2017 Ford Escape Power Train

Vehicle transmission failed at 60k miles and again at 146k miles. Had to pay around $4000 each time the transmission broke. This is a nightmare and these vehicles have constant transmission problems that are expensive and cause heartache. I have spent so much money on towing, dealership diagnostics, and drain and fills/flushes for the transmission to keep the fluid clean. The fluid gets dark and dirty so quick and smells burnt so quickly. The manufacturer (Ford) are a bunch of crooks. They tell you the transmission fluid lasts over 100,000 miles but that's a lie! I have 146k miles and have already had two transmission failures with the 6F35! This is terrible. They need to be held accountable or they will keep ruining peoples lives.

In January 2025, my 2017 Ford Escape experienced a sudden and unexpected transmission failure at approximately 69,500 miles while the vehicle was in operation. The failure occurred without warning and resulted in an immediate loss of propulsion, making it impossible to accelerate or maintain speed in active traffic. This created a dangerous situation and nearly caused a collision with surrounding vehicles before I was able to pull over. The vehicle became completely undrivable following the failure. Sudden loss of propulsion presents a serious safety hazard, particularly in high-speed or congested roadway conditions. Multiple other owners have reported similar sudden transmission failures in 2017 Ford Escape vehicles, including loss of acceleration, stalling, and unexpected breakdowns at relatively low mileage, often requiring full transmission replacement. These repeated incidents demonstrate a recurring safety-related defect that poses a significant risk to public safety and warrants further investigation.

1. Transmission failure, it is available for inspection up until time of repair. 2. The vehicle lost power while driving, had incidents of jerking forward without warning, and shifter would get stuck. 3. Yes, independent service center. 4. Yes, when the incident occurred (Transmission Fault Service Now) P0301-00 Cylinder 1 Misfire Detected P0316-00 Misfire Detected on Startup P059F-00 Active Grille Air Shutter A Performance/Stuck Off P0729-00 Gear 6 Incorrect Ratio P2702-00 Gear 5 Incorrect Ratio

When driving the car suddenly stopped and made a loud clunk noise. Unable to get car to move when pressing gas petal. I had to call Police to get car out of busy road. Had car towed to Dorian Ford (where car was purchased) . Car was inspected to investigate problem. Was told "luck of the draw "that the transmission failed. Car has always been services at Dorian Ford with recommended maintenance and oil changes completed. This resulted in Dorian saying transmission had to be replaced at the cost of $7238.22. The car only had 82,608 miles on it.

Coolant leakage, intrusion into the engine block. This is a KNOWN issue by Ford. They have issued technical service bulletins to address it (attached), but those programs were only offered for a limited time and are expired, even though they know the issue exists. Also, owners were not notified of this because it wasn't an official recall.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that soon after the engine was replaced by the dealer under warranty, the vehicle started to hesitate and jerk while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The failure worsened, and the contact initially called the dealer and was provided an estimate for a diagnostic test. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic, where the vehicle was diagnosed with transmission failure, and the contact was provided with estimates to replace the transmission. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall. The contact was then referred to the NHTSA for additional assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 3,000.

Transmission just stopped in the middle of me turning at a red light to get off the road. No lights. No warnings. Apparently that’s normal according to a Ford repair person. I was almost killed. Car wasn’t parked when in park. Car jumped and engine revved when on the brake. Car wouldn’t reverse. Ford says it’s not a recall, but it sure wasn’t anything I did. The car has 70k miles and has been babied. This needs to be fixed because they’re not doing a thing.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling, the vehicle vibrated and jerked. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the torque converter and the pump for the torque converter had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 111,500.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle independently downshifted and decelerated while the accelerator pedal was depressed. No warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the road and hitchhiked to her destination. In addition, while the vehicle was being lifted to be towed, a transmission fluid leak was noticed coming from underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to a local independent mechanic, where the transmission was replaced; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the same independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 230,000.

2017 ford escape titanium needed a rebuilt transmission due to it slipping gears while driving. slipping would occur between 1000-2000 RPM at speeds between 40-60 MPH. this problem caused my car to have to get towed to a dealership to have fixed because my car would not accelerate.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH and while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated while responding. The powertrain malfunction warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over to the right of the road and left the vehicle unoccupied for several days. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer transferred the contact to NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000.

