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 and engine cooling, Nov 7, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at approximately 60 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle was shaking and vibrating violently. The contact released the accelerator pedal, and the shaking and vibration nearly ceased; however, while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle started shaking abnormally. The contact was able to drive the vehicle under 30 MPH to the dealer. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that there was coolant intrusion into the engine block. The dealer stated that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed by the dealer of TSB: 19-2139 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the vehicle was not covered due to the mileage being exceeded. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 84,313.
Engine, Nov 7, 2024
My engine failed as I was driving down the road with cars behind and in front of me. Lost power while driving, had to find a place immediately to pull over before being hit by other vehicles. Dash lights came on, car started making beeping noises, dash said it was overheating when thermostat gauge said it was completely cold. No antifreeze in the overflow tank, all antifreeze went into the engine from a coolant leak. Had to have car towed to garage they called and said it was engine failure due to coolant intrusion, called Ford Customer Care and they would not help me, talked to closest Ford dealership service department and they told me it was within the years but over mileage for the Customer Satisfaction Program and would be $8900 to replace the entire engine. Now I am left without a car that I am still paying on.
Power train, Engine and engine cooling, Nov 6, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment, and the vehicle suddenly lost motive power. Additionally, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The contact stated that the failure recurred several times while driving. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 115,572.
Engine, Nov 5, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there coolant intrusion into the engine and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 92,561.
Engine, Nov 4, 2024
My car has about 104,000 miles. Suddenly the check engine light came on and a warnning that reads "High Temprature Engine Stop Carfuly" and "Engine Fault Service Now" came on. Certified mechanic checked and confirmed coolant intrusion into cyliners needing engine replaced. Ford was contacted and said the "Customer Satisfaction" addressing this issue expired. It was for 7 years or 84,000 miles, which my car exceeds. And refused to do anything and said to complain through NTHSA. This is clearly the manufacturer issue and is repeatedly showing on NTHSA by owners of 2017-2019 Escape. This should turn into a nationwide recall. New engine costs $12500 which is more than the car price.
Engine, Nov 4, 2024
Engine coolant intrusion
Suspension, Nov 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the front passenger’s side wheel detached. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 49,000.
Engine, Nov 3, 2024
Coolant leaking into block.
Engine, Nov 1, 2024
My check engine light came on, took it to a parts store for an analysis and got code P0303. The vehicle was also running different. When I would first turn it on, it felt like it wasn’t at full power and felt like the engine was shaking slightly. We changed the spark plugs, engine light didn’t go away. Had same code so changed cylinder #3 coil as that was the one misfiring. The engine light blinked and remained on. The car when I would put it in drive had almost no power for the first several seconds I would press the gas in drive then would all of a sudden jump to driving. $140 later in parts I had a bunch of white smoke coming out of the back, about every light and alarm sound started going off as it had a message that was telling me engine overheated (we checked the antifreeze when changing plugs and coils and was still between max and minimum) and told me to safely stop. I was on a busy street and my car stalled while waiting for a tow. While looking at the antifreeze, it was completely gone even though we just checked it. My car that still has a $13,000+ loan is not drivable. It is in a mechanics garage now and is estimated to cost OVER $2000 to fix. I’m very frustrated because after a started researching this issue, I’ve found hundreds of complaints about this SAME issue with others and yet NO recall has been sent to me by ford motor company. When I lookup recalls for my vehicle using my vin number, it stated that there are zero open recalls. I have been without my car for about 6 weeks and not sure what to do about this.
Wheels, Oct 30, 2024
Lug nuts are swollen and need to be replaced. It seems like this is an issue with Fords.
Engine, Oct 30, 2024
- The vacuum pump is the part that failed and locked up, it broke parts internally in the engine and that is what caused the crank bolt to spin loose and the car to jump time. - this happened when the car was going dowin a steep mountain and we were forced to pullover immediately, however the breaks were not working normally. - yes the problem has been confirmed - the component was inspected by the dealership - there were no warning signs, and the delear mechanic said there was nothing we could do to prevent the issue
Power train, Oct 29, 2024
2018 Ford Escape engine coolant leaking into engine oil. 88,000 miles. Car well taken care of. White smoke coming from exhaust. Ford knows of this defect. I am a poor student and owe 8k on this vehicle. This defect should be a required recall.
