This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
April 2025 our Ford Escape, a 2017 model, had an issue with the car overheating, we brought to a dealer and the diagnosis was coolant leaking into the cylinders of the engine. Repair costs range $8-10,000.00, new engine $11,000 plus. Through research on chat rooms we have discovered that this is a known issue with Ford's design, several consumer complaints and open class action lawsuit exists. Our dealer offered no assistance financially, we were told auto is out of warranty and no restitution is available to us. We've taken excellent care for this car and are seniors on fixed income. Like many other consumers facing the same engine issues, we are left with no choice but to absorb costs to repair the auto. Any trade in or resale value is diminished. Thank you for accepting our submission on this critical consumer issue. We are the original owners of this vehicle. Ford is showing no customer loyalty and, no concern for consumer safety as this "coolant intrusion" issue can cause the car to fail, shut down or catch fire.
Daily coolant loss with no leak. Large volume of white sweet-smelling smoke in morning at start up as well as engine stumbling at startup. Unknown coolant loss caused overheating
I had noticed the "sluggish" during my travels either to/from work, I had thought that it may be local gasoline. After fueling once again, my car started with an emblem on the dash, which I later looked up in the book provided and it stated that I needed to have the "coolant" looked at, I believe it was a engine emblem.?. My last oil change was October 2025. I stopped 03/10/26 by AutoZone to see if they could do a diagnostic. Which stated several options that could be evaluated. The AutoZone information suggested: spark plugs, coil packs and two other options that it might be. Then the next signal my car gave me was during driving from my evening job on 04/02/26, which was so quick I did not get to see it, however, the alarms were loud enough that I was scared. I pulled over for safety d/t the "emblem that I remember seeing said something about "Fire and Safety". I allowed about 20 minutes to pass and nothing had taking place, so I call to husband re: the warning lights. **Wrench Sign: with the signage of Engine Fault Service Now. I was traveling to work after the car sat in my garage over the weekend. The alarms started going off and suddenly I was without control over the vehicle, the car stopped and there was no power.
There is a known issue with coolant intrusion into the engine with this vehicle. The vehicle has less than 40,000 miles. The engine stalled three times over a two mile trip and completely shut off during a left hand turn with oncoming traffic putting my family and other drivers in danger.
Coolant intrusion into the Engine issue with my 2017 Ford Escape was confirmed by University of Ford with a $12,000 price tag. I was told my car wasn't part of the recalls and it had 106,000 miles on it so it wouldn't be a part of it anyway. They offered me $500 to buy my car.
- Durham, NC, USA
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Engine fault light came on took to mechanic nothing popped up on the codes. Then check engine light came on took to another mechanic it showed it was misfiring along with other codes. Then check engine light went away. Then moved car out of driveway and engine overheating light came on.
We received notification about the PCM needing reprogrammed and we had that done in 2020 at 41K miles. In Oct 2025 we had the water pump and timing belt changed at 106,236 miles then 5 months later it started shaking and the check engine light came on. The light had never come on before this. It has 109,630 miles. I put a scanner on it and it showed P0302 misfire so I replaced the plug and coil in the #2 cylinder and no change. I had already replaced all spark plugs around July/August in 2025. We had it towed to a local mechanic shop and they did a compression check and said the #2 cylinder had 15% left and that the mechanics didnt see any evidence of a coolant intrusion and we needed a new engine.
1. The failed component is the engine. The dealer confirmed that coolant intrusion caused internal engine damage and that the engine requires full replacement. This is especially serious because Customer Satisfaction Program 19B37 had already been performed on the vehicle and was supposed to correct this exact coolant intrusion issue. The dealer even acknowledged that this repair should have prevented the failure, yet the same problem still occurred less than 30,000 miles later. The vehicle has low mileage, has been properly maintained, and should be available for inspection upon request, depending on whether the dealer or repair facility retains the parts. 2. This created a major safety risk. My teenager was driving the vehicle when the engine died, which put them in immediate danger. A sudden engine failure can cause loss of power, rough running, misfiring, or stalling in traffic, at intersections, or at highway speeds, leaving the driver unable to accelerate or move out of the way of other vehicles. This was not just an inconvenience; it created a very serious risk of a crash and potential injury to my child, passengers, and others on the road. 3. Yes. The problem was confirmed by the dealership service department. They diagnosed the failure as the 19B37 coolant intrusion issue and stated that the engine needs to be replaced. They also acknowledged that the prior CSP repair should have fixed this problem. 4. The vehicle has been inspected by the dealership/service center. Ford has also been contacted regarding the issue. To my knowledge, it has not been inspected by police or insurance representatives. 5. Yes. Before the failure, there were symptoms consistent with coolant intrusion, including coolant loss and engine performance problems such as rough running or misfiring. Warning lights and engine-related symptoms appeared before the complete failure and worsened over time until the dealer confirmed internal engine damage. The vehicle had low mileage, all
I am reporting a serious engine defect with my 2017 Ford Escape EcoBoost. Coolant has leaked into cylinder number 4, causing engine damage and failure. The dealership confirmed this diagnosis and stated that a full engine replacement is required, with an estimated cost of $9,000-?"$10,000. I purchased this vehicle new in 2016 and have been the sole owner. This issue is consistent with known defects affecting EcoBoost engines, including internal coolant leaks and engine block failures. I am submitting this report to ensure it is documented and to request investigation of this safety and reliability concern.
