2018 Ford Escape Complaint Log

The drivers side seat belt won't retract like it should. It's very slow and getting worse. Ford won't fix it. I'm not going to drive it until I can get it fixed because I feel that vehicle is unsafe to drive.

2018 ford escape 1.5l ecoboost overheating issues.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that an unknown error message related to the coolant was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a local service center, where it was diagnosed with a blown head gasket due to coolant intrusion into the cylinders. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the message "High Engine Temperature" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that there was coolant mixed into the engine oil, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 106,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was being serviced at the dealer, the contact was informed that there was coolant intrusion into the cylinder and spark plugs. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer related the failure to Ford Campaign Number: 21N12. 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 87,119.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle shuddered. The Check Engine, Transmission, and Battery, along with several other unknown warning lights were illuminated; the "Service Engine Soon" and "Power Train Malfunction" messages were displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact did research and was made aware of an unknown NHTSA Campaign Number however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000. 

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light intermittently illuminated. The vehicle later had white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for an oil change, and the contact was informed that there was coolant intrusion into the engine and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 11,080.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving on a main road at 45 MPH, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road to inspect the vehicle under the hood and discovered that the engine oil was low and appeared to be mixed with water. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the engine block was cracked and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 83,000.

Coolant leaking into cylinders caused engine failure at approx 113,000 miles. I took it to a dealership and they said the engine had to be replaced. I did so and had it replaced at $8464.12 This is a known problem with this Ecoboost engine

2018 ford escape , purchased brand new. . check engine light went on .was on. brought to mechanic; coolant level was low . Engine was misfiring. Reason for check engine light. Discovered one spark plug stuck and corroded. Discovered the reason that coolant was empty. It leaked into the engine. Mechanic says it is a closed system so it cannot be readily discovered. said coolant leaked into the engine . now need new engine. mechanic said this is a design flaw of ford and that many other ford escape owners have the same issue. I paid off my car. I was quoted over 7k to replace the engine. Miles are low on this vehicle. This is unconscionable that Ford has not issued a recall regarding this issue when it appears so many ford owners are having the exact same issue and all are told to pay for a new engine

I purchased my 2018 Ford Escape Ecoboost in June 2024 with 64K miles. Two weeks later the engine light came on with the code for misfire in cylinder 1. I brought it back to the dealer which they cleared it stating it was old history that needed to be cleared. In October the same code came on and the spark plugs and coil was replaced. Then in January the engine light came on with the same code then when would go off right before I’d bring it in. I was told that it was a common occurrence with the car (light going on and off) it began again end of March, on for a few days then off. I took it in on April 9th and they told me it was a complaint leak into the cylinder 1 and needs a long block replacement which will cost $9600.00 over half the cost of the vehicle. The vehicle has 76k miles. I was told there’s class action lawsuits about this issue. My mom has the same vehicle and it also happened to her right before her warranty went out at 56k miles and the engine was replaced.

Coolant leaking into engine. Engine failure

The contact called for a friend who owns a 2018 Ford Escape. While the contact's friend was driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the failure had occurred while the vehicle was driven uphill. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was being repaired. The contact was informed that the parts were on backorder. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not assist. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that occasionally while driving 60 MPH, the message “Engine Overheating" was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact pulled over to the side of the road, turned off the vehicle, and waited for the engine to cool down. The contact checked the coolant reservoir, and the coolant reservoir was empty. The contact arrived at the residence and checked the coolant reservoir, and the coolant reservoir was half empty. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the cylinder, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related to the failure of Ford Campaign Number: 21N12. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 53,926.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the message "Service Engine Soon" was displayed, and the temperature gauge rose to hot(HOT). Additionally, the message "Stop the vehicle" was displayed while the vehicle was in park(P). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion in the pistons or cylinders. The mechanic determined that the long block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact of Ford Campaign Number: 21N12. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be covered due to the mileage. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.

Coolant intrusion in engine block for the second time.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the message "Steering Assist Fault - Seek Service" was displayed , and the steering wheel was difficult to turn. The contact's husband assisted the contact in driving the vehicle to an independent mechanic. The mechanic diagnosed that the electric steering rack had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 15,108.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was started and running, the vehicle shuddered, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to Auto Zone, where a handheld diagnostic scanner indicated that there was a misfire in cylinder #4. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that occasionally while driving at various speeds, the vehicle shuddered abnormally. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with low anti-freeze, several cracked cylinder gaskets, coolant intrusion, and in need of an engine replacement due to cylinder #3 misfire. The local dealer was contacted; however, the VIN was not associated with any recalls. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 97,000.

