IllustrationThis is the third time I have had to get this fixed!! But this time my power steering completely locked up. It's electric power steering so it's not cheap and I am still paying on the vehicle also!! I have driven Fords all my life but I am just about done
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
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 reportsEngine dead due to coolant intrusion from the manufacturing defect in the cylinder walls.The defect is KNOWN to be an issue according to Technical Service Bulletin 22-2229
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while at the local dealer for routine maintenance, upon further inspection, the contact was informed that a tune-up could not be performed due to a spark plug not being able to be removed. In addition, the contact was advised that there was a coolant intrusion into the engi…
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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while at the local dealer for routine maintenance, upon further inspection, the contact was informed that a tune-up could not be performed due to a spark plug not being able to be removed. In addition, the contact was advised that there was a coolant intrusion into the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven to an Auto Zone and the mechanic suggested there might be a spark plug failure, but the vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact then drove to the dealer and the vehicle was di…
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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven to an Auto Zone and the mechanic suggested there might be a spark plug failure, but the vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact then drove to the dealer and the vehicle was diagnosed with coolant intrusion. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer also notified the contact of an undisclosed TSB associated to the engine coolant intrusion; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 102,000.
Coolant is leaking into the engine and combusting, causing smoke. Happened on the highway, I had to stop and was almost hit. Local mechanic confirmed the problem, says the engine could catch on fire if I had kept driving it. The check engine light came on.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine misfired and the vehicle jerked. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion and engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repai…
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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine misfired and the vehicle jerked. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion and 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 approximately 44,000.
I found coolant reservoir was really low. And found a check engine light. I scanned and found a code related to misfiring. After googling it I found that is a commonly issue in this vehicles related to a bad engine design. I am in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. And bought the car here. So I am wondering if we are covered by this…
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I found coolant reservoir was really low. And found a check engine light. I scanned and found a code related to misfiring. After googling it I found that is a commonly issue in this vehicles related to a bad engine design. I am in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. And bought the car here. So I am wondering if we are covered by this vehicle complaint.
When changing the sparkplugs, sparkplug #2 broke off in the engine and needed to have the heads replaced. This was 100,00 mile and the warranty had just ran out so we had to pay over $4,000 out of pocket to the local dealership for this repair.. This is a known issue with Ford but they will not issue a recall. There was no wa…
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When changing the sparkplugs, sparkplug #2 broke off in the engine and needed to have the heads replaced. This was 100,00 mile and the warranty had just ran out so we had to pay over $4,000 out of pocket to the local dealership for this repair.. This is a known issue with Ford but they will not issue a recall. There was no warning lights or sounds that this was an issue.
In March of 2024 warning lights for abs, hill assist, traction control came on while the car was driving. We stopped driving and had the error codes checked at a autozone who said the sparkplugs where misfiring on cylinder 3. it was changed and when we started the car it blew white smoke and the engine seized. The repairs were o…
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In March of 2024 warning lights for abs, hill assist, traction control came on while the car was driving. We stopped driving and had the error codes checked at a autozone who said the sparkplugs where misfiring on cylinder 3. it was changed and when we started the car it blew white smoke and the engine seized. The repairs were over $6000. We were told ford had a class action suit which closed on November of 2023. We opened a case but ford closed it and will not help with known problems with the 1.5 lt engine.
I have had to replace multiple headlight bulbs every few months, but recently both headlights just stopped working. The bulbs and fuses are fine. If this had happened at night, I would not have been safe driving this car.
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.