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
1,795 reports, newest first.
Engine, Jul 3, 2025
When driving home from a hike my car over heated. I was mostly going downhill and my air-conditioning was off. I was 15 minutes into my drive home and I was 15 miles from any sort of gas stations, food, water, bathrooms, ect. I had to park on the side of a mountain road while other cars flew past me on the winding road with limited pull off options. I took my car to the only gas station within 30 miles. My coolant was dried up even though I topped it off with the proper orange coolant only last month when we were replacing spark plugs. I mad it home and then took my car to a shop. 2 days later. The new jug of coolant I had put in 2 days prior was now dried up. My car now needs a new engine due to issues with the eco boost leaking coolant nto my engine. Ford apparently offers some possible assistance finically if your car has less than 88,000 miles. My car hit 88,888 just before it over heated on that drive. So helpful. This is a know issue for my specific vehicle and not was was i made aware. I do well keeping up on regular maintenence and the recall for the transmission shifter is being addressed at this moment.
Engine, Jul 2, 2025
The engine is misfiring and riding rough, with the check engine light on. After a series of service calls to an independent mechanic to replace other components, and the issue not resolving, I took it to a Ford dealership. Ford concluded that coolant is leaking into cylinder #3 of the engine, requiring a complete engine replacement. This is identified as a known design issue, with the root cause specifically being a defect in the engine block. If left untreated, this coolant intrusion (causing engine misfires) will lead to unburned fuel and coolant entering the exhaust system, which will then overheat and/or poison the catalytic converter, eventually destroying it. To discover this root cause, several auto parts were needlessly replaced and discarded: spark plugs, ignition coils, fuel system fluids, and an air intake tube.
Engine, Jul 2, 2025
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The component that failed is the engine cooling system, specifically due to a known issue with coolant intrusion into the short block. This failure led to significant engine damage in my son’s 2018 Ford Escape. The vehicle is currently available for inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The sudden engine failure posed a serious safety risk. If the vehicle had stalled while in motion—particularly on a highway or in heavy traffic—it could have led to a collision or left the driver stranded in a hazardous location. In this case, my son's car failed unexpectedly, which could have resulted in harm had the conditions been different. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes, the issue has been confirmed by a certified service technician. It matches a known problem in 2018 Ford Escapes involving coolant leaking into the engine block, which has been documented in Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) issued by Ford. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others? At this time, the vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. However, the diagnosis and confirmation of coolant intrusion was made by a mechanic. Were there any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No. Only engine coolant container was empty without warning.
Engine, Jul 1, 2025
2018 Ford Escape with 86k miles, low for its age, diagnosed with a cracked cylinder block.Ford had issued a Technical Service Bulletin. 22-2322 for Escapes manufactured between 2017 and 2019 with the symptoms described in the bulletin—code P0303, low coolant in reservoir, rough idle, and white smoke and Ford said they couldn’t help. An $8600 bill on a car that retails around 14k makes this car disposable in the sense that it makes no sense to repair. Extended warranty purchased ran concurrently with manufacturer’s warranty so repair is no longer covered. Ford knows the issue; yet won’t take responsibility for their defect.
Engine, Jul 1, 2025
Per the dealer service shop - "found coolant intrusion in the cylinders" and stated entire engine would need to be replaced at a cost greater than the value of the vehicle.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Jul 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there a misfire coming from the engine, with an abnormal coolant odor on the inside and outside of the vehicle. The check engine warning light was occasionally illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local O’Reilly’s, where it was diagnosed with a #4-cylinder misfire, and the power pack was replaced; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic for a second opinion, where it was diagnosed with the same failure. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The local dealer was contacted and advised that there was coolant intrusion into cylinder #4; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle needed to be towed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 49,500.
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating, prompting the contact to discontinue driving the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that there was coolant intrusion into various cylinders, causing damage to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the diagnosis was confirmed. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12 (Short Block replacement after Coolant Intrusion). The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 98,000.
Engine, Jul 1, 2025
A check engine light came on. I brought it to a local mechanic and my Ford Dealership and they both confirmed coolant intrusion into the 1.5 Liter Ecoboost engine. The only fix would be a replacement engine. My safety was at risk because the engine could have catastrophically failed while I was driving due to the coolant intrusion into cylinder 2. This could have caused serious injury or death. Ford knows about a design flaw in their 1.5 Liter Ecoboost engine that can lead to serious injury or death but has chosen to do nothing about it. Before the check engine light came on the car was emitting a rotten egg smell. Also when reversing, the whole car would shake. The rotten egg smell eventually went away but when the check engine light came on, the car still would shake when reversing. The car would also occasionally jerk when going to stop or accelerate after the check engine light came on. Reading online this exact issue has happened to thousands of people on several different Ford models with Ecoboost engines. Ford is ignoring the engine defect and forcing people to spend thousands of dollars on engine replacements when the issue occurs. Please force a recall before someone gets seriously hurt or dies due to this issue.
Engine and engine cooling, Jun 30, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed an engine misfire in cylinders #1 and #3. The contact was informed that the engine short block needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 40,602.
Engine, Jun 30, 2025
At 121,000 miles, my 2018 Ford Escape SE developed a crack in the 2nd cylinder wall as reported by an independent service center owner. Based on an internet search, this is a common issue among many Ford Escape owners. Our safety was put at risk, as the car became unsafe to drive.
