[Mike W.]

Welcome to the forum.


Does that mean you'll effectively be getting "short changed" on your drive train warranty- isn't it 5 yrs in the US?

I surely hope that is not the case on the warranty. That would mean my 2019 Escape that had the Engine replaced at 9,000 miles would lose a lot of warranty. It does not seem that would be legal, but it will be interesting to see what they say. The dealership never said anything to me about the coverage on the replacement.

I also was afraid that this issue would plague Fusion owners too. I guess being the engine is shared you would expect it.

 

[Mike W.]

Recently had the 19b37 performed. Showing a drop of about 3/8" in coolant between oil changes before that. So far they've given me the "no codes showing yet...keep an eye on it". 14,000 miles on a 2019 SE with 1.5.

Machinehead72 ,

I hope you get lucky and don’t encounter the issue. Maybe the 19b37 recall will prevent the issue. My Daughter has the same year, model, and engine I do and so far she does not have the issue. She has around 11,000 miles on her Escape. As soon as I found out about my Escape I insisted that my Daughters car be tested for the issue. A pressure test was performed and her Escape was fine. The pressure test was performed when the 19b37 recall was being performed.

If something comes up with my Daughters Escape I will let everyone know. If it does that will mean the Internal recall did not take care of the issue.

 

[Hit Dawg]

2019 Ford Escape 1.5L Ecoboost engine. Purchased April 2019. Has 30k miles (95% highway). Just learned engine needs replacing due to coolant leak. Here is the symptoms history:

• Almost immediately after purchasing the vehicle I would hear a "gurgling" sound coming from the engine when I came to a stop and had the radio off. I did a Google search and actually found many posts saying this was normal so I thought nothing of it
• January 2020 I received notice to bring my vehicle in for the PCM reprograming. (Note: It took the technician less than 5 minutes to do this)
• Within a day of this PCM reprogramming I had my first Check Engine light show up in the tach display area. The error code was something like P0301- misfire in #1.
• This CEL disappeared after only a few miles after restarting the car
• The CEL would appear about once a week and then disappear. As time went on it became more frequent.
• About one week ago I began to get a Check Engine message in the center info display console regarding the powertrain. Again, this message would appear and disappear.
• In the middle of all of these messages I did notice that sometimes, after first starting the car, it seemed like it was about to stall when I first placed it in reverse.
• Finally, I was sitting in the car waiting for a store to open for about 20 minutes and noticed that I was not getting any heat in the cabin. And I mean no heat. When put the car in gear and drove I got all the heat I needed. Upon doing a Google search this is a well known warning sign of the coolant leak issue.

- Note: I never received any error messages warning of low coolant level!

Because I travel so much I finally had a chance to bring the car into the dealer. A few hours later I was told I needed a new engine due to the coolant leak issue. The dealership told me I had almost no coolant left in the system. I am going to notify the NHTSA. I also would think Class Action law firms would be interested in this issue. I would really like to know more from Marine1 about how he obtained the Premium Maint Plan and also more about the Buy Back program.

 

[MrLS6]

We had the engine replaced in our '18 1.5 SE at 16000 miles back on July of '19. Took them 32 days to get enough parts there to replace the short block. Glad this little POS is a lease, I wouldn't give ford a grand for it. Took them 10 months and 4 BCM's to make the Ford accessory remote start work. Now the radio is randomly resetting like you unhooked the battery... First and last ford for us.

 

[Mike W.]

