Engine And Engine Cooling Problems of Ford Escape - part 1

I press on the gas pedal and the car won't move. I will be at a stop sign and I'll remove my foot from the break, step on the gas and the car stalls it won't really go. I almost have to floor it to get it to move. Has happened multiple times.

See all problems of the 2022 Ford Escape 🔎.

My car overheated repeatedly and it was diagnosed by liberty Ford aurora ohio to be caused by coolant intrusion. I was quoted a price of more than $11,000. 00 to replace the engine.

See all problems of the 2016 Ford Escape 🔎.

Coolant reservoir keeps losing coolant. Took it to a mechanic who said it has a blown head gasket. Ford knows about this issue for this exact vehicle and has known since at least 2020, but hasn't issued any recalls. There are at least two service bulletins about this car.

See all problems of the 2017 Ford Escape 🔎.

Recall 25s76 manufacturer recall id 25v467 NHTSA recall id has been pending with an unavailable remedy for almost a year. I find this an unreasonable amount of time for this type of recall as this is a big safety issue.

I received a check engine light, code p0303, misfire cylinder 3. There is evidence my engine was overheating as the spark plug associated with cylinder 3 was melted and unable to be removed. I took my vehicle to Ford to diagnose the issue and was advised there was coolant intrusion into my engine. Upon researching the issue there is a trove of information relating to my vehicle and other Ford vehicles with 1. 5l ecoboost engine. My vehicle is a 2019 Ford Escape VIN [xxx]. My vehicle fits all the specifications of Ford customer satisfaction program 21n12, which acknowledges coolant leaking into the engine and what symptoms a vehicle exbits when coolant leaked is present. From my understanding there is a risk of engine fire related to this issue. I can no longer safely drive the vehicle. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2019 Ford Escape 🔎.

2018 Ford Escape se 1. 5l 4 cylinder ecoboost engine. I was driving on a major 2 lane state road going 65 miles an hour when the warning light came on that the engine was overheating and pull over immediately. There was no prior warning. As soon as I stopped I looked at the temperature indicator and it returned to a normal level. I tried to drive again and got the same urgent message to stop. There was very little grass on the side of the road where I had to pull off and cars and trucks were passing us going 60-70 miles per hour. I had to call a tow truck to get the vehicle towed to the local Ford dealership. 3 hours sitting on the side of the road and did not get picked up for 3 hours in the dark. Ford ran a diagnostic test the next day and informed me in writing that the engine needed to be replaced due to coolant leakage into the engine block. I would also need the cabin coolant heater pump and the sparkplugs replaced. The total would be over $8,200. I had the vehicle in for service three months ago due to a check engine light and did the requested repair. The informed me now that it was for a different issue. Ford is not taking any responsibility for this known problem. I was the original owner and was never informed of the issue.

See all problems of the 2018 Ford Escape 🔎.

On xxx I was driving my 2021 Ford Escape for 10 minutes before I stopped at sheetz gas station on [xxx]. I ran into the building to withdraw cash from the atm leaving my fiance and dog in the car while it sat idle. Upon exiting the building about 30 seconds to a minute later, I witnessed smoke coming up from the hood of my car. My fiance and dog quickly evacuated the car as we saw flames emerging. I ran inside to get assistance from the workers and they brought out fire extinguishers. The attempt to extinguish the flames was unsuccessful and the front of the car quickly went up. Police and fire department were called and they showed up about 10 minutes later to handle the situation. Reports from the officer, fire department and the sheetz assistant were taken. I do not have access to those. My car insurance is covering the cost of the vehicle and a 7 day car rental. They are not covering the loss of both mine and my fiance's cell phones. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2021 Ford Escape 🔎.

Engine fault warning flashed upon start for a few weeks, then check engine light came on and did not shut off. Took to shop and they said that it was leaking coolant and coolant intrusion was occurring requiring a new engine.

Engine running rough on start; found coolant intrusion in cylinder 3; necessary to replace long block assembly.

Coolant intrusion due to a design flaw leading to coolant entering the combustion chamber causing spark plugs to prematurely fail and in extreme cases cause the engine to hydrolock and bend piston rods. Symptoms are a rough idle, mil illumination and dtc for misfires p0300-p0304, coolant loss and overheating.

