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.
Power train, Engine, Jul 12, 2024
I received my car back from All Star Ford on [XXX] with a rebuilt transmission installed. Since the repairs were under warranty I only had to pay $100 out of pocket. The following week I took the car in to have an oil change. The car seemed to run fairly well until [XXX]. The car started to make a strange rattling noise and a notification popped up saying that I needed to get an oil change soon. I thought this to be pretty strange as I had just got an oil change in April 2024 after I received the car back. I decided to take the car to get an oil change on [XXX] in which comments were noted that there was a major oil leak present and transmission fluid leaking as well. The following day on [XXX], as I was out and about, the car started to make the rattling noise louder as I started the car. I shifted the car in reverse to back out of a parking spot and then when I shifted into drive the car would not accelerate. I shifted into park and attempted to start the car again and it shut off and would not move. I had the car towed to All Star Ford same day and dropped the keys in the drop box because they were closed. I called again on [XXX] and was informed that the system had shut down at the shop and they could not get the approval from Ford Corporation to fix the issue. He stated that the mechanic diagnosed that the plate between the transmission and the engine was cracked and needed to be replaced. He estimated that he would be able to get the approval by 07/05/2024 and order the other parts since the shop had majority of the parts to replace again. He informed me that the repairs were still under warranty. I called on 07/10/2024 to check the progress of the repairs and Frank informed me that they are currently working on vehicle and will update me. I called on 07/12/2024 and left Frank a message for follow-up. Frank called me back and stated that there are more issues with the car which includes fixing additional items such as the torque. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle shuddered abnormally. The contact stated that during the failure, there was a cloud of white smoke coming from the exhaust pipes. The contact stated that the instrument panel indicated that the engine was overheating. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the coolant and engine oil were mixing, due to coolant intrusion, causing engine failure. The dealer was unable to specify the location of the leak. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and it was confirmed that the VIN was not under recall or Warranty. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 61,000.
Engine, Jul 11, 2024
Got a check engine light took it for a diagnostic checkup and was told I had coolant intrusion. My vehicle has 104k miles so Ford will not assist in any way to cover the cost of repair which I was quoted 11k to replace the engine at Rod Baker Ford. This is a known issue with Ford Ecoboost engines
Engine, Jul 11, 2024
Engine due to coolant intrusion to cylinders. Car hesitates to go, stalls out, hard to start TSB was released for this issue. The car is at a Ford dealer and now needs a full engine replacement The engine light came on at 102000 miles issues started at 56000 reported to the dealer but never fixed 2 ford dealers didn't follow TSB issues 19-2375 to do repairs while under warranty. Now over 100000, they want me to pay for repair after it has been reported to them for the last 50000 miles, and a TSB released matches the issues I reported
Power train, Jul 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle briefly hesitated and lost motive power before returning to normal functionality. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the torque converter. The vehicle was not repaired. 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 56,000.
Engine, Jul 8, 2024
The coolant leaks into the cylinder bore. This does not cause the car to stall until the coolant gets to low. The car stalled on my son (new driver) pulling into traffic due to the piston misfires caused by the coolant in the cold engine. Dealer has confirmed coolant intrusion.
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated and temperature gauge raised to HOT, and the vehicle failed to properly accelerate. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there was coolant intrusion into the engine, and the engine short block 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 unknown.
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the spark plugs were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic a second time and was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 109,000. The VIN was not available.
Engine, Jul 7, 2024
Antifreeze is going into the engine making the SUV shake and blow white smoke so the vehicle is inoperable. The mechanic told me this is a problem with the 2018 Ford Escape and that Ford would only cover the cost of repairs up to 84,000 miles or 7 years and my vehicle has 94,000 so Ford says they won't do anything to cover the cost of a new engine. Since when is there an expiration date/miles on a RECALL? NOONE DRIVES THEIR CAR 12,000 MILES A YEAR ANYMORE. These number's need to be reevaluated for a more accurate mileage. This RECALL needs to be extended to all Ford customers since we've paid for a vehicle and didn't even get 100,000 miles out of it when it's report to last 200,000-250,000 miles. Ford has had multiple issues with all of their ECO vehicles.
