2017 Ford Escape: engine and transmission complaints
VERY HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
85%
2,223 of 2,669 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
85% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2017 Ford Escape are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. Well over half of everything owners reported is the drivetrain. That is a severe model-level pattern; every model year we track at this level has a documented failure behind it.
Worse than 99% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.
What owners reported
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE06/11/2025FIRE1 INJURED
When driving the vehicle it suddenly lost all acceleration power. I coasted to side of road and opened hood to determine the vehicle was on fire from rear of engine bay. I then proceeded to offload what I was able from behind the vehicle of my tools for my job. There was no over heat warning or other indicators of a…
ENGINE12/30/20231 INJURED
Head gasket failed causing coolant to leak entirely. A KNOWN DEFECT.
POWER TRAIN11/13/20221 INJURED
On June 01,2018 my coworker and I was on a joint visit. After the visit we walked to our vehicles to start the engines and to turn on the ac. I exited the 2017 Ford Escape and walked over to my coworker and we started to discuss other work problems. My coworker stated "the car is rolling back". I went after the Ford at…
Three of 2,223 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on this model year (4)
VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
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 c…
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)
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 …
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:ENGINE BLOCK HEATER
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 crac…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2017 Ford Escape
Ask the seller whether the engine has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown stalling, loss of power, rough idle, oil consumption or a check-engine light.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many engine faults hide once the car is warm.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the engine.
4 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A engine already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history
report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition
of any individual vehicle.
