2015 Ford Escape Engine
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
Cabin lost heat November 2025. Brought it in to the local Ford dealership right away and they said replacing replacing the oil cooler hose will probably fix it. Car worked fine for a couple of weeks but the cabin heat tapered off again. Made another appointment with the Ford dealership, but the first available appointment wasn’t until 2/23/26. I tried to drive anywhere as little as possible after this because I live in Fairbanks, AK and it’s commonly -30 this time of the year. Tried to leave work on [XXX] and a warning came up as I started driving away that the engine was overheating and power was reduced to minimize damage. I put my car back in my work parking spot and plugged it in until I could get an appointment at a local mechanic shop. Had the car towed to a local shop 1/6/26 and they inspected it 1/7/26. The report came back saying there was an internal coolant leak and found hydrocarbons in the cooling system. The recommended fix was to replace the entire engine with a quote for $12,000. That is more than I paid for the vehicle and way over the Kelly Blue Book worth. I did some research and found that there is a common coolant leak issue damaging engines of a certain range of Ford vehicles that has not become an official recall yet. I looked at other Ford Escape owner complaints and it looks like my 2015 Escape 1.6L has the same engine defect. I’m afraid if I pay for the engine replacement, this will just happen again. If I don’t pay, I still owe for my lease and will only get pennies to sell it as is for parts. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Service engine warning light came on. When checked, coolant was found to be leaking into cylinder 3 due to the engine block being porous. Service center said they see this a lot in this particular engine.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact pulled over to the side of the road, and after several attempts, the vehicle restarted but continued to stall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Unknown coolant leak. Coolant is being lost somewhere in the engine no visible leaks. Added coolant several times.
Engine began giving white smoke from exhaust at start up. 2 Mechanics have checked it and said it’s a well Known coolant intrusion issue with these ford eco boost engines. High risk of overheating and engine failure (while driving, which is a major safety risk for my family).
Coolant leak has been checked by mechanic to not be due to problems with any hoses or connections within the coolant system. Inspection is available upon request. The issue has caused the coolant level to drop below the minimum coolant level 4 times within 3 months with no warning or visible leaking occurring. This has been a regular occurrence with this vehicle for several months now.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45-50 MPH, the engine was overheating. Upon inspection, the contact noticed that the coolant level was significantly low. The contact added coolant to the coolant reservoir. Additionally, the contact noticed that coolant was leaking onto the ground. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where a coolant line was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the failure had caused collateral damage to the vehicle. The contact stated that the transmission, the serpentine belt, and the pulley were replaced. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
Unknown, got this year model because ford supposedly fixed the head gasket issue in the 2015 model. 70k miles i bought used. Within a month a ton of white smoke started comming out of the exhaust on startup and car if driving for over 25 minutes will shake and shut off until I wait an hour it will start again with the white smoke. Reader says coolent bypass sensor as the only code. I changed it twice and nothing is fixed so I doubt that is it. Probably headgasket like all the other ford escape owners and ford doesn't seem to care.
Vehicle is leaking coolant.
I am having a issue that is not new to ford, my ford escape is having the coolant leak issue, I already have spend more than 2k on it, still engine is over heating, Ford Escape reps and almost all the mechanic know the issue is very known, I hope this issue is addressed.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illumined. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion into the engine, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 64,140.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that upon scanning the vehicle with a vehicle scanner, the contact retrieved diagnostic trouble codes indicating an engine misfire. The contact replaced the ignition coils; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that while replacing the spark plugs, the spark plug thread of cylinder #4 remained stuck in the cylinder head. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the contact was informed that the spark plug thread might be stuck because the cylinder head had melted around the spark plug thread. The mechanic determined that the cylinder head needed to be replaced. The dealer was notified of the failure and recommended the cylinder head replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in an undisclosed recall. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
There appears to be coolant leaking into/into the engine that compromised the seals and created oil leak/burn issues with the engine.
While driving to Las Vegas, I noticed the engine felt unstable and coolant levels were low. After topping off coolant, the car drove normally for the remainder of the trip, but the air conditioning intermittently blew hot air. A mechanic performed diagnostic and pressure tests, but no codes appeared. The issue recurred with repeated coolant loss and stalling sensations. The following day, the vehicle overheated on the freeway and stalled. A mechanic diagnosed a blown head gasket and cracked cylinder head, which cost me $4,500 to repair. Less than a month later, the same issue happened again. This defect creates ongoing safety concerns due to the risk of sudden stalling, overheating, and potential engine fire. I have learned that this issue is widespread in Ford Escape EcoBoost engines, and Ford has not issued a recall or permanent fix.06
On 7/25/25 at about 1pm my son was driving the ford escape 2.0 engine (2015) and it started jerking, stalling while driving. The AC shut off suddenly and the car was overheating. He almost got in a car accident when it suddenly stopped! Turns out it was coolant oil intrusion issue and now requires a new engine 12k
Coolant intrusion
I own a 2015 Ford Escape with an EcoBoost engine. I had to repeatedly refill the coolant but could not find any visible leaks. At one point the engine did overheat. Eventually, I took it to a Ford dealership, where the mechanic inspected the engine and found coolant inside the cylinders. I was told this was a known issue with EcoBoost engines. The engine had to be replaced entirely, and I was forced to pay for the replacement out-of-pocket. This is a major safety concern, especially since it can lead to engine overheating and sudden failure while driving. Ford did not cover the repair even though this appears to be a common defect.
