general problems of the 2017 Ford Escape - part 2

Continues to roll when parked engine has been replaced twice grinding when putting in park.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle sputtered with the messages “engine fault service now”, and “high engine temperature – stop safely” displayed. The vehicle was able to be restarted, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with head gasket failure, which caused coolant intrusion into the cylinders. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 86,000.

An “engine fault check engine now” came up. We quickly brought our 2017 Ford Escape into our near by Ford dealership. Mechanic says a p2601 code came up, which is related to coolant to aux pump performance. They found reservoir leaking a reservoir spiderd hose down to oil cooler. Found coolant reservoir leaking. I have this diagnostic in writing. Ford wanted to charge $1088 to fix the issue and said once thats paid they would look further. We didn’t have close to that amount of money so we went to another near by mechanic, they looked into issue and found the coolant had been leaking into the engine and sent photos, and thats when we realized we needed an engine replacement. We have always taken care of our cars and we should not be having to pay for a brand new engine! the mechanic at the other smaller shop we took car to was actually a prior Ford mechanic but left them and says he had seen this issue with this year and model many times! and it was due to a bad engine build that they since corrected for newer cars. So the people who bought a car with that year and model just got screwed. We are now having to take my 5 year old grand daughter to school on a bike and carriage situation, hoping it doesn’t get to cold or rainy. Not to mention our transmission had to be re built “just out of warranty” so Ford was no help once again. We looked it up and the transmission going out just out of warranty was also a recurring issue for this year and model. So really we feel we spent 30,000 to 35,000 on a dud car. We feel not taken care of in the slightest by Ford. Also my son has a Ford f-150 and the transmission went out that would cost 5000 to 9000. This truck was gently driven and still had low miles. It should not need such a drastic replacement! we found that this transmission issue was also a recurring issue on that year and model truck and we had no help with it. So we have two Ford vehicles now that we poured so much money into that we can’t use.

Ford dealership states the engine needs to be replaced at a cost of 10k due to coolant in the engine oil as a result of failure of the #4 cylinder. The service advisor stated “ it’s actually a pretty common thing on these engines”. This issue was discovered during a routine oil change by roberson Ford in albany oregon.

Had a coolant leak at 67,000 miles, and the only indication I had was the heat in my car stopped working. I assumed it was a thermostat issue, dismissed it, and continued driving for months like that since it was the summer. Where I live, it's pretty mild in the summer so I wasn't driving with ac or heat on, just with the windows down. I happened to notice the coolant reservoir was completely empty while routinely refilling the windshield washer fluid. This was my first indication anything was seriously wrong with my car, and I only noticed accidentally. I took it into the repair shop, and they pressure tested the system. They discovered coolant was leaking into the cylinders and called to tell me Ford has had a technical service bulletin they issued years ago (22-2229) about the engine in my car. This is known defect with the engine, and that the only way to remedy it is to replace the engine long block. They quoted me over $17,000 for the repair (parts and labor), and told me that there was internal engine damage that could lead to the engine seizing while operating, which is an obvious safety issue. Had I not happened to refill the windshield wiper fluid, I would have had no idea. In hindsight, this wasn't just a thermostat issue. . . It was a massive coolant leak into the cylinders. I didn't even get a check engine light until I had already discovered the issue and was waiting for a repair appointment. The problem is known by Ford, and is widespread enough in the ecoboost engines that they issued a TSB (but not a recall). They're letting people drive around with these engines, which have subtle failure signs in milder climates, and then leaving them to foot the massive repair bill for a known issue caused by their bad engineering.

