P0301 on a Ford Escape
P0301 means cylinder 1 Misfire Detected. On the Escape, a few causes come up far more than others.
What P0301 usually means on a Escape
P0301 isolates a misfire to cylinder 1, which narrows the search considerably compared to a random misfire. On the Escape the usual causes are that cylinder's ignition coil or spark plug, and the swap-and-retest method quickly confirms a bad coil. On the EcoBoost engines a leaking injector or, on the 1.6L, coolant reaching that cylinder can also be behind it. Because it is a single cylinder, the parts and labor are usually modest unless a deeper problem is present.
Most common causes on the Escape
- Failed coil on cylinder 1
Individual coil failure is the most common single-cylinder misfire cause on the Escape. Move the coil to another cylinder; if the misfire follows, replace it.
- Worn or fouled spark plug
A cracked or worn plug on cylinder 1 misfires under load and is cheap to replace on any Escape engine.
- Leaking or clogged injector
On the direct-injected EcoBoost, an injector delivering the wrong amount of fuel to cylinder 1 causes a persistent misfire on that hole.
- Coolant intrusion on cylinder 1 (1.6L EcoBoost)
If a 1.6L is losing coolant, seepage into a specific cylinder can foul it and set a single-cylinder misfire; treat this as more than a routine plug swap.
What P0301 costs to fix on a Escape
For most Escapes a single coil and plug is an inexpensive, quick repair, and doing only cylinder 1 keeps it cheap. The wildcard is the 1.6L EcoBoost, where a single-cylinder misfire tied to coolant loss points to a much larger head or gasket problem. Confirm coolant is stable before assuming this is just an ignition part.
Fixing it
Swap the cylinder-1 coil with a neighbor and recheck. If the misfire stays on cylinder 1 after coil and plug, look at the injector, and on a 1.6L EcoBoost verify the cooling system before going further.
For the full step-by-step diagnosis order (any vehicle), see the main P0301 guide.
Year, engine and mileage change the answer. Start a case and Redline weighs these causes against what your car shows, then names the check that would settle it.
Other codes on the Ford Escape
Related symptoms
Ford Escape problems & recalls by year
Based on widely reported patterns for this model; individual causes vary by year, engine and history. Generic P0301 behavior is covered on the main P0301 page. Confirm with a scan tool before buying parts.
P0301 on your Escape?
Every problem becomes a Case. Tell Redline what your Escape is doing: it shows what the evidence supports, what’s still missing, and what to check next, before you approve a repair.
“Inner pad ~1 mm. Outer pad 3 mm.”
Next: check the slide pins move freely before buying parts.