2018 Ford Escape
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 1,795 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 6th highest complaint count among 26 Escape model years with reports.
Of the 2018 reports, 25 involved a crash and 5 involved a fire. 30 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Equipment, electrical, engine block heaterJan 15, 2026
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Focus, 2013-2019 Escape, and 2015-2016 MKC vehicles equipped with a 2.0L engine. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.
An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed March 6, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S01. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on January 16, 2026.
Campaign 26V011000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, automatic transmission, gear position indication (prndl)Jun 10, 2022
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2019 Escape, 2013-2018 C-Max, 2013-2016 Fusion, 2013-2021 Transit Connect, and 2015-2018 Edge vehicles. The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach.
A damaged or missing bushing may prevent the vehicle from shifting into the intended gear, and cause the vehicle to move in an unexpected direction. Additionally, the vehicle may roll after the driver selects the 'Park' position. Either scenario increases the risk of a crash or injury.
Dealers will replace the under hood shift bushing and add a protective cap over the shift cable bushing, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters, informing owners of the safety risk, were mailed July 1, 2022. Remedy parts are expected to be available in 4th Quarter 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed October 27, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S43.
Campaign 22V413000 on NHTSA.gov
Service brakes, hydraulic, foundation components, hoses, lines/piping, and fittingsFeb 12, 2018
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 Ford Escape and Lincoln MKC vehicles. These vehicles may be equipped with incorrect front brake hoses that may chafe against other components, possibly resulting in a brake fluid leak.
A brake fluid leak may lengthen the distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake hoses, replacing any that are incorrect, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin March 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S04.
Campaign 18V104000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, side/windowDec 18, 2017
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 Ford Escape vehicles. The side curtain air bags on these vehicles have a component that may detach during deployment of the inflatable curtain air bag.
If the component detaches during deployment, it may enter the passenger compartment and be a projectile within the vehicle cabin, increasing the risk of injury.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver and passenger side curtain air bags, as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin January 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S44.
Campaign 17V803000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: engine
1,426 reports, newest first. Show all
Engine, Oct 13, 2025
Ford Recall 21N12 – Coolant Intrusion Issue Affected Vehicles: Ford Escape (2017–2019) built between 9/17/15 – 4/9/19 Ford Fusion (2017) built between 10/1/15 – 10/16/15 Ford Fusion (2017–2019) built between 10/6/15 – 6/10/19 Issue: Coolant intrusion into the engine cylinders, causing engine misfires. I am writing regarding my 2018 Ford Escape, which falls within the production window affected by recall 21N12. My vehicle is in excellent condition with low mileage (87,050 miles). In August, I experienced a noticeable engine shutter and took the vehicle to an authorized Ford dealer. After inspection, the dealer confirmed that the engine was affected by the known coolant intrusion issue and that the solution required a complete engine block replacement — quoted at $11,000. Unfortunately, I was informed that my vehicle falls just outside Ford’s extended warranty coverage (7 years or 84,000 miles) for this issue. I find this extremely disappointing, as this is a known manufacturing defect that affects a broad range of vehicles, and Ford has chosen to draw an arbitrary line, rather than taking full responsibility for all impacted vehicles. I contacted Ford’s customer service and complaint department both by phone and in writing. Despite my explanation and supporting documentation, Ford refused to offer any assistance or goodwill resolution, citing only that I was beyond the mileage and time limits. It is extremely frustrating that my vehicle — well within the affected build range and with relatively low miles — is now undrivable for over six weeks due to a defective engine, and Ford will not take accountability for an issue they are fully aware of. It is particularly disheartening to see Ford invest in expanding its world headquarters in Dearborn while choosing not to stand behind their products or support loyal customers who are left with major repair bills for known defects.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Oct 13, 2025
Coolant leak into the engine causing engine failure. This is a known problem with the 1.5 turbo engine in this model vehicle. Automobile is now undriveable and entire engine must be replaced.
Engine, Oct 12, 2025
Check engine light came on and started running rough and shaking at times. Took to dealership who found P0302 code. They performed a number of tests and eventually used a boroscope to inspect Cylinder 2 and found severe coolant intrusion. They advised engine replacement…for over $11,000. I see this is a common problem for Ford Escapes.