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Oct 29, 2024
I have had to replace multiple headlight bulbs every few months. The bulbs and fuses are working fine. Sometimes one side will work and the other side will turn off without warning. I have been stranded on the side of the road multiple times. It is unsafe to drive this way. Finally today both lights just stop working without any warning. This is why I came to this page to see if I was the only one having this issue and it looks like I'm not. I have made an appointing to take it in to the dealer hopefully they can find the problem.
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 29, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into cylinder #3. The vehicle remained in the possession of the independent mechanic and 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 19,500.
Engine, Engine and engine cooling, Oct 29, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 30 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle lost motive power. No further information was available. The vehicle was taken to the residence, where the contact's husband used a hand-held vehicle diagnostic scanner and retrieved diagnostic trouble code P0301, indicating a misfire of the first cylinder. The contact's husband replaced the spark plugs, but the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The contact's husband then replaced the ignition coils. The contact's husband also noticed that the coolant level was abnormally low. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 116,000.
Engine, Oct 29, 2024
Check engine light came on, when car was plugged in to investigate you get the number one cylinder is misfiring warning. Had a coil pack replaced and within 200 miles, the check engine light returned. Currently my vehicle is at the ford dealership and they are reporting I need a new motor. I am losing antifreeze which is going into the cylinders.
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 28, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion in cylinder #2. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where the same assessment was made. Additionally, the dealer informed the contact that while in the process of removing the spark plugs to take pictures of the failure for a diagnostic report, the spark plugs fractured due to corrosion. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under Ford Campaign Number: 21N12, due to the mileage on the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 119,000.
Engine, Oct 24, 2024
Coolant reservoir was completely dry and is leaking into unknown areas. There is no leak under the car but the coolant level is sinking dramatically. Heat was not working in the car due to having no coolant. Engine occasionally sputters when initially started in the morning. Engine light occasionally comes on but there is no error or service message and then the engine light goes off. Coolant reservoir and engine are currently being inspected by mechanic.
Engine, Oct 24, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while starting the vehicle and attempting to reverse, the vehicle started shaking with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 98,000.
Engine, Oct 23, 2024
Vehicle had rough starts with rough idling upon starting for two days. Then vehicle hesitated to start and upon start, would idle rough. Check engine light came on and codes were for misfire in cylinder 2 and cylinder 3. There was also a heavy smell of coolant and some white smoke from the exhaust pipes. Vehicle rough idle at stop signs/red lights and almost shut off. On next start, it took vehicle 5 attempts to start. Upon start there was a rough idle and heavy white smoke from exhaust. Still a smell of coolant and a warning light on the dash that read "Engine Fault Service Now." Car was left at my home and I used another vehicle to get to work. Had I driven the vehicle it could have broken down while driving and caused a traffic incident. It may have also leaked fluid onto the roadway causing unsafe conditions. Vehicle will be towed to garage to be inspected for possible coolant intrusion based on symptoms and discussion with local mechanic, ford dealership and ford customer service. Ford service did open a claim to look into the incident.
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated upon depressing the accelerator pedal. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start after several attempts, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was initially taken to an independent mechanic where the ignition coils and spark plugs were replaced. Despite the repair, the failure persisted, and the contact was referred to the dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle with coolant intrusion into cylinder #3. The contact was provided an estimate for the repair; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle remained with the dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive coolant consumption. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion in the cylinders. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion in cylinder #2. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer related the failure to Ford Campaign Number: 21N12; however, the vehicle was not covered. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 74,850.
Suspension, Oct 22, 2024
I have purchased replacement lower control from Detoit Axle. On 8/13/2024. On 10/18/2024 car had to be take to repair shop because replaced control arm failed. Lower ball joint came out of socket.
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 21, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The local dealer was contacted, and the vehicle was diagnosed, and the spark plugs, and ignition coils were replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The vehicle was recently diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 21, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the engine overheated and stalled, rendering the vehicle inoperable. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the engine block had cracked due to coolant intrusion into the cylinders. The contact was informed that the engine 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 106,000.