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 and engine cooling, Sep 5, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the engine overheated with coolant leaking from the engine. Additionally, the vehicle shut off while depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to Eddie Gilstrap Motors, Inc. (207 S Main St, Salem, IN 47167) where the contact was informed of an unknown recall; and the engine was replaced under the recall. Approximately two years after the engine replacement, the contact stated heavy, white smoke was coming from the exhaust pipe, without warning upon starting the vehicle. The contact stated that the coolant level remained low. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact was informed that coolant had leaked into an engine cylinder, resulting in engine failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number. The contact was then referred to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 124,000.
Engine, Sep 4, 2024
Car was overheating, took it to Ford Taylor they said coolant leak in the engine, and the customer satisfaction program had ended so we have to pay for repair 6k. We agreed to pay but they never repair the car we keep calling and they didn't fix it. The car was in Ford for 5 months no repair then they called that the repair cost is now 14k, we had no choice than to pick it up. Car in our house for 10months now, car not moving no one want to buy it. So sad we have to go through this.
Engine, Sep 3, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The local dealer was contacted, and the vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 147,700.
Engine, Sep 1, 2024
Coolant leaked into engine cylinder causing catastophic engine failure. My [XXX] daughter was driving down highway when car suddenly started shaking violently and engine light comes on. She managed to pull off without crashing. Had it towed to a Ford dealership. They diagnosed issue and replaced the engine. Took over 2 months to replace. See paperwork attached. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine, Aug 31, 2024
After my car started and I tried to go, it shook a little, and the check engine light came on. I got it checked at a service station, and they said my coolant was low and my engine was shot, it appeared that there was a leak in the coolant that was leaking into and ruining the engine. I do not feel safe driving the car in the case that is breaks down, and with only 32,000 miles on it this is not standard for the car.
Engine, Aug 29, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated when the vehicle was started, the engine was idling roughly. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with head gasket failure. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 53,249.
Engine and engine cooling, Aug 28, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, there was white smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe. Additionally, the contact noticed that the coolant level was significantly low. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was a coolant intrusion in the engine. The dealer determined that the short block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under Ford Campaign Number: 21N12. The failure mileage was approximately 66,000.
Engine, Aug 28, 2024
If you own a Ford Escape 2017-2019 this is a must-read it will not let me upload but go to ford.com customer satisfaction and put your VIN number in they owe you a new engine. THIS IS A COVER-UP AS THEY ARE NOT A RECALL SINCE THERE HAS BEEN NO ONE HURT To whom it may concern, August 17, 2024 I bought a 2018 Ford Escape SEL on [XXX], well several months back I noticed that I had to keep adding more coolant and oil. Since the car is always parked inside, you would think you could see something on the floor. Well, I never saw anything. So, on August 8, 2024, I took it to my mechanic who on August 13, 2024, said that I needed a new engine do the following engine codes P0300, P0301-P0304, P0316, P0217, P1285, and/or P1299. After a few moments of silence, my mechanic said “But I might have something that can help you with the repair. I honestly thought well guess he has a payment plan I was sure hoping as I did not have the $5,676.09 and nowhere to get it from plus paying the car notes. That is when he told me at the customer satisfaction program the only issue was it is either 7 years our younger on the car or less the 84,000. My car is 6 years old but has 98537 miles. I thought why not call them and talk to them anyway. Talked with a rep on my 1st call and could tell she was reading the script from start to finish. I asked her why I had not received a letter or even a notice on the Ford Pass App. She told me they sent one round of letters and nothing else and will not send anything else unless it becomes a recall. Well, a recall happens when someone is in danger of being hurt or killed by the product. So, I asked for a supervisor and was told one would call me back within twenty-four business hours. Two days had passed so I called them back and was about to speak to someone who stated they were a supervisor and went thr INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine, Aug 27, 2024
The coolant and coolant system suddenly failed resulting in a full engine replacement. There were no noticeable signs of where the coolant went either. The auto is regularly serviced at a ford garage had a sensor replaced 6 months ago and no other issues were diagnosed.
Engine, Aug 26, 2024
A couple of weeks ago my car started shaking and the engine light came on. I took it to the dealer to be told the engine blew and a replacement would be over $11k. The problem is a valve was stuck open and oil got into it. The car is barely 6 years old and has had regular service.
Engine, Aug 26, 2024
Engine coolant into cylinders, resulting in white smoke exhaust, fouling spark plugs and coils due to engine coolant leak in combustion chambers, and engine coolant leak due to issue.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Aug 26, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was temporarily illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated while the vehicle was idling at a red traffic light, an unknown message, and the message "Emergency Stop" were displayed, an alarm sounded, and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle failed to restart and was pushed into a parking lot with assistance. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with cooling system failure and coolant intrusion into the engine. The mechanic determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The mechanic related the failure to an unknown TSB number. The vehicle was not repaired. The used car dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
Engine, Aug 24, 2024
The coolent intrusion into the cylinders cause catastrophic engine failure. Ford knows this and still sells these. They will not cover the new engine.
