2018 Ford Escape complaints

Engine light came on and car shakes a bit when car is first turned on for the day and has been off for a few hours. This started in early January 2025. We took it to a mechanic on January 10th 2025. Mechanic reported white exhaust smoke and stated this could be due to a coolant intrusion into the cylinders. Was told the short block, head gasket or the entire engine would need to be replaced. As of today, January 29th 2025, vehicle has not been inspected by a dealership, but as stated above, it has been checked by a mechanic. Concerned for family safety because vehicle can turn off at any time without any warning. Vehicle is available upon request, for inspection.

Car started running hot feb 2023, took it to local auto shop where it showed leaking collant in cylinder 2&3. Local shop quoted 8000 for full engine repair. Contacted ford dealership to see about a CSP the auto body shop told me about and was told my car isn't covered due to millage (over the 84000). This CSP was never preformed on the ford before I bought it when the CSP came out in 2020. I bought in 2021. Nor was I informed about the 2022 extended CSP. I was not made aware of a collant leak possibility until it happened. No repairs have been completed on this car and I am still making my monthly payment for it. I will never buy another ford.

I had to replace the engine May 28, 2024. The coolant started mixing with the oil based on the poor design of the engine. Then December 16, 2024, I had to replace the transfer case. Now my transmission has gone out on January 22, 2025. All of this has been out of pocket because I was out of the warranty mileage range. I'm still currently financing the vehicle and have to make all these costly repairs. I'm trying to see what can be done? There is no way a new vehicle like this should be having all these problems especially when it was bought new off the lot.

An engine coolant leak on the engine caused the engine to overheat. This could have led to a possible fire. If we were on a highway or freeway when this happened and the car cut off, this could have caused an accident. There were NO warning signs or lamps that came on before this issue that would have alerted us to this issue. I had the vehicle towed into the Ford dealership and the diagnostic was engine failure due to a coolant leak. The engine coolant leak has been a known issue on the 2018 Ford Escapes by the manufacturer.

My transmission started slipping while driving on a main street. It barely moved, less than 1 mph, while accelerating to get to a safe place and not rear ended. This was very dangerous for me and the car behind me. There was no warning prior to this happening and the engine light never came on even after the transmission “slipped”. I had a mechanic check it out and he couldn’t find any codes. It ran decently around the neighborhood but then the next day it started slipping again. Took it ford because this time it said power train failure. Turns out my 2018 ford escape, around 105,00 miles, needed a new transmission with no prior signs of distress. I was quoted 10,000. Ford knows about this problem with their 2018 escapes for a while and has not recalled them. Unacceptable.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the engine failure, auto park, and restart engine messages were displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle had lost motive power. The contact pulled over and stopped the vehicle. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle; however, after shifting into drive(D) and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that the warning lights were illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local auto parts store where the techni8cian used a handheld diagnostic scanner and determined that there was no compression in cylinder #1 and cylinder #2 and there was a misfire in the engine. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 22,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35-45 MPH, the engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that there was coolant leaking into the cylinder head, and the short block engine needed to be replaced. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that there was no warranty coverage on the vehicle. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 101,000.

Transmission failed at 42,000 miles

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered abnormally. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that there was a coolant intrusion in the engine, and there was a misfire in cylinder #3. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that there was no recall associated with the failure. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.

On 01/25/2025 I discovered on my vehicle that my windshield weatherstripping and cowl was coming loose from the windshield. I contacted Ford Motor company of the issue after speaking with a glass repair company. I called Ford because my vehicle may have a manufacturing defect on the cowl (bottom seal of the windshield, as well as the side and top weather stripping used to seal the windshield in place). They informed me there were no recalls at the time however to fix the issue the entire windshield will have to be removed from the car in order to replace the cowl seal, weather stripping and seal coming off. If I am not to get this repaired this could cause leaking in my vehicle from rain or worse the eventual separation of the windshield unexpectedly which could be a safety issue. Please see the attached photos below as well as others online who have posted this issue, had it fixed, and it kept occurring. I believe it is a manufacturer defect either with the weatherstripping, sealing procedure or the overall windshield itself. The pictures of the other escape in the same area is showing that what I am describing is happening to others, this can be deemed a hazard or potential recall.

Multiple times when weather is cold (currently 42 degrees, so not even that cold) the engine will not start. It is a brand new engine that was replaced after the heavily reported coolant leak issue - which should be recalled!) The car turns on, with lights, radio, air systems, etc all running, but the engine does not start or even attempt to start. After several hours the car turns on without issue and operates as normal. This car/engine are absolute lemons. I spent $10,000 to replace the engine due to Ford's own manufacturing issue with the coolant leak, and now this. NHSTA needs to do something about these faulty cars on the road.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the vehicle failed to properly function. The contact stated that a message to “Pull Over Immediately” was displayed. The vehicle was towed to a dealer but was pending a diagnostic test. The dealer had not yet diagnosed the vehicle but believed that the vehicle had experienced engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 101,000.

