Engine cylinder head. Coolant is leaking into the engine cylinder(s) (coolant intrusion). Vehicle is available for inspection upon request. I was driving to DCA and while on [XXX] on the highway my engine totally overheated requiring I drift into an isolated parking area near east potomac park. I checked and the coolant had totally run dry. Upon ubering to get more coolant and waiting for the engine to cool down, I topped it off and took it to the mechanic. They informed me on a KNOWN Ford 2015 Escape SE Ecoboost issue where the Ecoboost allows coolant intrusion. This is similar to: Safety Recall 17S09 on the 2014 model but instead of oil leakage, it is coolant related. I received a single warning of engine overheating and within 5 seconds the temperature gauge shot up to max and multiple alerts began. I had under 30 seconds to cross multiple lanes and get to a parking spot before catastrophic failure. Since then, I have been able to continue driving by keeping coolant levels extremely high, but it is a significant cost to repair (full engine replacement required) due to the design of the Ecoboost. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
2015 Ford Escape: engine overheating
80 of the 1,143 complaints about the 2015 Ford Escape describe engine overheating.
- owner complaints
- 80
- of this car's complaints
- 7%
- typical repair cost reported
- $8,854
- typical mileage
- 93,000
- recalls
- 0
Engine overheating by model year
What owners say
I am hoping you can help me. I have a 2015 Ford Escape. It has 107,000 miles on it. I do the regular maintenance items as needed. Last Friday I was driving my car and my temperature gauge went to Hot and my Check Engine Light came on. It said to pull over and stop engine. I pulled over and let it cool down. I drove it home. My neighbor looked at it and said, that it needed coolant. There was not any coolant in the reservoir. He added 1 gallon of coolant to my reservoir. The next morning he added another gallon of coolant to my reservoir. I took my car to a garage to have it looked at. I was told, the coolant is leaking into my engine. And not to drive my car. Because it could stop at any minute and the engine would be done. Online I found a Ford Recall for 2013 to 2019 Ford Escape, Recall # 26S01. Coolant that leaks into the cylinder causing engine failure. And potential fire risk. The engine block heater may crack and develop coolant leak. Dealers will replace block heater free of charge. I called my dealership where I purchased the car. They are not a Ford dealership and advised I call a Ford dealership. I called a Ford dealership and gave them my VIN number. Was told my VIN number was not included in the recall. I was advised to call Ford. I called [XXX]. I was told my car VIN was not included in the recall. The VIN number determines which factory it was built and came from. I advised my year and diagnosis is what the recall is for. There was not anyone else to talk to. I asked this information to be sent to someone else. She advised, she will send it to Safety Office to review the recall. I was advised, I will probably not hear from anyone because there are so many recalls right now. I called Ford Customer Service [XXX] and was told the exact same thing, like a script was being told to me. I am Very Disappointed on how Ford is not handling my situation. I can't drive my car and forced to purchase a new car. This is my only vehicle. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed with the transmission shifting from second to third gear, the vehicle was jerking, and the vehicle became inoperable. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that the coolant level was low. The vehicle became inoperable when the engine temperature became overheated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, and the vehicle was diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine was overheating. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with a coolant leak in the engine. The independent mechanic stated that there was coolant leaking into the #3 cylinder, causing the engine to overheat. The contact associated the failure with the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 26V011000 (Equipment); however, the VIN was not included. The dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 107,000.
The battery keeps dying even though it's been tested and is good. Lights keep shorting out I've had to replace the brake light and wires twice. The coolant is disappearing causing the vehicle to overheat even after driving ahort diatances but no puddle is left to show a cracked tank or something similar.
MIL activated, reported misfire in cylinder 2. Attempted to replace spark plugs but they had seized. Took to dealership: was told coolant leaked into cylinder and entire engine needed to be replaced. Technician said this was common with Ecoboost engines for this model year, but not enough to merit a recall. Cost to replace engine more than the vehicle is worth
- The car loses coolant while the engine is running. This coolant loss is nearly imperceptible, except that the car's heat stopped working reliably. If the car is left idling with the heat on, it does not become warm. It only begins to become warm at higher speeds, then loses heat after slowing down.There are no easily visible coolant leaks. - If I had not caught it in time, the car could have overheated, causing a breakdown and emergency stop. - I have reproduced the problem, but it has not been brought to a dealer. - It has not yet been inspected. -There were no warning lights, I only noticed the coolant loss because I observed the radiator not working and checked under the hood. - The car is still available to be inspected, and is safe to drive short distances if the coolant is topped off.