2019 Ford Escape 1.5L Ecoboost engine. Purchased April 2019. Has 30k miles (95% highway). Just learned engine needs replacing due to coolant leak. Here is the symptoms history:

• Almost immediately after purchasing the vehicle I would hear a "gurgling" sound coming from the engine when I came to a stop and had the radio off. I did a Google search and actually found many posts saying this was normal so I thought nothing of it
• January 2020 I received notice to bring my vehicle in for the PCM reprograming. (Note: It took the technician less than 5 minutes to do this)
• Within a day of this PCM reprogramming I had my first Check Engine light show up in the tach display area. The error code was something like P0301- misfire in #1.
• This CEL disappeared after only a few miles after restarting the car
• The CEL would appear about once a week and then disappear. As time went on it became more frequent.
• About one week ago I began to get a Check Engine message in the center info display console regarding the powertrain. Again, this message would appear and disappear.
• In the middle of all of these messages I did notice that sometimes, after first starting the car, it seemed like it was about to stall when I first placed it in reverse.
• Finally, I was sitting in the car waiting for a store to open for about 20 minutes and noticed that I was not getting any heat in the cabin. And I mean no heat. When put the car in gear and drove I got all the heat I needed. Upon doing a Google search this is a well known warning sign of the coolant leak issue.

- Note: I never received any error messages warning of low coolant level!

Because I travel so much I finally had a chance to bring the car into the dealer. A few hours later I was told I needed a new engine due to the coolant leak issue. The dealership told me I had almost no coolant left in the system. I am going to notify the NHTSA. I also would think Class Action law firms would be interested in this issue. I would really like to know more from Marine1 about how he obtained the Premium Maint Plan and also more about the Buy Back program.

Hello HitDawg,

I’m glad you are reporting this to NHTSA. This is a huge problem that impacts a lot of customers. I was kind of surprised how up front the dealership I dealt with was about how many engines they have replaced. The service representatives, mechanics, and sales staff all were very up front about how prevalent this issue is. In fact I was told over the summer they were months back logged in fixing customer vehicles. My car failed when the were not back logged. I mentioned in a previous response they had my car 12 days. Two of those days were weekend and the car was not touched on those days. The service representative said the mechanics are getting real good at replacing the engine, they have had plenty of practice. That was really disheartening to hear for me. I have always supported and backed Ford. I have driven them over 40 years of my life. I have to confess I did something recently I have never done, I stirred my Son-In-Laws sister away from buying a used Escape, she ended up with a Mazda SUV. I did tell her if you can find an Escape with the 2.5L non eco boost to go for it. I’m not sure about the 2.0L ecoboost. I do feel the 2.5L is safe and has a long record of being reliable. I ended up with the 1.5L because the lease incentive was best on this engine. I will definitely not buy this one at the end of the lease.

 

[hammer52]

Hello HitDawg,

I’m glad you are reporting this to NHTSA. This is a huge problem that impacts a lot of customers. I was kind of surprised how up front the dealership I dealt with was about how many engines they have replaced. The service representatives, mechanics, and sales staff all were very up front about how prevalent this issue is. In fact I was told over the summer they were months back logged in fixing customer vehicles. My car failed when the were not back logged. I mentioned in a previous response they had my car 12 days. Two of those days were weekend and the car was not touched on those days. The service representative said the mechanics are getting real good at replacing the engine, they have had plenty of practice. That was really disheartening to hear for me. I have always supported and backed Ford. I have driven them over 40 years of my life. I have to confess I did something recently I have never done, I stirred my Son-In-Laws sister away from buying a used Escape, she ended up with a Mazda SUV. I did tell her if you can find an Escape with the 2.5L non eco boost to go for it. I’m not sure about the 2.0L ecoboost. I do feel the 2.5L is safe and has a long record of being reliable. I ended up with the 1.5L because the lease incentive was best on this engine. I will definitely not buy this one at the end of the lease.

Was it the CX5? that vehicle uses a 2.5l non-turbo. As I understand it, its a derivitive of the engine Mazda designed and built when they partnered with Ford years ago. Its been around for a LONG time and is pretty well tested and bullet proof. We had a FWD Escape with it.....wanted AWD which don't come with the 2.5l. Wished we'd never gone this route with our 1.5l......

 

[Mike W.]

Was it the CX5? that vehicle uses a 2.5l non-turbo. As I understand it, its a derivitive of the engine Mazda designed and built when they partnered with Ford years ago. Its been around for a LONG time and is pretty well tested and bullet proof. We had a FWD Escape with it.....wanted AWD which don't come with the 2.5l. Wished we'd never gone this route with our 1.5l......

