2017 Ford Escape electrical problems
156 of the 2,689 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2017 Ford Escape name the electrical system (NHTSA’s “Electrical System” heading — wiring, modules, batteries, charging, infotainment and driver displays — NHTSA's broadest heading). Filed under the same heading: 100 manufacturer bulletins. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.
What owners filed about the electrical system
Source: NHTSA complaint database2 of the 156 reports a crash · 1 a fire · 4 injuries. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2017: 9 · 2018: 10 · 2019: 34 · 2020: 13 · 2021: 8 · 2022: 14 · 2023: 17 · 2024: 16 · 2025: 19 · 2026: 16
Half of the 81 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the electrical problem between 21,000 and 73,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
2,689 complaints in all about the 2017 Ford Escape, 16 filed in 2026. The whole picture, every system →
Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Electrical System” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: Ford Escape electrical problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the electrical system. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
Vehicle went into limp mode with no throttle response the first day I owned it. It left me on interstate I 90 having to shut the car off and try to restart it. The dealer could not fix the problem it happened 4 times in 12k miles I returned the vehicle to the dealer as they could not find the problem after replacing several defective…
As my boyfriend was turning the corner at an intersection, the engine suddenly stopped. He was able to stop due to his low speed. I reminded him to put his foot on the brake to restart, and he did that and it started right up. He didn't do anything to make the engine stop.
The vehicle was parked and would not turn on. Lights and radio worked but engine would not. Electronic control module was replaced. Two weeks after picking it up from the dealer same thing happened when it was parked. Next day the car would turn on. Tried to turn it on again 15 minutes later it would not turn on.
6 months after I leased this car, the rear power window stopped working. During the first 6months, I noticed that when I close the door, the rear windows switch power turns off. I believe there is loose wires in the driver door that causes this problem
As I was getting something out of the trunk area while standing at the center rear bumper, the lift hatch started coming down on its own. It was so quiet I did not hear it, and when I stood up (i'm 5ft 1-77 yr old female, I stood straight up and my head banged into the lid which was on its way down.
What is on file about the electrical system
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications100 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading
- 25H05 S1 OtherApr 29, 2026
- Harvest Program 25H05 – Supplement #1 Certain 2011-2021 Model Year Vehicles Software Verification Harvest Program
- SSM 54601 Service bulletinFeb 24, 2026
- Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory wireless keyless entry keypad systems may or may not come with a wallet card containing the master code. Unlike the integrated wired keypad, the accessory wireless keypad master code cannot be retrieved from the vehicle using a diagnostic scan tool or from the label printed on the body control module (BCM). Th
- TSB 25-2570 Service bulletinNov 26, 2025
- This article supersedes TSB 24-2165 to update the TSB Service Procedure. Some vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit various SYNC performance related concerns including but not limited to: Display operation concerns Navigation inoperative Voice recognition concerns Phone connection issues Dropped phone connections Applink related performance Travel Link not present
The 3 newest are listed; every one is on the model year’s page. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.
Trouble codes named on this system
P051B P0011 P0015 P0016 P0017 P0018 P0019 P0021
Codes a bulletin or an owner’s complaint about the 2017 Ford Escape names on this model year; a code with a record of its own links it.
Other systems with a record on the 2017 Ford Escape
Source: the same files- engine problems 2,082 complaints
- transmission and drivetrain problems 396 complaints
- body and structure problems 62 complaints
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre electrical problems common on the 2017 Ford Escape?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 156 owner complaints naming the electrical system on this model year (6% of everything owners filed about it), and 100 manufacturer bulletins are filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.
Is there a recall for the electrical system on the 2017 Ford Escape?
No recall campaign is filed under this heading for this model year (there are 4 filed under other headings). A bulletin is not a recall: it carries no federal duty to repair for free.
When do electrical problems show up on the 2017 Ford Escape?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 39,000 miles; half of them between 21,000 and 73,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.
What does NHTSA's "Electrical System" heading cover?
Wiring, modules, batteries, charging, infotainment and driver displays — NHTSA's broadest heading. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.