2017 Ford Escape: transmission slipping

Filed May 10, 2025 · Engine, Transmission · GA

I have a 2017 Ford Escape. Have owned the car for 4 months and it's already experiencing transmission issues i.e. hesitation, slipping etc. Took it the repair shop and found other issues (turbocharger, thermostat, water pump). They claimed they didn't see anything wrong with the transmission. Car ran well for a couple of weeks and then I got transmission fault warning. It wouldn't engage and I couldn't get it in gear. Undrivable. I sat on the side of the road for four hours waiting for a tow. Mechanic says it's either a full transmission problem or the brushing cable.

Filed May 10, 2025 · Transmission · GA

2017 ford escape titanium needed a rebuilt transmission due to it slipping gears while driving. slipping would occur between 1000-2000 RPM at speeds between 40-60 MPH. this problem caused my car to have to get towed to a dealership to have fixed because my car would not accelerate.

Filed Apr 29, 2025 · Transmission · PA

I am writing to report a serious and potentially dangerous issue with the transmission in my 2017 Ford Escape (6F35 model). On April 13, 2025, at approximately 83,800 miles, my vehicle began exhibiting alarming symptoms, including slipping, jerking, hesitation, and delayed acceleration. A dashboard message instructed me to “Service Transmission.” On Monday morning I immediately took the vehicle to my trusted mechanic, who identified the problem as a likely failure of the 6F35 transmission. Hoping it was a computer glitch, he reset the system and advised me to monitor it. The issue returned within 20 miles. When I brought the car back, he confirmed the failure and informed me this is a common and well-documented problem with this transmission model and vehicle year. I contacted the original dealership where I purchased the car and was told there were no recalls. I then contacted Ford directly. Despite this being a widely reported issue, Ford told me I had to take it to a dealership for official diagnosis. I did so—at an additional cost of $200—and the dealership confirmed exactly what my mechanic had already determined. They then quoted a repair cost of over $7,000, which is nearly the value of the vehicle itself. Further research confirmed that this is a known and widespread issue with the 6F35 transmission in the 2017 Ford Escape and prior models, yet Ford has failed to issue a recall or offer assistance. This transmission failure poses a significant safety risk, especially in high-speed or high-traffic situations, where sudden loss of acceleration could lead to accidents. I am urging you to investigate this matter for potential safety defects and to consider a formal recall. Consumers should not be left to bear the financial and safety burden of a manufacturing defect that Ford has failed to address.

Filed Apr 15, 2025 · Transmission · 28,000 miles · IN

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the transmission was slipping. There was no warning light illuminated. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 28,000.

Filed Dec 30, 2024 · Transmission · 55,000 miles · OR

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at various speeds, the transmission was slipping into gear, and the vehicle started to jerk while accelerating. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, the contact was advised that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 55,000.

Filed Nov 14, 2024 · Engine, Fuel system · IL

Our car started slipping gears, jerking, take forever to accelerate, and would lose power. We took to dealership thinking it was a transmission. They told us no it wasn’t the transmission and we needed the replace the fuel pump injector we did that. A week later SAME issues happened again they replaced the pump again. A month later SAME symptoms again this time they told us we needed our engine replaced. So we got a brand new engine in. A month later I lost power while turning onto to a highway and the dealership told me that it was the new engine breaking in. Not even 3 months later after the new engine being put in our car starts to act up with the SAME symptoms. We took it back since the engine was under warranty. They tell us we need a new transmission. We told them we knew it was the issue the first time around. We can’t afford a new transmission after just putting a new engine in 3 months ago! Stay away from this year ford escape. Our car only had 116,000 miles and it’s our family car so we can’t drive it anymore cause we can’t afford another big issue to be fixed. Mainly because we think the dealership doesn’t want to admit their mistakes and won’t resolve the issue for us. Can’t believe the car has these two huge issues in one year let alone less than 6 months apart!

Filed Jul 22, 2024 · Transmission · 154,000 miles · NY

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at approximately 70 MPH, the transmission slipped out of gear. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal and the engine revved; however, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that the "Service" with an exclamation point warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but became a recurring failure while driving at various speeds. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local mechanic who flushed and refilled the transmission fluid. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the transmission failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 154,000.

Filed May 31, 2024 · Transmission · CO

I was driving to work, and I reversed out of my driveway. I stopped, put the transmission in Drive, and proceeded forward. I let my foot off of the accelerator, and the transmission slipped and the car lurched and made a "thunk" noise. I stopped, and then accelerated again. After about 10 minutes of driving (while stopping and going at several stoplights), I was driving at 45 mph. The engine suddenly started revving past 4000 RPM, and the car would not accelerate forward anymore. I let my foot off the accelerator, then pressed on it again. The engine again revved with no forward movement, and several clunking and grinding noises. I was fortunately able to pull over on the shoulder of the road. I put the vehicle in park, then drive again. It would not move. After turning the car off and on again, and putting the transmission in drive, it clunked loudly and lurched forward. I was able to drive another 1/4 mile slowly, and pull into a parking lot. After that, the car would not move in forward or reverse gear. It was towed to the dealership on May 15, and has been there evere since. I am submitting this due to the Ford Motor Corporation's awareness of the issues with the transmissions on these vehicles, and the safety risk that they pose. I was lucky that there was a place to safely pull off of the road and move the vehicle to a parking spot.

Filed May 22, 2024 · Engine · OH

Cylinder 2 misfire. Coolant and oil are leaking down cylinder number 2 causing it to misfire. This was diagnosed and confirmed by an independent service center. The engine was slipping which prompted the service appointment. Contacted Ford Motor Company and was advised to file this claim.

Filed Feb 15, 2024 · Transmission · 42,000 miles · CA

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown warning lights illuminated. In addition, the contact stated while shifting into another gear, the contact noticed that the transmission was slipping. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to report the failure to the federal safety agency Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000.

Filed Jan 29, 2024 · Transmission · VA

The transmission slipped out of gear at a stop light and the car would not go. I could move the gear shift from park to drive and the car would not go into gear. There were NO warning lights. I had it diagnosed and they stated “internal failure.” The vehicle has less than 130,000 miles on it.

Filed Jan 18, 2024 · Transmission · 49,543 miles · IL

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while his daughter was driving at approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle began to lose forward momentum. The contact stated that his daughter depressed the accelerator pedal, and the engine revved but continued to lose forward momentum. The contact stated that his daughter had not noticed any warning lights being illuminated. The contact’s daughter was able to drive the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that silicone plugs for the transmission drains had failed, and a significant amount of transmission fluid had leaked. The contact stated that the plugs were replaced, and the transmission fluid was replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failure had occurred again, and the transmission was slipping and the vehicle hesitated before shifting into gear. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 49,543.