Driving on highway when we approached a traffic jam. Car started mis-firing (jerking) especially at low speed. Got off roadway as soon as it was safe to do so. Went to o'reilly auto parts to get a diagnosis. Stated issue with coil in 2 so replaced and still having issue. Replaced 2 spark plug but did not fix the problem. Following day replaced all coils and spark plugs and still did not fix the problem. Brought it to the nearest Ford dealer and was told there was coolant intrusion to the engine and it would have to be replaced. Two days later after engine arrived discovered transmission fluid leak into the main engine harness, another $1,600. Total cost is going to be $12,755. 00. Car only has 50,000 miles on it and always did maintenance on time.

My Ford Escape recently has been experiencing what I believe to be a coolant issue. There was a stained spot on the driveway a couple of times in may 2026 and technicians had said my coolant fluid was on the low side so they topped it up while I was getting the car serviced for an oil change. The car was seemingly running fine though until we started the car on 6/4/26 and waiting for the ac to kick in before driving when we realized the air wasn't getting cold after a couple minutes, which was abnormal and something we hadn't experienced before. Shortly after inspecting our ac settings to make sure they were set correctly, the dashboard issued an overheating warning. We immediately turned the car off and let it cool down for a while before turning the ignition on again. After restarting the car and letting it idle in the parking lot, everything appeared to be working as normal again. Luckily we were able to safely drive the car back home and will have to get it looked at. In the mean time, I have read that many 2016 Ford Escape owners have experienced serious coolant intrusion failures, which align with our recent experience, and pose a dangerous driving hazard. We will have to get an inspection to know for sure, but I'm fearful that this is a larger issue among these Ford models and we will both have to rely on our other car until we know if the car is safe to drive or not. The Ford Escape only has a little over 87,000 miles on it currently and a serious coolant issue could require a very expensive engine repair and be a large financial burden to justify and comprise the value of our vehicle. The high number of reports and complaints of so many others experiencing similar mechanical failures is very concerning and I believe my car is in the early stages of showing the same problem. A widespread issue like this should have a recall issued or compensation returned to vehicle owners for repair costs and damages associated with any manufacturing faults of Ford.

Coolant for car engine was discovered by Ford service technician in cylinder causing the spark plug to misfire and break. The engine miss fires and idles very rough. The check engine light keeps coming on flashing, which is another tell tale sigh, according to service advisor, that there is a problem. The car is available for inspection at any time. Driving becomes dangerous if the engine quits or causing the rough engine to not continue to run. Olathe Ford wants $10,000. 00 for a new engine.

I have the 2. 0 l eco-boost engine that has the coolant leak. It’s Ford service bulletin TSB 19-2346.

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.

See all problems of the 2014 Ford Escape 🔎.

I purchased this vehicle used in 2024, and since I bought it have had a variety of issues. I have already invested over 5k in repairs. I have replaced the head gasket and now the water pump twice. This vehicle will not stop overheating. Ford has a known issue with these engines and should correct these issues. They are making working families go broke and we still owed 8k on the car loan.

Coolant intrusion into the engine, coolant flowing into the cylinders. Resulting in major dangerous stuttering, jerking, and dangerous loss of power in middle of freeway with fast moving traffic around vehicle. Ford known issue!.

Engine overheat, white smoke from exhaust, and coolant leaking. Empty coolant reservoir.

When checking the oil, realized that there was no antifreeze in the reservoir. I went ahead and filled it to the max line, as the antifreeze didn't even come up to the minimum line of the reservoir tank. My gut was telling me that I need to every so often check the antifreeze, there was no apparent leak, there was nothing on my garage floor to indicate that there was a leak. Every time I checked the antifreeze, it was below the minimum line. I had also been noticing that my car was shifting hard. The rpms were randomly jumping higher than normal when I was maintaining a normal speed. When I go to start my car, the whole car shakes as though the engine is misfiring. When I took the car in to a mechanic, they looked it over and I was told that I needed to replace the long engine block due to a coolant intrusion into the cylinder. The car will sometimes show the check engine light and sometimes it just goes off. I had the check engine light come up before and was told after having it hooked up at auto zone that I just needed a tune up.

