Two problems related to manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe have been reported for the 2015 Ford Escape. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2015 Ford Escape based on all problems reported for the 2015 Escape.
The car a 2015 Ford Escape se awd with ~ 86,600 miles would shut off and have to be restarted after sitting for awhile. It also started to run a little rough. So I took into a Ford dealership for service and a tune up on December 24th 2019. After the tune up it still exhibited the same rough riding and shut off. The next day on December 25th after sitting overnight shutoff initially and had to be restarted. While backing out of the driveway it shuddered violently and white smoke poured out of the tail pipe. I pulled it back into the garage, and took it back to the Ford dealership the following morning December the 26th. After some time the assistant service manager informed me that it was leaking coolant into the engine, and that one of the spark plugs had been fouled with coolant. After more testing and holding the car for two weeks they informed me that I needed a new engine. What's odd is that I never witnessed the car over heating, and the check engine light didn't come on till I was driving the car back to the Ford dealership on the morning of December the 26th. Ford customer assistance says that they'll pay 1/4 of the cost to replace the engine. After doing some research I've found quite a few Escape owners that have had similar complaints with the same issue of coolant leaking into the engine and have been told that they need a new engine. These engines are failing prematurely due to engines over heating and the blocks failing. I suspect that the coolant sensor is also defective. This 2015 Escape was purchased new at the end of 2014, and maintained by regular oil changes and maintenance.
We were traveling in the car at approximately 80 mph. The car engine began to race strongly without a corresponding increase in speed. This happened twice and then a red oil indicator light came on. It sounded also like a head gasket blew on the 1. 6 liter eco-boost engine as there was a rattling noise like tumbling pebbles in a can or drum. We lost power. Blue smoke streamed out the tail pipe of the car. We coasted over to the shoulder of the highway and came to a stop. By the time the car came to a stop smoke was coming from under the hood of the car. I got out of the car and looked toward the engine compartment from the passenger side. Flames were coming from below the car just inside the front passenger side tire. We quickly got everyone and everything out of the car. The flames spread very quickly. The front half of the car was engulfed in flames in approximately 4 minutes and the whole car was consumed in about 8 or 9 minutes.