While driving my 2017 Ford Escape, which only has 75k miles on it, a red warning light came on indicating an engine problem and to pull over safely. I was at a red light at a busy intersection when this happened. When it turned green I started driving trying to get into a parking lot safely. My car sputtered and stopped. Luckily I was able to get it into the parking lot. It turns out, after going to the Ford dealership, that it needs a new short block engine due to coolant intrusion, which is a now known design flaw. There was a csp (recall) 21n12 for this issue for Ford Escapes built at the louisville, ky plant. My car was built there, and meets/met all the requirements of the csp, but for some reason was not included in the csp. I am not sure why. I have reached out to Ford, but they are doing nothing to assist. How has there been nothing else regarding this issue? it is a known design flaw, and Ford isn't being held accountable for it. There are so many people that are affected by this and having to pay up to $10,000 out of pocket for a repair that Ford should be covering!.

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.

My 2017 Ford Escape titanium with the 2. 0l ecoboost engine is experiencing unexplained coolant loss. After topping off the reservoir, coolant disappears within days, yet there are no visible external leaks. The oil appears milky and frothy, suggesting coolant intrusion into the oil system. This points to a possible internal leak such as a head gasket failure or block defect. This issue poses a safety risk due to potential engine overheating, misfires, and sudden engine failure while driving. Symptoms began in early November 2025 and have worsened over time. The problem has not yet been confirmed by a dealer or independent shop, but it matches known issues documented in Ford’s technical service bulletin 19-2208. No warning lights appeared prior to the issue. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer or other parties. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this issue and urge Ford to issue a recall or extended coverage for affected vehicles.

Coolant intrusion into cylinders at 81,000 miles has damaged engine and transmission pump, requiring replacement of both. Appears this is a known issue with both 2. 0l and 1. 5l engines.

Engine suffered coolant intrusion known design defect on Ford Escape 1. 5 l engines. Needs engine replacement.

Passed a truck and when I looked in the mirror I noticed blue smoke. As I was returning home noticed a lack of power and then check engine light came on. Was missing out on cylinder #2, so replaced plugs. Ran ok for a bit but started missing again and check engine light came back on. Called the Ford dealership and had it towed to them. Was told it needed a new engine because coolant had entered the cylinders. This happed on 10/28/25. Took to dealer on 11/13/25. This car has only 27000 miles on it, Ford knows they have a design flaw with this motor.

I began receiving a notification labeled "engine fault, service now" a few weeks prior to the incident. I took my car to a mechanic and everything checked out fine, so the code was cleared and did not return. A few weeks later, I was changing my oil and noticed my engine coolant appeared extremely low. I also noticed a wet spot under my car under the coolant chamber side. I refilled the coolant, drove 5 minutes home, and then noticed it was once again empty. I then had my engine light come on. I took my car to Ford that night. The next day they called and informed me I had an internal coolant leak that had seized my spark plugs and destroyed my engine. This is a known issue, extremely common, and yet they refuse to do a recall on it and could provide me no help. I was quoted $16,000 for the repair (far more than the car is worth) and essentially just ended up having to buy a new car. The Ford will have to be scrapped for a few hundred dollars despite only being 8 years old with only 98,000 miles on it. I have records of my ownership and a written diagnostic report from Ford. From Ford: "observed coolant intrusion into cylinder #2. Recommend replacement of the long block at this time. Coolant intrusion into long block at this time. Found the engine assembly has an internal coolant leak. " additionally, Ford has posted a service bulletin with recommended repair instructions for this known issue. The bulletin number is 9-2139 from 2019. There is also an active class action lawsuit against Ford being run by kershaw talley barlow for this issue.