Headlights continue to go out causing reduced visibility. Google search shows a lot of people having the same issue. Available for inspection. Driving during dark hours puts myself and others at risk when the light randomly goes out. I have consulted local shop and they confirm it's a common problem and unsure of a fix besides guessing and replacing parts. No warnings or notifications that the light is out.

Have a bad engine that seems to be a common problem with this year car.Has 68,300 miles and I am told that this one does not have all the right criteria to be under warranty.not sure of the reason other than I was told it is out of the 7 year period.its a 2018 and broke down in 2024.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the vehicle started sputtering. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to TSB: 20-2100. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that there was a leak in the coolant system. The contact stated that coolant was leaking into the engine and the oil. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that coolant was leaking into the engine and the oil. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and agreed to cover 40% of the cost of the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 56,000.

A common and known problem to Ford: the coolant leak caused a crack in the engine block. This caused fluid in the cylinders to misfire and now oil is also leaking into the engine block as well. There was no warning or preventative measures we could take, and after research, this is an extremely common issue. The dealership will not work with us as there is "no official recall" even though they know it happens a lot, and it would take more than $7,000 to repair when we still owe $6,500.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact stated that the steering wheel seized, with the steering warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 117,000.

Engine misfiring, stuttering, power loss happened at high speed on interstate. Independent mechanic diagnosed coolant intrusion into engine. Spark plug in cylinder 3 seized. New engine needed. Ford does not have a recall for it. This is a well known engine problem according to research and review of other complaints on this site.

The steering of the vehicle completely went out with NO warning lights/no warning whatsoever. If this had happened at speed or a sharp turn, this would have likely resulted in a collision. There are only 50,000 miles on the vehicle, so there is no way that the steering should completely go out. I see there are other vehicles that this has occurred with as well in this model/year; I feel that this should be a safety recall.

Timing Chain broke with only around 106,000 miles on the vehicle. While I was driving to run some errands, I came to a four way stop. Taking a right turn and beginning to accelerate to turn onto the intersecting road, my car began to accelerate and then acceleration stopped and could only coast on momentum I had left. Luckily I was able to maneuver out of traffic and onto the side of the road using the steering wheel and get it into park. Car was towed to local car repair shop and they determined that the timing chain was broken, resulting in a complete engine failure. It has not been investigated by manufacturer or police. No warning lamps appeared on the system when the incident occurred.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 50-55 MPH, the transmission fluid warning light was illuminated. The dealer was contacted, and an appointment was scheduled for diagnostic testing. The contact stated while driving 50-55 MPH to the dealer the following day, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road and parked the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to respond upon shifting to drive(D) or reverse(R). The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The dealer ordered the part for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 93,385.

A Design Flaw (as confirmed by a Ford Service Advisor) in the engine block allows coolant to seep into the engine, rendering the engine useless. Ford has a TSB on this, they know it's a problem, other previous years similar engines have been recalled, these engines currently have class action and private lawsuits happening, and Ford extended the warranty on these vehicles to 84k miles because of this KNOWN mistake on their part. So.... after 84k miles Ford no longer stands behind their product. Leaving me and my family with a monthly car payment and a car that's sitting at the dealer that needs and $8k repair. I've had the car towed twice and am relying on friends to get around. Ford should own up to this and either fix or replace the vehicle. It's not right, and certainly doesn't make us want to buy American cars.

Coolant Intrusion on the 1.5l ecoboost engine at 63,000 miles. Just out of warranty.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at approximately 20 MPH, the "Engine Overheating" message was displayed on the instrument panel. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that there was an internal coolant leak intrusion into the cylinder and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 97,000.

Transmission is not going into fifth gear correctly.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at approximately 10 MPH, the "Engine Overheated" message was displayed on the instrument panel, and the vehicle shut down. The vehicle failed to return to normal operation. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that there was an internal coolant leak intrusion into the cylinder and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 108,000.

