2018 Ford Escape complaints

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the message "High Engine Temperature - Service Now" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that there was coolant intrusion into the engine and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 77,852.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was parked for several hours and then started, and the check engine warning light was no longer illuminated. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started shaking, lost motive power, and the engine warning light started flashing. The contact pulled over to the side of the road, restated the vehicle and the check engine warning light became illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the spark plugs needed to be replaced. Additionally, the mechanic observed coolant leaking into the engine and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 61,000.

Check engine light first appeared early May 2025 days after the car started running very roughly, then bucking upon startup; local mechanic said may need engine but should go to dealer; dealer towed a couple of days later as engine light had begun to blink and said it couldn't be driven; a few days later dealer reported coolant leaking into combustion chamber and would need a new engine at $12,860. Apparently a known failure as reported in Technical Service Bulletin 22-2229, date 6/9/2022 for vehicles including my 2018 Ford Escape Titanium 2.0 L Ecoboost with only 44k miles, final assembly Louisville KY. Reported danger of engine failure while driving, possible fire.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the vehicle was shuddering and shaking abnormally. The check engine waning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the EVAP purge valve needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure reoccurred two days later. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the spark plugs needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 129,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon start the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed with a cylinder #2 misfire. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed because the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 96,000.

The gasket cracked and coolant leaked into the #2 cylinder.

Check engine light came on ON DAY OF MY FINAL PAYMENT!! Mechanic said there had been issues and possible recall to fix. Antifreeze leaking into engine causing need to replace engine

Engine is shaking car. Appearing to misfire. Car was on highway when this occurred.

Ford EcoBoost 1.5l block has design flaws, causing coolant to enter into the block which causes the car to studder and reduce speed due to a misfire happening in the engine. Inspection upon request approved. Car acted completely fine, as we entered onto the highway we started to pick up speed as traffic is very fast, about 100 yards after entering the highway the vehicle failed causing sudden reduce engine performance. Traffic caught up to us as we veered to the far right shoulder, almost getting rear ended and causing a multiple car pileup. Car was towed to the Ford dealership for diagnosis, that was when ford told us this is a common issue on 1.5l EcoBoost's and common on all of the EcoBoost. There was a recall for this issue, but it does not pertain to this VIN due to the build location? There were no warning signs, no messages or any other symptoms to know this was going to happen. Ford knows about this EcoBoost problem and has made a new block to replace the design flawed 1.5l EcoBoost, but no recall on for anything in relation to this. Ford didn't notify us about this issue, which very easily could have ended in a horrible car accident and the death of the multiple people in the vehicle when it failed. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN AND FORD SHOULD TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THERE POORLY DESIGNED ENGINES! I'm very lucky my mother wasn't driving, as this could have ended very horribly.

Blown engine, misfire cylinder 3 coolant leaking into cylinder 3, block cracked...smuttering. problem has been identified by our mechanic, and Ford has been called for a replacement engine. Check engine light was on.

Check engine light came on and coolant tank was nearly empty after refilling it days before. Mechanic confirmed engine failure.

Experiencing coolant intrusion with a 2018 Ford Escape. Ford is charging $8,000 for the repair. This is known issue with the vehicle. They instituted a temporary program to fix the vehicle free of charge but has expired in 2022. Ford should have recalled the vehicle for this issue. It is unacceptable they can charge so much for a known issue, that they acknowledge is their own fault.

Bought a used car from Marsh Auto Sales in Ortonville Michigan in April, the very next day the check engine light came on and car would not start. It kept saying “Engine Fault.” Finally got the car to start, drove it for the rest of the month, scheduled a service appointment but the car overheated, we were stuck on the side of the road, it would not run and the coolant was low. Looked on Ford’s website and there was a “Customer Satisfaction Recall or program - 19B37, Campaign number 21N12“ that issued a recall for a the exact problem and the engine needed to be replaced. They issued the recall during Covid, and Im sure it was hard for the original owner to submit it for service as getting appointments was extremely hard. I called Ford, and Marsh Auto Sales and neither were willing to help.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle experienced a rough start and was sputtering abnormally. Additionally, there was white and blue smoke coming out of the exhaust pipes. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was intermittently illuminated. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message “Engine Overheating - Pull Over” was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine. The dealer determined that the engine block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to Ford Campaign Number: 21N12. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 64,452.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the vehicle was shaking with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that coolant was leaking into the engine, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for further assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the cylinder, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall. The contact was referred to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

Check engine light came on and engine running rough. Shop found coolant leaking into cylinders due to issue with the make of the engine. Needs a new engine before it can be drivable. This is a known problem with these engines that Ford is aware of but a formal recall has not been issued.