Yes, it was the CX5. You bring up a good point about the AWD. I forgot but that was another reason l leaned toward the eco boost engine. Unfortunately the 2.5L was only available in the S trim with no AWD as you mentioned. I would still give up the AWD if I had my heart set on an Escape to avoid the issues we have encountered. Unfortunately the 2020 does not offer that engine, unless you go with the hybrid. I know the displacement is the same on the hybrid but it maybe a different engine.

 

[Jeff J]

Just bought a 2019 at dealer with 3500 miles on it....two months ago. Just found out the engine needs to be replaced due to coolant leak into block. Seriously??!! Is this a problem Ford knew about as per bulletin? Recourse?

June purchase, 2019 Escape, brought to dealer for routine recall notice and ending up with engine now being replaced on warranty. This is something Ford has known for a long time. Not much about it online.

 

[gabby60]

We bought a 2019 SE at dealer with 16,000 miles 2 weeks ago and we noticed a leak and took it to our mechanic and he verified there were several leaks. After doing more research on the car, we found out it had an engine replaced in November 2019, which the dealer did not disclose. We have an appointment with Ford to have it looked at next week. Really disappointed. The newest car I have ever owned.

 

[ralph7up]

We bought a 2019 SE at dealer with 16,000 miles 2 weeks ago and we noticed a leak and took it to our mechanic and he verified there were several leaks. After doing more research on the car, we found out it had an engine replaced in November 2019, which the dealer did not disclose. We have an appointment with Ford to have it looked at next week. Really disappointed. The newest car I have ever owned.

Hope it works out for you. What does “several leaks” mean? Where are they? Did your guy verify another engine cylinder intrusion of coolant or was it something else. Finally, what kind of warranty came with your purchase?

 

[Mike W.]

Hope it works out for you. What does “several leaks” mean? Where are they? Did your guy verify another engine cylinder intrusion of coolant or was it something else. Finally, what kind of warranty came with your purchase?

Ralph7up,

Those are good questions. I am hope it’s not the coolant leaking in to the cylinder. My biggest concern has been the replacement engine does nothing to resolve this. If it’s not the internal leak it might mean the mechanic did not puts things back together correctly during the engine replacement.

 

[Mike W.]

I wonder if this issue increases the risk of fire? If there is any chance I should keep the vehicle out of my garage. I’m guessing the risk of fire happens when the coolant level gets low. I’m hoping keeping the correct coolant level eliminates the chance of fire.

 

[wallasan10]

It is my opinion that everybody on this forum that has had a coolant leak issue (especially if your engine was replaced) post thier diagnosis and outcome on this forum thread. Its obvious that Ford is not recognizing the fact that there is an issue, albiet a small pertentage, with thier engines. If we take the issue to this forum maybe we will get a redress of grievances. Ford management may view this forum with a higher degree of scrutiny which might help the cause.

Porosity in Ford Blocks

blueovalforums.com

I've been posting in the thread relating to the 19B37 Field Service Action but I now believe that this thread is a more appropriate place to post.
To summarize my experience to date: In December 2019 my local Ford dealership installed a new short block in my 2018 Escape because of coolant leaking into the cylinders. I got it back January 10th. A month later I had to take it back because it was leaking oil from the front seal. I picked it up a few days later after the seal was replaced. The next day (yesterday February 13th 2020) I took it back again because it's now leaking worse than before. A few hours later I spoke to the Service Advisor over the phone and was informed that the replacement block has a bad crankshaft and that's what was messing up the seal. They loaned me a 2020 EcoSport to drive while waiting for Ford to decide on a course of action. It's still under warranty so I figure it's on them to fix it...whatever it takes.

 

[chriss84]

2016 1.6 EB has same open block engine design as the 1.5.

So ill assume its a very good possibility that could be happening

 

[ralph7up]

So ill assume its a very good possibility that could be happening

I had 2013 Escape with 1.6. It had significant recall for same issue plus others.

 

[Mike W.]

