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 8, 2024
coolant getting into engine causing misfiring, hesitating check engine light came on. this started in May 2024. Had spark plugs replaced then air filter coolant was low had to add to it had a gas cleaner put into gas tank. This was all done by a licensed mechanic. in 3 appointments. This was an on and off problem the last time i had it to the mechanic he saw the coolant was low and again the engine light was on again that is when he knew coolant was getting into the defected engine on 9/26/24. had a diagnostic test at a ford dealer 10/3. told me i need a new engine for it could catch on fire, blow up or stop running. gave me a ride home. This is a known defect by FORD company in the 2.0,1.5 EcoBoost engine 2018. yet no recall no help. Car is at keystone ford Chambersburg PA, around 43,000 miles.
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that there was a misfire of the engine cylinders. The mechanic replaced all the spark plugs and one ignition coil. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to TSB Number: 19-2139 Coolant Intrusion Into Cylinders (Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.
Engine, Oct 7, 2024
The engine overheated and failed due to a known issue with the engine they put out a service bulletin for these specific engines but only up to 87k and now at 97k that mine has they won’t fix it. Its a coolant intrusion and they know this is an issue with these engines.
Engine, Oct 7, 2024
Check Engine light came on. Scanner resulted in Code P0301. When taken to a service shop was advised coolant leak in cylinder 1, which froze the spark plug, engine needs to be replaced.
Engine, Oct 6, 2024
My 2018 Ford Escape's engine light came on around February of 2024 with the code of P2096 and after a while, it started misfiring and showed the additional code of P0302. I took it in around 82K miles to get it checked out and since I hadn't had any work done, the place I took it to (Midas) did a bunch of work including a tune up and replaced all the coils and spark plugs. It was fine for a month , then the P2096 code came back on and started misfiring again. The car was taken in to be looked at to the same place, but the codes weren't registering and nothing was done. By the end of the same day, the engine light came back on and it started misfiring shortly thereafter with the same 2 codes. I took it back to Midas around September 6, 2024 and they looked at it and told me that it was the known issue of coolant intrusion and the fix was a new engine. I didn't believe them as they had done me badly for other reasons so I took it in to Varsity Ford and they came up with the same conclusion. They replaced the spark plug in cylinder 2 and the misfiring immediately stopped. The check engine light stayed off for 6 days and then came back on with the P0302 code. I know there is a ford customer satisfaction issue and Ford should pay for the fix if it was below 84,000 miles, but my car started misfiring at 82000 miles and the problem has persisted through to almost 86,000 with no changes and I would like Ford to fix the issue since they knew it existed. The coolant intrusion issue is absolutely available for inspection upon request as long as it does not cost me anything. My safety and the safety of others is at risk because the engine can just stop at any point. The problem has been reproduced by two different places, Midas and Varsity Ford. The problem is confined to cylinder number 2. The vehicle or the component has been looked at by the manufacturer (Varsity Ford who confirmed the coolant intrusion issue) but not by the police, insurance representative or others.
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 3, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle started vibrating abnormally but returned to normal functionality afterward. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the coolant intrusion into cylinder #2 had caused a misfire. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 120,000.
Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Oct 3, 2024
Total engine failure and rebuild due to faulty head gasket component from ford. Vehicle went from running good to all of a sudden having smoke when starting, engine light came on. Immediately had inspected and was told total head gasket/engine failure.
Engine, Oct 2, 2024
1.5L Short Block Coolant Intrusion to Cylinder "19B37" Customer Satisfaction was Performed in January 2020 with 65,000 miles on it. We bought car in June of 2020 now with 105,000 miles on it needs a Motor Per Dealer. They won't cover it Being it's out of Customer Satisfaction Program 21N12 its Still within 7yrs but not 84,000 milage. When we bought it we were UNAWARE of issues before Purchase.
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a loud ticking sound coming from the engine. The check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the timing belt had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that there was coolant leaking into the engine, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000. The VIN was not available.
Engine, Oct 1, 2024
The coolant leaks into the engine's cylinders. This is a known issue by the manufacturer for all 2018 Ford Escapes. Engine failure can occur at anytime while operating the vehicle. The engine light will come on and in one instance there was an engine failure message on the dash.
