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2017 Ford Escape

Verified August 31, 2026Sources: NHTSA · EPA · vPIC

Compare
Safety
5
of 5 stars
Recalls
4
on record
MPG
32
combined

Open recalls on record

4 safety recalls. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer — check the VIN before you buy.

Vehicle Summary

2017 Ford Escape

4 recalls
2628 complaints
32 MPG combined
5/5 safety rating

Before You Buy

Confirm all 4 recalls were repaired — a dealer checks by VIN, free
Read the 39 complaints reporting a crash
Review the 2,628 owner complaints on record
Get a pre-purchase inspection
Check vehicle history report
Verify title is clean

Safety record at a glance

Recall campaigns
4
Owner complaints
2,628
Complaints citing a crash
39

These are raw counts from NHTSA records. They are not normalized by how many of these vehicles are on the road, so a model that sold in large numbers will tend to show more of everything. We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.

4 Recalls on Record

These recalls have been issued by the manufacturer. Contact any authorized dealer to verify they have been completed — repairs are free.

Enter your VIN to check if specific recalls apply to your vehicle.

Safety recalls

4 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.

  • 16V617000high

    Visibility issue

    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 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."

    Consequence

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

    Remedy

    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.

    Full campaign record
  • 22V413000high

    Drivetrain issue

    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 that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach.

    Consequence

    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.

    Remedy

    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.

    Full campaign record
  • 26V011000high

    Engine issue

    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 crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.

    Consequence

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

    Remedy

    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.

    Full campaign record
  • 26V374000high

    Visibility issue

    VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS

    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."

    Consequence

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

    Remedy

    Dealers will update the power window operating system software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed July 24, 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.

    Full campaign record

NHTSA crash-test ratings

NCAP star ratings and the underlying test breakdown for the 2017 Ford Escape.

  • Frontal crash

    Driver
    5 / 5
    Passenger
    4 / 5
  • Side crash

    Driver
    5 / 5
    Passenger
    5 / 5
    Side pole
    5 / 5
  • Rollover

    Rollover risk
    19.1%
    Dynamic tip
    No Tip

Driver-assistance technologies

Electronic stability control
Standard
Forward collision warning
Optional
Lane departure warning
Optional

What the ratings mean

NHTSA gives the 2017 Ford Escape 5 out of 5 stars overall. NHTSA does not publish enough comparable results for this class and year to rank it against peers.

NHTSA published results for every NCAP test in this program, so the overall star rating rests on a complete set of crash and rollover results.

NHTSA's dynamic test put this vehicle's rollover probability at 19.1% in a single-vehicle crash — the figure behind the rollover star rating, published here because the star alone hides how wide each band is.

NHTSA crash tests

2017 Ford Escape Frontal crash crash test
Frontal crash Video
2017 Ford Escape Side crash crash test
Side crash Video
2017 Ford Escape Side pole crash test
Side pole Video

Fuel economy & emissions

EPA figures for the 2017 Ford Escape, with tailpipe CO₂ and class context.

27

City

39

Hwy

32

Comb

Annual fuel cost
$1,641
Tailpipe CO₂
278 g/mi

How this compares

The EPA holds too few vehicles in this class and model year to rank the 2017 Ford Escape against its peers.

Tailpipe CO₂ is 278 grams per mile — about 4.2 metric tons over 15,000 miles of driving.

Consumer complaints

2,628 owner reports filed with NHTSA.

2,628
Total
39
Crashes
15
Fires
56
Injuries

Most reported components

  • ENGINE2152
  • OTHER101
  • WHEELS/TIRES76
  • ELECTRICAL63
  • STRUCTURE53

Notable Issues

2628 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 56 reports involve injuries. 39 reports involve a crash.

Most reported problems

engine problems (stalling, power loss, warning lights)2152
miscellaneous issues101
tire or wheel problems76

Safety timeline

Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2017 Ford Escape, newest first.

  1. Recall

    Recall 26V374000

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

  2. Recall

    Recall 26V011000

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

  3. Recall

    Recall 22V413000

    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.

  4. Recall

    Recall 16V617000

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

Dates are the NHTSA report-received date for recalls and the ODI open/close date for investigations. Crash-test ratings are not shown here because the source does not provide a reliable publication date for them.

Specifications & ratings

Specifications

Body class
Sedan
Drive type
FWD
Engine
2.5L 4-cyl
Fuel type
Regular Gasoline
Transmission
Automatic
Seats
5

Fuel economy

27

City

39

Hwy

32

Comb

Annual cost
$1,641
Fuel
Regular Gasoline

NHTSA crash ratings

Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover

Explore related

Safety timeline

Full timeline
  1. Recall

    Recall 26V374000

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

  2. Recall

    Recall 26V011000

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

  3. Recall

    Recall 22V413000

    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.

  4. Recall

    Recall 16V617000

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