The contact's grandson owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact was informed by his grandson that the engine was misfiring significantly. The contact's relative, who was a mechanic at a Ford dealer arrived at the residence and diagnosed the vehicle with DTC: PO302 and PO316. The mechanic determined that there was coolant intrusion in the engine, and the engine block needed to be replaced. 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 80,000.

HAD TO TAKE THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALER THE END OF APRIL 2025 FOR OIL LEAK THAT THEY DISCOVERED. IT WAS FIXED. THEN ON MAY 8 2025 CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON SO HAD IT TOWED TO FORD DEALER. THEY COULDN'T FIND ANY THING WRONG. CAR HAD WHITE SMOKE, SHAKING WHEN STARTING AND SMELLED LIKE OIL. THEY HAD IT 6 DAYS BEFORE RETURNING IT. THEY SAID THE WHITE SMOKE WAS NORMAL FOR AN OLDER CAR BECAUSE THE EXHAUST STSTEM IS OLDER. HUH??? SO THEN ON MAY 29 2025 THE CAR STILL HAD THE WHITE SMOKE WHEN STARTED. MOVED CAR DOWN THE DRIVEWAY INTO THE STREET AND IT DIED. IT WOULD NOT MOVE AND WAS SITTING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET. LET IT SIT FOR A WHILE AND WAS ABLE TO MOVE IT BACK INTO THE DRIVEWAY. CALLED DEALER AGAIN AND ASKED THEM TO TOW IT AGAIN. DEALER SAID THE WALL WAS CRACKED AND THE COOLANT HAD LEAKED INTO THE CYLINDERS AND THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $10,000.00. OH AND THAT WAS A DISCOUNTED PRICE. THE WARRANTY HAD RAN OUT 86 MILES BEFORE. I ASKED FORD MOTOR CO. IF THEY WOULD DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT AND THEY SAID THEY HAD NO PROGRAMS TO PAY FOR IT. THEY SOLD A FAULTY VEHICLE AND SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS, NOT ME. IT WAS A DANGER TO DRIVE AND WE AS OWNERS WERE NOT TOLD ABOUT IT.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, prompting the contact to discontinue driving the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and it was determined that there was coolant intrusion into the engine, resulting in damages to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 70,000.

The vehicle flywheel is currently damaged at around 66000 miles. There are currently no warning lights for it at this time. There is a loud knocking sound that is known to get louder when turning the AC on.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving or reversing from a complete stop, the vehicle was shuddering and there was an abnormal waterflow sound coming from the dashboard. The vehicle was taken to Advance Auto, where it was diagnosed and determined that the spark plugs needed to be replaced. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to the dealer for an oil change and spark plug replacement, the contact was informed that the spark plugs were frozen, and the failure could cause the vehicle to stall while driving. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 103,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the coolant level was extremely low, and there was white smoke coming from the exhaust pipes. The contact stated that a diagnostic scanner was used to diagnose the vehicle and retrieved DTC: P0301. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 94,000.

Coolant intrusion. Engine fault light came on and then the engine overheating light came on. Coolant was empty. Added coolant. Coolant emptied. No puddles on ground. No visible leaks. Problem confirmed by dealership. Owned vehicle for a week before the issue appeared. Outside the 21N12 customer satisfaction program by a month.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that the engine had experienced coolant intrusion and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 139,783.