The Ford 2. 0l ecoboost engine has known issue of coolant in cylinders which causes misfires. Ford has yet to issue a recall on this engine. They have redesigned the engine to solve the known problem. Why have they not issued a recall and why our customers being stuck with the repair costs. The vehicle will suddenly start loosing power which could cause a rear end accident. The Ford service center has confirmed this is the issue. The code that was displayed on obdii was #07e8- cylinder 2 misfire.

Manufacturing defect causing coolant intrusion and misfire/rough idle. This is also after rebuilding transmission less than a year prior due to failure.

On Sunday may the 31st, I was driving home from the store, when I smell gas, but was unaware that it was coming from my vehicle, since I was driving behind another vehicle and passed a gas station. I heard a noise and then saw smoke and fire coming from my vehicle in the engine area. I pulled over and exit the vehicle and called 911. The fire destroyed the whole front of the vehicle, including the engine, wheels, windshield, etc. The emergency officials came. After the incident, I contacted my insurance company. Someone then notified me of a recall on my vehicle, that can cause fire (25v467000). I called the Ford motor company. They told me initially to go through my insurance provider, and the insurance provider will deal with them directly. After speaking with my insurance provider again, they told me that, since I only have liability insurance, my vehicle is not covered, and they will not contact Ford. So, I called Ford again, they told me that someone will contact me within 14 days. No one contacted me, so I contacted them today. They told me today that someone will contact me within 15 working days of my reporting the incident. This will be three weeks since the incident and I am greatly inconvenienced (lack of transportation) by this. Now I am forced to wait another week, not knowing if anyone will call, and if I call again, if I would have to wait again. Any assistance would be appreciated. What steps should I take? thank you.

See all problems of the 2020 Ford Escape 🔎.

On Saturday may 30th my vehicle did a safety shut down and told me to pull over, it appeared to be overheating. Checked my coolant and my reserve tank was empty. I took it to my Ford dealer, their diagnosis was that my engine block was defective/porice and leaking coolant. They stated this is a known issue with Ford. There is a Ford recall 26s01 dated 1/15/26 for this exact issue that my vehicle has not been included in. I strongly feel I need to be compensated for this as it is the exact issue I am experiencing.

This 2017 Ford Escape titanium with ecoboost engine suffers from coolant intrusion into the engine. The known design flaw allows coolant into the hot engine which causes cracked heads and eventually a cracked engine case. It also blows oil into the turbo and intake system that leads to engine fires. Our current recommendation from mechanics is to replace the engine, the turbocharger assembly and the valve cover with decontamination of the intake system. This is a known engine design flaw and Ford does not recall or fix so we are out the entire value of the car. Our car currently has ~60k miles on it. So is rendered inoperative at very low mileage and has a high risk of engine fire.

Engine began having coolant intrude into the cylinder bores. Similar to issues related to csp 21n12.

Coolant intrusion a known flaw in the design of the 1. 5 ecoboost yet no help from Ford at all. When a failure is designed into a product and sold to customers this is not ok and should be made right by Ford.

This updates a prior complaint (NHTSA tracking xxx). The 2019 Escape 1. 5l ecoboost has the known coolant-intrusion engine defect (white exhaust smoke, overheating, misfires; codes p0300/p0301-p0304). Ford replaced the engine short block under program 21n12 on 3/6/2024 at 62,201 miles. The defect has recurred and the engine has now completely failed a second time. The dealer (tuttle-click Ford) confirmed excessive exhaust smoke and a loud rod knock; the vehicle is undrivable and likely needs another engine. While driving on the highway the engine began shutting down. The vehicle was shaking and making loud knocking noises, and we had to exit immediately at the next off-ramp; my children (ages [xxx] and [xxx]) were in the car. The vehicle is unsafe. Ford denied repurchase twice (cases xxx and xxx). I am reporting this safety defect for the record. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