I have a 2017 Ford Escape with an ecoboost engine. My car was running a little bit rough and the check engine light turned on. I made an appointment with an independent service location that I trust to diagnose the issue. After reading the computer code, which noted a cylinder misfire, they noticed that the coolant level was low, did some investigating and found a Ford-issue technical service bulleting from 2022 detailing the likelihood of a coolant leak into the engine. They scoped the cylinder and confirmed the presence of coolant in the cylinder and noted the only repair was a replacement of the entire long block. I then sent my car to a Ford dealership and asked them separately to diagnose the issue, and they returned with the same diagnosis and suggested repair. The safety of me (a lone parent), my 8yo son, and our dog are put at risk every time I have to drive the car since we don't know when the engine might give out completely. I've now been restricted to only driving very small distances until I can find the required $9k to replace the engine. I do not feel comfortable driving my car (which has been great until now), but cannot afford an indefinite rental car, nor a new car, and have no alternative but to drive it. This is a known issue (as evidenced by the technical service bulletin) and a few older models have actually been recalled, but for some reason, the remaining have not. Ford will not cover any cost of the repair because of the age of the car, even though it only has 52k miles on it (which is extremely low for its age). All known safety issues should be covered regardless of the age of the car. I understand there is an active class action lawsuit against Ford for this very failure, which speaks volumes as to how widespread this safety issue is.

I was informed by the Ford dealership that I needed new engine. I have spoke to 2 mechanics ( my local mechanic who has 2 Ford Escape with engine failures and the other mechanic from dch Ford who had 3 engine failures) I see there is no recall but with 5 Ford Escape engine failures that I am aware of via only 2 mechanics I would have to say they are more out there.

After having brought the car for service multiple times due to “cylinder misfires” & having been told to replace spark plugs, power packs & get a “tune up” the latest mechanic report states there is coolant leaking into the engine, and the engine needs to be replaced. There is a known technical service bulletin (19-2139) regarding this issue with Ford Escape 1. 5l models.

I bought this car on 05/30/25 and there is now a coolant infusion into the engine which has made the car undrivable. The repair at my local Ford delaership is $7500. 00. Ford has refused to assist in the repair or help in any way. I am now out of a vehicle due to this known issue Ford has.

Vehicle idled rough and then check engine light came on. Took to Ford dealer in stillwater, ok and they told me coolant was low, vehicle is leaking coolant into cylinder one and needs a new engine block for $9700. Asked about adding coolant and was told without the repair it would just go straight into the engine. Low coolant is at risk for overheating and engine shutdown.

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).

My 2017 Ford Escape with 55k miles (never missed a scheduled oil change since bought) was diagnosed with "coolant intrusion" . When the car broke down there were no prior indications that something was wrong, totally out of the blue. The dealership told me I would have to pay for a new engine because the warranty expired and gave me an estimate of $13,500. 00. This is an engine defect and is happening to Ford owners throughout the us and they are being told the same things. How does coolant intrusion happen and why? a design defect which should be recalled and repaired by the company and not the consumer who has done nothing wrong.

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.

Check engine light came on and car was idling rough. Took to auto repair shop and was quoted almost $12,000 to fix problem. Code p0316, p2601 and p0302. Misfire in cylinder 2 due to coolant leakage. My entire engine needs to be replaced. I will now need to purchase a new car. I just found out this has been a known issue for 2017 Ford Escapes. I was never notified. Would not have bought this car in 2018 if this informatiom had been available. Just found out there is a class action lawsuit.

My 2017 Ford Escape with has 37000 miles and I was told I need a new engine.

I just purchased a car with under 45,000 miles and was told by the dealership that it needs a new engine because it is leaking coolant into the engine. This is a known problem with these cars.

2017 Ford Escape eco boost 2. 0 bought used, immediately experienced what everyone else has according to the well documented design flaw in these engines, coolant leaked into cylinder 3. Eventually destroyed turbo, ( major safety concern ) potential fire could have occurred, ultimately this caused me to replaced engine at 126k miles which was my best option. Now I need to replace torque converter/ transmission. Common issue with torque converter occurred at 130k miles, locked up, could only drive by going from neutral to drive while applying gas. Just failed on me and now I'm discovering that the coolant is leaking into the engine I just replaced which was from a 2018 Ford Escape eco boost. I still owe 8k, exhausted finances, total loss on what to do faced with replacing both the transmission and engine. Haggerty Ford in west chicago knowingly sold this piece of junk to me.