Vehicle has a known issue with the coolant leaking into the engine and causing the engine block to fail. This has been documented thousands of times with almost 100 complaints on this site. Our vehicle has 34,000 miles on it and the engine had catastrophic failure while driving, which could have caused a fatal accident. Thankfully, it didn't cause any damage or injuries. The engine is going to cost $10,500 to replace and Ford is not assisting with any of the cost. The Ford repair shop has confirmed that this is what occurred.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact was informed by his wife that while driving at various speeds and while the vehicle was idling, the vehicle was shaking abnormally. The contact was informed that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that while the check engine warning light was illuminated, the vehicle failed to unlock using the key fob, and the driver had to unlock the vehicle manually by entering the code on the driver’s side door. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that coolant was leaking into cylinders #2 and #3. The dealer confirmed that the failure was related to Technical Service Bulletin: 22/2229; NHTSA ID Number: 10214126 (Engine and Engine Cooling) with a defective short block to be replaced by a long block. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the vehicle was included in NHTSA ID Number: 10214126 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 53,600.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle with a cracked cylinder head and coolant intrusion into the cylinders. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12 (Short Block Replacement After Coolant Intrusion); however, the vehicle was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 52,000.

My vehicle received a short block repair under CSP 21N12 in 2023 at my ford dealership. Now, less than two years later, the same issue has returned — coolant intrusion into the cylinders, visible white exhaust, and oil leaks, with an estimate for the full repair is $15,000, from this same ford dealership where I purchased the car clearly the recall repair did not fix this issue of coolant intrusion. Dealer diagnosed the issue as long block pressure tested cooling system for over an hour system dropped 8 PSI, Engine consuming coolant into cylinders and burning through exhaust. Dealer Recommends replacing long block with new engine and replacing one time use parts with new turbo at 15k. I still owe on the loan this is the same problem as the recall.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 MPH, the check engine warning light started flashing, and the message "Engine Fault" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic, where the contact was informed that the coolant reservoir was empty, and the coolant reservoir was refilled. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the water pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The water pump was replaced; however, the failure recurred approximately three and a half hours later. The vehicle was inspected by a certified mechanic who noticed that the coolant reservoir was empty and refilled the coolant reservoir; however, the mechanic noticed that the coolant had lowered by a quart the following morning. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was filed. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to file a vehicle safety complaint. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion into the cylinder, which caused the engine to fail. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the same assessment was made; the contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. No further information was available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000. The VIN was not available.

See attached document for complaint.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated and the engine overheated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a coolant intrusion and engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure had previously occurred, and the engine was replaced at 18,000. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not included. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 97,000.

From what I understand, the engine malfunctioned in a way that caused the cylinder compression to fail in several cylinders, but not all. This caused the car to stutter, shake, and slow down significantly in traffic on the highway. A warning popped up on the dashboard that said to shut the car down as soon as possible. We pulled over right away, which left us on a bridge on the highway. This endangered us as well as passing traffic, and then the tow truck person as well. We had to have the entire engine replaced in the car, which then after about 25 miles of driving, had the exact same problem (thankfully, in a 25 mph neighborhood this time). The problem has been replicated by the service center several times. They have now installed a total of three replacement engines that were all defective.

At 46000 miles mileage cylinder 3 misfired. This led to sudden engine slowdown on a busy street. Headgasket broke and coolant intruded into engine causing total engine failure.

Coolant intrusion

Faulty purge valve control valve. Which is a common issue with the 2018 Ford Escape and there is an active recall for this issue. However my car was not included and I’m experiencing this issue.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the engine was rattling while idling with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was discovered that there was coolant intrusion into the engine. The contact was informed that the engine long block was damaged, which resulted in engine failure. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not covered under warranty and was given an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was provided a case number. The contact was then referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 108,738.

Engine coolant intrusion into Cylinder head. Vehicle is a 2018 with 95k miles on it. This is causing cylinder 1 misfiring and FORD is saying it requires a new engine block.

My car was working fine. Two weeks ago, the check engine light came on, so I took it to a local repair shop. They said it had a misfire code and the car needed new spark plugs and a new ignition coil. My Escape has 86,000 miles on it. The check engine light went off, but a week later, the dashboard lit up like a Christmas tree and said engine was overheating, stop car immediately. I was about 1 block from my house. The car stalled and would not run at all. After about five minutes, I was able to start the car and limp back home. I called AAA and they towed it to a AAA repair center. Three days later, the repair center called and said that I needed a new engine. They told me that there was a known problem with these engines and that Ford would replace the engines in cars with 84,000 miles or less. They advised me to go to a dealer and see if they would replace the engine because I was so close to 84,000. I went to a Ford dealer and they said they would not replace the engine. They also said that if the Ford dealer replaced the engine, it would cost approximately $8,000. The car is valued at $10-12,000. I currently still owe $12,000 on this vehicle.

