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2017 Ford Escape Recalls & Complaints

4

open safety recalls on record

Critical

3,257 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.14 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Critical26V011000

Equipment:Electrical:Engine Block Heater

electrical short circuit can raises the risk of a fire.

Remedy & full details

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 owners of the safety risk, were mailed March 6, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S01. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on January 16, 2026.

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.

Serious16V617000

Visibility:Power Window Devices And Controls

If a window closes on a body part, it can raises the risk of injury.

Remedy & full details

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.

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 auto-reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 118, "Power-Operated Window Systems."

Serious22V413000

Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Gear Position Indication (Prndl)

damaged or missing bushing may prevent the vehicle from shifting into the intended gear, and cause the vehicle to move in an unexpected direction.

Remedy & full details

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 mailed October 27, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S43.

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.

Serious26V374000

Visibility:Power Window Devices And Controls

closing window that does not reverse direction as expected can pinch a driver or passenger before retracting, raises the risk of injury.

Remedy & full details

Dealers will update the power window operating system software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 22, 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 searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 6, 2026.

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 Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 118, "Power-Operated Window Systems."

Complaint volume

3,257 this model-year 7 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

52Crashes
23Fires
70Injuries
0Deaths

Across 3,257 complaints. Severity Index 0.14.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Engine1,543 · 47%Engine And Engine Cooling486 · 15%Power Train369 · 11%Unknown Or Other150 · 5%Electrical System147 · 5%Fuel/Propulsion System71Wheels54Structure · Body53
  1. Engine — 1,543 reports
  2. Engine And Engine Cooling — 486 reports
  3. Power Train — 369 reports
  4. Unknown Or Other — 150 reports
  5. Electrical System — 147 reports
  6. Fuel/Propulsion System — 71 reports
  7. Wheels — 54 reports
  8. Structure:Body — 53 reports
  9. Steering — 49 reports
  10. Service Brakes — 45 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

2000 · 2001 (15) · 2002 (10) · 2003 (9) · 2004 (8) · 2005 (5) · 2006 (5) · 2007 (4) · 2008 (5) · 2009 (3) · 2010 (5) · 2011 (3) · 2012 (2) · 2013 (18) · 2014 (16) · 2015 (9) · 2016 (4) · 2017 · 2018 (4) · 2019 (3) · 2020 (23) · 2021 (19) · 2022 (19) · 2023 (11) · 2024 (8) · 2025 (9) · 2026 (2)

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.