The 2017 Ford Escape is a small sport utility vehicle 2wd vehicle covered by 6 EPA fuel-economy configurations. In NHTSA's records it has accumulated 2,698 owner complaints and 4 recall campaign(s). Of those complaints, 39 report a crash and 15 report a fire; 38 complaints report injuries totalling 56 injured people, and 0 deaths are recorded across all complaints for this model-year. The single most-reported component is Engine, named in 1,581 complaints (58.6% of the total). The sections below reproduce the underlying records in full: crash-test ratings, every recall campaign with its NHTSA campaign number, complaint counts by component, and EPA fuel-economy figures for each configuration.
NHTSA Safety Ratings
NHTSA tested the 2017 Ford Escape SUV AWD under its 5-Star Safety Ratings program. Ratings run from 1 to 5 stars; "Not rated" means NHTSA did not publish a score for that test for this variant.
| Test | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall rating | ★★★★★ |
| Frontal crash — overall | ★★★★★ |
| Frontal crash — driver | ★★★★★ |
| Frontal crash — passenger | ★★★★☆ |
| Side crash — overall | ★★★★★ |
| Side crash — driver | ★★★★★ |
| Side crash — passenger | ★★★★★ |
| Side pole crash | ★★★★★ |
| Rollover resistance | ★★★★☆ |
NHTSA also rated other 2017 Ford Escape variants: 2017 Ford Escape SUV FWD — 5★ overall. The table above shows the most completely rated variant.
Electronic stability control was fitted as standard equipment on the tested variant, and NHTSA records no safety recall investigation rating adjustments for it.
Recall Campaigns (4)
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaign(s) that include the 2017 Ford Escape. Each campaign below shows the official NHTSA campaign number, the affected component, and the manufacturer's own summary, consequence and remedy statements as published by NHTSA. To check whether a specific vehicle is covered, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.
Campaign 16V617000 — Visibility:power Window Devices and Controls 24/08/2016
Summary: 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.
Campaign 22V413000 — Power Train:automatic Transmission:gear Position Indication (prndl) 10/06/2022
Summary: 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.
Campaign 26V011000 — Equipment:electrical:engine Block Heater 15/01/2026
Summary: 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.
Campaign 26V374000 — Visibility:power Window Devices and Controls 09/06/2026
Summary: 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 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.
Owner Complaints (2,698)
Owners have filed 2,698 complaints about the 2017 Ford Escape with NHTSA. Complaint counts are not sales-adjusted — higher-selling vehicles naturally attract more complaints — but the breakdown by component shows where owners report problems most often.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 1,581 | 58.6% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 509 | 18.9% |
| Power Train | 391 | 14.5% |
| Electrical System | 155 | 5.7% |
| Unknown Or Other | 153 | 5.7% |
| Wheels | 76 | 2.8% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 72 | 2.7% |
| Structure | 62 | 2.3% |
| Service Brakes | 49 | 1.8% |
| Steering | 48 | 1.8% |
| Exterior Lighting | 39 | 1.4% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 31 | 1.1% |
Complaints by Component — Visual
Bar length is proportional to the most-reported component for this model-year (Engine, 1,581 complaints).
By filing year, complaints peaked in 2024 with 710 filings. Owners filed 2,698 complaints in total across 11 calendar years in the database extract. Complaints involving a crash number 39 and those involving a fire number 15; 38 complaints report at least one injury.
EPA Fuel Economy
The EPA classifies the 2017 Ford Escape as a small sport utility vehicle 2wd vehicle and published ratings for 6 configurations (engine, transmission, drive and fuel combinations). Combined fuel economy spans 23–26 MPG; the median configuration returns 21.5 city / 29 highway / 24 combined MPG. Fuel types covered: Regular Gasoline.
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | Fuel | Combined MPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5L 4-cyl | Automatic (S6) | Front-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 24 |
| 1.5L 4-cyl | Automatic (S6) | Front-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 26 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl | Automatic (S6) | Front-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 25 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl | Automatic (S6) | All-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 23 |
| 1.5L 4-cyl | Automatic (S6) | All-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 24 |
Showing the 5 most common configuration groups of 6 EPA configurations.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls and safety ratings databases and EPA FuelEconomy.gov dataset, accessed October 2026. See our methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2017 Ford Escape have?
NHTSA's complaints database held 2,698 complaints for the 2017 Ford Escape when accessed in October 2026. The most-reported component was Engine with 1581 complaints.
How many recalls affect the 2017 Ford Escape?
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaign(s) covering the 2017 Ford Escape in the data accessed in October 2026, including campaign 16V617000 for Visibility:power Window Devices and Controls.
What is the 2017 Ford Escape's safety rating?
NHTSA gave the tested 2017 Ford Escape SUV AWD an overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars, with 5 stars for frontal crash, 5 for side crash and 4 for rollover resistance.
What MPG does the 2017 Ford Escape get?
The EPA rated 6 configurations of the 2017 Ford Escape. Combined fuel economy ranges from 23 to 26 MPG, with a median of 24 MPG (median city 21.5, median highway 29).