2017 Ford Escape

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the vehicle was not fully diagnosed or repaired. The dealer informed the contact that the engine had failed, and that the contact would be notified what part of the engine needed to be repaired, or if the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.

On Sunday, 7/6 the check engine light came on. The vehicle was dropped off at a Ford dealership for review and it was determined that a coolant leak into cylinders causing internal damage to the engine. Recommendation is to replace the main engine assembly (long block) at $10,000. Which is more than what the car is worth. The car currently has 102,062 miles. This appears to be a known issue among the model year of the Escape and engine type. Currently there is no assistance in helping with the cost of repairs. We have contacted Ford and asked for assistance as we are long time Ford vehicle owners. They logged the following: CXH-05084174-H2Q6H1 and recommended that we log an issue with the NHSTA.

Started having issues with the power of the engine, white smoke from exhaust, and loss of coolant. Apparently there are multiple TSBs about this problem, and has been discovered to be an engine design failure for several models under Ford and Lincoln and it is still not a recall. This issue is known to ruin the head gasket and ultimately crack the cylinder head. If I had not spoke to my mechanic about the white smoke and power loss, he would not have recommended that I check my fluids and saw I was losing coolant untimely. Due to it leaking into the engine every time I drove my car. He also stated that he’s seen this issue before, found multiple sources around the country that have seen the same issue and basically fixing the issue won’t ultimately fix the problem. Because the engine design is defective, the problem will happen again. The engine would have to replaced. Which costs more than the car is worth. It’s very dangerous to have a faulty engine design and not do a proper recall or replacement plan.

I own a 2017 Ford Escape with approximately 102,000 miles. I am the original and only owner and have had regular maintenance done on my vehicle the entire time I've owned it. After a recent 9-hour road trip, I experienced sudden engine failure with no prior warning signs. My local dealership has diagnosed the issue as coolant intrusion into the engine, which caused catastrophic engine damage and now requires a full engine replacement at a cost of $8,800. After researching the issue, I discovered this is a known and widespread problem with EcoBoost engines in 2013-2019 Ford Escapes and other Ford vehicles. Ford has issued Technical Service Bulletins regarding this, and there is at least one ongoing class action lawsuit related to engine failure caused by coolant intrusion. This problem poses serious safety concerns, especially when it causes vehicles to fail unexpectedly at highway speeds or in unsafe conditions. I am filing this report to document the issue and urge NHTSA to investigate this known defect.

[XXX] Car began to run rough as if it had bad gas and the engine would not idle smoothly. When I got into the vehicle the next day the instrument panel flashed lights and the vehicle stalled. I had it towed to the repair shop thinking it was overheating due to a bad thermostat. I was told that the engine coolant was leaking into cylinder 4 of the engine and I would have to replace the engine. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

My vehicle has been suffering coolant intrusion into the engine, specifically the cylinders, causing significant damage and leading to my vehicle overheating. After discovering the issue at my mechanic, I found out there was a recall for my specific vehicle for this issue, but my VIN was not included. Not being notified of this issue by a recall risked my vehicle overheating and potentially starting a fire which could have been hazardous to myself and any passengers.

There is an issue with the type of engine used in these vehicles where coolant leaks into the engine causing cylinder misfires. This is a known issue that has not been issued a recall. I have had a complete repair done in the past involving the complete reconstruction of the engine, however after only 21,000 miles the repair failed.

This vehicle has had multiple issues with starting. But now there’s a “Steering Assist Fault” that clearly ford is aware of but has decided that manufacturing this vehicle anyway was the way to go. The vehicle won’t start again now because of this issue. What happens is the vehicle loses its assisted steering and sometimes while driving which is extremely dangerous.