Engine, Jun 30, 2025
Coolant levels drop without leaks, assuming coolant intrusion into engine cylinders. This is a known issue that requires engine block replacement yet Ford dealership says my VIN is not covered by their own TSB. This was purchased new from Ford dealership, serviced properly and has less than 55K miles.
Engine, Jun 30, 2025
The engine lost compression as determined by a mechanic resulting in a used engine being installed into my vehicle. The used engine that was installed into my vehicle started leaking coolant into the engine after only 500 miles of driving.
Engine, Jun 29, 2025
There is a design flaw in the engine block of this vehicle that allows engine coolant to enter the combustion cylinders causing the car to buck and kill the engine.
Engine, Jun 29, 2025
While driving my car my check engine light started blinking and then went solid. I went to get the codes checked and they had originally thought it was something with the spark plug. After driving the car around a little longer the check engine light started to blink and then my engine would not allow me to go over 25 miles without shuddering violently. I took my car into a local dealership where I bought it and they checked everything over and found out that the coolant was leaking into the engine and certain cylinders. The mechanic told me that this is apparently a common problem with this car however he told me there was no recall at the time that allowed for my car to be repaired by ford. Had I not stopped driving my car and got it towed to the dealership there's a very good chance I could have been injured due to serious engine malfunction. The fact that Ford is not picking up this tab is absolutely absurd.
Engine, Jun 29, 2025
The engine failed with approximately 50,000 miles on it. It is unsafe and unable to be driven due to engine failure as it has a lack of power maneuvering on roads. The problem has been confirmed by Ford of Spartanburg in Spartanburg, SC. This dealership has determined that the engine has coolant intrusion on cylinder 3 and needs to be completely replaced. It has not been inspected, to my knowledge, by anyone else. The problem was discovered when upon ignition, the engine ran rough and the check engine light illuminated. It was taken to the Ford dealership the same day where their service advisor scanned for problems. It was determined to be a misfire. An appointment was made for a diagnostic at which time the problem of coolant intrusion was diagnosed.
Engine, Jun 26, 2025
My 2018 Ford Escape made a loud squeak / whistle sound while driving approx 40 mph. Immediately after, the vehicle began to smoke from the exhaust so much that I could not see , nor could many of the cars behind me. The check engine light came on and another light that said pull over. I brought the vehicle to my local Ford Dealer who said the engine has coolant intrusion in cylinder 2 and 3 , and requires a new engine block to be installed. Apparently, Ford is aware of this problem and had a customer satisfaction program to replace the faulty engine blocks, but it expired in 2022. I just purchased this vehicle from a Ford dealer 10 months ago , and now I am basically stuck with a repair that will cost me more than the vehicle is worth. I contacted Ford Motor Company and they will not help me.
Engine, Jun 26, 2025
The alert light on the dash came on several times starting approximately 30 November 2024, but there was no code when we took it to the parts shop and our mechanic. This was often accompanied by loss of power (misfiring). Throughout the Spring, the light came on with increasing frequency, sometimes with loss of power. At some point in February/March, the check engine light came and we were able to check the code. It indicated a misfire on cylinder 3 due to coolant intrusion. We took the car to the Ford Dealership, who confirmed with a pressure test, observing the loss of coolant, the white "smoke" from the tailpipe, and pulling the spark plug that there was a coolant leak and that the engine would need replaced, with an estimate of $9290.33 (on attached 31 March 2025 estimate).
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Jun 26, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that there was coolant intrusion into several cylinders which resulted in damages to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12 (Short Block Replacement After Coolant Intrusion). The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 120,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Jun 26, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to Firestone Service Center, where it was diagnosed with cylinder #4 misfire, a coolant leak, and a blown head gasket. The vehicle was then towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was a crack in the engine block, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 93,870.
Engine and engine cooling, Jun 25, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the engine was idling rough. No warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact detected a sweet odor inside the vehicle and noticed white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The contact also discovered that coolant was leaking on the ground. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12 (Short Block Replacement After Coolant Intrusion); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000.
Power train, Engine, Jun 25, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the transmission was slipping, and the power train malfunction warning light was illuminated. In addition, the contact became aware of fluids leaking underneath the vehicle and accumulating on the rear glass. The contact drove the vehicle to a nearby parking space and turned off the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a fractured flex plate, a failed torque converter, a failed front pump, a failed crank shaft and engine failure. The contact was informed that the suggestive repairs would be to replace the flex plate, torque converter and the front pump. 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 56,500.
Engine, Jun 25, 2025
Engine coolant is leaking into the engine and mechanic says the vehicle will now require a new engine
Engine and engine cooling, Jun 25, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the road and restart the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with DTC: P0012. The vehicle was taken to another independent service center, where it was diagnosed and DTC: P0014, P1299, P0012, and P04DB were retrieved. The local dealer was contacted and related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 19B37. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 146,318.
Engine, Jun 25, 2025
I have a 2.0 ecoboost 2018 ford escape that has currently loosing coolant with in a week, after inspecting the issue it was found that engine coolant intrusion has began and white smoke is coming out of the back of the exhaust, and have a misfire code for cylinder 3 and 4. The spark plug on cylinder 4 upon pulling it out was wet. 104,000 miles is currently on my car, and is parked because I can't come up with that type of money for either a new engine or head gasket to be fixed. There is no coolant leaks, so there for it has blown a head gasket, amd ford needs to issue a recall.
Engine, Jun 25, 2025
2018 ford escape 1.5l ecoboost overheating issues.