My check engine light came on. So I decided to get a code reading from auto zone. Once code scan I received error code p0303. I then decided to replace all coils and spark plugs, then the check engine light goes out for a couple of days. I decided to take to a local shop they tell me a hose was loose and if the check engine light comes back bring it back…. I thought to myself that's why I came the first time, I then decided to take to Ford. They do the diagnostic and say I have to replace engine because of coolant intrusion. I would need a long block and would cost around 8000 to fix. The reason I am sending this is because I believe that Ford should be held accountable for this known flaw in the design of the ecoboost engine. Many people are or has been going through this problem. A recall is the best way for Ford to handle and take accountability.

Coolant infusion into engine , powertrain light issue turns on but & it stated to replace spark plugs/ coil overs but coolant still dissapates from coolant resevior.

Engine coolant leaked into oil, car needs new engine. Research shows that this is a design flaw on Ford and needs to be remedied ASAP.

My 2017 Ford Escape has a manufacturer defect. The casting was bad on this particular motor causing coolant intrusion which has been confirmed by an authorized Ford mechanic. This is making my vehicle non drivable.

My check engine light came on. Ford dealer diagnostics reveal coolant has leaked into the cylinder and ruined the engine. Now the engine needs to be replaced altogether. There is no crack in the engine block that the dealer sees and there have been no previous issues with the head gasket or cylinder heads. My understanding is that this is a problem for which Ford has created some "programs" (23n03, 22-2174, 20-2271 are the ones I found). Ford does not appear to have widened this program to include my car yet. The car has 71,100 miles, which is the same timeframe the recalled vehicles averaged their issue. I believe my car has a defect in the engine as well and this problem is a direct result of this defect.

Code for camshaft timing and cylinder 2 misfire. Scoped coils and performed relative compression test. Dead cylinder on number 2. Recommend manual compression test and cylinder leak down test to identify cause of low compression performed manual compression test and confirmed cylinder has 0 compression. Performed cylinder leak down test. Air coming from crankcase. This indicates an issue with rings, cylinder wall, or piston. Engine will need to be replaced. The coolant leaked into the cylinders, which lead to engine failure.

I have a 1. 5l ecoboost engine in my 2017 Ford Escape. Known now for it's design flaw allowing coolant to enter the engine and cause catastrophic damage. This has happened to my vehicle and it is not covered under any recall.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her son was driving approximately 65 mph, the check engine warning illuminated. The contact’s son reported that the vehicle was shaking and vibrating abnormally, and he pulled over and turned off the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that there was coolant intrusion in the engine block, causing a crack in cylinder #2. The contact was informed by the mechanic that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to a defect in the 1. 5l gtdi engines. The contact informed the manufacturer of the failure and was referred to the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 77,900.

I just purchased a 2017 Ford Escape with under 44,000 miles in August 2025 only to find out cylinder 3 has a coolant intrusion allowing coolant to enter on top of the piston. This can cause a fire!!!! I was told I need a new engine!!! Ford needs to pay for this because it's a known defect with these cars!!!.

My 2017 Ford Escape se has the original 2. 0 engine, 90857 miles, no accidents. A widely known Ford engine defect called “coolant intrusion”marked by engine error code p0301, causes the car to consume coolant and overheat without notice. Issue is documented in tsv-22-2229 replacing tsv 22-2133. Byers Ford dealer, in delaware ohio, pressure tested the cylinder and identified the internal coolant leak with engine bore scope. Dealer service quoted an engine replacement over $9,100 as the only repair option. Ford motor is unwilling to provide any financial assistance for this widely known defect because it’s outside of their eligibility window. I am requesting this vehicle and year be placed on a recall.

Ford dealer found coolant intrusion into cylinder 4 with 2. 0l ecoboost engine at 82,000 miles for 2017 Ford Escape. This is a well known issue that had recall issued in 2022. Ford offered no resolution or support for repair estimated at $8,000 to a well know engine flaw.