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: power train
271 reports, newest first. Show all
Power train, Engine, Aug 11, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undetermined speed, there was abnormal rumbling noise detected when shifting. The engine warning light was illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number:22V413000 (Power Train). However, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.
Power train, Aug 8, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after driving forward into a parking space and exiting the vehicle, suddenly the vehicle began to roll backward. The contact attempted to get back into the vehicle but fell to the ground causing the front tire to roll over the right leg. The contact was taken to the hospital where medical treatment was provided. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The local dealer was not yet contacted. The contact later received a recall notice for the NHTSA Campaign Number 22V413000(POWER TRAIN). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced the same failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 27,000.
Power train, Engine, Jul 29, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while his wife was driving 45 MPH, the power train and the engine failure warning lights were illuminated. The driver was unable to accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal and the temperature gauge was rising and falling rapidly. The driver was able to park on the side of the road for an hour, until the vehicle cooled down before continuing to drive to a nearby gas station. The driver added coolant to the vehicle and both warning lights turned off. The contact had experienced the failure 3-4 times. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 109,000.
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Jul 25, 2022, crash
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at low speeds, pulling into a parking space, the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration while the brake pedal was depressed. The vehicle drove over a curve and crashed into the corner of a building when it came to a complete stop. There were no air bags deployed. The contact's wife was able to drive the vehicle away from the scene of the collision. No police report was filed. The contact and his wife later received medical attention at the hospital for his neck and back injuries and his wife had fractured and bruised ribs. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The vehicle was then taken to a body shop for front-end damage replacement. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Power train, Jul 22, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: (22V413000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Power train, Jul 22, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 30-40 MPH, the vehicle hesitated and independently shifted into neutral(N). The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to park the vehicle on the side of the road. The contact stated she had experienced the failure several times. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer however, the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
Power train, Jul 19, 2022
While the car was in driveway moving forward it unexpectedly started moving in reverse causing me to nearly hit a tree. The vehicle is constantly idling even while in park. I took it to a auto repair shop who told me the transmission is out of my car and that my car is unsafe to drive!
Power train, Jul 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Power train, Jul 14, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in the garage, the engine oil leaked onto the ground. Additionally, the gear shifter seized, causing the vehicle to be unable to reverse. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 8,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Power train, Jul 14, 2022
I have 128,000 miles on my 2018 Escape. About three weeks ago I was driving down the road at 55 mph when my transmission disengaged and I coasted to a stop. Even though my engine was running I couldn't go forward or backward at all, and so I had it towed to a local mechanic. The mechanic said that this was a common problem with the Escape, that I was going to have to replace the entire transmission, and that it would take about two months to get a new transmission in. About two weeks ago I got a notice from Ford Motor Co. about a recall on my Escape for another transmission issue (Ref. Safety Recall Notice 22S43/NHTSA Recall 22V413). I called my local dealership and was told that my transmission issue was completely different than the recall problem because the recall only dealt with a transmission that shifted differently from the park position, and not a transmission that didn't engage at all. They also said that they would call me when they got the parts in. I have no idea how to resolve this issue. Do I park my vehicle until Ford gets the parts in in the 4th quarter of 2022 to see if this fixes my problem, and only then get the transmission replaced afterwards? If it takes 2 months or more to get a new transmission in, I could see this taking a year before I have my vehicle repaired. If I have the transmission replaced by the local mechanic, it will costs me $6,200.00, and take two months to repair. This would probably save me some money over the dealership cost to repair it, but would void any subsequent work that they might do? Do you have any suggestions as to I might be able to resolve this problem? Thank you, [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Power train, Jul 12, 2022
The contact called on behalf of his wife who owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while his wife was driving at approximately 65 MPH, there was an explosion coming from the engine. The contact also stated while the vehicle was stopped, the vehicle was shaking abnormally before losing motive power. The contact’s wife then restarted the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 101,000.