Engine, Oct 11, 2025
Coolant leak caused car to overheat and engine failure
Engine, Oct 11, 2025
Engine failing due to coolant intrusion. I never received a recall notice. I was unaware of the possible issue. Ford refused to complete the repair as I missed the mileage deadline. I was unable to take advantage of the repair.
Engine, Oct 8, 2025
I started to lease the car Aug 18 2025 that day before even leaving the maintenance guy was like oh yeah let me go ahead and clear that light off for you check engine light said it was fixed . I never thought too much of it since it is my first time leasing a car . I drove it three times and on the very next time I turned it off ran in side some where and came out and it acted like it didn't want to start I finally got it started I went home over the next couple of days it just started to get worse and worse I took it to O'Reilly's and had them to look it up the first time they said ma'am there's no check engine light on I left aggravated I didnt no what wad going on wnd why it hadn't popped up well the next day it popped up finally I took it back in the printed me a paper stating it was misfiring bad and it was cylinders 1 and 3 so I went to the dealership where I got it from the said come back in like a week they were busy so I waited a week and they supposebly fixed well the very next day it started up again same thing misfiring went to O'Reilly they said the same thing misfiring in the cylinders . So I went back again told them it was doing again and it was rough idling and he says to bring it back the next week we'll it broke down before I took it back in the morning it broke down I left my house and went down to go Mart when I got back in the car and started it a little thing popped up on the dash said high engine temp shut down safely .. at the time I thought was over heating I looked at the coolant it was good so I let it sit there for like almost a hr and started it said the same thing I took it over beside gomart where my friend lives and parked it there to wait for a few hours and it popped up again and I went to turn it around for when the towing truck came it had lost all of its power .
Engine, Oct 5, 2025
I have a blown head gasket. Ford is willing to do nothing, and this is a known issue with this engine.
Engine, Oct 2, 2025
Earlier this year the check engine light came on in my Escape. My mechanic informed me that a sensor detected a coolant leak in a cylinder head. They replaced the sensor and addressed other issues with the specific cylinder. Three months later, the check engine light came on for the same issue. This time my mechanic replaced the cylinder gasket head. Ten days later, the light came on again. Now my mechanic is replacing my engine. Although I have a 2 liter engine, Ford had a campaign to replace the engines on the 1.5 liter engine [XXX] ) and have a service bulletin (22-2229) for multiple vehicles with the same issue. I know I'm past the end date of my warranty but ultimately paying out $9k to replace an engine on a decently maintained vehicle at 37k miles seems in appropriate. This issue ultimately causes engine failure. I'm one of many that tried to address the issue immediately, but how many people cannot or do not take their vehicle in on time and experience an engine failure while driving? INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Power train, Engine, Sep 28, 2025
Engine failure due to coolant intrusion design defect that Ford DID NOT pay for it. Even though, since Match 1, 2025, there have been over 320 complaints regarding this issue. NHTSA should communicate to Ford, these vehicles should be recalled!
Engine, Sep 26, 2025
I have a 2018 Ford Escape 1.5L EcoBoost purchased on 2/2/18. On 9/17/25, after starting the car I noticed that it idled very rough when I put it in gear, but drove fine afterward. This behavior continued to happen over the next week when I also noticed strong smelling white exhaust/smoke coming from the car while I was still in the garage. On 9/23/25 the Service Engine Soon light came on shortly after I started driving. I took the car in for diagnostic testing to my Ford dealer on 9/25/25 and the coolant intrusion issue was identified with codes P0302 and P0316. Because I will not be replacing the engine long block (quoted at $10,570 + tax)--the car is past even the Ford extended warranty of 7yr/84,000mi with 85,721 miles when diagnosed--I was told I need to watch the coolant, that I can drive the car, but that the engine will eventually burn out. I was referred to TSB 22-2322 to read more about the problem, but no fix was offered. With no resolution, this Escape is a timebomb that will eventually experience total engine failure and/or engine fire.
Engine, Sep 24, 2025
There is coolant intrusion that is a known issue with this model. Coolant is leaking into cylinder 1, which has damaged the engine.
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, Sep 23, 2025
I’ve seen others report on the same issues and hopefully this brings something up for a recall. At first it was a misfire in the engine, and oil getting into the spark plugs. Then coolant leaking. Then overheating. I looked into the codes and took it into the shop and it’s going to cost me 8-12,000 to fix due to the same issue that other people all seem to be having.
