P0301 on a Ford Escape

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 likely causes on this model

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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 it costs 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.

Other codes we cover on the Ford Escape

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Ford Escape problems & recalls by year