Coolant in the cylinders, resulting in full engine failure/replacement.
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 →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Escape years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
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.
What owners actually said
1,791 reportsThe contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the vehicle vibrated abnormally. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that there was a coolant leak into the engine. The mechanic determined that the engine needed to…
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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the vehicle vibrated abnormally. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that there was a coolant leak into the engine. The mechanic determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his wife driving approximately 65 MPH, she observed that the "High Engine Temperature - Stop Safely" message was displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled, and his wife was able to coast to the side of the highway. The contact stated that his wife wa…
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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his wife driving approximately 65 MPH, she observed that the "High Engine Temperature - Stop Safely" message was displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled, and his wife was able to coast to the side of the highway. The contact stated that his wife was able to restart the vehicle and drive back to the residence; however, the vehicle stalled, and the driver was unable to restart the vehicle. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that there was coolant intrusion into the engine. The dealer informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 60,252.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the engine overheating message was displayed. Upon inspection, the contact discovered that there was no coolant in the coolant reservoir. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who diagnose…
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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the engine overheating message was displayed. Upon inspection, the contact discovered that there was no coolant in the coolant reservoir. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who diagnosed a cylinder #2 misfire within the engine. The spark plugs and engine coils were replaced, and the failure was temporarily remedied, but the failure reoccurred. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 118,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message to “Stop and Pull Over” was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnose…
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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message to “Stop and Pull Over” was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 134,175.
Coolant leaking into engine causing engine failure. Entire screen and navigation system stopped working as well as the charge ports.
We took our car into Ford dealership because we noticed the heater was blowing only cold air. No other problems were evident, car was running fine. The dealer called and told us that the engine was destroyed because the coolant leaked into the engine block. Car did not indicate there was coolant leak, of which we were total…
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We took our car into Ford dealership because we noticed the heater was blowing only cold air. No other problems were evident, car was running fine. The dealer called and told us that the engine was destroyed because the coolant leaked into the engine block. Car did not indicate there was coolant leak, of which we were totally unaware. We had no idea we were driving a vehicle that could have had a sudden power failure or engine could have caught fire. Our dealership and Ford are working out the details of our financial obligation to have the engine replaced.
Coolant intrusion in the Cylinder 2. Advised to replace longblock to rebuild engine. Cost is at $10,000 plus a coolant flush.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated. The contact drove the vehicle to the shoulder of the road. The contact opened the hood to perform an inspection and became aware that the coolant reservoir was empty. The contact stated that there were no indicat…
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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated. The contact drove the vehicle to the shoulder of the road. The contact opened the hood to perform an inspection and became aware that the coolant reservoir was empty. The contact stated that there were no indications of a coolant leak. The contact allowed the engine to cool off and added coolant to the reservoir. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The contact performed an inspection and discovered that coolant had leaked into the crankcase. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the crankcase. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.
The contact’s daughter owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced inconsistent acceleration and rough driving with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who discovered that there was no coolant …
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The contact’s daughter owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced inconsistent acceleration and rough driving with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who discovered that there was no coolant in the coolant reservoir. The mechanic later discovered coolant inside the engine and informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 144,483.
Official recalls
426V011000 · 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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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