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, Aug 11, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated she noticed that the check engine warning light was flashing on and off. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where they stated that there was a misfire in cylinder three and the spark plugs were replaced, but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and they replaced the coil pack but the failure occurred once again. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, and they stated that coolant fluid was in the engine compartment. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and they stated that there was nothing they could do and advised to contact to call the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 74,125.
Engine, Aug 11, 2022, fire
SUV began "shuttering" at idle. Drove for another 10-15 minutes then made an appt to bring to a mechanic to check codes. As I drove vehicle for about 30 seconds the next morning, white smoke began to pour out of the tailpipe and the engine temperature gauge showed it was overheating. Pulled over and opened hood. Saw flames near engine and extinguished with an old t-shirt. Towed to mechanic. Claimed Ford had a new technical bulletin out (TMK 22-2229) that directed mechanics working on vehicles with these symptoms to replace the engine long block. Vehicle only has 67,000 miles on mostly the highway. All occurred while on vacation so I had to buy airline tickets to get back home from the vacation spot. Incident occurred 6/29. Still awaiting word from Ford on whether they will help with engine repairs/replacement. Should be a recall. Pending class action lawsuit. Danger the engine could catch fire and injure.
Steering, Aug 10, 2022
I have had intermittent steering problems on my 2018 Ford Escape where the steering wheel will lock up. I have been at stoplights and intersections where I had to wait for traffic to move so that I would not hit anyone. It usually rectified itself when I started the car in motion. It would free up and begin to move again. This past weekend, 8/6/22, the steering wheel locked up and would not turn at all. I attempted to move forward, and it did not free up. After a few feet, the steering wheel would move, but I had to use a lot of force to get it to move in the direction I needed to go to get out of a crowded drive thru line and to a safe parking spot. Even with that, the car moved at a minimal turning. I parked the car. My husband arrived 20 minutes later. After restarting the car, he was able to move the steering wheel but it was still sluggish. We did not have any warning lights for any of the instances where it locked up. We drove it across the street to a Ford dealership. The service department at the dealership says they cannot reproduce the problem. They state they have "worked their way back through the wiring", and seem to think it is the steering gear. We are now going to pay $2200 to repair the steering on a 2018 model car. The dealer stated they had seen this problem in the past. I refused to take it from the dealership because I am afraid it will seize up again while I am driving and not rectify like it did before the incident on 8/6/22. I have researched recalls and litigation, but do not see anything for my model year. I do not have an invoice for the repair because the dealer is waiting on the part from Ford.
Power train, Aug 8, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after driving forward into a parking space and exiting the vehicle, suddenly the vehicle began to roll backward. The contact attempted to get back into the vehicle but fell to the ground causing the front tire to roll over the right leg. The contact was taken to the hospital where medical treatment was provided. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The local dealer was not yet contacted. The contact later received a recall notice for the NHTSA Campaign Number 22V413000(POWER TRAIN). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced the same failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 27,000.
Engine, Aug 6, 2022
After coming to a stop and shifting gear to park - I watched gear change- a message appeared to advise car was not in park. I re shifted and car was then fine. I wanted to report this issue.
Engine, Aug 5, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the engine block was cracked. The contact stated he had to add water to the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who referred the contact to the dealer. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was unknown.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Aug 2, 2022
In April 2022 my 2018 Ford Escape started to malfunction. When in drive it would move backwards, which nearly caused an accident for me as there was a vehicle behind me when this occurred. It also would move forward when in park, and was a huge safety hazard. I had to get the vehicle towed to a service center because of these issues. Ford admits this occurred because of a malfunction but is refusing to pay for the cost to repair it. The Ford service center is estimating repairs to be $8,500. I received a recall notice in July 2022 about a bushing cable in the transmission as well.
Engine and engine cooling, Aug 2, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 55-60 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle delayed responding. The contact noticed white smoke coming out of the tail pipe. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to drive to her nearby residence. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that coolant was leaking into the engine cylinders. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer who provided the same diagnostic result as the independent mechanic. The dealer repaired the vehicle under Ford Customer Satisfaction Program Number: 19B37; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer who informed her that the vehicle could not be repaired under the updated Ford Customer Satisfaction Program Number: 21N12. The manufacturer was notified and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under the updated Customer Satisfaction Program due to the mileage. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Engine, Aug 1, 2022
Smoke visible when the vehicle is started for the first time in the day or when it's sitting for a few hours then starts later in the day. Auto dealers informed that this is common in Ford "cold starts" but this is not what it is. Was told it was the turbo booster but that has been replaced & still vehicle smokes bad. Huge plum of white smoke from exhaust is visible & is causing some major concerns.
Power train, Engine, Jul 29, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while his wife was driving 45 MPH, the power train and the engine failure warning lights were illuminated. The driver was unable to accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal and the temperature gauge was rising and falling rapidly. The driver was able to park on the side of the road for an hour, until the vehicle cooled down before continuing to drive to a nearby gas station. The driver added coolant to the vehicle and both warning lights turned off. The contact had experienced the failure 3-4 times. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 109,000.
