2017 Ford Escape: engine failure

Filed Nov 4, 2026 · Engine · 62,037 miles · WA

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced catastrophic engine failure. While driving, the vehicle started sputtering and running rough before emitting smoke and excessive steam. The contact noticed a sweet odor coming from the exhaust before the failure. The steam became severe enough to obstruct the view of the driver. The contact discovered that coolant was leaking into the cylinders, causing the engine to hydro lock. The coolant contaminated the engine oil, and the engine oil became milky. The vehicle failed to start, and the engine seized. The contact notified Ford Motor Company of the failure and sent a complaint by certified mail. The manufacturer provided a case number and confirmed receipt of the correspondence but declined to provide any additional assistance. The contact visited the local Ford dealer and was informed that no assistance would be provided. The failure mileage was approximately 62,037.

Filed Oct 27, 2026 · Engine · NY

1. The EcoBoost engine block suffered a severe structural failure caused by a factory manufacturing defect known as internal cylinder block coolant intrusion (as documented in Ford TSB 19-2208). Antifreeze leaks directly past the cylinder wall block grooves into the combustion chambers. This vehicle is currently parked and is fully available for physical inspection upon request at the location provided. 2. The engine suffered a sudden, severe mechanical malfunction while driving, causing an immediate drop in cylinder compression, engine misfires, and a dangerous loss of control and motive power. Driving a vehicle prone to sudden stall or failure creates an extreme hazard on public roads, dramatically increasing the risk of a high-speed rear-end collision or stranding the driver in live traffic without propulsion. 3. Yes. The vehicle’s loss of coolant, engine misfire codes, and cylinder block leak characteristics were physically inspected and confirmed by a private, independent auto mechanic. 4. The vehicle has not been inspected by the police or insurance as no crash has occurred yet. Ford Motor Company's customer service and Tier 2 Automotive Consumer Operations (ACO) divisions have been formally notified of the defect, and corporate Case File #CXH-0934-5907 was opened. However, a physical dealership inspection has not been completed due to the manufacturer's refusal to waive upfront diagnostic fees for an out-of-warranty vehicle. 5. Prior to total engine failure, the vehicle displayed an aggressive engine overheat warning indicator on the dashboard. The reservoir was found entirely stripped of coolant, with no visible external fluid leaks underneath the vehicle. These active symptoms and high engine temperature alerts first appeared suddenly on the dashboard on the day of the breakdown.

Filed Oct 21, 2026 · Engine · DE

When driving home my usual 5 miles from work, the car gave me a signal that it overheated and I should pull over immediately. This happened one other time during the week. The check engine light came on a few days later. When I brought it into The Ford dealership, they reported that the head gasket had blown, the engine had cracked, and it was leaking coolant into other areas of the car. It also affected several coils. They said it was unsafe to drive and quoted me $10,000 for a new engine and replacement. The car has only 90,000 miles on it, and I bought it used from a reputable dealer only 10 months ago. I have put <5,000 miles on it and kept it in good shape during this time. I was told this is a common issue for this car.

Filed Oct 17, 2026 · Engine · PA

The "check engine light" came on. We brought it to the Ford Dealership for checking. They told us there was coolant intrusion in the engine, and that the car was unsafe to drive and required a new engine. We had only put approximately 6,000 miles on the car after buying it used 2 years prior. We surrendered the car to the dealership and took a payout of only $1,500, for a car that only had 46,000 miles on it. We were told that the engine could go on fire and it was dangerous to drive. We were also told that "coolant intrusion" is a common thing that happens to these engines.

Filed Oct 16, 2026 · Engine · HI

One morning in July 2026, I woke up to turn on my car and the temperature was in the red, white smoke was coming out of it and it has since been non-operable with a recommendation for a engine replacement. I was told this could be related to coolant intrusion and it occurred at just 77,000 miles. I had just had my car at Ford for a multipoint inspection six months prior with no reported problems although I’m not sure if they tested this specific system. I bought the car from Honolulu Volkswagen in 2022 and I still owe a large loan on it. So far I have had little assistance from Ford or Volkswagen for a resolution. It is unclear if the owner who traded it to VW in 2022 was aware of the defect, and at the time of purchase no issues with the car were disclosed when I asked. I am now without transportation and left to pay a loan and insurance on a car I cannot drive.

Filed Oct 14, 2026 · Engine · 94,000 miles · AZ

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the vehicle experienced a total loss of motive power without warning lights illuminating. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence, where an independent mechanic inspected the vehicle and informed the contact that the engine failed due to coolant intrusion. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 94,000.