I purchased a 2018 Ford Escape in February 2024 with 80,000 miles from a dealership. The vehicle had a single owner and appeared to be in great condition at the time of purchase. However, in December 2024 it presented a critical safety issue involving the engine. While driving, the vehicle began shaking violently and lost power, almost stopping in the middle of an intersection. This placed me and others at significant risk of a collision, as I was unable to control the car properly or move it safely out of traffic. The problem was confirmed by the Ford dealership, where diagnostics initially revealed a misfire code (P0302). After further inspection, the dealership determined that the engine required a full replacement. This repair was estimated to cost $9,000—nearly the current value of the vehicle. The car is at the dealership and has not been repaired due to the prohibitive cost. Through my research, I found Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 19-2346, which documents similar engine issues reported by other Ford Escape owners, requiring significant repairs and part replacements. Despite reaching out to Ford Customer Service, I was denied assistance and left to bear the full cost of these extensive repairs. There were no warning lamps or messages prior to the failure. The issue occurred without warning while I was driving, making the defect hazardous. Given the serious safety implications of this defect, I strongly urge this issue to be considered for recall. A vehicle with rel

My engine light came on and within a three day time span my engine overheated. I kept up with all maintenance on my vehicle and even had a previous diagnostic ran on the vehicle a month prior. I was told there was a customer satisfactory warranty that expired in November 2022 on my vehicle but information was given to first owner that stated what would happen to my vehicle. I bought my car in March of 2021Due to me getting my car from Hondas car lot they said they were unaware that the vehicle had a warranty at time of sale which would have been of great help. I have been quoted $10,000 to replace the motor in my car due to coolant intrusion, short block, and a spark plug being stuck within the engine. My car ran hot with myself, a dog and my son being in the car in the middle of a busy street but we were able to move vehicle to a safe spot while car was malfunctioning. I was told to look under the hood by my boyfriend to check fluids and he went into detail on what to check for and we found that the oil was clean but their was no antifreeze in the vehicle. I received my oil change in September of 2024 and everything required for my tags that is done yearly all on the same visit.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who determined that coolant intrusion into cylinders one and four resulted in damage to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine would need to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program 21N12. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 85,000.

Complete Engine failure causing vehicle to be totally un drive able at only 91,000 miles. Engine failure cause was diagnosed by local authorized Ford dealer service department as systemic engine design flaw that caused catastrophic fluid intrusion into cylinder(s), rendering engine useless. Remedy, engine needs to be totally replaced, not repaired, but replaced. Not an isolated incident in my particular case as there have been thousands of issues with this model of engine that FORD (manufacturer) has employed on this model year, make, and model (2018 Ford Escape SEL). No warning lamps lighted to warn of potential engine failure, and most importantly, no written notices provided by Ford to alert of the catastrophic engine issue, and certainly no information on remedies provided either.

Coolant is getting in to the engine and blowing the engine up. Ford is aware of the issue but is denying coverage and repair under a distraction. They are aware of the repair and issued Customer Satisfaction program 21N12 which is the fix to the engine. However, they say that if customer satisfaction program 19B37 was not completed prior to 2022, then you do not qualify to do 21N12 even though under 21N12 if the car is under 7 years old and 84,000 miles that it qualifies. Ford says that if the previous owner (since we did not get the car until 2023/24) did not do 19B37 that we are screwed and they will not cover the engine replacement that they know about. This issue is all over the internet, so I am shocked a recall has not been issued.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The engine fault service immediately message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the cylinder had misfired. The coolant was flooding the engine. The dealer recommended an engine replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 87,800.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning illuminated. In addition, the vehicle was driving unusually rough with the engine misfiring. The contact and his father attempted to change the spark plugs. The contact stated that one of the spark plugs had seized and was unable to be removed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a coolant leak and 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 a case was filed. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under recall repair or special programs. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.

Check Engine Light came on with Error Code Engine Misfire Cylider 1. Mechanic diagnosed it with a Burnt Valve from Coolant Intrusion. Car only has 85,000 miles on it. Contacted Ford and they said it's a known issue but they refuse to pay to fix the vehicle since my vehicle is 1,000 miles over the 84,000 mile mark.

Less than one month after purchasing this used vehicle from a dealership, the check engine light came on. A personal code reader showed the PO302 code. Upon inspection by the manufacturer dealer we were told that it has an engine coolant leak, known as coolant intrusion. The mechanic noted that the engine appeared to have parts replaced trying to rectify this issue (prior to our ownership) but that the only fix to this issue is engine replacement with a cost of around $9500. We were told this would be our cost as the manufacturer no longer replaces the engines under a previous satisfaction program. Now the vehicle is shuttering and has the permanent PO302 code and showing signs of consistent misfiring. Facts lead us to the fact that the previous owner did not resolve the issue and then the dealership put a vehicle on the lot that should not have been without a new engine as this was a pre-existing problem to our purchase.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated, with the "Engine Fault Service Now” message displayed. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed the contact was informed there was coolant intrusion into the engine and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact linked the failure to Customer Satisfaction Programs: 21N12 and 19B37. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving up a hill at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated. The contact pulled over and waited for the engine to cool down. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights illuminated and remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and it was determined that there was coolant leaking into cylinder #2, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained with the dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the contact attempted to turn on the low beam however, the low beam was inoperative. No warning light was illuminated. The failure occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the pigtail connectors and bolts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was determined that the headlights needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

