2018 Ford Escape

My 2018 Ford Escape, which has experienced catastrophic engine failure due to the well-documented coolant intrusion defect in the 1.5L EcoBoost engine. In early March 2026, without any prewarning or engine light, my vehicle displayed an “Engine Fault Service Now” warning and stored diagnostic trouble code P2601 (Coolant Pump A Control Circuit Performance/Range). I immediately took the vehicle to Bidwell Automotive in [XXX] , where on March 10–11, 2026, technician Gannon performed a thorough inspection. The findings were as follows: the coolant level was critically low; the water pump showed signs of leaking; the top of the piston in the affected cylinder appeared washed clean (a hallmark of coolant entering the combustion chamber); and the technician detected an odor consistent with combustion gases in the cooling system. The diagnosis was a suspected failed head gasket consistent with internal coolant intrusion. I then brought the vehicle to Future Ford Lincoln of Roseville, your authorized dealership, on March 12, 2026 (RO #XXX, Service Consultant [XXX] , Certified Technician [XXX] ). Future Ford verified the coolant intrusion into Cylinder 2 by removing the spark plugs and performing a borescope inspection. The dealership’s own technician referenced TSB 22-2322 and recommended either a short block replacement ($9,396.45) or a long block replacement ($13,331.01). The dealership confirmed that my vehicle has no remaining warranty coverage and offered no assistance beyond the paid repair estimate. Ford’s Documented Knowledge of This Defect Ford Motor Company has long been aware that the 1.5L EcoBoost engine in 2017–2019 Escape vehicles suffers from a structural design defect in the engine block’s cooling passages that causes coolant to intrude into the cylinders. Ford’s own actions confirm this knowledge. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Safety Risk: The vehicle suffered a sudden loss of power while driving. Without any warning light or prior symptoms, the car began "pulling". I was advised by mechanics that the vehicle was unsafe to drive due to the severity of the misfire. After two expensive spark plug repairs in six months, the engine light finally triggered during a trip, revealing that the internal defect was significantly worse than a simple maintenance issue. The problem began with a sudden, violent engine hesitation. A scan revealed a Cylinder 3 misfire (P0303), but there was no initial check engine light, leaving me unaware of the danger until the car began struggling to move. Over the next six months, the spark plugs were replaced twice. Despite these repairs, the car continued to struggle with acceleration and rough idling. A final diagnosis at Palmetto Ford confirmed coolant intrusion into the cylinders (TSB 22-2322). The engine is consuming coolant internally, which fouled the spark plugs and led to a mechanical failure leading to get over $11000 on repairs for a new engine.

With only 122,000 miles on the vehicle, the Escape is generating an error associated with a misfire in cylinder 1. New plugs were installed for the entire engine and the coil in cylinder 1 was replaced. A few days later, the error was generated again with an added warning to Server now. The service station that did the previous repair, stated that this was a known issue with this Ford engine and the Escape would need a new engine. If I don't replace the engine, this vehicle has been known to discontinue working while driving. The estimate for repairs are $10,300.

I went in to get a tune-up on car because a engine light came on which was a misfire. The mechanic had a hard time getting out one spark plug with a hard residue on it. I drove for a couple days after tune-up and engine light came on again. I then started the next day the garage filled with white smoke with a real weird smell. The car showed another engine light that said Engine fault service now. Car would not start. It was towed to Ford dealership. It is a coolant intrusion into the block. I have 110,000 on vehicle and had the 100,000 extended warranty. I now I need to fight Ford to get fixed. This is a known issue and there was not a recall on this. I am retired and I am forced into buying another vehicle on a fixed income. If Ford does not fix this, i will join the class action suit that will be heard in June 2026. I have bought Fords all my life and I am super disappointed that Ford did not recall this motor and replace. I have heard that alot of people with this problem with coolant intrusion in block if over 84,000 or 7yrs Ford will not replace. Shameful when they know there is this issue.

At approximately 46,000 miles our 2018 Ford Escape experienced coolant intrusion in cylinders 2 and 3. The car has the 2.0 Liter EcoBoost engine. The car was out of warranty, requiring us to pay for the majority of the nearly $9,000 engine replacement. Additionally, we did not have the use of the car for over three months. We found that this a common problem with these engines throughout the Ford model lineup.