2018 Ford Escape complaints

I was told by Ford during an oil change around 06/2024 that my coolant is leaking and I needed a new engine.. now my car keeps overheating and I haven't been able to drive it for about 5 months....my extended warranty is also expired now....they said there was a recall for this, but expired back in 2022? I never received notification of this... it makes no sense to me.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that there was a coolant intrusion resulting in a misfire and damage to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed 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, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 80,000.

Ford 2.0l EcoBoost engine has a design failure Ford has been aware of prior to 2019. My 2018 Ford Escape, I bought new with less then 45000 miles on it has failed due to this design where coolant is sucked into the #2 cylinder. I have contacted Ford, and they will not admit it their design failure. Ford also issues two technical service bulletins concerning this issue in 2019 where the recommend replacing the engine. TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN 19-2208 and 19-2346. I've contacted Ford and they are willing to pay for the labor but not the parts. This failure was caused by Ford and since I could do nothing to fix it nor did they inform me about the possible issue prior to the expiration of the 5-year warranty in 2023. I am having to foot a bill for something they knew about for years. This is consumer fraud.

APIM is not fuctional. Rear camera does not work, display does not work, stereo does not work. Resetting the system does not work. Fuses are all good, and electrical connections confirmed good. APIM issues have been an issue with this year of Ford.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust pipes. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion 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. The approximate failure mileage was 30,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked while attempting to start the vehicle, the infotainment system failed to display the rear-view camera, and the contact was unable to view the image behind the vehicle. The contact stated that the radio was also inoperable. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic and all the vehicle fuses were checked for proper functionality. The dealer was contacted and provided an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 96,000.

My engine light came in and upon checking codes and researching the problem I realized I was getting coolant into cylinder 3 and apparently it is a very common problem with this vehicle.

Coolant leak into cylinder 3, with Ford dealer saying I need to replace the engine or the car will just die at the side of the road and leave me stranded. Check engine light indicated a problem and I kept leaking coolant but couldn't see where the leak was going until I went to the dealer and they changed me $200 to diagnose. This occurred at 110,000 mi. Now I have to replace the engine or lose a car that is worse less than the price of the engine replacement, but I still owe money on it. The dealer encouraged me to replace the engine with a new one from Ford that addresses the problem. So Ford knows it's a problem yet will not pay for repairs.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. While the contact's daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an engine misfire with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact's daughter drove the vehicle to the shoulder of the road. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact, who is an independent mechanic, replaced the spark plugs however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact diagnosed the vehicle with engine failure. The contact stated that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was informed that the mileage was above the warranty limit. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.

My car started shaking when I turned it on and the engine light came on. I took it to get fixed on 12/12/24 which they stated the spark plugs were damaged and they replaced them. Two days later, I turned on my car and it started shaking and throwing white smoke, the engine light came on again. I popped open my hood and saw my cooler liquid was low although it has been filled to the max line. It seems like I am expiriencing the coolant intrusion that is common in these cars but Ford refuses to take accountability for. I am scared to drive my car as I am a girl and I am afraid it will leave me stranded in the highway or a busy intersection and I will get hurt. I hope that Ford can recall this issue and solve it. Although, many have testified that even when fixing the issue it happens again.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at 55 MPH, the transmission hesitated, and the vehicle stalled. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 117,000.

Needing Throttle Body replace though the car is 6 years old. Car will not get up to speed and engine fault light comes on. Got diagnosis and need to replaced. Also motor mounts have deteriorated despite lack of miles on car. Numerous complaints.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the check engine warning light started flashing and the vehicle was losing motive power. The contact stated that the vehicle was hesitating while driving to the independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was made aware of a misfire in cylinder #2, and the mechanic suggested that the engine be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed to take the vehicle to a Ford dealer for assistance. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and was diagnosed with a bent valve on the long block. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened; and the contact was referred to NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The contact stated that the manufacturer had closed the case. The contact was informed there would be no additional assistance provided. Additionally, the manufacturer stated that an investigation would not be conducted in house; however, the NHTSA might be able to perform an investigation into the cause of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 101,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle stalled and failed to return to normal operation. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer to be diagnosed. The diagnostic test result was not provided. 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 120,067.

Coolant intrusion into the engine, repaired under partial warranty and safety bulletin 21N12 having the short block replaced in March of 2024 by the dealership. Noticed coolant loss and white smoke while idling in December of 2024. Currently waiting to get the vehicle to the dealership

I bought the car in June of 2023 and 2 months later started having issues. Replaced the fuel pump, replaced the PTU, camshaft and now the engine needs replaced. Ford is aware of the engine issue but didn’t issue a recall only an extended warranty for 7 years/84,000 miles. I was not made aware of this problem at the time of purchase or receive any letter stating that. Had I known about the problem with those engines I never would have purchased the car.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled, with an engine misfire and the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not able to restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in Customer Satisfaction Program: 19B37 (GTDI Engine - Powertrain Control Module Reprograming). The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 128,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the engine fault service now warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then towed to another independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and confirmed as engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact called the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 81,285.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive coolant consumption. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion in the short block and spark plugs. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion in the engine. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced and related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12. 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 78,000.