I have a 2018 Ford Escape that I purchased 2 years ago. Three days ago, it would not start and when we got it to start white smoke came out and there was no coolant left in the chamber. There is no fluid under the car and the car warning light came on saying PowerTrain malfunction, reduced power. The fluid went in the cylinder we believe. We went to a Ford dealership and was told there are no recalls on this vehicle. When we looked up online we see that There was a Program 21N12 for this problem but because it's not a recall we can't use it. How do we get help with this?

All of a sudden, right around 108,000 miles, the check engine light came on. Upon several mechanic visits, and replacing ignition coils, and spark plugs, and even doing a system engine oil flush, the check engine light keeps coming back on. The same code is displayed, a cylinder 2 and 3 misfire. Upon further investigation, I've found that this is a common issue that happens with the same model as my vehicle and instances occur with various mileage on the vehicle, some reported from 15,000 and up to 240,000 miles on the vehicle. During my research, I found that Ford realized that this was the engine type itself being at fault and changed from a short block engine to a better one going forward. I've also read reports that Ford has corrected the issue by replacing the engine retroactively. I feel that this is a major safety concern, as I was told be several mechanics that it could fail while driving and shake uncontrollably, which as anyone who drives would know, could cause major collisions. I urge this agency to take corrective action against Ford Motor Company in general and in encouraging them to fix the issue in my vehicle.

Purchased 2018 Escape at 64,xxx miles and was doing well. At around 86,xxx miles noticed a misfire and white smoke out of the exhaust. Took it to a shop and they did tests. They confirmed that it had coolant intrusion on cylinders 2 & 3. Since it is 2,000 miles over the 21N12 FoMoCo said we are basically on our own for repairs. Thank for being so stand up for your products Ford!!

In the middle of driving without warning, the vehicle started accelerating without shifting. It wasn't til I was pulled off the road and had only neutral that the vehicle had indicated a tranmission/power train issue

Ford is trying to say that my engine is blown, my check engine light came on at 105,000 miles and it said that my cylinder too was misfiring. I brought it to my mechanic and he replaced the coils and the spark plugs and the check engine light kept coming back on within a few hours I took the vehicle to my mechanic five times in three days the last time I took it to my mechanic the vehicle started overheat, there was no power, the vehicle is shaking, and it left me pretty much stuck on the side of the road with a child in my car.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while the vehicle was in for routine maintenance, the mechanic discovered that the coolant reservoir was very low. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, and it was diagnosed and determined that the cause of the failure was due to an engine head gasket leak and a cracked engine block. Additionally, coolant had leaked into the engine. The contact was advised that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not eligible for the manufacturer's extended coverage related the failure. The failure mileage was 89,600.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH and approaching a red traffic light, the vehicle began to jerk then suddenly lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to be restarted. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the contact stated that upon reaching her destination, the vehicle stalled and had since not been able to restart. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. 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 127,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated before accelerating. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent at first; however, the failure became worse. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine block had fractured, causing the engine to fail. The contact stated that there was coolant leaking into cylinder #1. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and opened a case. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, there was an abnormal rumbling sound coming from the engine compartment, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle accelerated normally, but while the vehicle was idling, the contact observed a rumbling sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the spark plugs needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure reoccurred three days later. The vehicle was taken to the same independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the cylinders needed to be interchanged. The vehicle was repaired but the failure reoccurred five days later. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.

The contact's mother-in-law owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that her mother-in-law had experienced a loss of motive power while driving at various speeds. The contact was informed that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact's mother-in-law had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who replaced the spark plugs, ignition coils, and fuel pump. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the same mechanic who was able to diagnose that there was coolant intrusion into the engine. The mechanic referred the owner to a dealer for assistance. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and confirmed that coolant had entered the cylinders and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact had researched online and related the failure to a known failure of the 2.0 liter engines. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 78,090.