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
Electrical system, Engine, Aug 11, 2024
Loss of power. Driving up hill, normal acceleration. Electrical- corrosion in the fuse box under the hood. Corroded fuse pin connector plate. Found wire from ECU relay to ECU fuse pin plate corroded and completely broke from corrosion. Ordered used fuse box online, opened up the fuse box and found the same exact fuse pin plate corrosion as my vehicle. Local dealer ship told me they are replacing fuse box in customer cars on average once or twice a month.
Engine, Aug 9, 2024
Coolant is leaking into cylinder 3 and is confirmed by a repair/service shop that it has a bad head gasket. No one else including dealership has inspected it. Upon research, this appears to be a well known and widespread issue with the Ford Escape 2018 as well as other years of this model. Ford continues to give no action, recall, or recourse for those affected who will be out over $5,000K to repair their engine.
Power train, Engine, Aug 8, 2024
It is a power train failure. Hi my name is [XXX] I bought a 2018 Ford escape SE 1.5L eco boost on 9-3-2022 and it had 75,000 miles on it. I’m now finding out that it had a recall (21N12) when I bought it that expired at 84,000 miles. My car is now at 120,000 miles and my engine needs to be replaced. I was never told about the recall and was still sold the car that didn’t even last 2 YEARS!!!!! Now it’s going to be $8,000 to replace my motor. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine, Aug 8, 2024
Engine dead due to coolant intrusion from the manufacturing defect in the cylinder walls.The defect is KNOWN to be an issue according to Technical Service Bulletin 22-2229
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Aug 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while at the local dealer for routine maintenance, upon further inspection, the contact was informed that a tune-up could not be performed due to a spark plug not being able to be removed. In addition, the contact was advised that there was a coolant intrusion into the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Aug 7, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven to an Auto Zone and the mechanic suggested there might be a spark plug failure, but the vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact then drove to the dealer and the vehicle was diagnosed with coolant intrusion. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer also notified the contact of an undisclosed TSB associated to the engine coolant intrusion; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 102,000.
Engine, Aug 7, 2024
Coolant is leaking into the engine and combusting, causing smoke. Happened on the highway, I had to stop and was almost hit. Local mechanic confirmed the problem, says the engine could catch on fire if I had kept driving it. The check engine light came on.
Engine, Aug 6, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine misfired and the vehicle jerked. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion and engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 44,000.
Engine, Aug 5, 2024
When changing the sparkplugs, sparkplug #2 broke off in the engine and needed to have the heads replaced. This was 100,00 mile and the warranty had just ran out so we had to pay over $4,000 out of pocket to the local dealership for this repair.. This is a known issue with Ford but they will not issue a recall. There was no warning lights or sounds that this was an issue.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Aug 2, 2024
In March of 2024 warning lights for abs, hill assist, traction control came on while the car was driving. We stopped driving and had the error codes checked at a autozone who said the sparkplugs where misfiring on cylinder 3. it was changed and when we started the car it blew white smoke and the engine seized. The repairs were over $6000. We were told ford had a class action suit which closed on November of 2023. We opened a case but ford closed it and will not help with known problems with the 1.5 lt engine.
Engine, Aug 1, 2024
Took vehicle in to be serviced for a Crank shaft position sensor yesterday 7/31/2024. Have never had any other issue, but was told that they found coolant in our spark plug cylinder 3. The dealership said it would be around $9.000.00 for a new engine. Dealership said there was massive amounts of smoke and we have never experiences this issue in the past. Was last serviced on 6/24/024 with 92.086 miles.
Engine, Jul 31, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed on the highway and changing lanes, the vehicle lost motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the spark plugs needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the short block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000.
Engine, Jul 31, 2024
Coolant intrusion into the engine, poor engine design.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Jul 31, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated the while driving at a moderate rate of speed, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was hot(H). The "Engine Fault Service Now" message also appeared on the instrument panel. The contact pulled over and checked under the hood and became aware that the coolant reservoir was empty. The contact added coolant however, the failure returned the next day. The contact took the vehicle to three independent mechanics who could not determine the cause of the failure. One mechanic eventually placed a camera inside the engine which showed that the coolant was leaking into cylinder #3. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the contact was informed that there were no recalls on the VIN. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and provided the same information as the dealer. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The failure mileage was approximately 107,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Jul 31, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced due to a coolant intrusion into cylinder #1. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 52,500.
