and Ford dealer service shop. - has the vehicle been inspected : yes - any warning lights or messages prior to failure: check engine (appeared at time of incident) and “engine fault: service now” - when did the warning appear: after it failed (5/2026) no warning prior to failure. - vehicle attempts from start to find the proper gear (like a bicycle chain that has come off) - clunky - no power from first gear up. No city driving - dangerous to operate.

Component failed 1. 6l escoboost engine coolant intrusión into cylinders causing misfire and white exhaust smoke vehicle available for inspection upon request . Safety risk:engine misfire and coolant loss cause sudden of power or ingine fire while driving. Recall 17s09 was issude for this exact defect . Ford ssm 46433 states this requires new engine assemby . Problem confirmed multiple repair shops confirmed cooland in cylindres. I have spent s5000 on repairs including used transmisión trying to fix this defect. Manufacturer inspection called Ford customer service 05/22/2026. Agent refused supervisor and stated we cannot help no case number probided Ford is refusing to honor federal safety recall 17s09. Warning symptoms: check ingine light, ingine misfire , white exhaust smoke , coolant loss. First appeared approximately 6 months ago and has worsened. Requesting NHTSA compel Ford to provide engine replacement per ssm 46433.

Last month my engine suddenly got hot and the engine light came on and I got a coolant alert. All my coolant was gone. I refilled it a couple of times and the same thing happened. I took it to get it repaired and this is what was fixed: removed and replaced the engine coolant reservoir hose and the overflow bypass heater hose. He said that my engine cylinder head is leaking oil. I have a pdf of the repair that was done.

The engine was replaced at 50,000 miles for a known coolant intrusion issue. The problem reappeared at 72000 miles. This widely known issue should have been a recall and won't be because of the financial impact to Ford.

Loss of coolant and engine misfires are occurring. Receiving the the following engine codes p0300, p0302, & p0303.

Apparent coolant leak identified in my 2014 Ford Escape 1. 6l (ecoboost). The car loses approx. 500ml of coolant each time I drive it, and I need to refill the coolant tank before every time I need to use it. I traced the coolant leak back to the blockheater, which has a failed seal. There is currently a recall for leaking block heaters on the 2. 0l Escape motors, but this problem appears to extend to the 1. 6l ecoboost engine as well.

#3 cylinder failed and leaked coolant into block and the block has cracked. Costs $8k to replace. It’s a known flaw with this Ford engine.

2014 Ford Escape 1. 6l engine with eco boost. Alarm on dash for high engine temperature, stop safely. Pulled vehicle to side of road and fire was under hood. Attempted to extinguish with standard fire extinguisher; called 911 and fire department had to extinguisher. Vehicle was towed to local shop.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 25 mph, the vehicle started shaking abnormally, and there was white smoke coming from the exhaust system, the engine overheated, and the coolant level was extremely low hours after the coolant reservoir was refilled. The check engine warning light was illuminated while the vehicle was shaking. An independent mechanic determined that there was a misfire in cylinder #3, and the spark plug was stuck and needed to be replaced. There were no visible leaks found. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 139,000.

Its leaking coolant internally and this engine is a known issue and still is not covered by Ford.

At less than a thousand miles after purchasing the vehicle the coolant has begun intruding into the cylinder wall and causing a sweet smelling exhaust from the rear.

Car has 56k miles. Went to dealer for the recall on the bushing and cap. Left dealer and next couple days the car slid twice in my driveway a few feet even with parking brake on. Went back to dealer and they said cant duplicate problem. Drove home and car continues to have shifting issues and going out of gear. . Have to shift to park or neutral and then reengage and to try to get it to work. In the mornings after sitting its now having issues going in gear and then after awhile will work. Called dealer and Ford corporate and they said there is nothing they can do or help with. The car is a safety hazard slipping out of gear while driving in traffic or on a hill and then you are stranded in fear of getting totaled out from behind until it decides to go into gear! this is terribly dangerous and it only has 56, 600 miles on it!! also the engine is not throwing a code. So dealer and another repair shop has charged 1600 for service and its still doing it!!!! me researching seems to prove Ford had transmission issues with this year of Escape titanium and the edge etc. . . . Why is there not a full recall on the transmission that they have to fix with such little mileage!.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that her son previously replaced the spark plugs and other unknown parts of the vehicle due to a coolant leak onto the spark plugs; however, the coolant leak recurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the coolant outlet, the engine connector assembly with vacuum filling and bleeding, and the coolant hoses assembly were replaced. Additionally, other unknown repairs were performed; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that the message “engine coolant low - service" was displayed, and the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but no coolant leak was found. The contact stated that while driving 25 mph, the message "high temp-stop safely" was displayed. The contact pulled into a parking lot until the vehicle cooled down. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed, and determined that coolant was leaking from the thermostat housing. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 237,500.

