Ford Escape Complaints (2017)

2,704 consumer complaints on file.

#11438280October 26, 2021
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently started shuddering. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road for a moment. The contact continued to drive the vehicle however, the failure recurred intermittently while driving that same day. The vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic who advised the contact that he could not determine the cause of the failure as the OBD reader could not read the codes. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred while driving and the vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic who advised the contact that he could not duplicate the failure. The transmission was flushed. The contact stated that the failure persisted, and the vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring more frequently while driving. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but did not provide any assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 55,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11438032October 25, 2021
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:TORQUE CONVERTER
For several weeks experienced shudder/judder and hesitation. Most noticeable at around 40 mph. Vehicle serviced and inspected by both dealership and independent auto repair shop. Hesitation unsafe. Issue Not uncommon as found on FMC Escape forum. Dealer recommended transmission replacement after finding transmission fluid burned and contaminated with metallic debris. Verified Torque converter clutch shudder. Independent auto repair shop confirmed hesitation, engagement in higher gears is abnormal. No warning lights or other symptoms aside from shudder/judder/hesitation. Vehicle currently available for inspection. Vehicle had less than 76,000 miles when issue first started.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11437927October 24, 2021
STEERING
When turning into my subdivision off of a main road, my power steering completely failed when turning and I was stuck horizontally in the road. Luckily nobody was coming otherwise I would have been t-boned. There was no warning until after I was stuck that there was a “power steering failure” and it only flashed for a moment. I had my entire steering rack replaced 4 months ago because of the same issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11437733October 22, 2021
ENGINE
Engine started missing getting on the interstate, almost got rear ended. Come to find out it has water in the cylinder. Which Ford has TSB out for it. Definitely needs recalled. My family could’ve been severely injured.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11437535October 20, 2021
POWER TRAIN
I was driving on the highway when all of a sudden the car started bucking and revving to 4,000 rpm and would not go at highway speed. It continued to fluctuate the rpms but drop in speed. I had to pull over, shut off the car and restart. It drove for a little bit, started bucking again, revved to 4,000 rpms and lost power as I was trying to get off the exit - almost stalling in the turn. I had to pull over again, shut it off and restart. It went for a little bit then started revving like crazy, dropped speed quickly and then completely shut down. There were no warning lights, no check engine lights, no messages until the car finally died and it flashed a transmission problem. I have had the car from new and have always serviced it at the Ford Dealer. It has 98,000 miles and was told that is needs a transmission.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11437161October 18, 2021
ENGINE
The contact's mother owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her mother was driving, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the driver was informed of an engine misfire. The contact stated while driving the engine hot message was displayed. The RPM increased to high. The contact pulled over and noticed that the coolant was low. The driver added additional coolant however, the next day the fluid was low. The contact called the local dealer however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact was concerned about the vehicle catching on fire or causing a crash. The contact associated the failure with TSB 19-2139 and 18-23553. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11437170October 18, 2021
ENGINE
The check engine system alerted me to the vehicle overheating. I immediately turned off the engine and checked the fluid level. The coolant reservoir was empty. I added the appropriate coolant to the indicated fill line. The engine temperature returned to normal so I continued to drive and monitor the situation. Later in the day, I noticed white smoke emitting from the tailpipes. I know this to be a possible sign of coolant or water/fluid mixing with the oil. I parked the vehicle out of fear of permanent damage and scheduled service for the following morning. After diagnostics were run on the vehicle, it was determined coolant intruded into one or more cylinders and the head had cracked. Research shows that the problem is known by Ford (see tsb 19-2346) but Ford never notified me of the problem putting my family and myself at risk.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11436314October 11, 2021
WHEELS
Had an increasingly loud wheel noise and pulled over to check tires. Passenger rear wheel lugs were noticeably loose. Could not get the Ford supplied jack-handle wrench on the the lug nuts. Tried a 4-way wrench and still could not get it on. Gave up and called AAA. The technician also could get get his impact wrench on the nuts to tighten them. Using an oversized socket, he did get some turning but the damaged lug nuts could not be tightened. We found 4 of 5 on that wheel, and at least 2 on every other wheel to be loose and not able to be tightened at the roadside. The vehicle was unsafe to drive, or be towed without a flat-bed recovery vehicle. The dealer had the gall to charge me $5/each for 20 new lug nuts that are just the same kind and will no doubt also have the same problem in a few years. Of course, I'll be replacing them soon with solid piece after market products. 1. Ford has been using these 2-piece lug nuts, knowing there is a problem for many years. 2. This vehicle was inspected at the dealer less than 3 months prior. They should have known to check this and replaced them at that time. They did not. 3. This wheel should not have been loose in the first place. The dealer was the last one with the wheels off during inspection and rotation. They did not even acknowledge that problem. EVERY single FORD dealer -- but especially those in the Northeastern US where corrosive materials are applied to the road in winter -- should be inspecting these defective lug nuts every time they see the vehicle. Simple putting the right sized socket on each nut to see if it fits would have been sufficient. Ford should be replacing defective lug nuts at their expense.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11436157October 9, 2021
ENGINE
