HomeFordEscape › 2017

2017 Ford Escape

Gas Compact SUV

20262025202420232022202120202019201820172016
Specs & fuel economyRecallsComplaintsCrash ratingsCompare
D
Safety Signal
65 / 100
DSafety Signal · 65 / 100
4Recalls · 1 critical
2,672Complaints · owner reports
5★Crash rating · NHTSA overall
26 mpgFuel economy · best combined

The 2017 Ford Escape is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact SUV with 6 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Escape FWD, is EPA-rated at 26 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of D. Owners have filed 2672 complaints, most often about engine. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy (EPA)

ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
Escape FWDGasFWD1.5L 4-cyl turbo233026$2,400
Escape FWDGasFWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo222925$2,500
Escape AWDGasAWD1.5L 4-cyl turbo222824$2,600
Escape FWDGasFWD2.5L 4-cyl212924$2,600
Escape FWD FFVGasFWD2.5L 4-cyl212924$2,600
Escape AWDGasAWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo202723$2,700

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.

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Recalls (4)

Visibility

moderate
18,124 vehicles

Problem: 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."

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

Fix: 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.

NHTSA campaign 26V374000 · reported Jun 9, 2026 · Ford Motor Company

Equipment

critical
116,672 vehicles

Problem: 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.

Risk: An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.

Fix: 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. For

NHTSA campaign 26V011000 · reported Jan 15, 2026 · Ford Motor Company

Power Train

high
2,925,968 vehicles

Problem: 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.

Risk: A damaged or missing bushing may prevent the vehicle from shifting into the intended gear, and cause the vehicle to move in an unexpected direction. Additionally, the vehicle may roll after the driver selects the 'Park' position. Either scenario increases the risk of a crash or injury.

Fix: 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.

NHTSA campaign 22V413000 · reported Jun 10, 2022 · Ford Motor Company

Visibility

moderate
17,985 vehicles

Problem: 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."

Risk: If a window closes on a body part, it can increase the risk of injury.

Fix: 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.

NHTSA campaign 16V617000 · reported Aug 24, 2016 · Ford Motor Company

Owner complaints

2672 complaints filed

39 involved a crash, 15 a fire, 56 injuries, 0 deaths reported by owners.

Filed by year — 2016: 2 · 2017: 50 · 2018: 57 · 2019: 112 · 2020: 124 · 2021: 116 · 2022: 237 · 2023: 381 · 2024: 713 · 2025: 645 · 2026: 235

Most-cited components

  • Engine — 1561
  • Engine And Engine Cooling — 507
  • Power Train — 395
  • Electrical System — 154
  • Unknown Or Other — 152
“WIPER ARMS STRIKE BODY ON EITHER SIDE ON RANDOM CYCLE TIMES. DEALER STATES VEHICLE NEEDS WIPER ARMS TIMING ADJUSTED TO PREVENT STRIKING OF THE BODY. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AS THE REPEATED STRIKING OF THE VEHICLE BODY CAN CAUSE THE WIPER BLADE TO FAIL OVER TIME, RESULTING IN DECREASED OR LOST VISIBILITY, POSSIBLY LEADI…”Mar 22, 2017 · Visibility/Wiper · NHTSA owner report
“WHILE DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY THE CAR BEGAN TO DECELERATE AND I WAS UNABLE TO ACCELERATE. A WARNING MESSAGE CAME ON ADVISING ME THAT THE AUTO START/STOP WAS NOT WORKING AND I MUST PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND AND RESTART THE ENGINE. THIS OCCURRED WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY.”Mar 21, 2017 · Engine · NHTSA owner report
“FRONT PASSENGER DOOR LATCH PERIODICALLY DOES NOT CLOSE - MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO SECURELY CLOSE DOOR. SO FAR, IT HAS CORRECTED ITSELF SOMETIMES AFTER ONE OR TWO ATTEMPTS AND OFTEN AFTER MANY MORE. SO FAR, THIS HAS ONLY HAPPENED WHEN CAR WAS PARKED (NOT YET MOVING). I NOTICED THERE IS A RECALL UNDERWAY FOR FORDS UP TO Y…”Mar 11, 2017 · Structure · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
SUV AWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆18%
SUV FWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆19%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.

Compare the 2017 Escape with

2017 Chevrolet Equinox2017 Nissan Rogue2017 Hyundai Tucson

Other Escape model years

D

2026 Escape

3 recalls · 4 complaints

F

2025 Escape

10 recalls · 27 complaints

F

2024 Escape

10 recalls · 86 complaints

F

2023 Escape

13 recalls · 129 complaints

F

2022 Escape

21 recalls · 373 complaints

F

2021 Escape

21 recalls · 482 complaints

F

2020 Escape

25 recalls · 1,881 complaints

D

2019 Escape

3 recalls · 581 complaints

D

2018 Escape

4 recalls · 1,785 complaints

D

2016 Escape

4 recalls · 1,107 complaints

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records (ids 37358, 37359, 37363, 37357, 37360, 37362). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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