I was talking with a friend about this issue. He thinks if Ford used larger turbo chargers the overheating problem, that is causing the head gaskets to leak, would be solved. He claims companies like Volvo have used turbos in their cars for years. He also claims Volvo’s have always used considerably larger turbos in their cars than what Ford is using. In fact I was told some Ford customers are removing the factory turbos for larger after market ones.
Do any of you have an opinion on this?

 

[ralph7up]

I was talking with a friend about this issue. He thinks if Ford used larger turbo chargers the overheating problem, that is causing the head gaskets to leak, would be solved. He claims companies like Volvo have used turbos in their cars for years. He also claims Volvo’s have always used considerably larger turbos in their cars than what Ford is using. In fact I was told some Ford customers are removing the factory turbos for larger after market ones.
Do any of you have an opinion on this?

As stated elsewhere, IMHO, the problem is the choice of “open block” design engine blocks. They are more prone to allowing movement of individual cylinders under load as opposed to “closed block” design. That perhaps with misassembly on the assembly line leads to movement of the cylinder and a breach of the head gasket thus allowing coolant into the cylinder and resulting in failure of the engine. On a comparative basis the open block is less robust which translates to a need for higher assembly tolerances.
On the other side, you will find stories here of these engines performing well at 80-100K miles.

 

[Mike W.]

As stated elsewhere, IMHO, the problem is the choice of “open block” design engine blocks. They are more prone to allowing movement of individual cylinders under load as opposed to “closed block” design. That perhaps with misassembly on the assembly line leads to movement of the cylinder and a breach of the head gasket thus allowing coolant into the cylinder and resulting in failure of the engine. On a comparative basis the open block is less robust which translates to a need for higher assembly tolerances.
On the other side, you will find stories here of these engines performing well at 80-100K miles.

Ralph7up,

Thank you for the response. I was told by the service reps at the dealership that the 19b37 internal recall was to reprogram the PCM to make the vehicles run cooler to address the cylinder intrusion issue. If I understand your explanation it does not sound like the root cause is heat related. By the way I don’t trust everything that comes from people at the dealership, especially when it’s an explanation of an issue. So it sounds like it comes down to luck of the draw on these engines. Obviously the choice of an Open Block greatly increases the chances of failure. I did see in an earlier post that at least one person has had two short blocks replaced.
Do you know if the 2020 Escape with the 3 cylinder engine is an Open Block?

 

[ralph7up]

Ralph7up,

Thank you for the response. I was told by the service reps at the dealership that the 19b37 internal recall was to reprogram the PCM to make the vehicles run cooler to address the cylinder intrusion issue. If I understand your explanation it does not sound like the root cause is heat related. By the way I don’t trust everything that comes from people at the dealership, especially when it’s an explanation of an issue. So it sounds like it comes down to luck of the draw on these engines. Obviously the choice of an Open Block greatly increases the chances of failure. I did see in an earlier post that at least one person has had two short blocks replaced.
Do you know if the 2020 Escape with the 3 cylinder engine is an Open Block?

You mis understood or I did not explain clearly enough. Heat is a primary driver in the whole issue. The PCM reprogram leaves the fan on longer to allow for more cooling. This IMHO will help mitigate the problem. The same reprogramming was done on my 2013 1.6 when it had an engine recall. AFAIK, the only closed block engine that is currently offered is the Atkinson Cycle 2.5 liter on the hybrid.

 

[Mike W.]

You mis understood or I did not explain clearly enough. Heat is a primary driver in the whole issue. The PCM reprogram leaves the fan on longer to allow for more cooling. This IMHO will help mitigate the problem. The same reprogramming was done on my 2013 1.6 when it had an engine recall. AFAIK, the only closed block engine that is currently offered is the Atkinson Cycle 2.5 liter on the hybrid.

Sorry about confusion on my part. I appreciate you explaining things, it is making more sense now. I jumped on YouTube and watched some clips on Open, Semi Open, and Closed blocks. The open block is the least desirable, but is the cheapest method.