My engine check light came on and it said Engine Fault Service Now, with a wrench signal exposed. Then I could hardly stop the vehicle , it became very difficult to apply the brakes, using all of my body weight applied to stop the vehicle. I immediately brought it to O’Reily’s auto place and had a diagnostic test run on the vehicle. Multiple default code come up. P1016, p0365, p0299,p164D p0369,p0443,p0456,p1450. Brought it to the Ford dealership, upon inspection the diagnosis Evap system related disc on this line , tested evap system, found canister purge valve to be broken , tech notes that this is a non Oem part. Advised to replace purge valve and hose assembly. Also discovered that vacuum pump not pulling vacuum, advise to replace pump and reset. Upon removal of the vacuum pump, found pump cam lobe twisted off , vacuum pump is seized, cam replacement is seized , cam replacement will be required. Also both front axel boots are torn, spewing grease all over, recommend replacing both axels, leak p2 pinion value, left back axel leaking, both back brake rotors and pads worn 2mm in the red, coolant level low possible leak. Also is discovered that there was a non ford part purge valve that shouldn’t be there. Estimated cost is 8,500-9000 dollars could be more

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 50-55 MPH in the rainy weather, the vehicle lost motive power. The "Transmission Failure" message was displayed. The vehicle coasted to the side of the road. Upon inspection, the contact discovered that transmission fluid was leaking from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission shifter cable bushing listed in NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) for which the VIN was included, had failed along with the transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission shifter cable bushing had not caused the transmission to fail. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 114,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of coolant. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that coolant was leaking into the engine and could cause engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000.

Good morning, I would like to discuss an issue concerning the Ford Motor Company and one of their many Technician Service Bulletins (TSB). I am a former auto technician now healthcare worker and had the unfortunate luck of purchasing a 2018 Ford Escape with 55k miles for my wife in 2023. The vehicle now has a check engine light on due to engine coolant leaking into the cylinders at 97k miles. After research I discovered Ford issued a limited time fix NOT a recall under the heading of TSB 19-2375 & TSB 21-N-12. The whole engine needs to be replaced and the Ford Motor Company will not pay for a flawed design. There seems to be multiple lawsuits due to many of these engines failing in different Ford Models. Why hasn't this been forced to be a recall? Many people are struggling as it is and a 7 thousand dollar repair is going to put me under. The people of this country including myself need the help of people with is voice. Please I am sinking here

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to properly accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The contact performed a diagnostic test and identified an engine misfire. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were contacted but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 104,000.

Engine is exhibiting a P0302 Cylinder 2 misfire code and was taken to the Ford Dealership. Here, they stated the misfiring is due to a coolant leak that has seize the spark plug. The engine light has been on (periodically turning off) over the course of 3 weeks but the vehicle has not been driven much due to fear of stalling out in middle of drive/highway/road. Once the engine light started flashing it was towed to a Ford Dealership.

Coolant leaking in the engine at 96k miles. Car locked up and is not drivable. Manufacture quoted me $8500 for the repairs.

Car occasionally ran rough, engine light came on, code indicated a misfire so we changed the spark plugs and coils. No improvement, then suddenly while on the interstate, it was jumping and bucking and could barely run. Took it to a Ford dealer and they said it was a known problem with engine coolant leaks in Ecoboost engines but that they what $9,000 to replace it. This is not only reprehensible corporate irresponsibility but a safety issue, as my defective engine suddenly stopped working properly while I was driving in heavy high speed traffic.

Purge valve stuck open causing check engine light to come on. Same as current recall on Ford Focus 2012-2018 vehicles. Ford Escapes within the same time frame should be included in the recall. Every time I fill gas there is a hard turn on since beginning of December. Then check engine light came on and code P1450.

Coolant leaks into my engine’s cylinders, is causing cylinder misfire, overheating, engine corrosion, oil dilution and contamination, with high potential for the cylinder head cracking, total engine failure, and/or engine fires, according to my mechanic.

Coolant leaked into engine and the vehicle now needs a new engine.

Engine design flaw with coolant channels caused coolant to leak into cylinder 3 causing misfire and rapid coolant loss.