2019 Ford Escape with a documented history of powertrain failures. White smoke on cold start and engine stalling began around 48,000 miles; the dealer noted this engine is known for coolant intrusion. At about 62,000 miles the engine short block was replaced under Ford field service action 21n12 / TSB 22-2322. Smoke, shaking, and stalling continued, and the engine intermittently cuts out when shifting into reverse and must be restarted. At about 87,000 miles the transmission failed and the full transmission assembly was replaced (work order Jan 2026, vehicle returned end of March 2026). The owner repeatedly told the Ford dealer the vehicle felt unsafe. On [xxx] the owner reported renewed exhaust smoke, an illuminated engine light, and a clicking sound at startup and asked to bring it in; instead of inspecting it, the dealer advised taking the vehicle straight to carmax. About 9 days later, on [xxx], while driving in los angeles about 60 miles from home with young children aboard, the transmission would not stay in gear and the engine warning lights began blinking. The owner called the Ford dealership for guidance but no one could advise and the service desk would not answer. After consulting a mechanic, the family agreed it was unsafe to keep driving given the noises and pulled over in anaheim, about 30 miles from home, at a mechanic shop to read the codes. A paid tow (~$600) was required. Loss of gear engagement and stalling in traffic with children aboard is a serious crash and stranding hazard. The scan returned codes p0012 and p0014 (camshaft timing, stored as permanent), p0300 (random/multiple misfire), and p0301, p0302, p0304 (cylinder misfires); the dash showed "auto start/stop not ready - stall alert - restart engine. " the defect has been reproduced and confirmed repeatedly by the Ford dealer, which performed the engine and transmission replacements. A repurchase request was denied. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Componet system that failed: engine and engine cooling complaint description:the vehicle experienced a sudden internal engine failure due to a manufacturer design defect causing coolant intrusion into the engine cylinders. A professional mechanic diagnosed the issue with diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p0303, confirming a cylinder 3 misfire caused by coolant leaking into the block. The vehicle requires a total engine replacement at just 48,406 miles. This internal coolant leak poses a severe safety hazard, including sudden engine stalling, loss of motive power while driving, and potential thermal runaway/engine fire risks. The vehicle is currently rendered unsafe to drive and is parked at my residence.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while the contact's granddaughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine and the engine overheating warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion and a failed engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 122,000.

My problem was with the cooling system. My car has run great. Absolutely love my car on the way home 2 weeks ago. The coolant hose busted. I towed it to the mechanic shop and he informed me that it wasn't just a busted hose that somehow my coolant is leaking into my motor somewhere. It has not been fixed yet but as doing research is where I seen that most Ford Escapes apparently has a coolant problem and I'm very disappointed that this was not handled and now I'm out of vehicle. If I cannot figure out a way to afford to get it fixed there was no warning signs. I've never missed a oil change. I had the spark plugs change and now I'm just out of vehicle. If I cannot get this fixed and to read that y'all knew about this problem is very disheartening.

In 2025 I bought this vehicle used at a dealership with 84,000 miles on it. A year later, it’s at 118,000 miles and needs a new engine. Due to coolant leaking into my cylinders and into my engine and mixing with oil and water in my oil pan. The issue it is having is directly caused my Ford and the way it has designed this engine. Coolant has leaked into my cylinders causing a check engine light coming on labeled cylinder 3 misfire. I called Ford about this to see if they would help, but they told me because my car is over 84,000 miles, they cannot cover the cost of repairs. I am still paying on my car loan, and in addition now, I have to pay even more to buy an engine for 5,000 dollars. This is not okay. Other have this issue as well. It is well documented online. Ford should recall this issue.

Check engine light came on. Had it checked at the dealer and they confirmed coolant intrusion on the engine and that it needs an engine replacement. There was a technical service bulletin issue on this exact issue but Ford is refusing to help with any assistance. They estimated $12,000 to fix it.

Check engine light came on and took to shop and determined that coolant intrusion in cylinder #2 this was a recall on other 2018 Ford Escape but not this VIN number.

My vehicle is suffering from a severe coolant intrusion to cylinders 2 and 3 and I’m constantly getting bad misfire codes while driving.