While driving approximately 70 MPH on the highway, the rear passenger-side wheel rim suddenly failed and blew out, causing the tire to also blow out. The incident caused a sudden jolt and I nearly lost control of the vehicle. Thankfully, I was able to steer safely to the shoulder without crashing, but it was an extremely dangerous situation. The failure of the rim caused significant damage to the rear suspension. The vehicle required the following repairs: New rim Two new tires Right Rear Control Arm – Forward Right Rear Control Arm – Adjustable Right Rear Trailing Arm Lower Rear Lateral Link Rear Suspension Shock Absorber All of this stemmed from the catastrophic failure of the rim at highway speed, which I believe should never occur on a properly maintained vehicle with no prior wheel damage. The failure occurred without hitting debris or a known pothole and was not due to a slow leak or flat—it was a sudden rim failure. This presents a major safety hazard not only to drivers of Ford Escapes but to others on the road. I urge the NHTSA to investigate whether other similar failures have occurred in 2018 Ford Escape models. A recall or formal review may be warranted.

My vehicle started overheating as I was driving on [XXX]. A warning displayed on the dash to pull over immediately. I had the car towed my home and after reviewing issues with overheating I believe and was confirmed by my brother with a scan tool to be the head gasket leaking into the cylinders. This is a known issue that Ford is aware of and they even published TSB 20-2100. Request you investigate why this issue hasn't been resolved by Ford via recall. Sincerely, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and was unable to accelerate above 40 MPH. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the high-pressure fuel pump, resulting in damages to the camshaft. 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 69,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that coolant intrusion into various cylinders had resulted in damages to the engine. The contact was informed that the short block and cam phasers needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12. 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 120,000.

When the transmission gets warm, the car stops driving. It goes into all the gears fine. The vehicle has 102 thousand miles and I’m told the transmission needs to be replaced already. There are no recalls on the vehicle, but from what I have been reading, the Ford Escapes are known for transmission concerns. How is there no recall on the transmissions.

The coolant started leaking and this caused the head gasket to blow

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated, with the message "Service Vehicle Now" displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that there was 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 59,900.

I purchased this car new [XXX]. It was running rough for some time but now has 90,000 miles on it. I took it in for the shifter cable recall. I told them it was running rough. The Ford dealership here in Arkansas said it was coolant leaking into cylinder #2. By researching, I found that Ford issued a Customer Satisfaction Program 21N12 in June 2022 for this specific issue. I never got a notice in the mail. Ford Motor company says this program stops at 84,000 miles or June 19, 2025 for me so I am out of luck since I have more than 84,000. This is wrong. It should apply to all mileage for such an issue. This should be a recall. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Originally the car started blowing white smoke out of the exhaust. Next it would misfire occasionally on engine start. After, i would start loosing coolant and getting engine overheat but could never find the leak. I had a mechanic diagnose it and he said it was coolant intrusion into the cylinder and now the head gasket is blown and potentially more damage may be found that could lead to an engine change.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request?: The engine - coolant leaked and is leaking into one of the piston heads - this is in line with what has happend to several others regarding their Ford Escape. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk?: The engine was miss-firing - luckly I took it in before anything serious happened, but when I press the gas, it didn't always accelerate. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center?: Yes, both Ford HQ and the dealership have confirmed this problem. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others?: Yes Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear?: Engine light was flashing.

The contact owned a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle began to vibrate violently, prompting the contact to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway and the vehicle was towed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 95,000.

On March 27th 2025 I had engine light come on. I went to valvoline and received a diagnostic test. The test said misfire cylinder 1. I called Ford dealership in two counties and was told they can't see me for a month. I went to pep boys and they replace my spark plugs. Next day engine light and a fault service now came on. I was able to get into gmc who said they found the problem on April 4th. By April 7th again all lights on for service. Pep boys said they could see me by the 10th and Ford dealership by the 30th of April. By the time I made it to pep boys, the head gasket head is beyond repairs and now I need a new engine. All escapes no matter what the mileage should have been recalled. But they didn't and now I have to get a new engine.

From what I understand, the engine malfunctioned in a way that caused the cylinder compression to fail in several cylinders, but not all. This caused the car to stutter, shake, and slow down significantly in traffic on the highway. A warning popped up on the dashboard that said to shut the car down as soon as possible. We pulled over right away, which left us on a bridge on the highway. This endangered us as well as passing traffic, and then the tow truck person as well. We had to have the entire engine replaced in the car, which then after about 25 miles of driving, had the exact same problem (thankfully, in a 25 mph neighborhood this time). The problem has been replicated by the service center several times. They have now installed a total of three replacement engines that were all defective.