A couple of months the "check engine" light turned on. After three appointments, two diagnosis and almost $1,000 down the drain I was told that the coolant is leaking into the engine’s cylinders which is being caused, according to a Ford authorized dealer service department, by an engine design issue that has been apparently ignored by Ford for many years. I contacted Ford directly and they simply talked to me about "offering financial options to cover the cost" which ascend to almost $9,000, for a 5-year old car with less than 50K miles. They stated that this isn't covered by any warranty, that it's impossible to extend the warranty, and that there's no recall despite the many indications that this is a known issue. I found further information about this exact issue on: https://www.motorbiscuit.com/overheat-fail-fire-big-ford-ecoboost-class-action-lawsuit/ https://www.classaction.org/news/newer-ford-lincoln-vehicles-plagued-by-ecoboost-engine-defect-linked-to-coolant-leaks-class-action-says http://www.fordproblems.com/ecoboost-fires/ https://www.carcomplaints.com/news/2020/ford-ecoboost-problems-class-action-lawsuit.shtml
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11434843September 29, 2021
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine light illuminated. The contact had to refill the coolant to prevent the vehicle from overheating. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with engine failure from the hydro-lock due to an internal coolant leak from the cylinders. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that there were no recalls on the VIN and that the vehicle was out of warranty. The failure mileage was 83,958.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11434854September 29, 2021
POWER TRAIN
On August 13, while driving in stop-and-go traffic I noticed the car was handling funny. It was hesitating when I pushed the gas causing me to accelerate in an unpredictable way in traffic. That weekend I took the car to my mechanic who told me that he couldn’t replicate the issue but if I had the issue again to bring the car back. There were also no error codes so any issue couldn’t be diagnosed. On August 30 while driving home, I attempted to accelerate at an intersection (across 6 lanes of traffic) and the car would rev but not exceed 25 miles per hour. I literally limped into my mechanics shop but once again there were no error codes. However it was clear that something was completely wrong with the car. The car was towed to a transmission shop who inspected it and told me I needed a full transmission rebuild. They also couldn’t explain why the car wasn’t displaying any error codes. In the end I was without my car for 2 weeks, paid over $4,000 for the job, and had to borrow cars just to get to my teaching job. My car is well maintained. It is only four years old but has 100,000 miles – obviously past the warranty. However, I have never had a transmission fail on me. This is also the first time I’ve ever purchased a Ford.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11434651September 28, 2021
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Paint around windshield column defective and peeling in multiple spots.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11434486September 27, 2021
WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while having routine maintenance at the local dealer, he was informed that the lug nuts were swollen, and all the lug nuts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 88,000. The VIN was not available.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11433828September 21, 2021
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Engine cracks due to design and leaks coolant into cylinders, causing engine to misfire. This is a known issue with Ford in the 1.5L ecoboost engine and they refuse to do anything.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11433657September 20, 2021
WHEELS
2-piece "laminated" lug nuts (steel nut covered by sheet metal trim) have failed and are a safety hazard since they are difficult or impossible to remove and replace. This is a design defect and affects multiple Ford vehicle models and years.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11432718September 13, 2021
STEERING
While driving the Escape the steering suddenly became unresponsive and the steering wheel became very very hard to turn, we were barely able to get off the road. On the instrument panel a warning light said Steering Problem Service Vehicle Immediately. The car was towed to Ford Dealer where it has sat outside now for 3.5 weeks without any service, due to issues at the dealership beyond my control.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11432145September 8, 2021
ENGINE
Ford dealership verified that check engine light coded P0304, engine misfire due to coolant intrusion caused by crack in cylinder. This is a known and well-documented problem with 2.0 L EcoBoost Escapes and Lincoln vehicles that use same engine (MKZ/MKC). VIN # of this particular vehicle matches those known to have the problematic engines. Ford is clearly aware, having released multiple Technical Service Bulletins on this subject of Engine/Coolant issue. The issue is Ford refuses to provide assistance to customers whose vehicles have surpassed 5 yr/60,000 Engine/Powertrain warranty. In this case, vehicle has 66,600 miles. A vehicle with a cracked engine block cannot be operated and presents a safety risk.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11431950September 7, 2021
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Replacement of all swollen lug nuts. And was told the replacement lug nuts would go bad again, wasn’t offered a safer or better choice for my 2017 escape. This is a sad day for Ford. A family generation of Ford owners. I was told my escape is not safe to drive until this is corrected. Ford manufacturers you can do better very unprofessionally. Sad.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11431817September 5, 2021
POWER TRAIN
The car would not get into gear without warning. The car would not produce power when I would press the gas. Then, moments later, without warning, the engine would rev without input, however, the car would not accelerate. I had to pull over and the turn the car off multiple times. I ended up getting a warning light indicating to service the transmission, but when I turned the car off, the warning light would go away, but continue to not get into gear and then jerk, especially at low speed. i ended up taking to the car to a mechanic and got an error code indicating that the car could not get into 5th gear. I was told that the vehicle needed transmission fluid change, which I did. I then drove for about 200 miles without issues. Then suddenly while driving at about 70mph, I the service transmission light came on. i pulled the vehicle over and turned off the car. About 20 minutes later, I again started driving at highway speed for about 5 miles, and the service transmission light did not show and I had no additional issues. I then parked the car over night and then started to drive to the highway. Approximately 5 minutes of driving at highway speed the car would no accelerate when I pressed the accelerator, and i attempted to accelerate the car, but the vehicle would not rev the engine nor provide power, I had no warning lights. When this happened, the car started to decelerate as if the car was in neutral. I ended up having to get the car towed and serviced. i am currently awaiting the results of what is wrong with the car.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11430646August 26, 2021
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 15 MPH, the vehicle stalled with the service transmission message displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to a dealer where he was informed that the clutch had failed and that the transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred him to NHTSA. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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