2017 Ford Escape: stuck in gear or won't shift

Filed Oct 14, 2026 · Engine · MO

Vehicle went into limp mode with my teeange daughter driving on the interstate due to the known coolant intrusion issue.

Filed Oct 3, 2026 · Engine · TX

I am reporting a severe safety hazard regarding a known factory engineering defect in the 2017 Ford Escape 2.0L EcoBoost engine. A documented design flaw in the open-deck engine block allows engine coolant to slowly intrude into cylinders 3 and 4 [1.10]. This internal leak causes a rapid, un-warned loss of coolant volume without leaving any visible puddles on the ground [1.10]. The vehicle suffered a sudden loss of occupant cabin heat, immediately followed by the Cylinder Head Temperature (CHT) sensor triggering a critical overheat warning. This instantly forced the vehicle into a protective "Fail-Safe Cooling / Limp Mode." Safety Risk on Public Roads: This defect poses an immediate safety risk. When the vehicle suddenly forces itself into Limp Mode due to the rapid loss of coolant, it causes an abrupt and unexpected loss of acceleration/motive power while traveling at high speeds. This sudden drop in speed in fast-moving highway traffic creates a severe hazard for rear-end collisions, endangering myself and other motorists. Furthermore, forcing an engine to run while actively introducing combustible glycol coolant into the hot cylinders presents a distinct vehicle fire hazard. Ford is fully aware of this structural defect across its EcoBoost platforms and previously issued limited Customer Satisfaction Programs (such as CSP 21N12 and TSB 19-2346) [1.10]. However, because those programs were strictly capped by mileage and time constraints, consumers like myself are left stranded on public highways with an inherently unsafe vehicle [1.10]. I request that the federal safety agency elevate this to a formal safety investigation to mandate a safety recall.

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 Jul 27, 2026 · Engine · VA

While at a 4 way intersection and red light my car went into extreme temperature overheat and shut down. I was the first car in the line at the red light. When the light turned green I started the vehicle, put on my emergency flashes and had to dodge other vehicles in limp mode ( 5 mile per hour) across 3 lanes of incoming to make it to a parking lot. This was all caused by the well known and documented Coolant Intrusion engine defect that Ford has been aware of since 2018 accordingly to their own Technical service bulletins. This is an extreme safety hazard and happened to me unexpectedly and without warning. I’m thankful I was not involved in a crash or that I did not cause injury to another driver. This vehicle needs to be recalled immediately before more consumers suffer injuries or death.

Filed Jul 16, 2026 · Engine · VA

2017 Ford Escape SE. 77,000 miles. Blown head gasket due to coolant leak that ford was aware of in letter TSV19-2139 but no recall. Cylinder 2 misfire code even after tune up. Today catastrophic overheating with no warning and car went into limp mode at the intersection of Hull Street and Southshore Dr. Midlothian Va 23112. I reached out to local ford dealer and to Ford Consumer affairs but they are unwilling to repair though there was a a courtesy notice posted that the repair would be free if less than 7 years or under 84,000 miles which my vehicle is. I have joined a class action law suit regarding Fords knowledge of the problem in 2019 and their lack of a preventive recall.

Filed Jul 11, 2026 · Engine · NE

The engine overheated and went into limp mode while on the busy interstate, we nearly were hit trying to get off the road because we could not keep speed. The car is available for inspection. It has the typical symptoms of the coolant intrusion as acknowledged by Ford in Technical Service Bulletins 19-2139 and 22-2322. These include startup misfires, rapid loss of coolant into the combustion chambers without external leaks, and severe overheating causing the vehicle to enter limp mode. The misfire's are throwing engine codes P0302 (Cylinder 2 Misfire Detected) and P0303 (Cylinder 3 Misfire Detected) This just happened on July 8, 2026 and the car has 105,203 miles.