Engine, Sep 22, 2025
Check engine light came on and car started to shake. Took to Ford dealership and they said the coolant leaked into the engine. If I was driving, something bad could've happened.
Engine, Sep 19, 2025
Known issue with coolant system. Car is overheating and caused a problem with my engine block. It is a known issue with these vehicles. Ford did a customer satisfaction program (21N12) to fix it for free but only up to 7 years or so many miles. The problem is that I wasn't made aware that this could ever possibly be an issue so how was I supposed to get it fixed with no knowledge of the problem. Now I'm having to pay out of pocket to get it fixed because of Ford's poor design and lack of care for their shoddy product. Fixing this issue will cost thousands, not to mention having to miss work because my car overheated. Which could possibly end up getting me fired. Ford needs to be held accountable for selling poorly made product and not even helping when it falters. My family and I have purchased Ford vehicles for decades but this will probably be the last of that tradition if they can't even be responsible for their own mistakes.
Engine and engine cooling, Power train, Sep 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was white smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe. The vehicle was taken to Christian Brothers Automotive, where it was inspected, and the contact was informed that the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption and the coolant level was abnormally low. The mechanic referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. Additionally, the contact stated that the message "Power Train Malfunction" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to the Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12 (GTDI Engine – Short Block Replacement After Coolant Intrusion). The dealer referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the Customer Satisfaction Program. The failure mileage was approximately 80,188.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Sep 18, 2025
So this morning as soon as I started my 2018 Ford escape up and instantly temp gauge went to hot and threw up a sign stating high temp. Safely stop . I turned it off . And I started googling what was happening and upon doing some searching I started seeing multiple people complaining about the same things that I have going on as well with their 2018 Ford escape having the same problem with their spark plugs and coil packs also they said that they have misfiring in certain cylinders which mine have been in 1 and 3 some of theirs were 2 and 3 also read that the coolant system could be faulty and leaking ( which makes sense on after the car was turned off from driving the night before I heard bubbling sounds and what sounded like a faucet leaking water ) and the leaking could be making it go into where the spark plugs go into . And it could damage the engine. Also I had white smoke that came out of the tail pipe two or three times and it also spoke about the coolant making it's way to the head gasket possibly and all these that I've have read online are just like what ive have been having problems with and identical for the last week or two.and there are quite a bit of people on the Internet complaining these same events going on and no body has found and or not reported of finding any solutions to the problems .
Engine and engine cooling, Sep 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed, and it was determined that there was coolant intrusion into the cylinders. The contact was informed that the engine long block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 65,000.
Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Sep 16, 2025
My 2018 Ford Escape 1.5L Ecoboost experience rough starts for about a week. Then on the highway the engine temperature gage shot all the way to hot, the check engine light began flashing, and the vehicle started rumbling. We parked and had the vehicle towed. The mechanic diagnosed the problem as coolant intrusion into the cylinder. It has cracked the engine block. This issue is known to be a problem by Ford. The dealership mechanic knew what the problem just from the make, model, and year. Ford released a letter to all dealerships to attempt a computer repair in 2022, apparently to buy time as they knew there were going to be issues as these vehicles aged. The letter suggests that Ford and the Dealers are to contact anyone who purchased these vehicles. We were not contacted. We have contacted Ford and their customer service representatives say that Ford has a Customer Satisfaction Program, 21N12, in place to fix these vehicles, but it "is not attached to our VIN" and there is nothing they can do. When you ask for a supervisor, they call from a Toll Free Number after 8:00pm and tell you the same thing. "That program isn't attached to your VIN" and there is nothing they can do about it.
Power train, Engine, Sep 16, 2025
Coolant leaking into engine. Check engine light on. Codes p0302, p0316, u0140. I was told by the ford dealership that ran codes that the only correction for the issue is a full long block replacement.
Engine, Sep 16, 2025
I was crossing the road and the suv just stopped. I’m stuck in the middle of a busy road. Luckily I had help to get the car across. The SUV would not start up again.
Engine, Sep 16, 2025
Sudden loss of compression on a cylinder lead to loss of all power and engine failure on the highway. A Google search reported this as a known issue with the 1.5L turbos in the 2017-2019 model year Escapes. I took my car in to the Ford dealership and was instructed to open a claim with Ford Corporate and to request financial assistance for an engine replacement. Ford is very well aware of this issue where the engines suddenly pull all the coolant into the engine and cause engine failure. Ford has been offering financial assistance to replace these engines apparently trying to avoid a recall. At the local Ford dealership, this is such a known issue that they are keeping a long block and short block in stock at all times.
