The 2017 Ford Escape has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 3,078,749 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 3,236 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine. Last updated July 20, 2026.
Recall campaigns
VISIBILITY26V3740002026-06-0918,124 affected
Defect
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017 Escape vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall number 16V617. The power-operated windows may exert excessive force when encountering an object, before they automatically reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal…
Consequence
A closing window that does not reverse direction as expected can pinch a driver or passenger before retracting, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy
Dealers will update the power window operating system software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed July 24, 2026. Owners may contact customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C29. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become…
EQUIPMENT26V0110002026-01-15116,672 affected
Defect
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Focus, 2013-2019 Escape, and 2015-2016 MKC vehicles equipped with a 2.0L engine. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.
Consequence
An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy
Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying…
POWER TRAIN22V4130002022-06-102,925,968 affected
Defect
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2019 Escape, 2013-2018 C-Max, 2013-2016 Fusion, 2013-2021 Transit Connect, and 2015-2018 Edge vehicles. The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach.
Consequence
A damaged or missing bushing may prevent the vehicle from shifting into the intended gear, and cause the vehicle to move in an unexpected direction. Additionally, the vehicle may roll after the driver selects the 'Park' position. Either scenario increases the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the under hood shift bushing and add a protective cap over the shift cable bushing, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters, informing owners of the safety risk, were mailed July 1, 2022. Remedy parts are expected to be available in 4th Quarter 2022. Owner notification letters were…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2017 Ford Escape Titanium and SE vehicles manufactured October 5, 2015, to May 12, 2016. The settings for the closing-force of the power-operated windows may allow the windows to close on an object such as a body part and injure it before the windows…
Consequence
If a window closes on a body part, it can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy
Ford has notified owners, and dealers will update the power window operating system software, free of charge. The recall began on September 6, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16C12.
Complaints by component
ENGINE
1,531
7crashes10fires5injuries
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
482
POWER TRAIN
367
5crashes3fires5injuries
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
150
3crashes5fires4injuries
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
145
2crashes1fires4injuries
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
71
WHEELS
54
1injuries
STRUCTURE:BODY
53
3crashes4injuries
STEERING
49
2crashes2injuries
SERVICE BRAKES
45
2crashes4injuries
Total complaints3,236
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“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…”
“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…”
“On 7/6/26 the car started to rough idle and engine light was coming on/off/on - so we took into the local shop and check for misfiring - mechanic opened up spark plug and scoped and immediately noticed coolant inside the cylinder #1/4. Proceed to call me and note this particular engine they have…”
“Check engine light came on xxx. Engine coolant level was extremely low, shuddering "start" several times the previous week. My 2017 ford escape 2.0l ecoboost turbo engine, with only 38,245 original miles has the well known and documented issue with the 2.0l ecoboost block with the p0302 misfire…”
“Check engine light came on xxx. Engine coolant level was extremely low, shuddering "start" several times the previous week. My 2017 ford escape 2.0l ecoboost turbo engine, with only 38,245 original miles has the well known and documented issue with the 2.0l ecoboost block with the p0302 misfire…”
“In 2020, my vehicle experienced a coolant leak, which caused the engine to overheat and fail. I had the motor replaced at a ford service center. Today, in july 2026, my vehicle is experiencing the same issue. The coolant intrusion caused the motor to fail. The vehicle had been inspected and…”
“While driving my 2017 ford escape with the 1.5l ecoboost engine after an oil change, I noticed white smoke coming from the exhaust. Shortly afterward, the check engine light began flashing. I immediately stopped driving the vehicle and had it inspected by an independent repair shop. The shop…”
“After 95000 miles engine service light came on, dealer service team says it is being caused by coolant intrusion into cylinder 1, the repair is to replace the engine block at a cost of approx. $10,000. The is a lot of information available the indicates the issue is related to a well documented…”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2017 Ford Escape as of
July 20, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
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