Filed Jul 6, 2026 · Engine, Transmission · MA

8/17/25 - Check engine light. Codes for Cylinder Misfire 1,2 and 3. Very very low coolant. 8/19/25 - The mechanic where we bought the car said that they checked plugs, did a compression test, everything came back fine and looks fine. Cleared the codes, drove it around, left it running, no light back on as of yet. Said the low coolant may have triggered the codes. - Coolant Filled back up Jan 31 2026 Car over heated and went into limp mode. No coolant when I looked before the tow truck came.. Had it towed to where we bought the car from. The mechanic said they couldn't find anything wrong and did the oil change and added coolant. Place we got car from: “Doesn’t know why it keeps losing coolant. They checked everything” To keep filling it up. March 23rd. Misfire codes again and evap leak code and coolant ½ empty -Filled back up. Place we bought car from “Changed plugs - Compression test done again.” March 23rd Compression test from where be bought the car: They said it’s fine compression May 2026: Coolant low, See photo: Filled it up to max line. I brought it to a friend to have him look at the cylinders. These were the spark plugs and cylinder pictures Plug on right was Cylender 4. My friend says it doesn't look like the place we bought the car from even changed the spark plugs. Cylinder photos are of Cylinder 4 Low coolant, Filled it back up. July 5 2026 : Check engine light. Code below - Bringing to ford 7/7

Filed Mar 20, 2026 · Engine · 100,000 miles · TX

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message “Pull Over Immediately” was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle entered LIMP Mode and failed to exceed 5 MPH. Upon inspection, the contact became aware that there was no coolant in the coolant reservoir. There was no coolant visible on the ground. An independent mechanic diagnosed the vehicle with coolant intrusion in the cylinders. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

Filed Feb 26, 2026 · Electrical · PA

My vehicle started slowing down, check engine light came on, and then the vehicle went into limp mode. The vehicle won't go faster than 10-15 miles per hour. I had the accelerator and sensor replaced, but the vehicle won't start or move. My car is not running and hasn't run for over a year.

Filed Oct 19, 2025 · Engine · NY

I purchased a used 2017 Ford Escape SE with EcoBoost engine (2.0L) at 58,000 miles in April of 2024. In September 2024, the check engine light came on, followed shortly thereafter by overheating of the engine. This overheating would cause the engine to go into limp mode on the highway, which happened multiple times. When inspecting the coolant tank, it was discovered that coolant was leaking out, and the tank did not retain new coolant poured in. The issue was determined by both the Ford dealership and a third-party mechanic to be coolant intrusion, requiring replacement of the engine long block. Upon researching the issue, discovered that Ford's customer service program 21N12 covers replacement for engines of this year and model, but was informed by Ford that recall/replacement was not covered as the engine on my vehicle was not 1.5L. Clearly, whether the engine is 1.5L, 1.6L, or 2.0L, the issue exists. The $8,300 fix has created a serious financial burden, as I had to pay out-of-pocket to fix Ford's known mistake. There is currently a class-action lawsuit against Ford for this issue: [XXX] , et al. v. Ford Motor Co ([XXX]). In the class-action, it is reported that buyers' engines have burst into flames due to this issue. In my case, the vehicle went into limp mode on the freeway, and could easily have caused a serious wreck - I am thankful that I was able to get the vehicle off of the road and into the shop before there was a wreck. These vehicles are active liabilities on the roads, and should be recalled as soon as possible. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Oct 2, 2025 · Engine · VA

While driving on the highway, car started to shutter and sputter. Engine light came on, then started flashing putting the car into limp mode and I was almost rear ended by a tractor trailer. I took the car to my local mechanic and he said cylinder 3 misfire. He went to check the plug and coil, coil good but he could not get the plug out. I then called ford and they said they would not let me talk to a mechanic or service technician. I called another place, then another. Finally one person told me that there has been issues with coolant leaking into cylinders causing people to have to replace engines and it is a known issue yet ford does not seem to care. This is the last Ford I ever buy, they have known issues that could cause you to be hurt while driving and they don't stand by their products.

Filed Sep 26, 2025 · Engine · 29,000 miles · PA

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving 25-30 MPH uphill to the residence, the vehicle shuddered violently and went into LIMP Mode. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired under the Powertrain Warranty. The contact stated that the failure had recurred while driving, causing the contact to drive through a red traffic light to pull over safely into a nearby parking lot. The vehicle was towed to [XXX] Ford [XXX] ); where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the repair would be performed at his expense. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 29,000. The VIN was not available. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)