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, Jul 25, 2023, crash
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while parking into a parking space, the vehicle accelerated at high speed. The contact was not sure if a warning light was displayed or illuminated. The vehicle drove over the curb striking several shopping carts and coming to a complete stop, causing front-end damages to the vehicle. The contact suffered a bruise to the chest due to the seat belt but did not seek medical attention. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 60,000.
Power train, Engine, Jul 22, 2023
I own a 2018 Ford Escape SE. In May, I started my car & it shook, the check engine light started blinking. I took it to Auto Zone for a diagnostic; diagnostic trouble codes Power Train System - P0302/ cylinder 2 misfire detected & Anti-Lock Brake System (No Code) /Service Interval Light. I was told to replace the spark plugs & ignition coil. I took it to an independent mechanic, sparks plugs & coil were replaced. The check engine light off. Notice I was using more gas. 2 weeks later, check engine light came on, car started shaking. I took it to Auto Zone for another diagnostic & was told the same thing, issue with the spark plugs and coil, misfire for cylinder 2. July 14, took it to the dealership for an oil change; I was told the coolant was below level/ low. In my Ford Pass App, I received an alert; I decided to sign in into my FORD ACCOUNT, where I have my cars registered. I saw an alert with the following messages: 1 * Recalls: You're all set! There are no recalls for your vehicle. 2 * CSP (Customer Satisfaction Program 19B37 will be in effect until November 30,2022, regardless of mileage. Coverage is automatically transferred to subsequent owners. Additionally, if engine damage has occurred due to coolant intrusion, Ford Motor Company is providing a one-time repair of the engine short block. I called Mac Haik Ford Dealership and notify them of the issue. They wanted to charge me $155 just for a diagnostic. I told then that according to Campaign #21N12, I'm not suppose to be charge. I left my vehicle at the dealership for the diagnostic and at 3:54pm, I received a message for the service adviser telling me this "Hello this is [XXX] with Mac Haik Ford. The technician has looked at your vehicle & it is coolant intrusion. We have ordered parts, and we will be going into Monday with your vehicle. I will touch base with you again on Monday, have a great weekend. My car could have overheated & could have been stranded on the freeway or could have been in an accident INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Power train, Jul 10, 2023
Coolant leak, Engine failure, available for inspection. Car could have caught fire, engine no longer able to perform. Confirmed by dealership. Inspected by mechanical garage and Ford dealership. First part of June 2023 check engine light came on, taken to garage for reading noticed coolant low. Garage replaced ignition coil. Engine light again came on took back to garage replaced spark plug. Engine light again came on, I then called Ford dealer and was informed of the problems coming in on 2.0 ecco boost engines. Took vehicle in and was informed of engine failure and new engine was installed.
Power train, Jun 29, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, he heard an abnormally loud sound coming from the engine compartment. While continuing to drive the vehicle, the sound dissipated, but the failure reoccurred. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined inconclusively that the flexplate and torque converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle is repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 32,500. The contact is requesting reimbursement for repairs made to the vehicle.
Power train, Back over prevention, Jun 13, 2023
While driving at night at a speed of approximately 45 mph, the car started grinding and there was a smell of metallic material burning and it was difficult to accelerate. Within seconds the automobile came to a complete stop in the middle of a moderately traveled road in the left hand turning lane. There were no messages or warning lamps that would indicate that there was a problem prior to this complete stoppage. The safety of the driver as well as others is put at risk due to the fact that there were no prior indications or symptoms to this malfunction. Had this happened on a high traffic area while traveling at higher speed, there would have indeed been numerous accidents given the sudden stoppage without any safety lamps or alerts being exhibited on the dashboard that would alert the driver to get to a safer location or pull over. Waiting for a tow at night is dangerous and the safety of a lone driver is at stake. After three days at the dealer, we were advised that the vehicle has complete Transmission Failure. There is a safety recall (22S43) NHTSA 22V413 that deals with a transmission issue. The vehicle now needs a whole new transmission and is only 5 years old. Perhaps this initial recall may eventually lead to complete transmission failure. It was not described as what exactly the failure of the transmission.
Power train, Jun 4, 2023
Fly wheel cracks all of a sudden at 85000 miles
Power train, Engine, May 31, 2023
2 weeks after our warranty expired for the power train we experienced failure with a misfire of Cylinder 1. We replaced all of the spark plugs at around 41,000 miles. 1 month into replacement cyclinder 1 misfired again, we replaced the spark plug thinking it was that and also the coil. 2 months after we are having the same issue, replaced the spark plug again, and the code will not go away, the check Englishwoman light continues to flash. I brought it to the dealership where it has been preliminarily determined I have a coolant intrusion in cylinder 1 and a new king block will be required at the tune of about 9k. There was tsb 19-2346 on my car and nothing was done to prevent this from happening. We suddenly lost all coolant around the same time we replaced the spark plugs as well. There was no visible leak. Ford needs to cover this repair in full, and issue a recall. My 17 year old drives this vehicle and when she was driving yesterday is when the failure began as she was turning left she had a sudden loss in power, almost getting tboned.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Engine, May 22, 2023
The dealership, All American Chevrolet of San Angelo TX, sold me this car 12/14/2022 without fixing the recall that was issued 6/2022. My battery has died 2x within a month, my check engine light came on yesterday but there are only 68k miles on the car. It's against federal law for a dealership to sell a car with an open recall, isn't it?
