[wiz043]

Yes - we initiated the calls with Ford Customer Support and they referred us on to Ford Corporate.

I don't know whether these guys can help at all..

Car Complaints | USAGov

Find out what to do when you want to complain about a defective car.

www.usa.gov

 

[2019escape]

I don't know whether these guys can help at all..

Car Complaints | USAGov

Find out what to do when you want to complain about a defective car.

www.usa.gov

Possibly? we're 2 weeks outside of our states lemon laws, but under the mileage. Already chatting with an attorney to see if there's any chance of legal recourse or if we're just SOL.

 

[PacificMustang01]

Very interesting post. Add my name to the list, but with a twist.

I purchased my 2018 SEL 1.5 L back in December 2020. It was a lease turn in and only had 14k on the clock. Great shape car for a great deal. Nothing major noted in CarFax or anything from the dealer. Fast forward to yesterday when I took the car into my local Ford dealer (different dealer from where I purchased) for an oil change. While waiting to check out I got a glimpse of the OASIS report and low and behold, this beautiful, perfectly conditioned car I just purchased has had the short block replaced for this very issue! The replacement was done end of Nov right before I got it so I assume it was done right after lease was turned in. I'm so torn for a few reasons:

I'm glad that if the original engine had the defect that it was found and fixed before I had to deal with it. But, I'm a little miffed this wasn't disclosed to me. I get they are not obligated to disclose warranty work that has been done, as the shop guy said most of that stuff is very minor. However, this seems like a pretty major item that should have been disclosed.

Does anyone have any insight on the repeat rate of this issue after the fix? I have read this and numerous other forums and it seems like some early repairs had to be repeated. However, I also know that at some point the block was re-designed. And, with the fix on my car so recent I'm pretty sure I would have the re-designed block. I have an image of the sticker on the new engine, but can't decipher it to figure out the build date. The 1.5 stickers are not as easy as the 2.0 to figure out.

I've been driving Fords all my life. My other fun car is a pristine 2013 Mustang convertible that is like new. I love the Escape a lot too. But, this just really pisses me off. I look forward to anyone's thoughts or answers to my questions. Thanks all!

 

[hlh1]

I would also be miffed, but if your Escape came with a warranty I would enjoy it.

 

[MGB-LE Guy]

I would suspect that you probably received the modified short block since your replacement was completed Nov 2020. Look at TSB's 19-2375 & 19-2139 for additional information. I haven't heard any comments of issues with the replacement modified block. What ticks me off is that the 1.5L I4 was introduced to eliminate a very similar type condition noted in the 1.6L I4 and here we are, same old - same old. Good luck!

 

[PacificMustang01]

Thanks, as I am pretty miffed. It does have some warranty left. I still have ~1.5 yr on the 5/60 powertrain. No way am I hitting the miles these days, it is the time that worries me. This whole Ford engineering mess-up just really sucks. This generation of the Escape is such a great vehicle! And to have such a terrible and repeated (1.6, 1.5, 2.0...) defect really makes me question sticking with these cars.

Even if the new block holds, kind of being side swiped with a (very new/used) vehicle that has had basically a total engine rebuild, and no way to know how good the fix will be is not a good place to be in. I was really hoping I would buy this and drive it till it dies at 150-200+k. But, now I am not so sure. It really makes me question Ford and what vehicle I will get moving forward...or even how long I will keep this one. Heck, with the crazy car prices I can sell this now for more than I paid for it and walk away with a few grand. Too bad I do enjoy this car so much. Tough choices.

I do just keep telling myself that there are lots of Escapes on the road that don't get the problem, and hopefully the re-design does its job and this girl will be in my stable for years to come. Time will tell I guess.

On a side note, I was on a business trip last week and my rental was a 2020 SEL escape with the 3 cylinder engine (I'm mostly sure that was the powerplant). In my opinion the 3G generation is much better interior, and also a much better drive. That 3 cylinder had the most awful shake/shimmy on acceleration and around turns and as a passenger (my co-worker was driving) it was a terrible ride. He said it wasn't much fun to drive, and he is a former Escape owner too. I was not impress at all with that 2020 model. I say this as a scientist and am really trying to eliminate my bias having a 2018. If that is truly the direction Ford is taking the Escape, I don't have much faith anymore.

