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
Power train, Engine, Apr 14, 2023
In the past 2 weeks, the check engine light has come on and then turned off several times. April 7 the car overheated and it was found to have no engine coolant and a powertrain warning turned on. After adding coolant, the car ran and errors disappeared. We’ve been checking the coolant every day and have had to continually add coolant although no leak seems to be occurring. Made an appointment at a shop to have it checked out and in the days leading up to that appointment, it started running roughly. April 12 it took several attempts to start and a powertrain warning came on and it wasn’t running at full power. After turning the car off, when re started, error disappeared. Repair shop today said the engine coolant was leaking into the engine cylinders and that the engine needs to be replaced.
Power train, Engine, Apr 11, 2023
The transmission was found to have a leak by my personal mechanic. The suv does not have a dipstick to check if fluid is low so a few weeks ago it start making noise and running weird. It would hesitate while driving, slow acceleration, even sputtering to the point of possible shutting off. Sometimes I am not able to reverse out of the way of traffic. It is dangerous especially if my children are in the car. My mechanic said that at first he just thought it was low on fluid and then he seen a puddle on the pan that collects underneath but he assumed it was oil but that wouldn't be because I just got an oil change from the dealership. Come to find out the transmission has had a slow leak that I would have never even noticed because there is a collection panel underneath. I've tried to contact the dealership multiple times. No help, we've only had the car for 15 months.
Engine, Apr 10, 2023
While driving vehicle on highway at highway speeds of 65 MPH. Vehicle check engine light started flashing. Vehicles slowed to 20 MPH. We almost got hit by 6 different vehicles and caused a pile up. Large cloud of black smoke left from tailpipes. Was stranded on side of highway. Was told by Ford that vehicle needed a new short block. This is the 3 engine for this vehicle with only 37000 miles.
Vehicle speed control, Engine, Apr 9, 2023
I had my adaptive cruise control on while driving on a highway and suddenly lost power/acceleration. I was able to limp the car back home and the check engine light came on. I took it in to get the error code read, which prompted that there was an issue with the high pressure fuel pump. I got that replaced by our normal service provider and picked up my vehicle. While driving the vehicle again (with adaptive cruise on), I lost acceleration/power. Since I wasn't in the area, I had the vehicle towed back to the service provider where the replaced fuel pump had "collapsed onto itself and broke", which luckily didn't cause serious injury. In this state, the service provider told me it was unsafe to drive. With the newest fuel pump, everything seemed fine for a few days in my daily travels. We were on our way to a vacation stay (highway speeds, adaptive cruise, driving for 2+ hours, etc.) when the issue presented itself again. This time when we returned to the service center, they stated that the engine had sludge which was causing the damage to the fuel pump and we would need to replace the engine. Since owning this vehicle, I have had it serviced as stated in the Ford service schedule (90,000 mile service, oil changes, etc.) and have always kept an eye on the temperature gauge. The fact that I have maintained this vehicle well and the engine now needs replacing doesn't seem to add up. I feel like there is a serious flaw with these engines and luckily, they didn't cause any accidents or harm in this instance.
Engine, Apr 5, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle made a loud knocking sound. The vehicle was restarted, and the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, whenever the A/C was activated, there was a squealing sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer informed the contact that the warranty had expired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a complaint was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 58,200.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Apr 4, 2023
Every morning after starting, a thick cloud of white smoke emits from the exhausts. It clears up after a minute or so but it happens in both hot and cold weather. Took the car to the mechanic and it was determined there is a head gasket leak. Vehicle runs fine and does not overheat. Upon further research, i noticed it is a common occurrence with Ford Escape owners and the manufacturer isn't doing anything about it.
Engine, Apr 3, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while starting the vehicle the contact heard an unknown sound coming from the vehicle and the vehicle started to shake, followed by the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer stated that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the manufacturer stated that the vehicle was out of warranty and did not provide any assistance. The failure mileage was 137,000.
Engine, Mar 27, 2023
Engine over heated. Had diagnostics ran on it and it came back with 9 error codes. Then had a block diagnostics done on it and it came back with 4 dealer codes. My 2018 Ford Escape is at the ford dealership as of 3/26/2023. Engine light is on.
Engine and engine cooling, Mar 24, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the instrument panel registered that the engine was hot. A message to turn off the vehicle was displayed. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate, and the engine started to overheat. The contact turned off the vehicle, and the vehicle was towed to the dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and stated that coolant was leaking into the engine and that the short block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but provided no assistance. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 66,088.