Please reference the following vehicle and review the two attached documents which are all listed below: 2017 Ford Escape Black Style: SE 4dr SUV AWD (1.5L 4 cyl. Turbo 6A) VIN: [XXX] Style: SE Sport Utility 4D Engine: 4-Cyl, EcoBoost, 2.0T Transmission: Auto, 6-Spd w/SelShft Drivetrain: 4WD Documents: 1.CedarCity.7.10.23.pdf; and 2.SunsetTransmission.8.12.25. On [XXX], we purchased the captioned 2017 Ford Escape VIN: [XXX] from Sunset Ford on with 73,912 miles on the odometer. In the subsequent 3.5 years, the car has been driven primarily on flat roads in St. Louis and Los Angeles and has had regular oil changes and maintenance. On Monday, [XXX], the Escape’s transmission began grinding and broke down near Cedar City Utah. It was subsequently towed to Cedar City Auto Repair & Maintenance where with only 99,436 miles on the odometer, it was diagnosed with a broken fly wheel and Ring Gear Assembly and subsequently repaired for $1,908.70 (Please review 1.JPEG, 2.JPEG, 3.JPEG, 4.JPEG & CedarCity.7.10.23.pdf.) The Escape performed adequately for the next 26 months. However, on Sunday, [XXX], the transmission began grinding again after only an additional 21,000 miles. It was towed to SUNSET TRANSMISSION on 8/12/25, where it was determined the Escape needed a new torque converter, a full transmission rebuild and a new transmission rebuilding kit, despite having only 121,361 miles on the odometer. These repairs cost $3,742.05. (Please review SunsetTransmission.8.12.25.pdf.) As you know, manufacturing quality has been an issue for 2017 Ford Escape’s. The NTSB has previously issued recalls relating to the Transmission Shifter Cable Bushing. In the last two years, we have spent $5,650.75 on our Escape with only 121,361 miles on it. This is unacceptable and we should be entitled to compensation for Ford’s shoddy manufacturing. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Please reference the NTSB tracking # 11683952 and review the two attached documents which are all listed below: 2017 Ford Escape Black Style: SE 4dr SUV AWD (1.5L 4 cyl. Turbo 6A) VIN: [XXX] Style: SE Sport Utility 4D Engine: 4-Cyl, EcoBoost, 2.0T Transmission: Auto, 6-Spd w/SelShft Drivetrain: 4WD Documents: 1.CedarCity.7.10.23.pdf; and 2.SunsetTransmission.8.12.25. On [XXX], we purchased the captioned 2017 Ford Escape VIN: [XXX] from Sunset Ford on with 73,912 miles on the odometer. In the subsequent 3.5 years, the car has been driven primarily on flat roads in St. Louis and Los Angeles and has had regular oil changes and maintenance. On Monday, [XXX], the Escape’s transmission began grinding and broke down near Cedar City Utah. It was subsequently towed to Cedar City Auto Repair & Maintenance where with only 99,436 miles on the odometer, it was diagnosed with a broken fly wheel and Ring Gear Assembly and subsequently repaired for $1,908.70 (Please review 1.JPEG, 2.JPEG, 3.JPEG, 4.JPEG & CedarCity.7.10.23.pdf.) The Escape performed adequately for the next 26 months. However, on Sunday, [XXX], the transmission began grinding again after only an additional 21,000 miles. It was towed to SUNSET TRANSMISSION on 8/12/25, where it was determined the Escape needed a new torque converter, a full transmission rebuild and a new transmission rebuilding kit, despite having only 121,361 miles on the odometer. These repairs cost $3,742.05. (Please review SunsetTransmission.8.12.25.pdf.) As you know, manufacturing quality has been an issue for 2017 Ford Escape’s. The NTSB has previously issued recalls relating to the Transmission Shifter Cable Bushing. In the last two years, we have spent $5,650.75 on our Escape with only 121,361 miles on it. This is unacceptable and we should be entitled to compensation for Ford’s shoddy manufacturing. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

While driving the shifting became sluggish and the vehicle would surge/catch when shifting then while driving home the Escape just quickly slowed and stopped on a busy road. We could not get it to go forward, so we shifted to reverse in traffic to get the car off to the side of the road. The car was towed to a local shop who let us know the transmission had failed. The fluid was burnt/black even though it was replaced prior to the 150K mile service interval. The vehicle is currently in the shop and available for inspection. We were potentially in danger while driving when the car simple stopped moving forward on a busy road. The mechanic confirmed the transmission will work partially at normal temp, but slips/stops when warm. There were no warning lights or codes from the ODB port.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to shift properly and lurched forward while attempting to change gear. There was no warning light initially illuminated. Additionally, while the contact’s son attempted to drive the vehicle, the vehicle failed to move forward and rolled backwards with the powertrain warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 68,693.

