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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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Mileage unknown · Mar 12, 2024
EngineEngine And Engine Cooling

Widely known issue that the engine has coolant leaking into the engine. Ford issued a statement on it. Now the same thing is happening to my car. Safety of myself and others put at risk by vehicle running incorrectly and engine is now misfiring resulting in difficulty maintaining power while driving. Problem has been confirm…

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Widely known issue that the engine has coolant leaking into the engine. Ford issued a statement on it. Now the same thing is happening to my car. Safety of myself and others put at risk by vehicle running incorrectly and engine is now misfiring resulting in difficulty maintaining power while driving. Problem has been confirmed by independent body shop and is being confirmed but dealer now. Check engine light was on at 97k and now at 106k with same codes.

NHTSA ODI #11576986

Mileage unknown · Mar 12, 2024
EngineEngine And Engine Cooling

Went to start vehicle in morning after it had been sitting overnight. temperature gauge went all the way to red immediately and alert on dash said do not drive vehicle and turn engine off immediately. had it towed to dealer and they advised coolant was leaking which caused blown head gasket. only fix is to replace engine whic…

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Went to start vehicle in morning after it had been sitting overnight. temperature gauge went all the way to red immediately and alert on dash said do not drive vehicle and turn engine off immediately. had it towed to dealer and they advised coolant was leaking which caused blown head gasket. only fix is to replace engine which will cost more than vehicle is worth

NHTSA ODI #11576923

90,000 miles · Mar 11, 2024
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The message "Engine Overheating" was displayed and there was smoke coming from underneath the passenger's side of the hood. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The contact stated that she was able to restart the v…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The message "Engine Overheating" was displayed and there was smoke coming from underneath the passenger's side of the hood. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The contact stated that she was able to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle was sputtering. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact stated that she replaced the coolant reservoir herself, and added coolant to the vehicle; however, the coolant evaporated. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that a coolant leak had caused damage to the timing belt, the pin, and the head gasket. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred six months later. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road and noticed that there was no coolant in the vehicle. The contact stated that she added coolant to the vehicle and drove to AutoZone, and a significant amount of coolant had poured out onto the ground. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact stated that the vehicle was undrivable. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

NHTSA ODI #11576678

Mileage unknown · Mar 11, 2024
Engine And Engine CoolingPower Train

See attached document for complaint

NHTSA ODI #11576523

77,000 miles · Mar 8, 2024
EngineEngine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that coolant had intruded into the cylinders. The dealer recommended that the engine be replaced. The vehicle was not repa…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that coolant had intruded into the cylinders. The dealer recommended that the engine be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.

NHTSA ODI #11576266

117,000 miles · Mar 7, 2024
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the High Engine Temperature message displayed, and the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine, and it was determined that the engine needed to …

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the High Engine Temperature message displayed, and the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine, and it was determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The contact was informed that the vehicle was included in Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12 (Short Block Replacement After Coolant Intrusion); however, the vehicle had exceeded the mileage. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000.

NHTSA ODI #11576019

110,000 miles · Mar 6, 2024
EngineEngine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered, and a burning odor was detected. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who replaced the water pump and timing belt; however, the failure recurred. …

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered, and a burning odor was detected. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who replaced the water pump and timing belt; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where the spark plugs were replaced, but the failure persisted, and the vehicle hesitated to restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the failure was related to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12 (Short Block Replacement After Coolant Intrusion). The contact was referred to the manufacturer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The contact was informed that the VIN was included in Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12 (Short Block Replacement After Coolant Intrusion); however, the vehicle exceeded the mileage limitations. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

NHTSA ODI #11575857

Mileage unknown · Feb 29, 2024
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the dealer, where the radiator was repaired. The contact stated while driving 35-40 MPH, the vehicle jerk…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the dealer, where the radiator was repaired. The contact stated while driving 35-40 MPH, the vehicle jerked, and the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion into the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist due to the mileage on the vehicle. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI #11574700

69,000 miles · Feb 9, 2024
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the temperature gauge began to indicate that the engine was overheating, after which the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to coast to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. T…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the temperature gauge began to indicate that the engine was overheating, after which the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to coast 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 diagnosed a failure with the cylinder water jacket, resulting in damage to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 69,000.

NHTSA ODI #11571047

100,000 miles · Feb 7, 2024
EngineEngine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the check engine warning light started flickering and the vehicle vibrated and lost motive power upon depression of the accelerator pedal. The contact inspected the engine and discovered white rust on the spark plugs. The vehicle was taken to an indepe…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the check engine warning light started flickering and the vehicle vibrated and lost motive power upon depression of the accelerator pedal. The contact inspected the engine and discovered white rust on the spark plugs. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where a diagnostic machine showed an engine misfire in engine cylinders #3 and #4. Upon further inspection, the mechanic discovered coolant intrusion into engine cylinders #3 and #4. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA ODI #11570490

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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