P0302 code reading antifreeze/coolant leaking into engine. Had to have a new motor

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The contact waited for several minutes for the vehicle to return to normal operation. No warning light was illuminated; however, the "Engine Fault Service" message was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the spark plugs, air filters, and other unknown parts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed; however, the diagnostic result was no provided. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the "High Emergency Services Pull Over Safely" message was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was towed back to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the head gasket was blown, and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 71,437.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her son was starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who replaced the spark plugs, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that there was radiator fluid leaking into the engine, causing a misfire. 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 a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

Coolant intrusion, need new engine

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. The contact stated that the steering wheel was turned to the left; however, the steering wheel independently turned to the right. The contact stated that the steering wheel had seized. In addition, the contact stated that two days later several warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 69,470.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to have the tires serviced, and the independent mechanic informed the contact that the water pump needed to be replaced. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where the dealer diagnosed and confirmed that the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 39,500.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 75 MPH, he observed liquid moving and the message "Engine overheating" was displayed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road, turned off, and the hood was opened, and the engine was inspected. The contact stated there was no visible failure with the vehicle, and the vehicle was restarted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 143,000.

Coolant leak. Cylider# 3. Cracked cylinder. 61000 miles Engine replaced.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the engine was rattling while idling with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was discovered that there was coolant intrusion into the engine. The contact was informed that the engine long block was damaged, which resulted in engine failure. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not covered under warranty and was given an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was provided a case number. The contact was then referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 108,738.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving 75 MPH, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact's daughter pulled over and restarted the vehicle. Upon restarting the vehicle, the vehicle resumed normal operation. In addition, the contact stated that during cold starts, there was heavy black smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where a diagnostic test was performed, and the contact was informed that the engine was faulty and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was filed. The contact was then referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 159,000.

Vehicle involved in collision on major highway with two other vehicles. Given speed and impact of collision very surprised that the air bags did not deploy.

Engine diagnosed with coolant intrusion related to Ford Customer Satisfaction Program 21N12. A serious misfire happened without warning after coming to a stop on the road and car perceived to be undrivable. Mechanic advised coolant in cylinders and engine needs to be replaced. Ford will not replace the engine after 84k miles but mine is at 85k.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The vehicle jerked, and the contact depressed the accelerator pedal; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed, and the vehicle stalled. The contact coasted to an oil change business nearby. The contact was unsure if any warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic with transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, and the transmission failure diagnostic result was confirmed. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle had been taken to the dealer a year prior to the failure, and the transmission was replaced. The contact was later informed by Car Shield that, per the pictures submitted, there was engine damage seen. The pictures indicated coolant intrusion into the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle had been taken to a dealer for a routine oil change, and the contact was informed that the check engine warning light was illuminated; however, the dealer found no failure with the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 248,000.

The small block of my engine needs to be replaced. Ford has told me that it is a known problem and that is why they extended the powertrain warranty to 85,000 miles because of it. My car has 125,000 miles on it so I was told they can’t do anything. I don’t understand why, if this is a KNOWN problem with this car, why I should have to pay for it because I took good care of it so it didn’t happen until 125,000 miles. This should be a recall. I have an incident claim at ford because of this. I spent $4000 already trying to fix it before finding out it was the small block the whole time and it’s going to cost $78000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked in the garage after being driven in the morning; however, later in the day, the vehicle failed to restart. While the contact’s grandson was using the vehicle, there was an abnormal popping sound. There was white steam in the garage. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who noticed milky coolant inside the engine while using a camera to check the engine. The mechanic determined that there was coolant intrusion into the engine, causing a crack in the engine, which warped the cylinder heads. The mechanic informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 54,000.

While driving at 60 mph on the highway, my vehicle suddenly overheated and lost power, forcing it into limp mode and reducing acceleration. The coolant was completely gone, even though it had been refilled and bled by a mechanic just a week earlier. Prior to this, I experienced engine misfires, which is a known early symptom of coolant intrusion in the 1.5L EcoBoost engine. The check engine light and an overheating warning message appeared at the time of failure. This matches Ford’s known coolant intrusion defect, which was previously covered under CSP 19B37 and CSP 21N12, yet my vehicle is now experiencing the same failure outside the program’s coverage. This issue is extremely dangerous because it can cause the engine to suddenly fail at high speeds, creating a serious risk for drivers and passengers. This issue has not yet been confirmed by a dealer, as I am arranging transport to a service center. However, the coolant loss and overheating symptoms are consistent with reports from other Ford owners. Ford has acknowledged this problem in past service programs, but vehicles like mine continue to fail. This is a serious safety hazard, and Ford should be required to extend coverage or issue a recall before more drivers experience sudden engine failure.

Coolant leaking into engine

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at the dealer for a tune-up, the contact was informed that there was coolant intrusion into the cylinders and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12 (Short Block Replacement After Coolant Intrusion); however, the vehicle was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.