Engine, Sep 30, 2024
Coolant leaked into the engine causing it to overheat requiring the engine to be replaced. This was a known defect by Ford regarding this year Escape
Engine, Sep 29, 2024
A warning signal came on in my FORD Escape indicating a problem with the head gasket or head of the engine. I am NOT complaining about a fire possibility, but I have heard of this as being and issue. I am complaining about the head or head gasket being a problem, according to the vehicle's computer warning system. I contacted FORD and was told that if my vehicle was under seven years old, which it is, or under 84,000 miles, which it is not(@89,000), FORD would do a CUSTOMER SATISFACTION REPAIR. FORD's customer service told me that they would do nothing. This vehicle is my fifth FORD. My last FORD was an F-150. When I retired that vehicle, it had almost 200,000 miles on it. My other vehicle is a DODGE Caravan, with just shy of 200,000 miles. My only point is that I always take care of my vehicle. I have never had any serious issues with my vehicles, save this one. Is there any mandates for the repairs of this vehicle? Thank you for your attention. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine, Sep 28, 2024
Coolant leaking from between cylinders in engine causing it to overheat. This is a known issue by Ford in engines manufactured within a certain time frame. Problem occurred suddenly and unexpectedly. Ford knows about this issue. Check engine light turned on the day before and then the next day the car would fail to start and was overheating
Other or unspecified, Engine, Sep 28, 2024
I have a 2018 ford escape only like 100,000 has engine gone due to coolant leak. In research I saw ford has ignored this issue from day one to its customers. I have 2018 ford Escape 1.5 EcoBoost. Ford has had one recall also with the transmission bushings that were repaired at 80,000. car ran bad since recall repaired of transmission bushings. Ford has deceived consumers with its engine failure and coolant leaks, with its fraudulent deceptive practices.
Engine and engine cooling, Sep 27, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle experienced a loss of motive power and decelerated. The vehicle was driven to the local dealer who diagnosed that the engine had experienced coolant intrusion into the cylinders, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 104,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Sep 27, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine light had appeared on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the contact was informed that despite the warning light, the vehicle was still safe to drive. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic where the contact was informed that there was a misfire in engine cylinder#1. While the contact was driving 40 MPH, the vehicle shut off with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and after months of negotiations, the dealer, the manufacturer, and the contact all partially paid for an engine replacement. Recently, the contact was informed that vehicle was losing coolant. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and suggested a vehicle buy back. The contact continued driving the vehicle; however, the vehicle shut off while driving 60 MPH with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer, and it was discovered that there was coolant intrusion into cylinder #4. The contact immediately notified the manufacturer and was later informed that the buyback request had been denied. The vehicle remained in the possession of the dealer and was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.
Engine, Sep 27, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure and an appointment was scheduled for a diagnostic test to be performed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and it was discovered that there was coolant intrusion into cylinder #3. The contact was then provided an estimate to replace the engine. The contact was referred to the manufacturer who informed the contact that there were no recalls on the VIN related to the failure. The contact was then referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 47,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Sep 25, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced rough idling and was sputtering while driving at various speeds. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, there was a message that the engine was overheating, and to urgently stop the vehicle safely was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that cylinder #2 was misfiring due to coolant intrusion into the engine. The dealer determined that the failure was related to Ford Campaign Number: 21N12. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that the vehicle was not covered due to the mileage. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 83,900.
Engine, Sep 19, 2024
Coolant leaking into cylinder 3 causing engine issues. Problem occurred 3 times in the last 6-7 months. Less than 100k miles
Engine, Sep 19, 2024
Check engine light came on. Brought to dealership and told Long Block replacement needed under TSB 22-2229. Manufactured defect of block is root cause. Ford nor dealership are helping at all. This is a manufactured defect that was known to dealership at time of sale. There was no information relayed. Ford has multiple vehicles with recall for same issue but not mine.
Engine, Sep 19, 2024
While sitting in my car at idle in park, the car cuts off after 20 minutes or so. At this point, the car will not restart, and it seems that the battery is dead. It did not respond to an attempted jump start, however. On the first occasion the car restarted normally after approximately 1 hour. It has been starting and running fine since then. . On the second occurrence, today, the car shut off while idling in park. It has been 1.5 hours. since auto shutoff left me stranded. The car finally started. I have on occasion put a car ( this is a new one) in park when stopped in traffic.
Power train, Engine, Forward collision avoidance, Sep 19, 2024
I bought a 2018 Ford Escape 1.5L ecoboost as the 2 or 3rd owner. There were no recalls I checked and also did a carfax when I bought the car 7/4/2024. I was driving the car and all of a sudden the car slows itself down from 50mph to 5mph and give me a warning car is overheating. Got to side of road safely and took to the mechanic he then told me about fords customer satisfaction program but since I have 95k miles my car does not qualifiy as they only gave 4 months to people with 84k miles to get fixed free if you are over they will nto fix. I did not own the car when they sent this out in 2022 and there was nothing made public about this engine isssue they are aware of. I am still sore from the seat belts locking up and have neck issues. this car sits in my garage as a paperweight now.
Engine and engine cooling, Sep 18, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle lost motive power and decelerated. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that there was coolant intrusion into cylinders #1 and #2, and the 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 62,600.
Engine and engine cooling, Sep 18, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that there was an abnormal rattling noise coming from the vehicle during cold starts. The failure persisted, and the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was initially taken to an independent mechanic where a diagnostic test showed that there was coolant intrusion into engine cylinder #4. The vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure and the contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The dealer was notified of the failure and the vehicle was towed to the facility where it remained. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Sep 18, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after an oil change, the vehicle was started and revved up and was running rough. The contact turned off the vehicle and confirmed that the oil cap was secured. The vehicle was restarted and the vehicle self-corrected. The next day while starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact received notification on the vehicle App of engine failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion into cylinder #4, causing engine damage. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in a recall or covered under warranty. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 52,903.