2018 Ford Escape Complaint Log

My seatbelt wont latch properly and also when it does latch will come unlatched without pushing any button

Lug nuts are swollen and need to be replaced. It seems like this is an issue with Fords.

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.

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.

Confirmed by the Ford Dealer, coolant leaked into the engine causing complete engine failure. No warnings, car began to shake, lost acceleration. Known issue with Escapes, we did not receive ANY notification of this known problem which has been confirmed due to this VIN not attached to this known Ford Escape problem. After multiple attempts with Ford Customer Service, they confirmed Ford has a customer satisfaction program under the guidelines of 7yrs or 84K miles. This vehicle has 101,000k. Ford will not support the financial burden of $11,000 to repair the vehicle. This car has been well taken care of, all maintenance has been completed per scheduled. It is available for inspection. Only diagnosed by the Ford dealer and there was no warning or problems before this incident. The vehicle has not been in an accident. We need help in getting this repaired and nobody is taking responsibility for a KNOWN issue.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 25–30 MPH, the engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was jerking and losing motive power. While starting the vehicle, the vehicle shook and stopped. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the short-block engine needed to be replaced. The dealer determined that there was a coolant intrusion in the engine. The dealer confirmed that the failure was related to TSB: 22-2322. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that there was no coverage due to the vehicle not meeting the mileage limitation. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 108,660.

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.

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.

I have been advised that the EVAP PURGE Valve is defective by my Ford Dealer. I was also advised that they have been going through a lot of them. After fueling car, if not fueled slowly the car will not start.

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.

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.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving up a hill at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated. The contact pulled over and waited for the engine to cool down. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights illuminated and remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and it was determined that there was coolant leaking into cylinder #2, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained with the dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

Leak in the coolant which causes the engine light to go on and off. Engine is misfiring when driving anywhere

My headlights will not turn on, and will not stay on. No I have not taken it to dealer as of yet. I do not feel safe driving at night. Roads are too dark, not enough illumination coming from the car. There was no warning. Member of my family pointed out headlight not working.

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.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle jerked approximately four times and then stalled. The vehicle was restarted after several minutes. The contact’s son continued to drive to the residence; however, while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle stalled twice. The vehicle as steered to the side of the road. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 142,699.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after refueling the vehicle, the vehicle hesitated and stalled. The contact stated that recently the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle was stalling more frequently. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local Auto Parts Store and was diagnosed and DTC: P0456 (Evap. System); P0451 (Evap. System Switch) and P1450 Bleed out Fuel Vacuum) were retrieved. The contact stated that a friend recently had a recall of NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) for the Canister Purge Valve (CPV) completed and related the failure to the recall. The contact had spoken to the manufacturer and a dealer and was advised that the vehicle was included. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.

C2 cylinder has misfire due to coolant in the cylinder.

After Hurricane Milton my car had 2 in of water in it. I contacted my insurance company they looked at the car said it needed to be dried out and I needed to take it to the dealership where I purchased it. Took my vehicle to Kisselback Ford and the diagnosis States looks like the seam sealer under the roof moldings is falling off the body causing water to come into the body panels from the roof has to go to Body Shop we can't do these repairs. Took the vehicle to two collision centers they stated this was a factory defect and they will not touch my car. Contacted Ford corporate I was told to take the vehicle to Greenway Ford upon taking my vehicle to Greenway Ford they are in agreement with the other dealership and stated the roof panel needs to be repaired the headliner needs to be replaced the right and left roof molding needs to be replaced the seam sealer in the roof is damaged causing leakage into the panels. All interior parts have corrosion need a teardown to see how far the water damage is. Ford corporate will not do anything to repair, or replace my vehicle. Stated because I am out of the 3-year lemon law there was nothing they could do. This is not something that happened overnight this is something that has been going on for years and apparently finally separated causing water to intrude into my vehicle every time it rains. This is affecting my backup camera my radio which is telling me the wiring is wet. I only have 54,000 miles on my car Ford has already replaced the engine due to factory defect replaced by headlights again due to factory defect which my headlights are still losing their clear coat. I'm still paying for this car it smells of mildew and the mildew is starting to show up on the interior. On antibiotics for the past 3 months. When I hit the brakes on my car it sounds like a wave of water is rushing forward. It's not right that Ford sold me a defective car that I'm still paying for. No warning, 2 firefighters have said car could catch fire.

My ford escape overheated on me on Monday 10/14/2024, I took it to a mechanic and he found blown head gaskets from coolant intrusion, I need an entire new engine which is $11,000

The head gasket on cylinder 4 broke. Releasing coolant into the engine block, causing stuttering and stalling within the engine. As well as causing the car to loose coolant quickly that lead to the engine overheating. All of this information about my car I was given by the head mechanic at Olympic Auto, Longwood FL. He said that many Ford escapes have experienced this issue. The only warning light I was given was the engine, and it would tell me that cylinder 4 had faulted.

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.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving the vehicle, there was an abnormal white smoke coming from the exhaust pipes. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed while depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the engine turbo was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then towed to the local dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 54,000.

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.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle difficult to start; but was able to start after several attempts. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the spark plugs were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The mechanic determined that the failure was related to Ford Campaign Number: 21N12. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the same assessment was made; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be covered under the campaign due to the mileage. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 141,000.

Coolant leak into engine. My ford escape stopped working while I was driving could have easily gotten into a serious life altering accident. Yes had a dealership confirm that coolant leak into engine. Only been inspected by the dealership. Coolant low light popped on put coolant in message went away then few days later my truck takes a royal dump while I’m driving.