2017 Ford Escape 65,000 miles,1.5l coolant intrusion.#2 cylinder misfire code. First thing upon raising the hood noticed and acknowledged there was no coolant in resevoir. Attempting to replace spark plugs. Removed/replaced #4 plug. Attempting to replace #3 spark plug, plug broke off. Researching and collaborating with reputable mechanic concluded that short block coolant intrusion has occurred. Upon disassembly have encountered turbo boost and catalytic converter full of oil, also needing replaced. Head has been sent to machine shop for inspection and repair. Presently awaiting for repairs to be completed and costs established. Present estimate over $5000. I paid cash for this vehicle in 2019. Vehicle had been leased for 2 years previous. Vehicle had 20,000 miles on it. Ford was well aware of the coolant intrusion (bad engineering) is before they sold me the vehicle in November 2019. They never mentioned or offered any warranty specific to this issue. They sold me a a vehicle knowing that if enough things went wrong while driving this vehicle, catastrophic situation was possible. They should have corrected this issue before they sold it to the next customer.
The vehicle suddenly began running roughly, and produced a loud clicking/knocking noise and engine shut off while driving. We were advised by the Ford mechanic we had it towed to that it was due to the EcoBoost engine failure, and that this is a known issue.Ford has issued technical service bulletins related to this defect, but no recall has been initiated. Given the safety implications of an engine shutting off while driving, the widespread nature of this problem, and the refusal of Ford to own up to this dangerous defect I felt I had to report it.
Coolant leaking into cylinders. Repair shops said it was a known Ford issue with the 1.5 ecoboost engine. Causes the coolant to leak out and the engine to overheat and the overflow tank to leak.
Engines has a severe issue with coolant leaking into the engine cylinders due to a design defect in the engine block. This "coolant intrusion" lead to misfires, engine overheating, and complete engine failure, and is requiring a full engine replacement.
Coolant intrusion into engine from poor design. A known issue which causes overheating which may cause fires or engine failure while driving. With thousands of Ford escape owners affected. It has a recall on certain models but models that aren't on the recall are also affected.
Coolant Intrusion -?" Engine Defect Concern -??Coolant intrusion-?? is a known engine design defect in which coolant leaks into the cylinders, leading to internal damage, misfires, and eventual engine failure. In our case, we own a 2017 Ford Escape 1.5L EcoBoost, which is now inoperable. The vehicle was properly maintained, with no prior issues. At approximately 103,000 miles, the engine began to fail unexpectedly. There was no overheating condition. Outdoor temperatures were normal (around 75?F), and the vehicle had been running properly up to that point. We have always used good quality fuel and kept up with regular maintenance. The first signs of failure included a check engine light with a cylinder misfire code, followed by noticeable white smoke from the exhaust. At the same time, coolant began rapidly disappearing despite being refilled. There are no external leaks, indicating the coolant is entering the engine internally. The vehicle now will not operate properly and cannot be driven. This failure occurred without warning and without any owner-related cause. Given the widespread reports of identical issues affecting Ford vehicles with this engine, this is clearly not an isolated incident but a systemic design problem. The pattern of coolant intrusion, white smoke, misfires, and sudden engine failure is well-documented among Ford customers. This issue requires immediate attention. It should be addressed as a recall, as it stems from a defective engine design rather than normal wear, misuse, or neglect.
2017 Ford Escape equipped with 2.0L EcoBoost engine with coolant leaking into engine cylinder head leading to possible safety concerns and engine damage due to coolant intrusion into engine cylinders (according to Ford dealership)
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- Trinity, TX, USA