THINK TWICE

The 1.6L EcoBoost's defining failure is a cracked cylinder head from localized overheating. Per Ford's own recalls, if the engine runs with an insufficient level of coolant the cylinder head can overheat, crack, and leak oil, and oil reaching a hot engine or exhaust surface can start an engine-compartment fire. Recall 17V209000 covers the 1.6L GTDI 2014 Escape and 2013-2014 Fusion (remedy: a coolant level sensor plus supporting hardware and software); recall 13V583000 covers the 2013 Escape (remedy: modified engine shielding, cooling and control systems). ENGINE and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING complaints echo it -- overheating, cracked heads, and fires.

Check — VIN-check that both recalls are closed (17V209000 coolant-level sensor installed; 13V583000 completed). Look for an overheating history, coolant loss with no obvious external leak, white exhaust smoke, or a prior head / short-block replacement. Walk away from any 1.6L with an open overheat/fire recall.

Beyond drivability, the DPS6 can drop to no power in traffic: owners report the transmission suddenly losing power on takeoff and on the highway -- one describes the car jerking, lunging forward, and losing power without warning; another, nose-diving on the highway after losing power off an entrance ramp. 1,695 in-window POWER TRAIN complaints mention loss of power, stalling, or lurching. Unlike the shudder, this is a crash-exposure failure: a car that will not accelerate when merging or pulling into a gap is a safety problem, not just an annoyance.

Check — Take the loss-of-power reports seriously on the test drive: accelerate hard from a stop and merge onto a highway, and treat any hesitation-then-surge, stumble, or momentary no-power as disqualifying on a car this failure-prone. Confirm the extended-warranty and TSB history; an unrepaired example is a walk-away.

The Ford DPS6 PowerShift -- a dry dual-clutch automatic sold as if it were a conventional automatic -- is the defining defect of these cars. POWER TRAIN is the #1 complaint component in both windows (5,382 of 14,416 Focus complaints, ~37%; 1,454 of 4,063 Fiesta, ~36%), and the texts describe one failure complex: clutch shudder and juddering on light acceleration, slipping, hesitation, and harsh or delayed engagement, worsening as the dry clutches and input-shaft seals wear. Ford issued a long run of TSBs and a redesigned clutch, but the underlying dry-clutch design was never cured.

Check — Test-drive from cold and in stop-and-go: feel for shudder or vibration on gentle takeoff, slipping or flaring between 1st and 2nd, hesitation, and clunky low-speed engagement. Ask for transmission and clutch service records (clutch replacements, TCM reflashes, input-shaft-seal work under TSB or program 14M01). Repeated clutch jobs on one car are a red flag, not reassurance.