2016 Ford Escape: misfire or rough idle

Filed Nov 1, 2026 · Engine, Fuel system · IL

We've been having check engine light on "Cylinder 2 misfire". We had the spark plugs replaced and the ignition coil replaced, which fixed it for about a month, but it returned. We had further diagnostics done with video into cylinder 2 and found that we have engine coolant leaking into the cylinder. Apparently, this is a known, unrecalled issue from Ford on this engine with the coolant intrusion. Only fix is to replace the motor. Car has about 120,000 miles on it, but well taken care of. Works great otherwise, but with this issue, the engine could lock up or catch on fire on the road.

Filed Oct 28, 2026 · Engine · IA

Was sold a 2016 ford escape that apparently has a known coolant leak issue that is caused by a bad engine block. When I bought the car in 2021 I had to wait two weeks to get the car so they could fix a cylinder misfire issue. Had several issues with it overheating and was told that it just needed coolant added. In 2026 was told that the head gaskets was blown and to repair would cost $9000 at the same ford dealership where I bought it. I had another Authorized NAPA Garage replace the head gaskets for $5000 and with in a week had misfire on cylinder #4 again while on the freeway doing 55 MPH which caused the car to stall on the freeway in traffic! Started investigating the issues to find out that it is a well documented issue with 2016 fords having a bad engine and the only fix is replacement of the engine!

Filed May 1, 2026 · Engine, Fuel system · WI

I am the 2nd owner of my 2016 Ford Escape 1.6L ecoboost, my aunt and uncle were the original owners. Between us we have every maintenance record of every on time and professionally performed requirement the Escape has needed and it ran beautifully. Then, in February 2026 the idle started to get a bit rough and I was preparing to put in the OEM sparkplugs when 3/28/26 the engine overheated, I was stranded on the side of a 45 mph street waiting for it to cool so I could move to safety. Between that incident and 4/29/26 I went thru 9 gallons of coolant, replaced the sparkplugs, put the front end up and "burp' the system as there was constantly air bubbles being introduced from a source I could not find. I had the hoses and clamps inspected, replaced the coolant reservoir and the reservoir cap, the vehicle started to shutter upon starting even after it was warmed up and every day needed to be burped and topped off before and after driving in town but often had no coolant loss during freeway driving, finally 4/28/26 I noticed smoke from the exhaust when I started the car in the morning and that smoke was accompanied by a foul, burnt, electric smell. While burping the air and topping the coolant that morning, the engine sputtered and died 2 separate times. I decided that it was time for a cooling system diagnostics as I still could still see no evidence of an external leak. The Ford technician recorded this tech story. "The vehicle ran rough and smoked for a couple seconds after starting.the vehicle ran its self test and had p0316, b0303, p1299, and p0217. These dtcs relate to cylinder misfire on startup and cylinder misfire and cylinder 3 and over temp/protection being active. ... I suspected a possible coolant intrusion concern into cylinder 3, performed a pressure test on the cooling system and observed a drop in the pressure. I remove the spark plug and found coolant on the cylinder walls and the top of the piston in cylinder 3." Advise to replace long block assembly.

Filed Jan 22, 2026 · Electrical, Engine · PA

I have a 2016 Ford Escape SE with the Ecoboost engine. I have been experiencing the same issue with misfires in port 4 which also shows an open circuit every time as well for over the past year. The dealership has replaced everything underneath including but not limited to my spark plugs, wires, coils, and even my entire wiring harness. The issue is still happening and they do not know what is causing it. I think my vehicle may fall under the complaint failure FORD currently has on their 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5 Ecoboost engines. It has been to the dealership for the same repairs over 8 different times. When is enough actually enough. I have lost power several times in traffic and it's like slamming on my brakes. This is how bad the misfire is. My check engine light has been flashing due to this issue as well as being on solid. Please help or advise.

Filed Dec 31, 2025 · Engine · PA

My car set a code , and the engine misfired. I took all the necessary steps, but the code reappeared. I have Car Shield, and they are saying its cracked block but refuse to replace the head gasket. My mechanic believes it's the head gasket, so a cracked block seems common in these cars, as does a bad head gasket. What should I do, and whom should I contact to fight Car Shield and Ford?

Filed Dec 5, 2025 · Engine · MN

Escape has developed water intrusion in cylinder #2 of the 2.0 ECOBOOST engine, with under 80,000 miles. continued driving of the car could cause overheating due to low coolant and potential motor seizing. check engine light has come on, with cylinder misfire but no low coolant warnings. Potential engine seizing will be a safety concern if the vehicle is in motion, causing loss of control and damage to passengers and other motorists. I have footage of the cylinder leak via inspection camera if needed.

Filed Nov 21, 2025 · Engine · OR

Water leaking into cylinder number 3, causing misfires and loss of coolant/ overheating

Filed Jul 13, 2025 · Fuel system · AZ

While driving my vehicle my vehicle would suddenly stall while in motion. This stalling happens while driving and has stalled in the middle of intersections causing passing vehicles to slam there breaks to avoid hitting me. In addition my vehicle has stalled and almost causing rear end collisions. There would be no warning signs or no lamps that turn on when it first stalls. After the initial stalling of the vehicle it would rough idle, tug and continue to stall. Until I get to a destination. A check engine lamp may turn on once in awhile but not always. If the mechanic shop is closed and I try to take my car the next day the lamp would be off and it would not stall anymore until I use it further. I have taken my car to a Napa when the engine lamp turned on and pulled a code for fuel pump. Although when I get it to my mechanic the light has turned off and they cant get a code from it. This has been happening for approximately a year now. It also seems to happen when fuel gets to quarter tank or less. This happens multiple times approximately 1-2 times everyb2 weeks.

Filed Apr 10, 2025 · Engine · VA

Engine 1.6l needs replaced with less than 100k miles because of coolant leaking into cylinder causing misfire, only fix is a new engine for 8k! Serviced every 3000k miles by the local ford dealer

Filed Mar 21, 2025 · Engine · FL

Our 2016 Ford Escape had a check engine light come on and populated a code for a #4 cylinder misfire. I took it to the mechanics shop and he found that there was coolant intrusion into the cylinder and the engine would need to be replaced. He had knowledge of finding this issue in the past. The car only has 58000 miles on it and has had all of its regular maintenance. It seems Ford is aware of these issues yet doesn't do anything about it. absolutely terrible to not stand behind the equipment that they charge a premium for. This puts families at risk when these things die with such low mileage stranded them on highways or God knows where.

Filed Mar 3, 2025 · Engine · 87,000 miles · PA

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds uphill, the vehicle was shuddering, hesitating, with an engine misfire. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that there was a coolant leak into the engine, causing a misfire. The mechanic referred the contact to the local dealer for assistance. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine block was cracked. The dealer recommended an engine replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed there was no recall on the VIN for the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.

Filed Jan 21, 2025 · Engine · 79,780 miles · MI

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH the check engine light began flashing, and the vehicle began misfiring. When the contact reached their destination the check engine light turned from flashing to solid. The vehicle was taken to the dealer diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion due to coolant leaking in cylinders 1,2,3 and 4. The dealer stated the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 79,780.