Filed Oct 12, 2026 · Engine · CA

ecoboost engine defect coolant leaks into engine cylinders causing engine failure . I have a ford escape 2017 with the above defect and i had to replace the eco booster twice and last time I had to replace the engine because the block cracked. ford is not helping at all to fix the problem

Filed Oct 6, 2026 · Engine · WI

Our Escape has had the head gasket replaced twice (6/2023 & 8/2024) and now needs the engine completely replaced. We have paid almost $8,000 out of pocket for the 2 fixes and now have been given an estimate of $10k for a new engine. In all three cases we have had the engine light turn on, the warning "High Engine Temperature. Stop Safely" appear and a dramatic decrease in coolant (which we have to fill daily). We are now stuck with a car that isn’t safe/fit to drive and in need of purchasing another car (more money out of pocket). Apparently there is a known issue with this engine via the TSB 22-2229 document. We are asking for financial assistance with our out of pocket expenses (both what we have paid and now a new engine). We own 2 other Fords, an F-150 & Explorer. We love these cars which is why we chose to purchase another Ford for our kids. We would like to continue to purchase Fords, but would like to know you as a company take care of your clients. Thank you in advance for your help. Additional info: 6/2023 1st Headgasket replacement. 97k miles - Elizabeth, CO 8/2024 2nd Headgasket replacement @110k miles - Marysville, WA 10/2026 new engine estimate 131k miles - LaCrosse, WI

Filed Oct 1, 2026 · Engine · PA

On [XXX], I was driving the 2017 Ford Escape and while attempting to merge onto [XXX] at Greencastle, PA, the vehicle started to lose power and I couldn't accelerate to the speed of other traffic. I was almost hit on the left side by a tractor/trailer and the car behind me almost rear ended my car. While being at an almost stand-stii in the right lane of [XXX], traffic had to swerve to the left lane to avoid me. With much difficulty, I was able to get the car to the side of the road, where it totally shut off & wouldn't restart for almost 40 minutes. After having the car evaluated, it was determined that coolant was leaking onto the cylinders. I had been losing coolant & experiencing other issues w the car that I didn't attribute to an engine problem. At this time I dicovered that Coolant Intrusion is a globally known manufacturing defect with the 2017 Ford Escape. While Ford Motor Company has acknowledged this problem & put out several bulletins & such, they have not effected a RECALL. If I had known this was a problem, I would hv never bought this car. On 09/29/2026, the car was evaluated by Keystone Ford & an official diagnosis of Coolant Intrusion was made. I was presented with an invoice for almost $14,000 to replace the engine, which is absurd. I am currenty without a working car for which I still owe $4900. And while the dealer offered to get me into another car, they refuse to help with the negative equity. I also contacted Ford Motor Company on 09/30 & they said they cannot help. Many other Ford owners also hv this same issue & a CLASS ACTION was approved 06/22/2026. In addition to much inconvenience & financial peril for myself and others, this car is a huge SAFETY HAZARD. Ford should have issued a RECALL, but have not done so as of writing. In the meanwhile, many of these DANGEROUS cars remain on the road. PLEASE HELP! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Sep 21, 2026 · Engine · NY

Vehicle Information: Year/Make/Model: 2017 Ford Escape Titanium Engine: 2.0L EcoBoost 4-Cylinder Drivetrain: All-Wheel Drive (AWD) Current Mileage: Approximately 118,000 miles Description of the Safety Problem: The vehicle experienced a sudden and severe loss of engine coolant with no external leaks visible on the ground. Diagnostic inspection revealed that engine coolant is intruding internally into the engine cylinders due to a known structural defect in the Ford 2.0L EcoBoost engine block/head gasket design.Prior to diagnosing the failure, the vehicle exhibited rough idling, misfires, and white smoke from the exhaust due to coolant burning in the combustion chambers. Unrelated components, including the ignition coils, were previously replaced in an attempt to correct the misfires before the internal coolant intrusion was identified as the root cause.This defect poses an immediate safety hazard. The internal coolant loss causes the engine to overheat rapidly and threatens to force the vehicle into an abrupt emergency "limp mode" or cause complete, sudden engine failure while driving at highway speeds. This creates a severe risk of a rear-end collision or stranding the vehicle in active traffic without warning. Ford has failed to issue a recall for this systemic powertrain defect, leaving consumers to operate unsafe vehicles or face catastrophic out-of-pocket engine replacement costs.

Filed Sep 19, 2026 · Engine · AZ

well known problem with ford 2,0 Eco boost engines. mine is 2017 escape 2.0 Eco boost. radiator loosing fluid, pep boys checked it and said it was a cracked head gasket and would cost about 5,000.00 to fix.looked up info about this engine and found it is a well known problem and Ford will not fix it.said to call the federal safety agency and report it and hope you have Ford do a recall to replace engine.

Filed Sep 14, 2026 · Engine · NC

My car has experienced Catastrophic Engine Failure. There is a coolant intrusion into the cylinders and now the car is inoperable. It runs for 2 minutes before shutting the engine off.