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 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 the dealer, where the engine cooling pump was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion in the engine. The dealer determined that the engine short block needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under Ford Campaign Number: 21N12, because the campaign had expired. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that she had not received a notification letter for Ford Campaign Number: 21N12. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 93,400.
Engine, Jul 3, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was shuddering. Additionally, the vehicle hesitated to respond while driving from a complete stop. The contact stated that upon scanning the vehicle, diagnostic test codes for several cylinder misfires were retrieved. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the spark plugs and ignition coils were replaced; however, the failure recurred while driving 35 MPH. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that upon scanning the vehicle, diagnostic test codes for cylinder #2 misfire was retrieved. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted and referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 86,964.
Engine, Jul 3, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed with a misfire in cylinder #2. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 79,360.
Engine, Jul 3, 2024
On June 25, 2024 my 2018 Ford Escape overheated. I had to get it towed. I noticed there was no coolant in the coolant receptacle under the hood. There was also no evidence of a coolant leak anywhere. On June 27, I brought it into a service station where a pressure test was performed and no leak was detected. I then brought it to a Ford dealership and explained the issue. It was then I learned about the eco boost engine and coolant leaking into the cylinders issue. The fix for this issue is to replace the engine or the long block assembly. I was quoted a price of $8500. to do this by the Ford dealership. My car has only 57,700 miles on it.
Engine, Jul 2, 2024
I had an issue in 2022 with my 2018 ford escape they said I had no antifreeze left and needed a transmission it took 5 months but never found the antifreeze issue or fixed it. Now engine light came on to be told a TSB came out 3 months after my repair with a diagnosis for the issues I have had since purchased car. They are refusing to fix unless it’s under warranty I had a warranty when I first took car in 2022 but now I am just out a $35,000 car that I can’t afford to replace engine. TSB report Ford don’t care nor want to assist in anyway with an issue reported and brought up before warranty expired yet I am at fault now. Not ok they should be fixing this issue for free but due to entire engine being damaged they are just letting customers lose everything including a job when they don’t have a way to get to work after paying for 6 years and won’t offer help
Engine, Jul 2, 2024
My car began displaying an alert that the engine was overheating anytime I drove over 50mph. I took it for repair and was told there is coolant intrusion to the engine and the engine needs to be repaired. After some research I have found this is a known issue and ford had a customer satisfaction program to extend warranty for this issue to 84k miles. I was never notified of this and am now at 88k miles so cannot receive any assistance. My car will cost $10,600 to repair per an estimate and I am unable to afford the repair or a new car. This car is not old and does not have a lot of miles- this is unacceptable.
Engine, Jul 1, 2024
My inquiry is to add VIN# to the Ford Program my engine has failed at 62,000 miles Ford stated would have to request VIN# to be added to cover the repair All U.S. Ford and Lincoln Dealers SUBJECT: Customer Satisfaction Program 21N12 Certain 2017-2019 Model Year Fusion and Escape Vehicles Equipped with a 1.5L GTDI Engine – Short Block Replacement After Coolant Intrusion REF: Customer Satisfaction Program 19B37 - Supplement #4 Dated: June 09, 2022 REF: Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 22-2134 Dated: December 19, 2019quiry is to request VIN# is added to the Ford Customer Satisfaction program 21N12
Engine, Jul 1, 2024
Vehicle ENGINE AND COOLING SYSTEM completely blown due to Coolant system flooding engine cylinders, from ZERO fault of the original vehicle owner, due to complete malfunction of the cooling system leaking into the engine components, requiring FULL COMPLETE engine /cooling system replacement at full cost to owner of CASH TOTAL : $12527.59. VIN : [XXX] [XXX] CUSTOMER STATES CEL IS PRESENT, WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE FELS Operation Tech units COMPLETELY OKAY 0.0 194 24.0 Amount 0.00 0.00 Amount 0.00 4656.00 51-1 LONG BLOCK + FLEXPLATE AND BOLTS + TURBO STUDS, NUTS AND THE GASKET+TURBO OIL SUPPLY TUBE ASSEMBLY +TURBO OIL RETURN TUBE AND GASKET THERMOSTAT HOUSING O-RING SEAL + OIL COOLER AND RETAINER+ FUEL INJECTOR ORING KIT + HIGH-PRESSURE FUEL PUMP O-RING SEAL +HIGH-PRESSURE FUEL TUBE+INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET 51-2 TURBOCHARGER COOLANT TUBE ORRENG SEALS REGAE VACUUM PUMP GASKET+COOLANT OUTLET O-RING SEAL+. INSPECT VERIFIED CONCERN ECOTEST INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine, Jun 28, 2024
At 62,0000 miles, the coolant has started leaking into one of the engine cylinders. The Ford dealership says that the engine block is cracked, the engine needs to be replaced, and that Ford will not warrant it. I have seen hundreds of reports of this same issue at about this same mileage online. Clearly this is a manufacturing defect. No one expects a car to only last 62K miles.