 

[MGB-LE Guy]

I bought mine new in Aug. 2019. I thought I did due diligence at that time in researching the 1.5L I4 and really didn't find any noted problems with this engine other than being the replacement for the infamous 1.6L I4. Fast forward to present day and I read about all these coolant intrusion issues due to a poor block design. I am hoping that my vehicle being built in June 2019 has the newer modified block Since TSB 19-2375 states Escapes built on or before 4-8-19 may exhibit low coolant level & Subsequent misfire codes. Being retired I don't drive it daily and only have 9500 mi on the clock so... only time will tell. They don't make them like they used to. (former proud owner of a 66 & A 67 Ford Mustang eons ago).

 

[claudianr]

Hi all,

My 2017 1.5 has had the check engine like come on sporadically over the past 2 years, the code was P051B but otherwise ran fine until about a month ago when it started running rough/sputtering/shaking for the first few minutes when I started it in the morning and any time after leaving it for a while. Just took it in to Ford yesterday and was told today that the engine is failing. I bought it brand new and now I’m at 82k miles. I can’t believe an engine would fail at so few miles or that so many others are also having this issue. It’s highly unlikely that I’ll ever buy a Ford again and I’d trade in yours if you have one.
I’ll keep this updated as the repair continues.

 

[wiz043]

Hi all,

My 2017 1.5 has had the check engine like come on sporadically over the past 2 years, the code was P051B but otherwise ran fine until about a month ago when it started running rough/sputtering/shaking for the first few minutes when I started it in the morning and any time after leaving it for a while. Just took it in to Ford yesterday and was told today that the engine is failing. I bought it brand new and now I’m at 82k miles. I can’t believe an engine would fail at so few miles or that so many others are also having this issue. It’s highly unlikely that I’ll ever buy a Ford again and I’d trade in yours if you have one.
I’ll keep this updated as the repair continues.

Maybe your dealer does not know what he is talking about. It could be many things and could be a simple fix involving an oil change and replacement sensor.

I can understand your frustration but don't give up on your Ford yet. Most of us here have few problems.

P051B Code – What Does It Mean & How To Fix It - OBD2PROS

This is a generic powertrain diagnostic trouble code (DTC) that typically comes up on OBD-II vehicles.

obd2pros.com

 

[murcod]

My 2017 1.5 has had the check engine like come on sporadically over the past 2 years, the code was P051B but otherwise ran fine until about a month ago when it started running rough/sputtering/shaking for the first few minutes when I started it in the morning and any time after leaving it for a while. Just took it in to Ford yesterday and was told today that the engine is failing.

Welcome to the forum @claudianr . I moved your post into the 1.5l EcoBoost engine replacement thread.

Have you noticed the coolant level dropping? That's the usual fault with the 4 cylinder 1.5l EcoBoost engine that leads to a rebuild.

This may also be of interest: Ford Ecoboost engines class action lawsuit

 

[2019escape]

Followup on this one...

We picked the Escape up yesterday from the dealership. According to the warranty repair invoice, they swapped the short block out, broke off a spark plug in the cylinder head while investigating while it was still misfiring after the block swap (who does an engine rebuild without inspecting/replacing spark plugs?!) and then replaced the cylinder head. The dealership was unapologetic and couldn't explain how this did or didn't affect our warranty. We were without the SUV or a rental throughout the entire affair.

The Ford dealership gave us a lowball trade in after we picked it up. We promptly sold it to another dealership for 10% more 15 minutes later. Good riddance.

We'll not be owning a Ford ever again; this was a terrible experience. We bought this new SUV 2 years ago so we wouldn't have to deal with mechanical failures for a good while and we'd be covered if one occurred. Ford reluctantly repaired this issue under warranty, but we were still without a vehicle for over 3 weeks. I'm not sure what we paid for; I've had better experiences with less trouble buying used cars on the private market. Buyer beware!

Ford corporate was far more rude and only marginally less helpful that our local Ford dealership.

I figured I'd jump in on this thread instead of starting a new one. Mods please move it this is the wrong spot.

My wife and I bought a brand new 2019 Ford Escape SE with the 1.5L engine in June of 2019. Fast forward to now, about 2 years and 23000 miles later...

4 days ago, a check engine light came on. We'd noted that for a couple weeks at most a new thing was happening - when it was started first thing in the morning, it would rattle like it was running on 2 or 3 cylinders for about 30 seconds, then go back to normal and behave the rest of the day. The first few times it happened my wife would call me out, and by the time I walked into the garage it would be idling normally. It was also intermittent in doing it; it didn't happen every day. So once the check engine light lit up we immediately took it to the Ford dealer the next day to get it checked out.

