The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the auto Start/Stop feature was no longer operable. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 132,000.
2018 Ford Escape
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2018 Ford Escape do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 996.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Escape years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
668 reports with mileage · 1,123 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine. Review the 1,145 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 342 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 269 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Electrical System complaints
53 reportsAfter having the 2018 Ford Escape for three weeks, the entire APIM system went down. I was not able to charge anything, use the radio, or the touchscreen for all of the functions in the dash. It goes in and out constantly, often does not turn on at all, the touchscreen lags, the radio takes up to a minute or longer to change a…
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After having the 2018 Ford Escape for three weeks, the entire APIM system went down. I was not able to charge anything, use the radio, or the touchscreen for all of the functions in the dash. It goes in and out constantly, often does not turn on at all, the touchscreen lags, the radio takes up to a minute or longer to change a channel once a button is pressed. The only thing that is in tact is the rear camera. The 2016-2017 APIMs have been recalled, and this one should as well. Other than the rear camera and now being able to charge a phone, I cannot use the touchscreen at all and do not use the radio because I cannot see what channel it is on.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while his wife was driving approximately 35 MPH, she observed the blind spot detection system had started flashing on both sides off and on. Additionally, the radio was inoperable. The contact stated that the radio functionality returned with the sound blaring. The contact …
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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while his wife was driving approximately 35 MPH, she observed the blind spot detection system had started flashing on both sides off and on. Additionally, the radio was inoperable. The contact stated that the radio functionality returned with the sound blaring. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but had become a recurring failure. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the Accessory Protocol Interface Module (APIM) needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 64,661.
Another driver ran stop sign and hit middle of car, mostly the left door behind drivers seat. The back and passager airbags released but the driver side airbag didn't fully release. I didn't know at the time that this was weird and was actually relieved it didn't. Since then, my son's dad drove my suv and told me that the front …
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Another driver ran stop sign and hit middle of car, mostly the left door behind drivers seat. The back and passager airbags released but the driver side airbag didn't fully release. I didn't know at the time that this was weird and was actually relieved it didn't. Since then, my son's dad drove my suv and told me that the front windshield may not have been bonded correctly, he has to put additional force on the breaks and the engine makes random noises whenever it does, it looses power and he has to put the pedal to the metal. He says since my suv only has 18,000 miles, it shouldn't be doing these things. It also burns through coolant. I don't know if any other fords have issues likes this too.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the hill start assist message was displayed. Additionally, the traction control warning light was illuminated, and the instrument panel was blank. The contact stated that the vehicle temporarily lost motive power however, the vehicle regained normal function minutes la…
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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the hill start assist message was displayed. Additionally, the traction control warning light was illuminated, and the instrument panel was blank. The contact stated that the vehicle temporarily lost motive power however, the vehicle regained normal function minutes later. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the contact was unsure of what repairs were performed on the vehicle. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 120,000.
I bought the vehicle in July of 2019 with approximately 20,000 mi on it. I have never touched or adjusted the steering wheel, and I'm the only one to drive the vehicle. My daughter has gotten her temps and I allowed her to drive the vehicle last night. She adjusted the steering column as she is a bit shorter than I am. When I go…
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I bought the vehicle in July of 2019 with approximately 20,000 mi on it. I have never touched or adjusted the steering wheel, and I'm the only one to drive the vehicle. My daughter has gotten her temps and I allowed her to drive the vehicle last night. She adjusted the steering column as she is a bit shorter than I am. When I got back into the driver seat, and move the steering wheel back into the position that I keep it in, and then proceeded to turn out of the driveway And it felt as if all the tires were flat and it was very hard to steer. I assume I lost my power steering abilities. Also the windshield wipers started going off and the washer fluid just started flying out onto the windshield and would not stop. I immediately put the car into park and turn the vehicle off. I turned on the car, proceeded to make the turn again, and the car did the same thing. The only thing I could think of was possibly something got pinched inside the steering column with the wiring harness because that is the only thing that changed between her and I driving. When I started the car up this morning and went to turn out of the driveway it did the same thing. I loosened up the lock on the steering wheel and I moved it up and down and relocked it, and got to my destination without any more issue, but concerned there is something going on with the wiring harness now.
The SYNC system is failing causing no GPS, no phone connections, no radio, rear camera problems and other electronic issues. This is apparently a well known part (APIM) problem.
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…
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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.
Hello, I am submitting a formal complaint on my 2018 Ford Escape. History: It is a Lease Plan vehicle that was assigned to me with 11,000 miles on it in 2018 It has a been maintained per the manufacturer schedule through the Lease Plan App Purchased the vehicle in May 2021 thru my companies purchase program, I have only had th…
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Hello, I am submitting a formal complaint on my 2018 Ford Escape. History: It is a Lease Plan vehicle that was assigned to me with 11,000 miles on it in 2018 It has a been maintained per the manufacturer schedule through the Lease Plan App Purchased the vehicle in May 2021 thru my companies purchase program, I have only had the car for 9 months and it is now inoperable It is a primary vehicle for work for a family member Situation Error alert appeared on the console for engine Took the car to Firestone initially as they had done all the maintenance work previously They were unable to look at the car and gave me a time of 5-7 days Took it to Tires Plus, they said they could look at it the next day which was a Sunday I had not heard back from anyone at Tires Plus, so I called, they recording indicated that they were closed. I drove up there and Mathew the Manager said that the mechanics had not shown up for work, it was Mother’s Day. Received call that the car needed 1 coil and spark plugs approved the work The told me to come pick up car, they were still working on it when I arrived and I stood around for 45 minutes waiting When the technician test drove the vehicle it started backfiring again, Diagnosis was a cracked spark plug and another coil. Waited another day for it to be completed Picked up the car to drove fine for two days then more engine error codes, overheating codes and the car went into “Limp Mode” The technicians allowed me to drive the vehicle and did not dive deeper into the codes to determine the root cause of why the car was showing all these engine codes Not until I brought it back 2-3 days later and explained that there was white smoke coming out of the tailpipes that the technician said these Ecoboost engines have a known issue with the computer dumping coolant into the cylinders. This cause the head gasket to blow. When I called Ford, they said there was not a recall for this VIN number even though the error codes and
While on the interstate, engine suddenly cut out. I was coasting and nothing else on the highway during rush hour. I got an alert the "auto start/ stop shift to park, then restart the engine" I pulled over and the engine would not restart.
Official recalls
426V011000 · Equipment:electrical:engine Block Heater
Jan 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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: 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.
22V413000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission:gear Position Indication (prndl); Power Train:shift Linkage/cable/rod
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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.
Remedy: 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.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Power Train:shift Linkage/cable/rod
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.
Consequence: 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.
Remedy: 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.
Power Train:automatic Transmission:gear Position Indication (prndl)
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.
Consequence: 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.
Remedy: 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.
18V104000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings
Feb 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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A brake fluid leak may lengthen the distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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.
17V803000 · Air Bags:side/window
Dec 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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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.
Remedy: 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.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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