Some 2017-2019 Escape vehicles may exhibit a vibration at highway speeds above 80 Km/h (50 MPH) which may be attributed to short term flat spotting in the tires. Follow the Service Procedure steps to correct the condition.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2017 Ford Escape wheels problems
moderate Owners of the 2017 Ford Escape have filed 71 NHTSA complaints about the wheels, typically surfacing around 44,346 miles at roughly $400 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See wheels across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
71
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$400
| Model year | wheels complaints |
|---|---|
| 2013 Escape | 24 |
| 2014 Escape | 38 |
| 2015 Escape | 23 |
| 2016 Escape | 29 |
| 2017 Escape (this page) | 71 |
| 2018 Escape | 18 |
| 2019 Escape | 6 |
| 2020 Escape | 10 |
What stands out
Of the 14 model years of Ford Escape we track for wheels problems, this one carries the most owner complaints on file — 71.
Owners have filed 71 wheels complaints with NHTSA against this vehicle, but no formal recall covers the issue — the federal record reflects what manufacturers have admitted, not everything owners are reporting.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering wheels on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
Owners of 2017 Ford Escapes consistently report swollen or deformed lug nuts that render the factory-supplied lug wrench useless. The OEM lug nuts use a two-piece design with a decorative chrome or aluminum shell over a steel core; the outer coating corrodes, swells, and delaminates, often without warning. This failure occurs anywhere from 20,000 to 95,000 miles and affects multiple lug nuts simultaneously across all four wheels.
When the nuts swell, owners cannot remove them with a standard 19mm socket or the wrench Ford provides. Roadside assistance technicians and AAA dispatchers report they also cannot loosen the nuts with impact wrenches. Owners have been stranded on highways, forced to call expensive tow trucks, and charged $5–$285 per replacement set at dealerships. Ford classifies the defect as normal wear and tear and denies warranty coverage, even though a 2017 lawsuit on this exact issue was dismissed rather than settled.
Several owners report wheel alignment issues detected in the first year—one vehicle exhibiting frame twist severe enough to require immediate tire replacement and weeks of dealer repair. One case involved a wheel rim splitting after minor pothole contact, damaging brake lines and struts; Ford initially denied warranty coverage.
A single case describes a wheel lug separating completely at 20 mph on an exit ramp at only 4,400 miles. No prior warning was evident. Mechanics have been unable to re-tighten loose lugs found during routine service, forcing flat-bed recovery rather than conventional towing.
Same Ford Escape wheels reports on nearby years: 2014 · 2015 · 2016 · 2018
Failure modes owners describe
Swollen/Deformed Lug Nuts (Two-Piece Design)
OEM lug nuts with chrome- or aluminum-plated outer shells over steel cores swell or deform over time, making them impossible to fit standard wrenches and sockets. Owners cannot remove or tighten the nuts with factory-supplied lug wrenches or conventional hand tools.
When: Occurs between 20,000 and 95,000 miles; some reported as early as 20k, others at 88k–95k. No clear mileage threshold; appears to develop gradually over months to years of ownership.
Symptoms owners cite: Factory-supplied lug wrench will not fit over lug nuts; Standard 19mm sockets do not fit; lug nuts appear distorted or bulged; Lug nuts become 'frozen' or stuck in sockets after removal attempt; Multiple lug nuts on multiple wheels affected simultaneously; Chrome or aluminum coating delaminates and corrodes
Repairs/costs cited: Replacement of all OEM lug nuts required. Dealership costs reported: $100–$285; aftermarket replacement: $80–$140. Some owners report needing extraction sockets to remove damaged nuts. Replacement nuts are identical design and often only guaranteed 2 years.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Ford classifies swollen lug nuts as normal wear and tear, not a defect; declines warranty coverage. Owners report Ford refers them to NHTSA hotline. Class action lawsuit filed in 2017 was dismissed. No recall issued; no reimbursement offered for tow costs or replacement parts.