Engine, Jul 30, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was jerking. Additionally, there was an engine misfire. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,510.
Engine, Jul 30, 2024
Ford designed, manufactured, and sold flawed 1.5l engines. Ford initiated Customer Satisfaction Program 21N12 as a result. This program unfairly limit the manufacturer’s liability for THEIR design. Mileage is limited to 84,000. I myself easily googled and located many complaints online of the coolant intrusion issue not occurring until AFTER the 90,000 mile mark. How is Ford able to self-limit their liability for their dangerous and clearly faulty design? This is impacting many people who can’t afford to drop another $14,000 on an engine replacement (when many of us are making payments on a now un-driveable vehicle). Who will hold Ford responsible?
Engine, Jul 30, 2024
We started noticing the car hesitating and engine light came on. We took it to mechanic who replaced coils and spark plugs. We drove it for two days and the same problem occurred but only worse. We took the car back and they told us it looked like one of the spark plugs was melted and tried to fix it again only for it to continue as soon as we pulled out of lot. So 3 times at that mechanic and it drove slightly ok for about a week. The next week all kinds of sensors and lights started popping up such as 4wd disabled , ABS, Hills auto start disabled.We took it to the Ford dealer to get a tune up thinking that was the problem only to receive a phone call saying our engine is ruined. There was coolant leaking into the engine and they found metal shavings in the engine. They informed us this was an ongoing problem for some time. They also stated if they put the same engine in the car as a replacement that it would probably be faulty too. They proceeded to tell us that, because we were outside of our warranty, we could either pay 8-10k for a new motor or we could start over buying a much more expensive car. We only have 9,000 left to pay off so exactly 1 year left on our paying off the car and they want us to keep paying them while we pay them more money to fix their problem?!!! We have been with Ford for 10 years and experience a recall before. We lived in California at the time so we were covered under lemon law. This is beyond poor business practice. There are thousands and thousands of people with this very issue and they do nothing to help their consumers who make them rich.
Power train, Engine, Jul 30, 2024
Vehicle has less than 100k miles and has an engine failure resulting from coolant intrusion. Ford support admits this is a known issue but refuses to give any remedial action to solve it because the nhtsa handles recalls not them. They will not tell me anything unless I pay to have it towed to a dealer and pay for diagnostics.
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 29, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving approximately 55 MPH, the temperature gauge became extremely elevated. The contact’s daughter was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway to refill the coolant reservoir and allow the engine temperature to cool down. The vehicle was temporarily repaired. The contact stated that later the same day, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was towed to a local independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that there was a coolant leak present inside the engine and there was an abnormal odor coming from the exhaust. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 91,379.
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 29, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was drivable. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with an internal coolant leak into the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched online and became aware of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 17V209000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was 95,000.
Engine, Jul 26, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. While the contact's son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was shaking abnormally with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a blown head gasket. The contact was informed that the head gasket needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle had been serviced by the independent mechanic three times due to the persistent failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that the repair was not eligible for coverage under the Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 71,895.
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 26, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her husband was driving approximately 35 MPH, the temperature gauge raised to HOT, and the vehicle started losing motive power. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer who diagnosed and determined that the cylinder head had cracked and needed to be replaced. No additional information was provided. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 46,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 25, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated the vehicle was running rough, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle had been taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that coolant was leaking into the engine. The engine had been repaired. The contact stated that several years later the failure had reoccurred. The vehicle was returned to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that cylinder #1 and #4 were leaking, along with several other possible cylinder misfire. The dealer stated that there was oil covering the engine compartment and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 20,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 25, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the engine was shuddering significantly. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with engine failure and cylinder #3 misfire. The dealer replaced the spark plugs; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.