Engine, Mar 22, 2023
The warning light came on. Car over heated, no steam, but antifreeze leaked by the wheel. There were no leaks to be found, so change the reservoir. Took the car out to test. After 30 minutes of driving car over heated again. I then took the car to the shop. I was told several need a new engine. Several codes showed up on diagnostic test.
Engine, Mar 15, 2023
The vehicle started running rough - thought I had gotten bad gas. Took it and had it scanned and it read #2 ignition coil was bad. Had it replaced and it got worse so mechanic took it off. They found the coolant was low and then discovered blown head gasket. Coolant was running inside of motor and not outside onto the ground. I have found numerous reports on this same failure of the Ecoboost 1.5L engines. Messages came up and I took it to my mechanic.
Power train, Engine, Mar 9, 2023
I was driving around 50 mph. A notice popped up that said service engine now. It then started to run hot. I pulled over on the side of the road and the car wouldn’t start. The car had no coolant in it at all when my help arrived. It was empty. I now have a message on my Ford app that says power train malfunction. I haven’t had this car two years. My safety was at risk because my daughter was in the car and it started to run hot. I thought my car was going to catch fire. I can’t afford to fix this when thousands of other people have had this same issue.
Engine and engine cooling, Mar 9, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle began to overheat. The message "Engine Fault. Service Now" was displayed. The contact pulled to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The contact stated upon attempting to restart the vehicle 20 minutes later, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The failure mileage was 89,000.
Engine, Mar 8, 2023
The contact's fiancé 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 the local dealer where it was diagnosed that coolant was intruding into the engine. There was a misfire in cylinder #3. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the coil pack and spark plugs. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.
Electrical system, Service brakes, Engine, Mar 2, 2023, crash
Another driver ran stop sign and hit middle of car, mostly the left door behind drivers seat. The back and passager airbags released but the driver side airbag didn't fully release. I didn't know at the time that this was weird and was actually relieved it didn't. Since then, my son's dad drove my suv and told me that the front windshield may not have been bonded correctly, he has to put additional force on the breaks and the engine makes random noises whenever it does, it looses power and he has to put the pedal to the metal. He says since my suv only has 18,000 miles, it shouldn't be doing these things. It also burns through coolant. I don't know if any other fords have issues likes this too.
Engine, Mar 2, 2023
Continuous low coolant level. Every 3 weeks have to replenish coolant. Have seen others having same issue.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Feb 17, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the vehicle started overheating and the coolant level warning light illuminated. The contact checked the coolant level and noticed that there was no coolant in the vehicle. The contact added coolant, but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that coolant was leaking into cylinder #2, and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 122,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Feb 17, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an unknown speed, a temperature warning message appeared on the instrument panel. The vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was first towed to an independent mechanic and later to a dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that coolant had leaked into cylinder #2. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that there were no recalls on the VIN regarding the engine. The vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure and remained in the possession of the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 63,500.
Engine, Engine and engine cooling, Feb 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle overheated. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin Number: 21N12 (Coolant Intrusion). The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 121,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Feb 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 MPH, the vehicle stalled and lost motive power. The engine overheated message was displayed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who made the contact aware of TSB: 10156569. The vehicle remained with the independent mechanic awaiting the diagnostic test and repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Feb 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced cold start issues, requiring numerous attempts while starting the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle idled roughly once started. The contact stated that once the vehicle reached approximately 30 MPH there would be a white smoke cloud coming from the exhaust pipe. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that coolant had leaked into the engine block and that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V209000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Feb 13, 2023
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 an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the coils needed to be replaced due to coolant intrusion into the engine. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was then taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle remained at the dealer awaiting the repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the warranty had expired. The approximate failure mileage was 113,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Feb 13, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle overheated and stalled. The engine misfire warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the head gasket was blown, and that antifreeze was leaking into the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but provided no additional assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Feb 9, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle nearly to stalled. The contact stated that the vehicle was losing motive power. The driver pulled over and the vehicle stalled. The driver was able to restart the vehicle. The contact stated that his wife noticed the "Service Engine Soon" light was illuminated. The vehicle was driven to an independent mechanic who determined that the vehicle was leaking coolant into the engine block. The contact had been advised by the mechanic that the engine failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V209000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000. The VIN was not available.
Engine, Feb 8, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed with the coolant leaking into the engine. The contact was informed that the short block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 69,000.