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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.

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

What owners actually said

1,791 reports
Mileage unknown · Oct 29, 2025
EnginePower Train

My motor had to be replaced due to coolant intrusion. Now my transmission has to be replaced as well. It was definitely faulty. I have letters from the Ford dealership that worked on my car and put the new motor in. It was caused by coolant intrusion.

NHTSA ODI #11696439

Mileage unknown · Oct 28, 2025
Engine

I bought a 2018 Ford escape with the 1.5 eco boost. The car only has 74280 miles on it, and the engine coolant was low. I filled it up, and had my daughter drive the car to her home, and asked her to check it. It was just a little lower than I filled it, so she was going to monitor the level. On her way to a friends the warning …

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I bought a 2018 Ford escape with the 1.5 eco boost. The car only has 74280 miles on it, and the engine coolant was low. I filled it up, and had my daughter drive the car to her home, and asked her to check it. It was just a little lower than I filled it, so she was going to monitor the level. On her way to a friends the warning for, "High engine temperature" (not the exact message) came on. She pulled it over to the side of the road, and I had her tow the vehicle to her friends house. Now it appears there is an issue with the water pump, and the engine not holding a vacuum in the cooling system. I researched this issue on line, and found Ford has an issue with this particular year due to the engine cooling system design between the cylinders. She is NOT able to afford a new engine. This is with out a doubt a FORD recall issue. What can I do to get this covered by FORD? Thanks for your help. [XXX] [XXX] I do not have the towing receipt, but can get it from my daughter. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI #11696164

Mileage unknown · Oct 27, 2025
EnginePower Train

To whom it may concern, I am writing to express my deep frustration regarding a serious issue with my Ford vehicle. My vehicle recently displayed code P0302 – Misfire Cylinder 2, which has been diagnosed as coolant intrusion into the cylinder. The recommended repair is a replacement long block, along with new hardware and seals…

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To whom it may concern, I am writing to express my deep frustration regarding a serious issue with my Ford vehicle. My vehicle recently displayed code P0302 – Misfire Cylinder 2, which has been diagnosed as coolant intrusion into the cylinder. The recommended repair is a replacement long block, along with new hardware and seals. This is a known issue with certain Ford engines — one that Ford previously covered under warranty or service campaigns prior to 2023. My vehicle has fewer than 60,000 miles, yet it has suffered a major engine failure clearly tied to a manufacturing defect. Ford and even U.S. government agencies are aware of this widespread issue. Unfortunately, Ford is now refusing to take responsibility for a defect they have long known about. It’s extremely disappointing to see such disregard for loyal customers. This experience has completely eroded my trust in Ford. It’s clear why so many Americans are turning to foreign manufacturers — companies that take accountability and fix known problems instead of ignoring them. I will never purchase a Ford again, and I will be sharing my experience so that others are aware of how these issues are being handled.

NHTSA ODI #11695962

Mileage unknown · Oct 27, 2025
Exterior Lighting

I have had to replace one or both headlights about every 14 months. The date below represents the latest time this has happened.

NHTSA ODI #11695754

Mileage unknown · Oct 24, 2025
Engine

Our 2018 ford escape was experiencing rough idle with no indicator light. Left work one day and the engine light came on. I took it to a local shop they read the computer and said that we had low coolant levels and that we have coolant intrusion into cylinders and needed a new short block. This is a well known defect in these mo…

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Our 2018 ford escape was experiencing rough idle with no indicator light. Left work one day and the engine light came on. I took it to a local shop they read the computer and said that we had low coolant levels and that we have coolant intrusion into cylinders and needed a new short block. This is a well known defect in these motors.This poses a great safety risk to the automobile as the engine can seize going down the road making the automobile totally inoperable. The 2018 escape was taken to the ford dealer, the dealership applied for financial assistance with the repair and we were denied by Ford. The escape had 63,500 miles at the time of failure. We paid for repair out of our pockets. It cost us 5,272.01. This is a huge expense for us considering so few miles on the motor. This Escape is out of warranty, but this is a defect and should be recalled.

NHTSA ODI #11695463

116,000 miles · Oct 22, 2025
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 40 MPH, the engine overheated and the vehicle stalled. The driver was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was restarted, but was undrivable. The vehicle had been taken to the dealer, where it was determined th…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 40 MPH, the engine overheated and the vehicle stalled. The driver was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was restarted, but was undrivable. The vehicle had been taken to the dealer, where it was determined that coolant intrusion in cylinder #2 had caused engine damage. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced, and the contact was informed that the failure had occurred due to a factory defect. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin Number: 22-2322. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that no assistance would be provided because the vehicle was not covered under warranty or recall. The failure mileage was approximately 116,000.

NHTSA ODI #11695042

Mileage unknown · Oct 22, 2025
Engine

My understanding is that ford knew about flaws in there 1.5 and 2.0 economist engines. I am experiencing the problems that have been experienced from the 2018 ford escape.

NHTSA ODI #11694982

Mileage unknown · Oct 21, 2025
Engine

Coolant intrusion due to faulty manufactured engine. Which they are well aware of and won’t do anything to help fix an issue that many people are dealing with. Getting quoted over $12000 to for a new engine.

NHTSA ODI #11694881

Mileage unknown · Oct 20, 2025
Engine

The small block of my engine needs to be replaced. Ford has told me that it is a known problem and that is why they extended the powertrain warranty to 85,000 miles because of it. My car has 125,000 miles on it so I was told they can’t do anything. I don’t understand why, if this is a KNOWN problem with this car, why I should ha…

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The small block of my engine needs to be replaced. Ford has told me that it is a known problem and that is why they extended the powertrain warranty to 85,000 miles because of it. My car has 125,000 miles on it so I was told they can’t do anything. I don’t understand why, if this is a KNOWN problem with this car, why I should have to pay for it because I took good care of it so it didn’t happen until 125,000 miles. This should be a recall. I have an incident claim at ford because of this. I spent $4000 already trying to fix it before finding out it was the small block the whole time and it’s going to cost $78000.

NHTSA ODI #11694467

Mileage unknown · Oct 19, 2025
Engine

I drive a 2018 Ford Escape with only 73,000 miles. Engine misfiring upon startup and check engine light caused me to immediately take my car to the mechanic. They diagnosed my vehicle with a coolant leak into cylinder 3 in my engine and a crack in the engine head. This is a known issue in my year/make/model which has affected en…

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I drive a 2018 Ford Escape with only 73,000 miles. Engine misfiring upon startup and check engine light caused me to immediately take my car to the mechanic. They diagnosed my vehicle with a coolant leak into cylinder 3 in my engine and a crack in the engine head. This is a known issue in my year/make/model which has affected enough consumers that it is pending class action lawsuit. If I continue to drive my car in the state it is in, without spending 7-8k repairing this issue, it is likely to be a hazard to myself and any drivers around should my engine overheat and sustain greater damage while on the road.

NHTSA ODI #11694404

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