In March 2025 the check engine light came on. Diagnostic showed issue was a misfire for cylinder 3. Mechanic said spark plug in cylinder 3 was seized and he recommended bring the vehicle to a ford dealer. They removed the spark plug and retapped the cylinder outlet. In June 2025 the check engine light came on. Diagnostic showed issue was a misfire in cylinder 3. This time the ford dealer said the issue is a coolant intrusion and I need a new engine. I called the Ford Customer Satisfaction number only to be told my vehicle isn’t part of the recall for the coolant intrusion. They could do nothing to help me.
Engine overheated. Coolant Bypass Valve needs replacement, which is known issue in this model for various years and only one year (2014) was identified for recall, although it has been a common problem for many Ford Escapes model years after 2010. Thermostat assembly, check engine light, and overheating are issues that arose due to the faulty coolant bypass valve. A possible outcome is engine fire, as indicated by information from the manufacturer.
Vehicle threw code for Ignition Coil 1 malfunction, replaced all 4 ignition coils & spark plugs but the car later threw codes for Ignition Coil 1 and 2 malfunction. I observed antifreeze was leaking from the car only while in operation. Lines were replaced and the car was thoroughly checked for leaks. Antifreeze was kept topped off routinely while troubleshooting. Went to start car and it wouldn't start. Had it towed for repairs and received diagnosis that engine overheated due to an internal coolant / antifreeze leak that allows coolant to enter into the cylinders of the engine. This is a known manufacturer's defect that has caused total engine failure and requires replacement of the engine block. Quote to repair the vehicle exceeds the vehicle's value.
The engine in my 2015 Ford Escape failed due to coolant intrusion leading to the long block and coolant system needing to be replaced. The problem was diagnosed by the Ford service technician and Ford service advisor when it was taken in for service after the heating system stopped working, the car started lurching when driven, and then the engine light turned on. If I had not taken my Escape in immediately, it was at risk of catching fire. The coolant had completely emptied into the engine and had corroded a spark plug to the point that it was stuck in the engine.
Overheated due to an internal coolant / antifreeze leak that allows coolant to enter into the cylinders of the engine. This is a known manufacturer's defect that has caused total engine failure and required replacement of the engine block. Mechanic quoted $13,000, more than the value of the car.
Transmission sticks and only will tend to shift once it hits 3 RPM! And jerks
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at high speeds, there was smoke coming from the engine compartment and from the exhaust pipes. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact used a handheld scanner to retrieve DTC: P1299 (Cylinder Head Temperature Sensor Detected Engine Overheating Condition). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 200,000.
Good morning Ford motor corporation headquarters as well as my advisor They are located at AutoNation Ford Torrance California this is with the 2015 escape eco-boost that should be on your lot. Anyway I took your advice and followed your directions and made contact with Ford motor corporation they do have some sort of a file on my situation which is the same as all of the other recalled cars with dangerous and faulty motors and should be part of this recall for Engine replacement or another source of compensation or transportation that I am entitled to for this issue with my representative that I spoke to at Ford Motor Co. Recall acknowledges the situation and Well move ahead with my case But my issue with my defective dangerous faulty engine is no different then the other engines. they are all defective and dangerous and unsafe to the driver and family’s and other motorist on the road as well as the general public and the representative I was speaking with that was handling Or try to start a claim she agreed as well as started to advance my claim or case to a higher source of authority this is a follow up for you from me and Ford motor Corp. At this point I cannot get any more information because I do not have the resources that AutoNation Ford has. in regards to And for numbers and emails and contact information at Ford motor corporation it is supposed to be handled from what I understand between Ford motor corporation and AutoNation Ford dealership where my car is located and has been sitting for 9 months now. I ask you kindly can you please use your sources and communicate with them as well as my self you have better access than I do and please ask ford motor Corporation what is going on as well as any other person that is involved in my case it would be gratefully appreciated thank you in advance you may reach me at my email thank you for your cooperation and your support. Thank you kindly for your assistance. Sincerely Customer.
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Quick Summary
The 2015 Ford Escape has 152 Engine complaints on file. 1 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.