We dropped it off and were told that no loaner cars were available due to COVID shortages - we should call Ford Corporate and they might comp a rental car.

Two days later, they call to tell us that we've got a P0304 code (4th cylinder misfire?) and would probably need a full engine replacement. They'd send it to the engine group to evaluate. Next day (today), they call us to tell us that it will indeed need a new engine. No ETA on parts, not even a guess, and they can't give a loaner. We've called Ford Corporate repeatedly, and got varying answers about a covered rental ranging from 'no' to '$35/day for 10 days' as the best answer. When Ford Corporate did bother to answer the phone, the most polite way to refer to their behavior was 'rude'.

So, we're sitting here with no car, no loaner, no rental, and no ETA on when the problem will be resolved. To say that we are disappointed would be an understatement. This is shaping up to be our first and last Ford experience.

I'll give updates to this thread as things progress, but it appears we're having the same problem many folks here have described with a defect in these engines. I began researching it once we got the call that we'd need a full engine replacement with less than 24k miles on a brand new vehicle and found this thread and others. I'm a long time car enthusiast/hobby racer, and entire reason we bought a new car was so that we wouldn't have to deal with major problems for 100k miles hopefully, at least. Little did we know.

 

[SymChris]

Hi all,

My 2017 1.5 has had the check engine like come on sporadically over the past 2 years, the code was P051B but otherwise ran fine until about a month ago when it started running rough/sputtering/shaking for the first few minutes when I started it in the morning and any time after leaving it for a while. Just took it in to Ford yesterday and was told today that the engine is failing. I bought it brand new and now I’m at 82k miles. I can’t believe an engine would fail at so few miles or that so many others are also having this issue. It’s highly unlikely that I’ll ever buy a Ford again and I’d trade in yours if you have one.
I’ll keep this updated as the repair continues.

You let a “sporadic” check engine light go on for two years and you want to complain afterwards? The vehicle did it’s job trying to tell you something was amiss, but you failed to be responsible for it.

 

[ralph7up]

I would suspect that you probably received the modified short block since your replacement was completed Nov 2020. Look at TSB's 19-2375 & 19-2139 for additional information. I haven't heard any comments of issues with the replacement modified block. What ticks me off is that the 1.5L I4 was introduced to eliminate a very similar type condition noted in the 1.6L I4 and here we are, same old - same old. Good luck!

The 1.5 was not introduced because of the failure of the 1.6 but rather to meet the displacement requirements of imports to the China market and perhaps other foreign countries. It is an open deck design block just like it’s predecessor.

 

[Hanniere]

I'm joining the new-engine club in couple of days. Noticed the coolant loss a few months ago, they've replaced the water pump in October 2020 and now they will replace the engine with 70k km after they found coolant on cylinder 3. I've seen you guys posting about the TSB-19-2375 but they have a new one it seems TSB 20-2100. In another forum I saw someone that got the engine replaced 1 year ago and the problem came back in December after 10k miles, I wonder what happened, if the new engine design doesn't quite work. That's really concerning.

Just an update on my ford escape. They ended up replacing the short block only. I noticed that after the short block was replaced, the engine started sounding like a diesel one when it's warm and idling, took it there and they didn't find anything wrong with it. I know how the injectors sound looks like and its not that, it's a knocking sound coming from the bottom it seems.

During the first oil change 3 weeks ago they noticed oil leak from the vacuum pump and the reservoir empty. They found coolant in one of the cylinders again and gave me a loaner (ironically another Ford Escape). One week ago the service advisor said they would replace the head gasket this time. I called today (10/09/2021) and they said my service advisor will be back on Tuesday and I should wait for him, so I'm in the dark. Sadly I don't trust Ford anymore neither this vehicle which I'll get rid of right after I get it back.

 

[MGB-LE Guy]

I don't blame you, for unloading it. Its a shame today they can place all kinds of electronic Gizmos in Vehicles but have designed Engines to premature failure by trying to squeeze all the HP they can with smaller displacement, weak block designs and ramming air down the throats of these engines. In my younger days I had two 1960's small block Mustangs that I used to beat the Crap out of. With Well designed engines, Cast iron 4 speed, The most I ever destroyed was a clutch/ pressure plate... My fault of course. I now have 10.5K on the clock of my Escape I watch it constantly. When it gives up the ghost I just hope I am not stranded hundreds of miles from home. I wish you good luck

 

[zhilton]

I've got a 106k mile 2018 that is showing all the signs of a cracked liner...frequent misfires in cylinder #4 and coolant loss with no visible leak. I'm trying to weigh my options here. Local (Tulsa, OK area) dealership is saying $6,000 for a long block. Not a fan of dropping that many Washingtons into a vehicle this young...age wise. What is the concenous of the replacement long blocks? It's an improvement? Just a band-aid, the problem is going to return? I don't want to trade it off...we like this Escape, but if the long block is going to do the same thing in a couple of years I would rather get rid of it before I dropped that kind of money into it.

