Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
870–25K
7825–50K
12350–75K
18675–100K
184100–150K
10150K+
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
What owners actually said
1,791 reports
58,000 miles · Apr 11, 2024
Seat Belts
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while adjusting the front driver’s side seat to the driver's height, the seat belt rubbed against the seat belt retractor located on the driver side door. As a result of the failure, the front driver’s seat belt started to shred after multiple seat adjustments. The manufact…
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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while adjusting the front driver’s side seat to the driver's height, the seat belt rubbed against the seat belt retractor located on the driver side door. As a result of the failure, the front driver’s seat belt started to shred after multiple seat adjustments. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.
NHTSA ODI #11582428
Mileage unknown · Apr 10, 2024
Engine
Bought my escape on used 6/2022. On 3/6/24.. My car started shaking and the engine light started blinking. Had it towed to the dealer. The dealer said it was antifreeze intrusion. And it is a well know problem with my motor and that Ford is aware of this.
NHTSA ODI #11582214
Mileage unknown · Apr 9, 2024
EngineForward Collision AvoidanceLane Departure
My car, 2018 Ford Escape is in need of an entirely new engine due to coolant leaking into the engine. This is a KNOWN ISSUE. My car suddenly started overheating and my car became undrivable. This is a widely reported issue and I believe there is clear evidence that it is a known defect and that Ford has the absolute responsibili…
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My car, 2018 Ford Escape is in need of an entirely new engine due to coolant leaking into the engine. This is a KNOWN ISSUE. My car suddenly started overheating and my car became undrivable. This is a widely reported issue and I believe there is clear evidence that it is a known defect and that Ford has the absolute responsibility to repair it .
NHTSA ODI #11582037
110,096 miles · Apr 9, 2024
Engine And Engine Cooling
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving 5-10 MPH, the message "Engine Fault - Service Immediately" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to Firestone, where it was diagnosed that the coolant pump was leaking and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred two m…
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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving 5-10 MPH, the message "Engine Fault - Service Immediately" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to Firestone, where it was diagnosed that the coolant pump was leaking and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred two months later while the vehicle was idling. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a coolant leak. The mechanic determined that the head gasket or the engine needed to be replaced; however, the mechanic informed the contact that there was no guarantee that the parts replacement would repair the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 110,096.
NHTSA ODI #11581995
Mileage unknown · Apr 9, 2024
Engine
Was driving and car started to spit and sputter and high temperature warning message came on. Car went into limp mode. Had car towed to dealership to be inspected. Was told the car had codes P0302, P1299 stored. They found coolant leaking into the #2 cylinder following TSB 22-2322. Engine needs replaced due to a design defe…
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Was driving and car started to spit and sputter and high temperature warning message came on. Car went into limp mode. Had car towed to dealership to be inspected. Was told the car had codes P0302, P1299 stored. They found coolant leaking into the #2 cylinder following TSB 22-2322. Engine needs replaced due to a design defect that Ford Motor Company has been away of. With 108,000 miles, the vehicle was out of the range of mileage allowed for the Ford Motor Company repair campaign 21N12. The repair quote is $10,528.75 to replace the engine. I contacted Ford Customer Service and received a Case#. I passed this on to the dealership who called Ford. He stated they are not willing to even share the cost with me for a design flaw they know existed on my vehicle.
NHTSA ODI #11581990
Mileage unknown · Apr 9, 2024
EngineEngine And Engine Cooling
See attached document for complaint
NHTSA ODI #11581944
Mileage unknown · Apr 9, 2024
Engine
This is 3rd one Ford escape all three ran boiling hot stalled quit running would not crank up coolant leak my car is like brand new I love it but this has to be a recall for it to do three just alike .afraid it will catch on fire and it stalls in traffic I'm [XXX] and it scares me to death of getting hit run over are burning up…
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This is 3rd one Ford escape all three ran boiling hot stalled quit running would not crank up coolant leak my car is like brand new I love it but this has to be a recall for it to do three just alike .afraid it will catch on fire and it stalls in traffic I'm [XXX] and it scares me to death of getting hit run over are burning up in car INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA ODI #11581931
Mileage unknown · Apr 9, 2024
Engine
The engine has had the same issue as countless others where coolant got into the engine and the engine must be replaced. This is a constant issue and Ford is doing nothing to remedy this engine issue.
NHTSA ODI #11581891
Mileage unknown · Apr 8, 2024
Engine
Ford has a KNOWN issue with fluid intrusion in the engines of some of their vehicles built over many years and the repair is a new engine block. The issue causes the car to sputter and stall as well as emit smoke and have a burning smell. They have issued a Technical Service Bulletin about the issue but not a recall and are not…
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Ford has a KNOWN issue with fluid intrusion in the engines of some of their vehicles built over many years and the repair is a new engine block. The issue causes the car to sputter and stall as well as emit smoke and have a burning smell. They have issued a Technical Service Bulletin about the issue but not a recall and are not fixing the issue in some vehicles.
NHTSA ODI #11581695
Mileage unknown · Apr 8, 2024
EnginePower Train
The 2018 Ford Escape had a check engine light come on. It showed a code (P0303) that said cylinder 3 was misfiring. It was also having white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe and my coolant was draining really quickly. The coolant tank was completely empty before hitting 2,000 miles since it had last been filled. I took the veh…
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The 2018 Ford Escape had a check engine light come on. It showed a code (P0303) that said cylinder 3 was misfiring. It was also having white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe and my coolant was draining really quickly. The coolant tank was completely empty before hitting 2,000 miles since it had last been filled. I took the vehicle into a Ford dealership for a diagnostic check to see what was going on. In the end I was told that I have a crack in the long block that is letting coolant into my cylinders which is causing the misfiring. I was told that the possibility of an engine fire and a few other things that make the engine not work could have happened while driving it. Unfortunately the vehicle isn’t even paid off yet and I can’t drive it for fear of something bad happening while doing so. They are quoting me around $8600 to fix it. We are currently trying to figure out if there is anyway of fixing it without having to pay out of pocket. It appears that this is a common problem with 2018 ford escape 2.0L engines. My engine was manufactured in Louisville, Kentucky. The Ford company sent a notice or something out on [XXX] that said the manufacturer error engines for the 2017-2019 Ford Escape 1.5L Ecoboost were manufactured in Louisville, Kentucky. Seeing as my engine was made there and has the same problem as the 1.5L engines I feel like there should be a recall put out for the 2.0L and the 1.5L 2017-2019 Ford Escape engines. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
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.
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.
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.
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 ↗