← New search

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 →

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

Steering complaints

32 reports
Clear category filter
53,086 miles · Apr 19, 2023
SteeringCrashInjury

The contact owned a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 12 MPH while approaching a speed bump, the vehicle lost the power steering and the hill assist warning light illuminated. The steering wheel became stiff causing the vehicle to flip completely over onto the roof of the vehicle. The contact stuffed minor injur…

Read full complaint

The contact owned a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 12 MPH while approaching a speed bump, the vehicle lost the power steering and the hill assist warning light illuminated. The steering wheel became stiff causing the vehicle to flip completely over onto the roof of the vehicle. The contact stuffed minor injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a towed lot and was deemed totally lost. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 53,086.

NHTSA ODI #11517871

Mileage unknown · Feb 28, 2023
Steering

Wife was driving our 2018 Ford Escape out of a parking lot. Steering wheel locked up and vehicle displayed a “Steering Assist Fault” warning light. She was unable to steer vehicle, which nearly caused accident before she was able to stop vehicle.

NHTSA ODI #11509597

Mileage unknown · Feb 15, 2023
Electrical SystemSteeringVisibility/wiper

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…

Read full complaint

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.

NHTSA ODI #11507354

Mileage unknown · Jan 29, 2023
Steering

The power steering suddenly stopped working on my 2018 Ford Escape when I turned my car on, with an odometer reading of under 26,000 miles. A "Steering fault" message suddenly appeared. If I had been driving on the highway or interstate at the time, this could have resulted in a serious and deadly accident. I called the Ford d…

Read full complaint

The power steering suddenly stopped working on my 2018 Ford Escape when I turned my car on, with an odometer reading of under 26,000 miles. A "Steering fault" message suddenly appeared. If I had been driving on the highway or interstate at the time, this could have resulted in a serious and deadly accident. I called the Ford dealership and the representative told me it was safe to drive the car, and said that if I wanted to, I could just drive it without the power steering until they had the part in to fix it. I asked if that was safe and they said yes. I asked if they were sure it was safe. Then they went and checked with a tech person and told me it wasn't safe. The dealership confirmed the steering fault message and found codes U3000:49 and U3000:53. Notes from my very expensive invoice indicate "Pin Point test leads to internal fault with steering gear module remove and replace steering gear assy."

NHTSA ODI #11504310

Mileage unknown · Jan 14, 2023
EnginePower TrainSteering

There have been several instances of the vehicle completely shutting off while sitting idle and at red lights. I took it to the dealership and there is coolant leaking into the cylinders causing it to misfire. This is very dangerous and could cause the car to run hot or burn up! The said I should replace the engine but FORD shou…

Read full complaint

There have been several instances of the vehicle completely shutting off while sitting idle and at red lights. I took it to the dealership and there is coolant leaking into the cylinders causing it to misfire. This is very dangerous and could cause the car to run hot or burn up! The said I should replace the engine but FORD should be responsible as this seems to be a problem in many of their escapes!

NHTSA ODI #11501727

Mileage unknown · Nov 14, 2022
Steering

My car at 49000 miles had a steering malfunction that when driving the steering wheel became too hard to turn, I took it to Ford schomp in Aurora to get that fixed and also get the recall attended, after a week they told me that the part was in backorder and that they don't have a date to get my car fixed, Since the part was not…

Read full complaint

My car at 49000 miles had a steering malfunction that when driving the steering wheel became too hard to turn, I took it to Ford schomp in Aurora to get that fixed and also get the recall attended, after a week they told me that the part was in backorder and that they don't have a date to get my car fixed, Since the part was not available I decided to pick up my car aince I was paying too much for a rental and I did not know for how long, so when I went to pick up my car they charged me for the diagnosis and the fee for restocking, even when they did not have the part available. I think that the steering failing in a middle of a trip is very dangerous for anybody, especially when the vehicle is a 2018 with less than 100000 miles,

NHTSA ODI #11493562

Mileage unknown · Nov 7, 2022
Steering

Today for the second time the vehicle power steering failed at approx 40 mph. The service engine / Fault light then lighted. I pulled over and restarted the car (since this worked last time) and the power steering came back. After the first occurrence about 2 months ago we brought it to a dealer . Saybrook Ford Old Saybrook C…

Read full complaint

Today for the second time the vehicle power steering failed at approx 40 mph. The service engine / Fault light then lighted. I pulled over and restarted the car (since this worked last time) and the power steering came back. After the first occurrence about 2 months ago we brought it to a dealer . Saybrook Ford Old Saybrook CT. They could not duplicate intermittant problem said it MAY need a steering GW-AR" but did retirieve at U300 repair code - they could not do a pinpoint test due to the stored code. Battery tested good. No repair done . Repair invoice available.

NHTSA ODI #11492667

Mileage unknown · Sep 6, 2022
EngineSteeringVehicle Speed Control

Transmission fault notification appeared on the screen while on the highway. Vehicle unable to maintain speed and has "bumping" when attempting to drive it. Poses a safety threat because I was unable to maintain speed while driving. Ford has not found remedy and it has been a month without ability to use vehicle.

NHTSA ODI #11483124

21,000 miles · Aug 12, 2022
Steering

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at 60-65 MPH in a straight forward lane, the steering wheel would independently steer to the right with resistance. There was no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that there was resistance while attempting to readjust the steering wheel. The vehic…

Read full complaint

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at 60-65 MPH in a straight forward lane, the steering wheel would independently steer to the right with resistance. There was no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that there was resistance while attempting to readjust the steering wheel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that no issues were found. However, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 21,000.

NHTSA ODI #11479003

Mileage unknown · Aug 10, 2022
Steering

I have had intermittent steering problems on my 2018 Ford Escape where the steering wheel will lock up. I have been at stoplights and intersections where I had to wait for traffic to move so that I would not hit anyone. It usually rectified itself when I started the car in motion. It would free up and begin to move again. T…

Read full complaint

I have had intermittent steering problems on my 2018 Ford Escape where the steering wheel will lock up. I have been at stoplights and intersections where I had to wait for traffic to move so that I would not hit anyone. It usually rectified itself when I started the car in motion. It would free up and begin to move again. This past weekend, 8/6/22, the steering wheel locked up and would not turn at all. I attempted to move forward, and it did not free up. After a few feet, the steering wheel would move, but I had to use a lot of force to get it to move in the direction I needed to go to get out of a crowded drive thru line and to a safe parking spot. Even with that, the car moved at a minimal turning. I parked the car. My husband arrived 20 minutes later. After restarting the car, he was able to move the steering wheel but it was still sluggish. We did not have any warning lights for any of the instances where it locked up. We drove it across the street to a Ford dealership. The service department at the dealership says they cannot reproduce the problem. They state they have "worked their way back through the wiring", and seem to think it is the steering gear. We are now going to pay $2200 to repair the steering on a 2018 model car. The dealer stated they had seen this problem in the past. I refused to take it from the dealership because I am afraid it will seize up again while I am driving and not rectify like it did before the incident on 8/6/22. I have researched recalls and litigation, but do not see anything for my model year. I do not have an invoice for the repair because the dealer is waiting on the part from Ford.

NHTSA ODI #11478707

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.

Go deeper into Ford Escape problems