Engine, Aug 22, 2024
I HAD A PROBLEM WITH MY ENGINE OVERHEATING AND TOOK IT TO FORD DEALER FOR SERVICE AND WAS ADVISED THAT WATER HAD GOTTEN INTO THE CYLINDER #2 I BELIEVE AND RUINED THE ENGINE. THE DEALER SAID THE WATER WAS GETTING INTO THE ENGINE BLOCK AND I NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. ANOTHER SERVICE DIRECTOR FROM ANOTHER DEALER SAID THEIR WAS A ISSUE WITH FORD AND THERE WAS A PROGRAM ON THIS. A NEW ENGINE IS AROUND $7500 AND THIS WAS QUITE A SHOCK SINCE I AM ON SOCIAL SECURITY. I CONTACTED FORD AND THEY SAID IT WAS NOT THEIR PROBLEM AND REFERRED ME TO YOU FOR HELP ON THIS ISSUE. PLEASE ADVISE ASAP SINCE THEY WANT TO INSTALL THE NEW ENGINE NEXT MONDAY OR TUES AT PITTSVILLE FORD IN PITTSVILLE, MD. [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine, Aug 21, 2024
The engine has failed due to a cylinder misfire that was caused by coolant leaking into the engine block. Mileage on my car is 85,918 Ford had a recall on the engine but the recall was for 84,000 miles or below. So, my car is over by 1,918 miles. Ford says they can’t do anything to offset the cost of getting a new engine.
Engine, Aug 19, 2024
Low COOLANT reservoir condition and COOLANT into the engine with regular driving and maintenance. After 58,000 miles the owner had intermittent check engine lights stating to check or change the ignition coil and/or plug on 2 of 4 cylinders. Owner did this at their own expense, and check engine light continued to go on and off intermittently and refilled COOLANT reservoir. At 60,000 miles the owner experienced some white smoke coming from engine and additional check engine lights with the same codes and one additional code relating to misfire. Owner took the vehicle to an independent mechanic which tested it and found coolant into affected cylinders. Shop advised owner to rebuild or replace the engine, but after further research into this issue identified it as catastrophic ENGINE failure and new engine replacement from Ford would be required. Owner spoke to Ford who instructed him to take it to the nearest Ford Service Center for further diagnosis and repair. After 2 days service department contacted owner back and told them the repair cost for new engine is $6450 and Ford may provide some assistance based on the age and mileage of the vehicle. Vehicle was repaired at owner expense and now awaiting further assistance due to recall needed on this issue due to safety concerns and lack of drivability once service light is encountered. Vehicle did not catch on fire, but fire or mechanical breakdown while driving was another concern from the owner at the time and why the vehicle was towed to Ford Service Center.
Engine, Aug 19, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MH, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the residence where a handheld diagnostic machine failed to retrieve any fault codes. Additionally, while the vehicle was parked on several occasions, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.
Engine, Aug 14, 2024
Purchased vehicle used and had my mechanic inspect it. They reported that there was a possible coolant leak and so I took it back to the dealer, Antwerpen Toyota. They couldn’t find anything. After a couple oil changes where my mechanic continued to state there was a coolant leak somewhere, went back to Antwerpen where they said it could be that the radiator isn’t sealed properly. Took it to a proper Ford dealer who has now said there is coolant intrusion in an engine cylinder and the engine needs replaced, which from looking online, seems to be a frequently occurring issue with these engines that has not been recalled
Electrical system, Engine, Aug 14, 2024
On Friday, August 9, the check engine light was blinking and the car ran roughly. On Saturday, August 10, I had my car towed to AAA Repair. Current codes: P0316 - Misfire Detected on startup; P0302 - Cylinder 2 misfire; swap CYL2 coil to CYL4 & retest..misfire remains on CYL2. TSB:22-2322 indicates cylinder failure allowing coolant into the engine causing misfire and rough running. AAA recommended vehicle service be done at the dealership—complete engine rebuild/replacement. The dealership recommends a complete engine rebuild/replacement with an estimate of $11,400. The balance on paying off the car is $8,400.
Engine and engine cooling, Aug 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine started to misfire, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted, and the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 136,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Aug 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while parking the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a Toyota dealer where the vehicle was purchased. The dealer determined that there was coolant intrusion into the cylinders due to a cracked engine block. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the repair could not be covered under an extended warranty because the vehicle had exceeded the mileage limitations. The vehicle was not repaired. The Ford dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.
Power train, Engine, Aug 12, 2024
Coolant leak caused engine failure while I was driving. Engine warning came on and alerted me the Engine was overheating and to pull over as soon as it was safe to do so. I did immediately and had the car towed to Ford dealer garage
Engine, Aug 12, 2024
The engine was throwing multiple codes from misfires to crank sensors. Low coolant light was not working. Engine ended up having a blown head gasket and overheated because of low coolant. Upon researching the problem, I have found that this is a huge issue with the 1.5l eco boost and many people are having their motors blown while ford does nothing about the problem.
Power train, Engine, Aug 12, 2024
While driving I received a ‘Engine Failure, Service Now’ notification; however, the check engine light was not on. I immediately called a ford dealership and said it was fine. I did not trust it and took it to an O’Reilley’s store to get a free diagnostics, everything was cleared. The next morning I still went to the dealership to ask. At this point the notification wasn’t on anymore but I did notice there was no coolant in the tank. They ran a regular diagnostics and told me car was fine. Again, I didn’t trust it and asked for more diagnostics. After charging me $200 they did it and found coolant leaking into the engine and cylinders. Car still runs but it did not make me feel safe driving with the notification and the rest of the diagnostics showing zero issues was extremely suspicious. They told me my engine needed to be replaced. I researched the issue and found Ford notified widely this issue in early 2020 and ford dealership sold me this in late 2020 and never told me about said issue or notification. I was told there is a program to get it fixed but is not active anymore. On too of that, ford had a warning on my car VIN number for two years and they never notified me of it during service appointments for the last 2 to 4 years I have been going there. I do not feel safe driving my car and ford won’t do any repairs about it even after they admitted to me it was a manufacturing fault and my car is under that block/build affected.
Engine, Aug 11, 2024
While driving the engine would run rough and started missing which resulted in diminished power. Took it to mechanic to change spark plugs. Problem still continued. Took it to Ford dealership for diagnostic test. They determined there is coolant intrusion in cylinders #2 & # 3. Recommended engine replacement.