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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.

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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.

25 crash reports5 fire reports23 injury reports

Engine And Engine Cooling complaints

342 reports
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119,000 miles · May 20, 2026
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after driving her vehicle, she notices that her coolant levels drain very quickly, causing her to fill up after every trip, and stated her vehicle was overheating at times. The vehicle was taken to a independent mechanic where it was diagnosed to have coolant leaking i…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after driving her vehicle, she notices that her coolant levels drain very quickly, causing her to fill up after every trip, and stated her vehicle was overheating at times. The vehicle was taken to a independent mechanic where it was diagnosed to have coolant leaking into cylinder two, needing a new engine replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 119,000.

NHTSA ODI #11739010

Mileage unknown · Apr 28, 2026
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the engine was idling rough, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed and it ws determined that there was coolant inside the engine cylinders and informed the contact that…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the engine was idling rough, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed and it ws determined that there was coolant inside the engine cylinders and informed the contact that 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 53,200.

NHTSA ODI #11734225

90,000 miles · Apr 22, 2026
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the warning light for the engine overheating was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The veh…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the warning light for the engine overheating was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced an unknown recall with a similar failure description; however, the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

NHTSA ODI #11733063

76,200 miles · Apr 21, 2026
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact's daughter owns a 2018 Ford Escape. While the owner was driving at various speeds, the engine overheated and the vehicle went into LIMP Mode on several occasions. The driver pulled over to the side of the road, and the vehicle was towed after each failure. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the c…

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The contact's daughter owns a 2018 Ford Escape. While the owner was driving at various speeds, the engine overheated and the vehicle went into LIMP Mode on several occasions. The driver pulled over to the side of the road, and the vehicle was towed after each failure. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the coolant sensor was replaced; however, the failure recurred two days later. The vehicle was difficult to start. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact used a scanner to scan the vehicle and retrieved a diagnostic trouble code for a cylinder #2 misfire. The contact cleared the code; however, the check engine warning light became consistently illuminated. Additionally, the contact noticed that the coolant reservoir was black due to coolant and oil mixture. An independent mechanic was contacted and informed the contact that the coolant intrusion in the combustion chamber was a common failure, and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 76,200.

NHTSA ODI #11732660

73,000 miles · Apr 14, 2026
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed or while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed a coolant leak coming from the engine. The contact was unaware of any warning lights being illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine …

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed or while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed a coolant leak coming from the engine. The contact was unaware of any warning lights being illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 73,000.

NHTSA ODI #11731211

31,500 miles · Apr 10, 2026
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated, and the engine was overheating while white exhaust smoke was coming out of the exhaust pipes. Additionally, the vehicle decelerated and was sluggish while driving. The vehicle was taken t…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated, and the engine was overheating while white exhaust smoke was coming out of the exhaust pipes. Additionally, the vehicle decelerated and was sluggish while driving. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion in the cylinders. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The contact was informed that the vehicle did not qualify for the extended warranty coverage related to the engine failure. No further information was available. The failure mileage was 31,500.

NHTSA ODI #11730374

79,900 miles · Mar 20, 2026
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal odor inside the cabin of the vehicle, and the vehicle entered SAFE Mode, lost power, with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the temperature gauge was raised fr…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal odor inside the cabin of the vehicle, and the vehicle entered SAFE Mode, lost power, with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the temperature gauge was raised from COLD to HOT immediately, and the vehicle was turned off unintendedly. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who determined that the coolant level was low. The independent mechanic "burped" the system and added coolant to the coolant reservoir. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred approximately 30 days later. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that there was coolant intrusion in cylinder #3, and the short block was cracked, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 79,900.

NHTSA ODI #11725830

159,000 miles · Feb 24, 2026
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact attempted to start the vehicle, and the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed wi…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact attempted to start the vehicle, and the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine, and the engine and the inner coolant system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 159,000.

NHTSA ODI #11720232

57,000 miles · Feb 2, 2026
EngineEngine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The message "Engine Malfunction - Service Immediately" was displayed. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle was idling at a lower RPM. The…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The message "Engine Malfunction - Service Immediately" was displayed. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle was idling at a lower RPM. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine, causing catastrophic engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin:19-2172; however, the vehicle was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 57,000.

NHTSA ODI #11715054

55,000 miles · Jan 28, 2026
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact's daughter owns a 2018 Ford Escape. While her daughter was driving at a slow speed, the engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that coolant was leaking into cylinders #1 and #2, and the engine needed to be replaced. The local dealer was not contacted. The veh…

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The contact's daughter owns a 2018 Ford Escape. While her daughter was driving at a slow speed, the engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that coolant was leaking into cylinders #1 and #2, and the engine needed to be replaced. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and confirmed that there were no open recalls associated with the VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.

NHTSA ODI #11713852

Official recalls

4

26V011000 · 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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.

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