Cabin lost heat November 2025. Brought it in to the local Ford dealership right away and they said replacing replacing the oil cooler hose will probably fix it. Car worked fine for a couple of weeks but the cabin heat tapered off again. Made another appointment with the Ford dealership, but the first available appointment wasn’t until 2/23/26. I tried to drive anywhere as little as possible after this because I live in Fairbanks, AK and it’s commonly -30 this time of the year. Tried to leave work on [XXX] and a warning came up as I started driving away that the engine was overheating and power was reduced to minimize damage. I put my car back in my work parking spot and plugged it in until I could get an appointment at a local mechanic shop. Had the car towed to a local shop 1/6/26 and they inspected it 1/7/26. The report came back saying there was an internal coolant leak and found hydrocarbons in the cooling system. The recommended fix was to replace the entire engine with a quote for $12,000. That is more than I paid for the vehicle and way over the Kelly Blue Book worth. I did some research and found that there is a common coolant leak issue damaging engines of a certain range of Ford vehicles that has not become an official recall yet. I looked at other Ford Escape owner complaints and it looks like my 2015 Escape 1.6L has the same engine defect. I’m afraid if I pay for the engine replacement, this will just happen again. If I don’t pay, I still owe for my lease and will only get pennies to sell it as is for parts. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Unknown coolant leak. Coolant is being lost somewhere in the engine no visible leaks. Added coolant several times.
Engine began giving white smoke from exhaust at start up. 2 Mechanics have checked it and said it’s a well Known coolant intrusion issue with these ford eco boost engines. High risk of overheating and engine failure (while driving, which is a major safety risk for my family).
Coolant leak has been checked by mechanic to not be due to problems with any hoses or connections within the coolant system. Inspection is available upon request. The issue has caused the coolant level to drop below the minimum coolant level 4 times within 3 months with no warning or visible leaking occurring. This has been a regular occurrence with this vehicle for several months now.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45-50 MPH, the engine was overheating. Upon inspection, the contact noticed that the coolant level was significantly low. The contact added coolant to the coolant reservoir. Additionally, the contact noticed that coolant was leaking onto the ground. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where a coolant line was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the failure had caused collateral damage to the vehicle. The contact stated that the transmission, the serpentine belt, and the pulley were replaced. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
Service bulletins that may apply
- For 2015-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with turbocharged engines and customer concern of an...
- Some 2015-2021 Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes...
- Some 2009-2020 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with turbochargers may exhibit an oil leak from the...
- Some 2013-2016 Escape vehicles equipped with a 1.6L EcoBoost engine may exhibit a lack of cooling caused...
- Some 2015-2018 Edge and 2015-2019 Fusion/MKZ/Escape/MKC vehicles equipped with a 2.0L EcoBoost engine may...
- Ssm 47948 - 2010-2019
- For 2010-2019 vehicles equipped with turbocharged engines, when diagnosing and/or replacing turbo related...
- Some 2013-2018 Escape vehicles equipped with 1.5L/1.6L/2.0L EcoBoost, 2013-2018 Fusion vehicles equipped...
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 2015 Ford Escape overheating
Is engine overheating a common problem on the 2015 Ford Escape?
80 of 1,143 owner complaints about the 2015 Ford Escape (7%) mention engine overheating. The model year with the most reports is 2017.
How much does it cost to fix engine overheating on the 2015 Ford Escape?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $8,854 (median of 8 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2015 Ford Escape?
There are 0 recalls and 23 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2015 Ford Escape
Backup camera 136Check engine light 97Transmission failure 83Stalling 81Engine failure 46Screen failure 39Fire or smoke 34Jerking 33Hesitation 31Loss of power 30Power steering loss 28Misfire 22Door locks 21Won't shift 18Won't start 17Slipping 16Shudder 15Seat belt 11No deployment 10Grinding brakes 10Harsh shifting 10Headlights 10ABS 9Key fob 9Fuel smell 7Steering lock-up 7Wipers 7Whining noise 6Brake failure 5Knocking 5Fuel pump 5Sunroof shattered 5
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