Engine, Sep 15, 2025
While accelerating onto a 70 mph highway via an on-ramp, my vehicle suddenly began to misfire severely, resulting in a dramatic loss of power. It was unable to climb the incline. I immediately activated the emergency flashers, but vehicles approaching from behind at highway speeds were forced to brake abruptly and swerve to avoid a collision. Fortunately, I was able to safely exit via the next off-ramp. During the misfire, the check engine light began flashing on the dashboard. A few months prior, a warning light appeared at startup. Diagnostic code P0302 indicated a misfire in Cylinder 2 during the first 1,000 revolutions. The recommended fix was to replace the spark plugs and ignition coils. I had all spark plugs replaced, and the plug in Cylinder 2 was notably fouled. I also topped off the coolant at that time. Approximately a month later, I checked the coolant again and found it nearly depleted. I refilled it, but there were no visible signs of leakage—no smoke, and the oil appeared normal. Then came the highway incident. Afterward, a mechanic diagnosed a significant coolant leak into Cylinder 2 using a scope. A new $12k engine(w/labor) is required! Further research revealed this is a well-documented and chronic issue tied to a manufacturing defect in Ford’s 1.5L EcoBoost engines (and others). Numerous class action lawsuits have been filed, and Ford previously issued bulletin 21N12 for a one-time repair—now discontinued. Ford is fully aware of this defect. I am grateful that the vehicles behind me were able to avoid a crash, and that I am here today to share this experience. Every mechanic I consulted confirmed that this issue is widely known, and expressed frustration that Ford has not taken responsibility. Why must we wait for a catastrophic event or loss of life before Ford acknowledges the severity of this defect? Recently, Ford recalled a backup camera—yet faulty engines that can fail at highway speeds receive no such action. Lives are at risk!
Engine and engine cooling, Sep 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 20-25 MPH, an alert indicating engine failure was displayed, along with the “Service Now” message. The vehicle was on the verge of overheating, with the temperature gauge showing an excessively high temperature reading. The contact added coolant to the coolant reservoir to address the issue temporarily. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine. The mechanic recommended an engine replacement; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed that a prior Customer Satisfaction Program had expired. The manufacturer also confirmed that there was no recall coverage for this issue and offered no additional assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Engine, Sep 12, 2025
Vehicle: 2018 Ford Escape SEL, 1.5L EcoBoost engine, purchased new from Town East Ford. Engine failure due to coolant intrusion — known Ford defect previously covered under Customer Satisfaction Program 21N12. on 06 Mar 2020, I had Customer Satisfaction Program 19B37 performed on my 2018 Ford Escape SEL (1.5L EcoBoost engine) as instructed by Ford. Despite that repair, on 19 August 2025 coolant leaked into my engine and caused the engine block to crack. Ford acknowledged this exact defect and issued Customer Satisfaction Program 21N12 to replace affected engines. However, that program expired in November 2022. When I contacted Ford corporate, I was told my repair would not be covered because the program has ended, despite the fact that the defect is the same and presents the same risks. This is not normal wear and tear. It is a latent defect that Ford has already documented. The issue can cause engine misfire, sudden stalling, loss of power, and increased fire risk due to coolant intrusion into the combustion chamber. This is a serious safety defect. My vehicle failed despite compliance with Ford’s earlier service program, and Ford is refusing coverage only on the basis of program expiration. Other owners have reported identical failures. Please note that I have attached the noticed from Ford and my service history up to this event. As the vehicle is still at the dealership, I have not attached the current service report, noting the coolant extrusion and cracked engine but I can request that if needed. I request NHTSA investigate Ford’s handling of this defect and require corrective action to ensure owners are not left with unsafe vehicles due to arbitrary program deadlines
Power train, Engine, Sep 10, 2025
I lost engine power trying to accelerate while entering the highway. Check Engine light flashed several times then went steady. I pulled over into the slow lane with my flashers on and with reduced power to get off the highway exit straight to the Dealer. The Check Engine light stayed on steady. This is apparently part of a known issue with the 1.5l GTDI engine. There was a Technical Service Bulletin created for it 22-2322 and a Customer Service Program fix was set up- 21N12