Transmission failed rapidly like many other vehicles with 6f35 transmissions. Sometimes the car goes forward in reverse, sometimes the car goes backward in drive. Car loses the transfer of engine power to the transmission randomly, and also comes back randomly. The car behaves erratically and incredibly dangerously, making it impossible to drive. This is an incredibly common issue with the transmission and ford will not repair it for a reasonable price. The market rate for used cars with this transmission reflects the public's knowledge of this dangerous issue.

Automatic transmission failure burnt smell started coming from the engine compartment but didn't see anything because the engine air filter was on the way but after removing it there was a leak coming from the top of the transmission vehicle only has 129,598 miles and I was in the highway when I notice vehicle deaccelarating and had to pull over almost cause a. Accident because I was in the middle lane Problem has not been addressed by dealer or independent service center No inspection done to the vehicle yet No warning lights until too late which is burnt transmission fluid and transmission in top of transmission

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon attempting to accelerate from a stoplight, the transmission failed to shift into gear, and the contact was forced to pull over onto the side of the road. There were no warning lights illuminated; however, the message "Transmission Fault - Please see Service Center" was displayed. The vehicle was towed to a local independent mechanic to be diagnosed and the contact was informed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be rebuilt or replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 170,000.

My 2017 Ford Escape has been exhibiting recurring transmission and torque converter-related issues, especially during low-speed driving. The vehicle frequently hesitates when accelerating and experiences sudden reductions in power, creating unsafe driving conditions in traffic and on inclines. These symptoms often occur below 40 MPH and are accompanied by a noticeable shudder and jerking sensation. Despite regular maintenance, the drivability continues to deteriorate, resembling the widespread problems other owners have reported. I am submitting this complaint in hopes that Ford will acknowledge and address this serious mechanical defect.

Transmission total catastrophic Internal failure. Parts of the transmission broke loose internally and came out the side of the bellhousing. Total replacement cost is over $5000 and parts are unavailable due to frequency of issues with these transmissions.

The contact's husband owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated and lost motive power while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed with transmission failure. The transmission was replaced under warranty by the dealer. The contact stated that recently the failure recurred with an abnormal cranking sound coming from the vehicle. The contact was unaware of any warning lights being illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed with a defective flywheel and transmission. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle was no longer under warranty. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 62,798.

The contact's daughter owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle began to jerk and hesitate while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to the dealer and the contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. An independent mechanic inspected the vehicle, and the contact was provided the same information as the dealer, with an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided the contact with a case number. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.

A known issue with these ford escape, the torque converter and transmission system is failing. The torque converter started shedding metal flakes into the transmission and now making the transmission system not work properly.

I took my 2017 Ford Escape to the dealer for a check engine light (code P1450) that was due to an evaporative emissions problem. While checking for this issue, they found that there was coolant incursion into the combustion chamber of one of the cylinders. It is interesting that they checked for this problem while diagnosing an evaporative emissions issue. They told me the only repair is to replace the long block for $10,500. The head gasket failed due to a poor engine casting design. This is a problem that has affected thousands of Ford 2.0L turbo engines in multiple Ford products. Given the widespread nature of this issue, this seems like it should be a recall. The car is in my garage since it cannot be driven and is available for any third party inspections.

2017 Ford Escape, have had less than 1 year. Transmission failure. Stopped at traffic light, would not move forward when pressed gas pedal. After a few seconds it jerked hard and went into gear. I was able to get to a parking lot out of traffic. Had vehicle towed to Ford dealership where they ran diagnostics and said there was a torque conversion failure which allowed sludge to get into transmission. Transmission would need to be replaced. There were no warning lamps or messages prior to failure. Quoted $9500 to repair. Asked if Ford would compensate since there were so many recalls and law suits; they stated no.