Wheel Alignment / Frame Distortion
Vehicle exhibits severe misalignment or frame twist out of the factory, detected during the first year of ownership. Alignment is so pronounced that tires wear at accelerated rates, requiring frequent air fills and premature replacement.
When: Detected within first 12 months of ownership; misalignment suspected from day of purchase.
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle pulls or drifts while driving; Tires require air more frequently than normal; Both rear and front tires develop slow leaks; Independent mechanic suspects frame twist from manufacturing defect
Repairs/costs cited: Independent shop recommended immediate new tires. Dealer initially blamed pothole damage but later admitted pothole would have to be sinkhole-sized to cause frame twist. Dealer attempted corrective repairs; process took 22+ days and parts were back-ordered.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealership blamed owner for pothole damage; eventually agreed to repair but attributed defect to road hazard rather than manufacturing issue.
Wheel Rim Cracking / Splitting
Factory wheel rims crack or split, sometimes completely breaking into two pieces. Damage occurs with minor impact (reported as pothole), suggesting weak rim design or material defect.
When: Reported at various mileages; one case at low mileage after minor pothole impact.
Symptoms owners cite: Wheel rim splits into front and back pieces; Rim has 1–2 inch dent from minor impact; Tire loses air suddenly, requiring emergency pull-over
Repairs/costs cited: Rim replacement needed; also damaged brake line and struts. One repair cost unknown; owner requested all four rims replaced under warranty. Dealer denied warranty coverage, citing pothole damage.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Ford initially denied warranty coverage for rim cracking, citing pothole as customer damage. Assigned legal claim number but delayed response (18 days passed promised 15-day timeline). No goodwill assistance offered.
Loose Wheel Lugs / Wheel Separation Risk
Lug nuts become progressively loose on wheels, creating imminent risk of wheel detachment. One case reports actual wheel separation at low speed.
When: Can develop with no warning; one case at 4,400 miles involved complete wheel separation.
Symptoms owners cite: Loud wheel noise while driving; Lug nuts noticeably loose upon inspection; Multiple lugs (e.g., 4 of 5 on one wheel, at least 2 on each of three others) found loose simultaneously; Wheel actually separated from vehicle at 4,400 miles while exiting ramp at 20 mph
Repairs/costs cited: Roadside technicians and AAA impact wrenches unable to re-tighten loose lugs. Vehicle required flat-bed towing. Dealer replacement of lug nuts ($5 each or $100 for full set); however, owner reports replacement nuts are identical and likely to fail again.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealer charged owner $5 per replacement lug nut despite apparent defect. One case (wheel separation at 4.4k miles) was towed to dealer; manufacturer claimed no prior knowledge of such failure when contacted by owner.
Tire Sidewall Bubbling / Delamination
One complaint mentions a tire with a bubble or blister on the inner sidewall wall, suggesting a manufacturing or assembly defect in the tire itself (though this may be outside the wheel component scope and could involve the tire supplier rather than Ford's wheel design).
When: Reported early in vehicle ownership (April 2017 model year, complaint filed same calendar year).
Symptoms owners cite: Tire pressure warning light activates on highway; Inner sidewall shows bubble/blister that cannot be repaired; Tire shop and dealership offered conflicting assessments of repairability
Repairs/costs cited: Tire was not repairable; replacement tire purchased out of pocket. Concern raised about potential defect in all four original tires.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: No Ford-specific response documented. Dealership offered conflicting guidance (one technician said fixable, another said not repairable).
Synthesized from 71 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 0 most recent
Had wheels trouble with your 2017 Ford Escape?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the wheels problem on the 2017 Ford Escape?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 71 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $400 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the wheels typically fail?
Across the 31 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most wheels failures cluster between 26,000 and 70,000 miles, with the median around 44,346. A quarter of owners report trouble before 26,000; a quarter make it past 70,000. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $400 for wheels repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to wheels?
No active recalls currently cover wheels issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2017/Ford/Escape.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.