Electrical system, Jul 29, 2022
The component or system would be the APIM malfunction; radio, GPS, volume on radio and Bluetooth all failed. My dashboard flitters and also goes blank/black. Yes, it is available for inspection. I don't know if anyone's safety was at risk because I don't know what is going on. I am taking it to the dealer again. The vehicle hasn't been inspected yet. There was no warning, it just went out.
Engine, Jul 28, 2022
This vehicle has 62,000 Miles on it. The Check engine light came on. The vehicle was taken to the dealer I bought it from. They informed me that the number one cylinder was cracked and leaked antifreeze. 2000 mile over on warranty and they told me they would be very happy to replace the engine for me at my expense. Do not buy this ford.
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 28, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 55-60 MPH, the message "Engine Overheating - Stop When Safe" was displayed. The contact veered to the side of the road and waited for a few minutes. The contact continued driving; however, the failure reoccurred later that same day. The contact turned off the vehicle, and upon restarting the vehicle the failure persisted. Additionally, the steering wheel started vibrating. The contact drove to her residence and parked the vehicle. An independent mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and determined that coolant was leaking into the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 83,000.
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Jul 25, 2022, crash
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 while his wife was driving at low speeds, pulling into a parking space, the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration while the brake pedal was depressed. The vehicle drove over a curve and crashed into the corner of a building when it came to a complete stop. There were no air bags deployed. The contact's wife was able to drive the vehicle away from the scene of the collision. No police report was filed. The contact and his wife later received medical attention at the hospital for his neck and back injuries and his wife had fractured and bruised ribs. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The vehicle was then taken to a body shop for front-end damage replacement. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 23, 2022
Came home from work on a Friday afternoon in May. No issues or lights. It stayed parked all night and into Saturday and night. Went to start it on Sunday, temp gauge shot to H, got two messages on the display, 1 - high engine temp, stop safely and 2 - engine fault service now. It only had 102,000 miles so 2000 out of warranty and took to dealership that has been servicing it since purchase and they said it needed a new long block engine. My warrant expired at 100,000 miles. Dealership made me pay for this out of pocket! I was without a car for over 2 months. After an internet search, this model has this problem and Ford is doing nothing to fix it for free! The entire coolant leaked into the cylinders and could have caught on fire! This is absolutely ridiculous for a 4 yr old vehicle I am still paying for! Ford needs to take action immediately and now I have a recall for a possible roll away that can’t be fixed til 4th Qtr 2022???!!!!
Power train, Jul 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.
Power train, Jul 22, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 30-40 MPH, the vehicle hesitated and independently shifted into neutral(N). The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to park the vehicle on the side of the road. The contact stated she had experienced the failure several times. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer however, the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
Engine, Jul 20, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while having routine maintenance performed on the vehicle, the head gasket was removed and the certified mechanic became aware that the engine block was fractured. The certified mechanic diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Suspension, Jul 20, 2022
CONSTITUENT WRITES IN REGARD TO PARTS BEING UNAVAILABLE IN ORDER TO PERFORM SAFETY RELATED RECALLS ON THEIR 2018 FORD ESCAPE.
Power train, Jul 19, 2022
While the car was in driveway moving forward it unexpectedly started moving in reverse causing me to nearly hit a tree. The vehicle is constantly idling even while in park. I took it to a auto repair shop who told me the transmission is out of my car and that my car is unsafe to drive!
Engine, Jul 18, 2022
coolant leaking into cylinder heads
Power train, Jul 15, 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 not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Power train, Jul 14, 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 while the vehicle was parked in the garage, the engine oil leaked onto the ground. Additionally, the gear shifter seized, causing the vehicle to be unable to reverse. 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 approximately 8,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Engine, Jul 14, 2022
Took my vehicle to my local mechanic who told me the motor is recalled at the same time another mechanic from another shop said we have seen many of these recalled for the third cylinder I took it to the local Ford dealer they say there’s no such recall and then I have to pay for the repairs
Power train, Jul 14, 2022
I have 128,000 miles on my 2018 Escape. About three weeks ago I was driving down the road at 55 mph when my transmission disengaged and I coasted to a stop. Even though my engine was running I couldn't go forward or backward at all, and so I had it towed to a local mechanic. The mechanic said that this was a common problem with the Escape, that I was going to have to replace the entire transmission, and that it would take about two months to get a new transmission in. About two weeks ago I got a notice from Ford Motor Co. about a recall on my Escape for another transmission issue (Ref. Safety Recall Notice 22S43/NHTSA Recall 22V413). I called my local dealership and was told that my transmission issue was completely different than the recall problem because the recall only dealt with a transmission that shifted differently from the park position, and not a transmission that didn't engage at all. They also said that they would call me when they got the parts in. I have no idea how to resolve this issue. Do I park my vehicle until Ford gets the parts in in the 4th quarter of 2022 to see if this fixes my problem, and only then get the transmission replaced afterwards? If it takes 2 months or more to get a new transmission in, I could see this taking a year before I have my vehicle repaired. If I have the transmission replaced by the local mechanic, it will costs me $6,200.00, and take two months to repair. This would probably save me some money over the dealership cost to repair it, but would void any subsequent work that they might do? Do you have any suggestions as to I might be able to resolve this problem? Thank you, [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).