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, Nov 4, 2022
The contact owned a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) and would like to be removed from the recall distribution list as she no longer owns the vehicle. The local dealer and manufacturer were not contacted.
Wheels, Nov 3, 2022
swollen and deformed lug nuts told to me by ford dealer. They need to be replaced.
Power train, Engine, Nov 1, 2022
On April 2022 my vehicle began to malfunction while I was driving. My car was in drive and when I hit the gas pedal it began moving backwards. Then, the vehicle would not move at all when it was in drive. I turned the car off, restarted, and was able to drive to a safe location. When I tried driving the vehicle again it was moving in reverse even though it was in park. I at that time called AAA and had my vehicle towed to a service center. During this time my safety was in danger as I was on the road and could have been in an accident with the way my car was malfunctioning. Before this problem occurred there were no warning lights, it just happened out of nowhere. I would later learn the engine needed repairs and I needed a new transmission.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Oct 26, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, there was a message that cylinder #2 had misfired. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and stated that the engine needed to be replaced due to coolant leaking into cylinder #2. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 42,000.
Power train, Oct 25, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle and shifting into reverse(R), the transmission fault and another unknown warning light were illuminated. After the contact made the local dealer aware of the failure, the contact was informed that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train); however, she stated that she had not received a recall notification. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired, and a service appointment was scheduled. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The contact was advised to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 78,500.
Power train, Oct 24, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V4130000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. 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.
Engine, Oct 21, 2022
Check engine light came on and went to get it diagnosed. Came back with code PO302 cylinder misfires. Took to Firestone who did a tune up, changed spark plugs and got told the coolant was low. Which was weird because I just filled it. Have never got an alert about any leaks or that the engine was running hot. I always check the fluids and only recently did i notice going thru coolant more. Started to smell something sweet in the car and on my way home today, the car over heated and I got one of those engine alert things. Started researching and here I am.
Engine, Oct 20, 2022
The check engine light came on and an engine fault error message come on when you start the car. took the car to my mechanic who couldn't find anything that would cause these. He started looking into issues and found Ford is fully aware there is an engine coolant leak into one of the cylinders, all escapes from 2013 to 2019 could be affected. The only way to fix this is to replace the small block (minimum $6000 repair according to ford)... possible for engine to catch fire according to the information I found). How is this not a recall, that Ford needs to be responsible for? They're aware of the issue and that it's not consumer caused.
Engine, Oct 20, 2022
My vehicle is under 80,000 miles. The check engine light came on and the car was not drivable. Fortunetely, I was in my driveway when the check engine light blinked and car did not run. If it was on the road, I would have been in danger. I immediately towed it to the business I have a warranty with. Bill Collins Ford has determined the engine has a cracked cylinder and coolant was leaking in. I now have to have the short block replaced costing near $7,000.
Engine, Oct 20, 2022
The engine in this vehicle experienced a loss of coolant into cylinder #3 in late August 2022. This led to white smoke from the exhaust, rough idle and a complete loss of coolant from the cooling system into the engine. This occurred during a trip to Canada and back. After returning from the trip, the check engine light came on. The vehicle was immediately brought to a Ford dealership (Salem Ford NH) where the PCM codes (P0303 and P0316) and engine inspection confirmed engine failure. The dealer confirmed the engine must be replaced.
Engine, Oct 13, 2022
Coolant leaking in to cylinder
Power train, Oct 7, 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 the vehicle would shake while the gear shifter was shifted into drive(D) or reverse(R). 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 96,617. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Power train, Oct 5, 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 not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Oct 4, 2022
CEL came on and showed code P0302. I replaced the coil pack and spark plug, problem was fixed for a week and then the code came back on. Did research and realized when the car is on the coolant totally depletes and returns after the car is off, the coolant should not deplete like it did. This is a known issue with these vehicles that the coolant goes into the engine when it should not and causes problems with cylinder 2. This is a manufacturing defect and should have a recall so that Ford can fix their mistake. There are no recalls for this problem even though Ford has many customers with Escapes that are having this same exact problem and caused by no fault of our own. Ford will not fix it since it’s out of warranty so will need to pay out of pocket.
Power train, Oct 4, 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. An unknown local dealer was contacted. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed and the vehicle started jerking and failed to respond. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact persistently depressed the accelerator pedal until the vehicle responded, however the failure reoccurred while driving and the vehicle was making abnormal sounds. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. 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. The failure mileage was approximately 52,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Engine, Oct 3, 2022
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 the dealer where it was diagnosed that there was a rodent’s nest underneath the hood. The dealer removed the rodent’s nest; however, the failure recurred and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer. The dealer determined there was a coolant leak in the engine and that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer referred the contact to Dorian Ford (35900 Gratiot Ave, Clinton Twp, MI 48035) and scheduled an upcoming appointment for the service. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The manufacturer advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 18,682.
Power train, Oct 3, 2022
Some time the shifter dosent want to come out of park or go in gear. It happens both ways.
Power train, Sep 27, 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 not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Engine, Sep 26, 2022
Engine possibly could have failed in high volume traffic causing a collision. Check engine light came on 7/28/22 @ approximately 82,500 miles, code PO301 engine misfire # 1 cylinder, cleared trouble code, but problem returned on 8/2/22 @ 82,793 miles same code, 8/5/22 replaced #1 ignition & spark plug, cleared code again, but code returned again on 8/9/22, my local repair facility (Oxford Motors in Oxford NY) diagnosed engine internal coolant leak causing engine misfire on cylinder #1, tested for head gasket failure @ 83,483 miles, coolant recovery tank was low, filled w/engine coolant to specified level, checked engine compression on all 4 cylinders, found #1 cylinder @ 80 psi compared to all other cylinders @110 psi, made appointment (8/29/22) with local ford service center (Matthews Ford in Norwich NY) for further inspection, the dealer recommended replacing engine long block as this is a common problem with this engine. Engine replaced @ a cost of $6011.61 and The Ford Motor Company would not extend the drive line warranty due to the fact the vehicle was purchased used and not serviced by a ford dealer, but if it had been ford in the past has extended the warranty to 100,000 miles. Ford is aware of this problem, but has not issued any recall & is addressing the problem as it occurs with bias.
Power train, Sep 26, 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 vehicle would vibrate while in park(P) or drive(D) without warning. The contact also stated that an abnormal thumping noise was coming from the vehicle while shifting gears, without warning. The dealer had been notified about the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer had been notified of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Other or unspecified, Sep 23, 2022
Lug nuts swollen - couldn’t remove at regular tire store. Had to buy all new lug nuts at dealer.
Engine, Sep 22, 2022
Vehicle alerted for miss-fire cylinders 1&2. I took to my mechanic and he diagnosed coolant had leaked into the engine fouling cylinders 1 & 2 irreparably and needed a complete engine change. Advised I take it to Ford dealer as this is a known issue. I contacted Ford customer service for advice and was told I needed to take it to a Ford dealership for diagnosis and determination. Towed vehicle to Ford. Same diagnosis with an estimate of $11,154.31 to replace the engine. Requested an adjustment or assistance as this is not an expected failure and there is sufficient evidence of this happening with this engine to many people. Ford refused assistance. Towed back to my mechanic for an OEM engine change. At least two people in my area have had this engine replaced with my mechanic since my occurance.
Power train, Sep 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.
Engine, Sep 21, 2022
Ford has a recall on the short block my car has the exact issue and the mechanic at my dealership told me it was the short block the issue was cause engines to be blown which happened got engine replaces and has had problems since then and got a paper stating the short block issue and ford knows about it. But refuses to fix it.
Power train, Sep 21, 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.