Power train, Engine, May 5, 2023
The antifreeze is leaking into the cylinders. My car has been diagnosed as being HYDRO-LOCKED. This happened in March. I took the car to REA Ford in Monticello where it was diagnosed. A claim was submitted to the warranty company who said they are not responsible for the repair because the manufacturer knew of this defect and had a Customer Satisfaction Program 21N12 - Short Block Replacement After Coolant Intrusion. This is dated June 09, 2022. There were program limits set in place which ended on November 30, 2022. This issue occurred with my car after this date. It is the same issue and I am being told by everyone that they are not responsible for the repair. The car will not start and had to be towed to REA Ford in Monticello where it is currently sitting. The check engine light came on. I took it to be diagnosed and was told this is the issue. I was told that they could not identify where the leak was until it got to the point that the car was having more difficulty starting and running. The car is now unable to start. My safety was impacted because I was told it was safe to drive but around March 15th, the vehicle would not exceed 6 miles per hour and just stopped moving. It had to be towed to the dealer's garage.
Power train, May 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle would not properly accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 95,202.
Power train, Apr 25, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal however, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the RPM gauge was fluctuating however, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced, and that there were metal shavings inside the torque converter. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.
Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Apr 24, 2023
The car began overheating while in operation. The driver immediately pulled over and shut the car off, and the car was towed to the dealership. It was discovered that there was a crack in the gasket, allowing coolant to slowly leak into the engine over time. The engine seized and is no longer operable. This is, as confirmed by my Ford mechanic, and KNOWN and COMMON issue with this particular year/model. Ford is aware that this is a manufacturing defect and has not issued a recall at this time.
Power train, Apr 20, 2023
The transmission went out while driving down the road and I was barely able to get off the road. According to the dealership the transmission had an internal failure at 61000 miles.
Engine and engine cooling, Power train, Apr 19, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds the vehicle would overheat and shutoff inadvertently. A message indicating that the vehicle was overheating was displayed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road and opened the hood until the vehicle had cooled down. The contact then restarted the vehicle and continued driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where an unknown filter was replaced; however, the failure reoccurred while driving, with the message "Powertrain Malfunction - Reduced Power" displayed. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer several times. The dealer diagnosed that the coolant pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to a second dealer, Friendly Ford, Inc. (1077 State Route 5&20, Geneva, NY 14456), where it was diagnosed that coolant was leaking into the engine and that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the failure was related to an unknown recall; however, the vehicle could not be repaired under the recall due to the mileage. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000.
Power train, Apr 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle would not exceed 40 MPH. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where an unknown repair was completed. The mechanic test drove the vehicle uphill; however, the failure reoccurred. The mechanic referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where an unknown repair was completed; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred 8 times within a two-hour drive. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The dealer advised the contact to purchase an Extended Warranty coverage. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 59,150. The VIN was unavailable.
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.
Power train, Mar 14, 2023
Pressed gas to move at light and car revved but did not move. Stuck on very busy highway. There was no warning. No warning lights, no weird noises. Nothing. Had car towed to Ford dealership. Advised transmission needs to be replaced. At 63,000 miles.
Power train, Mar 13, 2023
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. Parts distribution disconnect.
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.
Power train, Mar 8, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving from a complete stop, the message "Transmission Failure" was displayed, and the vehicle hesitated while responding. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was shuddering while driving 35-45 MPH. An unknown dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the earliest availability for diagnostic test was approximately month away. The vehicle was taken to a transmission specialist, where it was diagnosed that the transmission fluid was abnormally dark, and the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to a local dealer, who had an earlier availability. The contact scheduled an appointment with the dealer for the diagnostic test. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000.
Steering, Power train, Engine, Jan 14, 2023
There have been several instances of the vehicle completely shutting off while sitting idle and at red lights. I took it to the dealership and there is coolant leaking into the cylinders causing it to misfire. This is very dangerous and could cause the car to run hot or burn up! The said I should replace the engine but FORD should be responsible as this seems to be a problem in many of their escapes!
Power train, Service brakes, Jan 11, 2023
This 2018 Ford Escape Titanium has 32,000 miles on is experiencing chronic, substantive defects in the rear powertrain. Specifically, it is having its second replacement rear differential unit (RDU) installed. This means it will have worn out 3 RDU's in 32,000 miles. -Original RDU was replaced at ~23,000 miles and failed ~30,000 miles. Third RDU in vehicle's life is currently being installed. Additionally, this vehicle has already had its Power Transfer Unit (PTU) replaced at 22,000 miles and is now on its third set of rear brake rotors. My contention is that there are serious, substantive defects in the vehicles rear powertrain causing premature wearing of the brakes and potential for serious accidents related to the loss of rear differential control and brake damage.
Power train, Jan 10, 2023
There is a recall for shifter cable issues. Had scheduled to have the recall done. While waiting on parts delay to have work completed was told can still use my ford escape. Driving one-day transmission lost all power I was able to get safely to side of road as it was late at night and not much traffic would have been a totally different outcome if in heavy traffic or traveling at highway speeds. Ford now tells me something broke in my transmission. Waited 3 weeks to find out they did the recall cable fix and inspected my transmission and told me something broke inside my transmission and now they expect me to pay 5K for a rebuilt transmission. Car only has 62,706 miles on it and they said the warranty exp at 60,000 miles. I find this interesting they have a transmission cable issue that causes the vehicle to not go into gear properly and now my transmission fails prematurely and they will not cover it. I am lucky i was not driving on highway when this issue happened could have been worse this needs to be looked into no reason for a vehicle that is up on all maint done by the dealer even at 30,000 miles did full service at dealer shop which included the transmission and at just over 60,000 miles transmission fails. I suspect it is related to this faulty cable and transmission not going properly or fully into gear. Someone needs to look into this issue and hold Ford accountable someone is going to get severely injured or worse.
Power train, Engine, Jan 9, 2023
Coolant intrusion into the engine from the cylinder. Check engine light came on for a misfire. My mechanic read the diagnostic codes as a misfired cylinder. Ford admits they know this is an issue with the 1.5L Eco-boost Engine but will only cover 60% of the repair.