 

[ralph7up]

I've got a 106k mile 2018 that is showing all the signs of a cracked liner...frequent misfires in cylinder #4 and coolant loss with visible leak. I'm trying to weigh my options here. Local (Tulsa, OK area) dealership is saying $6,000 for a long block. Not a fan of dropping that many Washingtons into a vehicle this young...age wise. What is the concenous of the replacement long blocks? It's an improvement? Just a band-aid, the problem is going to return? I don't want to trade it off...we like this Escape, but if the long block is going to do the same thing in a couple of years I would rather get rid of it before I dropped that kind of money into it.

I have a 2016 and 2018. Having said that I have some fear on my 2018 as it has the “open deck” block design. The 2016 has closed deck. I do have good warranty and extended warranty. So IMHO the key is what warranty you will get on the new engine and how comfortable you are with that.

 

[MGB-LE Guy]

I would imagine you're in a catch 22 with a vehicle that new with that high of mileage. Ford should give you the 60K minimum mile base warranty since you are virtually getting a complete new engine with the long block if you opt to get a new engine. Value of the car with a bad engine is tanked. While with a new engine would probably in the upper teens. The block was modified on the 1.5L I4 in the spring of 2019 to eliminate a slit cast between the cylinders which is supposed to be the Achilles heel of this design. From what I have read really do not know if this has cured the problem with blown head gaskets & coolant intrusion into the cylinders. If you really like the ride, Ford offers a good warranty, you may want to go with it if the vehicle otherwise is in excellent shape. Whatever you do I would not put a Used Engine in this car.

 

[zhilton]

I would imagine you're in a catch 22 with a vehicle that new with that high of mileage. Ford should give you the 60K minimum mile base warranty since you are virtually getting a complete new engine with the long block if you opt to get a new engine. Value of the car with a bad engine is tanked. While with a new engine would probably in the upper teens

As sad as this sounds...we don't own yard ornaments in this household; the the 2012 Focus has 236k (bought new) and the 2004 F250 has 251k. Trading it with a new engine would still leave us financially in a hole, so to speak. Either way, it looks like I'm going to take it on the nose...dump money into a new long block; or loose it on a trade in. Dang it.

The block was modified on the 1.5L I4 in the spring of 2019 to eliminate a slit cast between the cylinders which is supposed to be the Achilles heel of this design. From what I have read really do not know if this has cured the problem with blown head gaskets & coolant intrusion into the cylinders. If you really like the ride, Ford offers a good warranty, you may want to go with it if the vehicle otherwise is in excellent shape. Whatever you do I would not put a Used Engine in this car.

It is in excellent shape, coming up on time to replace the 2nd set of tires (wearing down) but other than that...I would take off cross country with it now; if it wasn't consuming coolant. The service writer claimed they warranty the engine for 3 years...unlimited mileage. I chuckled a bit at that...we do 25-30 thousand miles a year on two of our Fords; if Diesel wasn't so dang expensive...I'd park the Focus and drive the truck; but I digress. My wife would rather trade for another new car; I would rather fix it and pay it off. But if the problem is still there with a new long block...............

 

[SRWillis]

We bought our 2017 used 2 1/2 years ago as a Certified Pre-owned w/less than 28K on the clock. It now has 45.5K on it. It has used excessive oil (~2 qts between changes) ever since we've had it. I found this forum and thread about a month ago while searching after I noticed a pinging-like sound when accelerating to merge into traffic on the freeway, and noticing a strange smell. I had previously been behind my wife, once again merging into freeway traffic, and noticed it smoking. I just figured it was because she usually just does around town driving, but then when it happened not long afterwards...

I noticed the coolant level was down a bit, so I marked the level with a Sharpie. It went down about 3/8" since, so I've got an appointment to take it in next week. I told the guy at the dealership I know Ford has a problem with these engines and he knew what I was referring to, and he said they would check it out and go from there.