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.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the temperature gauge rose to H(Hot). The contact stated that upon shifting to reverse(R), the vehicle started chugging. The message "High Engine Temperature Safely" was displayed, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced due to coolant intrusion. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 69,000.

The engine has coolant intrusion and misfiring that can lead to an engine fire. My family was put in jeopardy as coolant disappears during driving. The dealership has confirmed a coolant intrusion issue as indicated in the CSP 21N12. There are two CSP's (19B37 and 21N12) from Ford issued when the dangerous engine problem should be a RECALL. Ford recently issued Ecoboost engine recalls for many other vehicles and somehow the 2018 Ford Escape was missed. Ford has refused to fix the engine hazard on this 2018 Ford Escape due to an expiration date on the CSP, even though the vehicle is STILL within the 7 year timeline indicated in the CSP. The vehicle was purchased after the expiration date so I am trying to figure out why the vehicle did not have either of these CSP's done, when dealer had the vehicle, so this dangerous issue was resolved prior to the expiration date and consumer purchase.

Coolant is leaking into the engine block. This puts the vehicle at constant risk of overheating due to lack of coolant. This has been inspected by Ford, it is a known issue that has caused them to completely redo how the engine is built in later models. There is also a TSB out on this issue, along with safety recalls on the 1.5 and 1.6L engine models of the same vehicle with this same issue, yet not on the 2L engine, despite being the same problem and cause. A warning light that the engine is overheating was the first indicator that something was wrong with the vehicle.

We purchased this 2018 Ford Escape new. The headlights have burned out many times, and much sooner than normal. What is really a mystery is that many times the low beams will burn out together. This is typically rare as one will burn out and then the other will continue to work for a while. We always replace them in pairs. The local shop changed them out most of the times and they only work for a few months to about six months on average. It is a very strange situation. They will stop working and then will sometimes begin working again, leading me to believe it is not a bulb issue as much as its an electrical issue. We keep checking to see if there is a safety recall as this is very unsafe when they stop working together at night while driving. There are many comments on websites and blogs so we know we are not alone. This is just one of the problems. This vehicle, driven mildly and maintained perfectly on schedule, with most service done at the local Ford dealer service center, has experienced both engine and transmission failure in the low 90k miles. Fortunately, we purchased coverage that took care of those. But we are told that our CNA bumper to bumper warranty does not cover head light issues. I think Ford should pay to have this vehicle examined, to determine what is wrong with the headlight wiring and pay for the repair to restore it to safe operation .

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled and failed to return to normal operation. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was jumpstarted and returned to normal operation. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the spark plugs, and ignition coils needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer for a second diagnostic test and the dealer made the contact aware of coolant intrusion into the cylinder and informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact of an unknown Customer Satisfaction Program associated with the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 148,000.

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.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that on several occasions while entering and existing the driver’s door, the hinges made a loud popping sound like the door would detach. The contact stated that the hinge on the door need to be reinforced. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was determined that the driver’s door hinge needed to be reinforced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a loud ticking sound coming from the engine. The check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the timing belt had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that there was coolant leaking into the engine, causing engine failure. 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 referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000. The VIN was not available.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated and the vehicle lost motive power. The coolant temperature warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a coolant leak into the short block; however, the contact was not informed of what needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

Coolant leak into the engine

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was white smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe. The vehicle was taken to Christian Brothers Automotive, where it was inspected, and the contact was informed that the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption and the coolant level was abnormally low. The mechanic referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. Additionally, the contact stated that the message "Power Train Malfunction" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to the Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12 (GTDI Engine – Short Block Replacement After Coolant Intrusion). The dealer referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the Customer Satisfaction Program. The failure mileage was approximately 80,188.

Check Engine light came on. Scanner resulted in Code P0301. When taken to a service shop was advised coolant leak in cylinder 1, which froze the spark plug, engine needs to be replaced.

The engine overheated and failed due to a known issue with the engine they put out a service bulletin for these specific engines but only up to 87k and now at 97k that mine has they won’t fix it. Its a coolant intrusion and they know this is an issue with these engines.

I was taking off and i had a warning sign that my hood was opened and nobody didn't even touch the hood

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.

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.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle experienced a loss of motive power and decelerated. The vehicle was driven to the local dealer who diagnosed that the engine had experienced coolant intrusion into the cylinders, 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 104,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the engine was misfiring. The contact started the vehicle and it was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that coolant had leaked into cylinder head three. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 163,000.

The coolant leaks into the engine's cylinders. This is a known issue by the manufacturer for all 2018 Ford Escapes. Engine failure can occur at anytime while operating the vehicle. The engine light will come on and in one instance there was an engine failure message on the dash.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked while attempting to start the vehicle, the infotainment system failed to display the rear-view camera, and the contact was unable to view the image behind the vehicle. The contact stated that the radio was also inoperable. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic and all the vehicle fuses were checked for proper functionality. The dealer was contacted and provided an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 96,000.

While sitting in my car at idle in park, the car cuts off after 20 minutes or so. At this point, the car will not restart, and it seems that the battery is dead. It did not respond to an attempted jump start, however. On the first occasion the car restarted normally after approximately 1 hour. It has been starting and running fine since then. . On the second occurrence, today, the car shut off while idling in park. It has been 1.5 hours. since auto shutoff left me stranded. The car finally started. I have on occasion put a car ( this is a new one) in park when stopped in traffic.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, there was an abnormal clicking sound detected. The transmission default warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that there was no recall coverage for the vehicle. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

Coolant leaking into cylinder 3 causing engine issues. Problem occurred 3 times in the last 6-7 months. Less than 100k miles