Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2015 Ford Escape owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owned a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, her husband became aware that there was fire coming from under the hood. The fire was three feet high. The contact's husband attempted to extinguish the fire. The Fire Department arrived on scene and extinguished the fire. The vehicle was consumed by the fire. The fire inspector informed the contact that the source of the fire was inconclusive. The contact stated that the fire caused damage to the garage. The contact and husband sustained smoke inhalation. The contact stated that the fire had occurred immediately after the vehicle was parked and the contact's husband had exited the vehicle and entered the residence. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance company. A Police report was filed. …
I have coolant leaking into cylinder 4 of my 1.6L engine. I'm constantly having to refill my coolant tank because the coolant is getting burned up when it leaks into my engine which in turn produces big white clouds of smoke from my exhaust pipe. It is available for inspection. I'm constantly worried for my safety because my car could potentially overheat and lead to a fire if my coolant is going elsewhere other than its designated place. My car has been to numerous mechanics in order to figure out the issue and has recently been confirmed on [redacted] by Dave Knapp Ford located in Greenville, Ohio that there is coolant leaking into cylinder 4. My car has not been inspected by any other higher ups. …
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at 35 MPH, when the accelerator pedal was depressed there was an abnormal sound and the vehicle independently shut down. The check engine warning light was intermittently illuminated. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle stalled. The failures occurred on several different occasions. The "Electrical Malfunction" message was displayed on the instrument panel and the Check Engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that after waiting for an hour, the vehicle restarted. The failure occurred on several different occasions; the infotainment screen had to be reset whenever the failure occurred. The contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle made an abnormal sound whenever the vehicle was in reverse. The Check Engine warning light was illuminated. …
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 contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the temperature gauge began to indicate that the engine was overheating. After a visual inspection of the engine compartment, the driver observed that the coolant reservoir was abnormally low, prompting him to refill the coolant reservoir. The following day the driver observed white smoke coming from the exhaust prompting him to discontinue driving the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who determined that the coolant intrusion had damaged the engine. The contact was informed that the engine and turbocharger needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: 22-2229. …
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, while driving or while reversing from a complete stop, the vehicle made an abnormally loud whining sound. Additionally, the contact stated while accelerating from a complete stop, the vehicle temporarily responded as needed. The contact stated that the vehicle then jerked, lost motive power, and failed to exceed 2-3 MPH. The malfunction warning light and the check engine warning light were illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the message "Passenger Air Bag Off" was displayed while the front passenger's seat was occupied. The contact stated that the failure recurred while her son was test-driving the vehicle. The contact's son was able to check the transmission fluid level and confirmed that no issue was found. The dealer was notified of the failure. …
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with spark plug failure. The contact was informed that the spark plugs needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the cylinder and engine failure. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there was coolant intrusion in cylinder #2 and engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under an unstated recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. …
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the DTC codes indicated that cylinder #1 and #3 were misfiring. The contact stated that a week later while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated with a message to turn off the vehicle displayed. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle operated normally. The following day the failure reoccurred. The vehicle taken to the local service center and coolant was added to the reservoir; however, several hours later the contact discovered that the coolant reservoir was empty. There were no coolant leaks present. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure. …
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, there was a white cloud of exhaust smoke coming from the rear of the vehicle. The contact stated that there was an excessive amount of exhaust odor entering the cabin of the vehicle. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion into cylinder #1, causing an engine misfire. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The mechanic advised the contact to keep the coolant reservoir filled with coolant to prevent complete engine failure until the vehicle was repaired. The mechanic referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 132,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was shaking, and the check engine warning light illuminated. In addition, the fob and the heat did not work as intended. The contact stated that the heater blew out cold air in some vents and heat in others and the key fob would not connect to the vehicle. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated intermittently but eventually went off. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed engine due to a coolant leak and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed of an unknown recall however, the contact was informed that the VIN was not associated with the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 105,530.
Engine complaints in other Escape years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2015 Ford Escape?
NHTSA has 273 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2015 Ford Escape, 24% of the model year's 1,125 complaints. The component named most often is engine › gasoline › turbo/supercharger (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2015 Ford Escape engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2015 Ford Escape, though it has 9 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2015 Ford Escape engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 83,000 miles, and 8% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 10 fires and 7 injuries to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.