2017 Ford Escape · symptom sheet
Battery dies or the car will not start
- 27owner reports
- 57,322median miles
- 0involved a crash
Newest report Apr 15, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
156 of the 2,689 complaints on this car are about the electrical system. 27 of those describe dead battery.
Tick what matches of 27 reports
Dead battery on other Escape years
Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them. Model years with too few reports of it for a sheet: 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024.
What this problem usually is
These owners walk out to a car that's dead. Some find it drained after sitting only a day or two, some need a jump start every week, and some have had the battery replaced more than once without the problem going away. A good number describe the dealer testing the battery, calling it fine, and sending them home.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the battery (21 reports), the alternator (4 reports) and the module (3 reports).
Recalls and investigations
One recall on the electrical system covers the 2017 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.
The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.
All 4 recalls on the 2017 Ford Escape, with the owner complaints on each recalled system
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 30,000 and 70,000 miles, from the 14 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 15 service bulletins or notices for the 2017 Ford Escape that deal with this problem. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
Some 2017-2022 Ford/Lincoln customers may experience a notification in the FordPass®/LincolnWay® app indicating Vehicle Has Entered Deep Sleep Mode.
Some 2017-2022 Ford and Lincoln vehicle owners may experience a condition of missing authorization, command and control, battery charging details or phone-as-a-key setup buttons/selections in their FordPass or LincolnWay App.
Some 2013-2023 Ford or Lincoln vehicles with modems activated through FordPass or LincolnWay may experience 12 volt battery drain symptoms when the customer uses non-Ford/Lincoln phone applications as an alternate channel to access vehicle commands such as ...
Some 2016-2021 Ford or Lincoln vehicles equipped with SYNC 3 or SYNC 4 may exhibit a blank screen or other various SYNC symptoms only when the vehicle is in transport mode.
11 more on the 2017 Ford Escape page.
What owners wrote
“My vehicle started slowing down, check engine light came on, and then the vehicle went into limp mode. The vehicle won't go faster than 10-15 miles per hour. I had the accelerator and sensor replaced, but the vehicle won't start or move. My car is not running and hasn't run for over a year.”
Filed Feb 26, 2026
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 0 of 27 reports involved a crash and 1 people were hurt. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.
File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.
Guide Paid for this repair before a recall covered it? How recall reimbursement works
Other problems on this car
- Engine overheats or leaks coolant 1562 reports
- Check engine light or misfire 1332 reports
- Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing 623 reports
- Engine stalls or loses power while driving 295 reports
- Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard 92 reports
- Transmission fails or needs replacement 88 reports
- Wheel bearing, tires or wheels 82 reports
- Turbo failure or loss of boost 56 reports
- Brakes grind, pulse or wear early 49 reports
- Loses power when accelerating 48 reports
- "Service Transmission" message or wrench light comes on 44 reports
- Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails 38 reports
- Auto start-stop will not restart the engine 30 reports
- Windshield cracks or distorts 27 reports