Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
The 2017 Ford Escape has 2,698 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the most for its engine at 1,579. Its combined EPA fuel economy is 23 to 26 mpg, with a 5-year fuel cost of $12,490 to $14,120 at U.S. average prices. NHTSA gives it 5 overall stars. Its 4 recall campaigns, which may apply to a given car, cover windows, mirrors and wipers; accessories; transmission and drivetrain; and others.
Written by AI from public EPA and NHTSA data. Not a review.
Fuel economy
23–26 mpgcombined; city 20–23, highway 27–30; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$12,490–$14,120U.S. average; Ohio $11,160–$12,620 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2017 Escape. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 2,698 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017 Escape. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Engine
1,579
7
10
5
Engine and engine cooling
509
1
0
0
Power train
391
5
3
5
Electrical system
156
2
1
4
Unknown or other
153
3
5
4
Wheels
76
0
0
1
Fuel/propulsion system
72
0
0
0
Structure
62
3
0
4
Steering
49
2
0
2
Service brakes
45
2
0
4
Exterior lighting
40
0
0
0
Vehicle speed control
31
6
1
6
21 more parts
Air bags
21
17
1
26
Fuel system, gasoline
21
0
0
0
Seat belts
14
3
0
6
Visibility/wiper
11
0
0
0
Latches/locks/linkages
8
0
0
0
Suspension
8
1
0
1
Electronic stability control (ESC)
7
0
0
1
Tires
6
0
0
0
Back over prevention
5
0
0
0
Equipment
5
0
0
0
Seats
4
0
0
0
Service brakes, hydraulic
4
0
0
0
Visibility
4
0
0
1
Lane departure
3
0
0
0
Carry handle, shell, base
2
0
0
0
Firerelated
2
0
2
0
Other/i am not sure
2
0
0
0
Fuel system, other
1
0
0
0
Hybrid propulsion system
1
0
0
0
Parking brake
1
0
0
0
Traction control system
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2017 Escape over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
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.
Remedy: 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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 249 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2017 Escape, the latest on Apr 29, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: electrical system (97), equipment (69), engine and engine cooling (44), power train (33), engine (24).
NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.
Maintenance
Oil
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2017 Escape.
These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.
Specs
EPA class: small sport utility vehicle. EPA greenhouse gas score: 5–6 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Escape Front-Wheel Drive
1.5 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
23 / 30 / 26
Escape Front-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
22 / 29 / 25
Escape Front-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
21 / 29 / 24
Escape Front-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline or E85
21 / 29 / 24
Escape All-Wheel Drive
1.5 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
22 / 28 / 24
Escape All-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
20 / 27 / 23
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data