2017 Ford Escape vs 2017 Honda CR-V
Two compact SUVs, compared on what actually matters when you're buying used:
what breaks, when it breaks, and what it costs you.
2017 Ford
Escape
4/10
A cheap, practical crossover shell wrapped around an engine that's cracking its cylinder block from the factory — know exactly which engine you're getting before you sign anything.
VS
2017 Honda
CR-V
6/10
Great packaging and Honda reliability reputation undercut by a genuinely flawed turbo engine that needed years to sort out.
Milo scores the 2017 Honda CR-V higher — 6/10 against 4/10.
By the numbers
Green is the better number — higher on every score, lower on failures, complaints and recalls.
| Ford Escape |
Honda CR-V |
| Known failure points | 6 | 6 |
| NHTSA complaints | 2658 | 1754 |
| Safety recalls | 4 | 7 |
| Service bulletins | 12 | 12 |
| Reliability | 38 | 62 |
| Cheap to own | 30 | 68 |
| Fun factor | 45 | 40 |
| Holds value | 35 | 78 |
| Enthusiast cred | 15 | 25 |
The most expensive thing that goes wrong
2017 Ford Escape
1.5L EcoBoost coolant intrusion into cylinders due to a porous/cracked cylinder bore, causing misfires and eventual engine failure
$6,000–$9,00020k–70k mi
2017 Honda CR-V
Oil dilution with gasoline in the 1.5L turbo (L15B7) engine, especially in cold climates with short trips — oil level rises, smells like fuel, milky dipstick
$0–$4,0000k–15k mi
If you buy one, buy this one
✅ 2017 Ford Escape
2017 Escape Titanium AWD with the 2.0L EcoBoost engine (not the 1.5L) and full service records — the 2.0L is meaningfully more robust and the Titanium trim adds the nicer interior and adaptive cruise.
✅ 2017 Honda CR-V
A 2017 CR-V EX-L or Touring AWD with a confirmed, complete history of the fuel pipe recall, the seatbelt buckle recall, and the LATEST (2019-era) ECU reflash for oil dilution — ideally from a warmer climate where dilution was less severe.
Narrowed it down? Get the full report
This comparison is model-level.
Milo's report goes car-level — the one you're actually looking at:
- A line-by-line negotiation script
- The pre-purchase inspection checklist
- VIN-specific open recalls
- What it's really worth right now
- Your next 15,000 miles, forecast
- Hidden features & money-savers
Run my free report →
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Scores and findings blend documented NHTSA recalls and complaints with
patterns synthesized from owner communities. Always inspect the specific vehicle and
verify open recalls by VIN before buying.