Power train, Jul 12, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Power train, Jul 12, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the gear shifter seized before the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was towed to three different independent mechanics who were unable to diagnose the failure due to the vehicle being unable to start. The vehicle was then towed to the contact's residence, where it remained unrepaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Suspension, Power train, Jul 9, 2022
6 Speed Powershift transmission burnt up without giving any codes or warning lights. Vehicle had started making a low whine noise at 10,000 miles which Dealership technicians claimed not to hear. At 50,000 miles took vehicle into Dealership because noise became very loud and popping noise from front end, report was transmission had failed and burnt up. Dealership did a rebuild on transmission had vehicle almost 3 months, pick up vehicle still transmission whine, returned to Dealership they claimed air in transmission lines was flushed, transmission still had whine. Reman transmission ordered, installed and still has noise from transmission and no warning lights, still shift issues, jerking, pulling , etc.
Power train, Jul 5, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact received an email from Carfax regarding NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer stated that parts would be available in the fourth quarter of 2022. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Power train, Jun 29, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while attempting to shift into gear, the vehicle failed to respond. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was finally able to shift the vehicle into gear and drove the vehicle to the residence. The contact stated that the vehicle was jerking while driving. The contact drove the vehicle to the dealer who diagnosed the vehicle with a hard gear shift while performing the road test. Additionally, there was a whining sound coming from the engine, and the transmission was overheating. The contact stated two months prior the same dealer had performed a transmission fluid flush. The contact related to the failure NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 101,000.
Power train, Jun 18, 2022
Ford not responding in a timely manner to repair safety issue concerning 2018 Ford Escape. June 10,2022 recall no repair until October-December 2022. I must park car for 4-6 months due to safety concern. I now have no transportation to and from work.
Power train, Jun 16, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 15 MPH, the vehicle made abnormal sounds while shifting gear. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle independently shifted to neutral and the vehicle decelerated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer however, the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 72,966.
Power train, Engine, Jun 15, 2022
Vehicle shakes on acceleration after a complete stop. Not only does it shake, but it is very slow to accelerate, and has put me in a bind during 5 o'clock traffic. The dealership currently has my car as it is still under warranty. The issue started a few weeks ago, and hasn't gone away.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Engine, Jun 8, 2022
Vehicle shakes badly after100/200 miles at speeds of 60 -70 miles hour
Power train, Engine, Apr 15, 2022
Have a 1.5 engine and antifreeze leak into spark plugs.
Power train, Seats, Other or unspecified, Jan 7, 2022
Have taken my 2018 Escape S several times to Dealership where purchased for whirling winning noise from front end of vehicle and mechanic claimed could not hear noise now have clicking sound happening and expressing loose cv axel. . Headlights have started to peel Dealership shop staff claimed could not see damage or p R peeling. And front drivers seat lower upper back makes a popping sound and gives with any pressure to area. Dealership claims can not feel or hear.
Power train, Nov 18, 2021
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 15 MPH, the vehicle jerked and revved loudly, then lost motive power. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The dealer diagnosed that the transmission fluid pump was faulty, causing the transmission failure. The transmission fluid pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made are of the failure and referred the contact to file a complaint with NHTSA. The failure mileage was 114,000.
Power train, May 5, 2021
2018 FORD ESCAPE. CONSUMER WRITES REGARDING ISSUE WITH TRANSMISSION. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER (MASSEY FORD) WHO ADVISED THE VEHICLE CODED P2701 AND WOULD NEED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A SECOND OPINION (KENT PARSONS FORD) STATING THE SPARK PLUGS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE SPARK WAS REPLACED. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE NEXT DAY THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. THE CONSUMER TRADED THE VEHICLE INTO MASSEY FORD. KENT PARSONS FORD WAS RELUCTANT TO RELEASE THE VEHICLE AS THE BILL WAS NOT PAID FOR THE SPARK PLUG REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BUT, DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. *JS
Power train, Mar 24, 2021
TRANSMISSION IS GOING BAD. THE TRANSMISSION STARTED MAKING NOISE AND STUTTERING. IT WAS STATIONARY WHEN IT WAS FIRST NOTICED. AS SOON AS I TURNED THE CAR ON AND SWITCHED GEARS THE TRANSMISSION STARTED WITH A WHIRRING NOISE. TOOK IT TO A GARAGE AND THEY TOLD ME IT IS THE TRANSMISSION PUMP. WHICH IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THESE VEHICLES.