Coolant intrusion due to head gasket/ cracked cylinder head.

The vehicle has suffered four (4) catastrophic engine failures due to "coolant intrusion" into the engine cylinders, a known defect in this model year. Despite the vehicle’s VIN showing that Ford recall 17s09 (NHTSA 17v209) was previously "repaired" by a previous owner, the engine continues to overheat, crack the cylinder head, and fail. The cooling system and engine block are currently available for inspection. Safety risk: during multiple failures, the vehicle experienced a sudden loss of motive power and stalled in active traffic without sufficient warning. This creates an immediate risk of a high-speed rear-end collision. Additionally, the overheating creates a documented fire risk under the hood, as coolant or oil can leak onto hot engine components. Confirmation: the failure has been reproduced and confirmed by both a major national used car retailer’s service department and an independent certified mechanical service center. The independent shop confirmed that the engine block has failed due to coolant entering the combustion chamber. Symptoms: prior to the most recent failure, the "coolant over temperature" warning lamp appeared briefly before the engine lost power. These symptoms first appeared within 30 days of vehicle purchase and have recurred through four separate replacement engines, proving the manufacturer's recall "remedy" is ineffective at preventing catastrophic engine failure.

Coolant intrusion on cylinder 3, potential to overheat engine posing fire safety risks. Problem has been confirmed at Ford dealership. Vehicle has been inspected by manufacturer. Check engine light came on Dec. 31st 2025, car was not driven until Jan. 2nd 2026, when it was given to dealership mechanic for inspection/diagnosis. Ford is aware of the dangers of coolant intrusion and the flawed engine design.

Engine coolant system failed, overheated car instantly. Had to get hoses, sensors, thermostat replaced. Possible fire, smoke was present, car had to be turned off immediately. Not the safest. Little to no warning from fine to dead.

I have had problems with coolant leaks, coolant sensor, valve gaskets and coolant intrusion in my engine. The coolant reservoir was replaced at 36,580 miles on 07/13/17. The coolant sensor recall was completed at 37,315 miles on 07/31/17. The coolant overflow line was was replaced at 66,910 miles on 01/14/22. The coolant light came on and coolant was added at 69,882 miles on 02/16/23. There was a coolant leak and the valve cover gaskets replaced at 76,910 miles on 01/23/25. The engine started surging and the coolant light came one. The ignition coil was replaced and the sensor light was adjusted at 78,709 miles on 09/05/25. The sensor light came back on the next day. I went into the dealership 3 different times to tell them there had to be a leak. Since they assured me that it was just the sensor and I had no leak, they did not give me another appointment to check it out. On 12/04/25 a message came on that said it was overheating and to park the car immediately. It then went into limp mode. I was given an appointment on 12/10/25 and I had the car towed in. At 80,158 miles the dealership informed me that there was coolant intrusion in the engine and the cylinders and the car would need a new engine.

My car caught on fire while I was driving it pulled over got out of car and car imploded in flames.

My 1. 6l ecoboost was leaking coolant and smoking on the side of the reservoir and burning coolant smells went thought the heater and ac vents when on especially at a stop light and it even leaks oil a little bit but I have got the “coolant leak” fixed but I have an internal leak somewhere clearly and all the symptoms add up to sound like the Ford recalls 17s09 and also similar to 12s39 but that’s for 2013 Escapes but there’s clearly an unsafe issue hear that cause cause fire underneath my hood I called Ford and they said to try to make a claim because there should be no reason I’m not covered under warranty when it’s the same cars same engines and same issues.

I’ve always had electrical problems and now when I try to drive it, it smells like it’s going to catch on fire. And I’ve had to fix something within the fuel system 3 times.

It had a recall for leak coolant, they installed a new expansion tank and new hoses, however for some reason it is still leaking, the inside of the car smells like burnt, when I’m stopped, Ford said the leak might be repaired when they changed the hoses it wasn’t the case it’s still leaking, they were supposed to install a sensor to let me know when the coolant level is low, however last time the compartment was almost empty and the car didn’t show any warning, looks like it’s not working as it should be, it could catch fire it could be even worst.