Engine and engine cooling, Jun 27, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, there was a white cloud of smoke coming from the exhaust pipes. The smoke dissipates after several minutes. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of coolant. There were no warning lights. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the short block had fractured. The short block was replaced. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred approximately one and a half years later. The vehicle was returned to the dealer who diagnosed that the short block needed to be replaced again. The vehicle was not repaired a second time. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not covered by warranty or recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 82,000.
Engine, Jun 26, 2024
Coolant intrusion. Bought the car from the dealership and had the 30 day 1000 mile warranty. Was in the shop for the first two weeks and they said it was not coolant intrusion. Well guess what, on day 35 the car is completely worthless due to coolant intrusion now I’m stuck with a $17000 repair on a $14000 car I have a loan on that IS NO LONGER COVERED BY FORD
Engine and engine cooling, Jun 26, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light had been illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with a defective sensor; however, the failure returned soon after the sensor was replaced. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic and the failure was linked to Technical Service Bulletin: 22-2322. The contact called the dealer and while the vehicle was being serviced, the technician discovered that the coolant reservoir was empty. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where a pressure test was performed, and the dealer discovered coolant intrusion into the engine cylinders. The contact continued to drive the vehicle, and the engine would misfire while depressing the accelerator pedal. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
Power train, Jun 25, 2024
A coolant intrusion into the engine from the 3rd valve occurred, requiring a full engine replacement.
Engine, Jun 25, 2024
Coolant intrusion in engine with MIL P1299 stated from CSP 21N12 CSP 21N12 states: This program provides a no-cost, one-time repair (if needed) to the 1.5L short block, due to coolant intrusion to the cylinder bores, for 7 years of service or 84,000 miles from the warranty start date of the vehicle, whichever occurs first. This is a one-time repair program. If a vehicle has already exceeded either the time or mileage limits, this no-cost, one-time repair will last through November 30, 2022. Coverage is automatically transferred to subsequent owners
Power train, Other or unspecified, Jun 25, 2024
The fly wheel has had to be replaced twice on my car. I am driving and all of the sudden it starts clanking, I'm thinking my car is going to fall apart. First in 2021 and now again in 2024. I feel this is something that should be recalled because what are the chances that 2 went bad. It is getting fixed after Ford looked at it and wanted to charge us $2800.00 to replace. Took to a recommended transmission shop. Most people don't even know about reporting these issues. Not only that they replaced my engine already in 2021. I have had numerous problems with this car, if interested in checking it out you all are more than welcome to. I was out of town and suddenly my car would not start even though the battery good according to auto zone and O'reilly's was good. it is just crazy the problems, I am afraid to drive my car and being stranded somewhere. I am going to look for all the invoices i have from ford and will submit
Engine and engine cooling, Jun 25, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the engine temperature gauge raised and indicated that the engine was HOT. The message "Overheating - Pull Over Immediately" was displayed temporarily. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that there was a coolant leak present in cylinder #2. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 94,000.