2018 Ford Escape threw P0303 code (misfired cylinder 3) multiple times. Had towed to local ford dealership. Diagnosed as coolant intrusion, recommended engine replacement at cost of $10,400. Mileage at time of diagnosis was 57,974. Further research into issue shows this is a known issue with this engine and Ford has issued a Costumer Satisfaction Program notice 21N12 for repairs to a select number of vehicles but the problem is clearly beyond this issued CSP notice. I have made several attempts to contact Ford Corporation (certified letter, 3 emails to CEO James Farley, and messaged Ford Motor Company via social media platform, all which have been ignored. I have also used the chat feature with Ford and they are unable/unwilling to provide contact info to senior leadership.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the parking brake engaged independently, and the vehicle came to a stop on the highway. The contact shifted into park(P), turned off and restarted the vehicle; however, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the vehicle failed to respond. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the parking brake and the driver’s side rear caliper needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

The contact's daughter owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was shaking, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact's daughter pulled over and turned off the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was determined that there was coolant intrusion into the short block and 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 VIN 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 95,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated and was flashing off and on. Upon inspection, the contact discovered that there was no coolant in the coolant reservoir. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined there was coolant intrusion into the engine. The contact was informed that the engine short block and head gasket needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 100,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. In addition, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating. The contact refilled the coolant reservoir. The contact continued to drive the vehicle to the intended destination; however, the failure reoccurred, and the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was started. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start as intended. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic. The vehicle was scheduled to be diagnosed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was advised that the repair was not covered under the Technical Service Bulletin: 22-2134. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not associated with the Technical Service Bulletin. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 83,000.

The motor couldn’t handle the weight of the car and cost me $7000 to replace. That’s almost the cars entire value.

Check engine light came on code P0303 showed a Cylinder 3 misfire, replaced engine coil. 2 days later check engine light, engine fault message and the wrench symbol came on .Again code p0303 showed a cylinder 3 misfire. Mechanic determined engine coolant leak , need a new head casket. Both times I was able to drive it 10 miles to my mechanic but I had severe power loss.1

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH with the cruise control activated, the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and turned off. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the torque converter had disintegrated and there were metal fragments inside the transmission, causing transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 105,169.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that there was an internal coolant leak into the engine and that the short block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched and became aware of an unknown recall however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle was slowly losing coolant, and there was no indication of the location of the leak. While the contact’s son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the low coolant warning light illuminated. The contact's son refilled the coolant reservoir. The warning light went off and the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the failure was related to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who determined there was coolant in the cylinder and the engine needed to be replaced. The low coolant indicator was not working properly. The contact called the local dealer and was referred to the manufacturer for assistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was informed that there was no warranty coverage on the vehicle, opened a case, and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 150,040.

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 a local independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that there was a misfire in cylinder #3, and the coil was replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, after the repairs were completed, the vehicle failed to exceed 25 MPH and was shuddering with white smoke coming from the exhaust. The vehicle was taken back to the same local independent mechanic where the spark plugs were replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the vehicle failed to start after the repairs were completed. A check engine temperature message was displayed. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the warranty being expired. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to the Technical Service Bulletin: 22-2134; however, the vehicle was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

Confirmed by the Ford Dealer, coolant leaked into the engine causing complete engine failure. No warnings, car began to shake, lost acceleration. Known issue with Escapes, we did not receive ANY notification of this known problem which has been confirmed due to this VIN not attached to this known Ford Escape problem. After multiple attempts with Ford Customer Service, they confirmed Ford has a customer satisfaction program under the guidelines of 7yrs or 84K miles. This vehicle has 101,000k. Ford will not support the financial burden of $11,000 to repair the vehicle. This car has been well taken care of, all maintenance has been completed per scheduled. It is available for inspection. Only diagnosed by the Ford dealer and there was no warning or problems before this incident. The vehicle has not been in an accident. We need help in getting this repaired and nobody is taking responsibility for a KNOWN issue.

Car has less than 100,000 miles on it. Engine failed due to coolant intrusion from manufacturing defect in the cylinder walls. (Ford TSB 19-2139) Now Ford wants $11,500 to fix a problem they created.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the message that the engine was overheating was displayed and the vehicle shutoff. The contract stated that the failure was related to TSB: 19-2375. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that there was coolant intrusion into the engine. The mechanic recommended an engine replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 107,000.

Coolant is getting into oil. Misfires. And coolant disappears and causes engine to get hot.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 15 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light was Illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that three out of the four cylinders had failed due to the coolant intrusion in the engine. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 143,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the temperature gauge rose to H(Hot). The contact stated that upon shifting to reverse(R), the vehicle started chugging. The message "High Engine Temperature Safely" was displayed, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced due to coolant intrusion. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 69,000.

With 125,000 miles the engine has coolant leaking into it with a possible blown head gasket.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started to vibrate with the "Engine Fault" message displayed. The contact stated that the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that there was coolant intrusion into the engine, causing the engine block to crack. The contact was informed that the engine needed 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 but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 110,000.

The check engine light came on so I took it to a dealership. There is a crack in the engine resulting in coolant leaking into the cylinder. It can't be repaired and will need a total rebuild of the engine. I researched this issue and there have been MANY with the exact same issue and several class-action lawsuits against Ford Motor Company. This vehicle has LESS THAN 50,000 miles on it. My dad was the original owner of the vehicle but due to his age and relocating closer to his children after the passing of his daughter, the title was transferred to me and I paid his loan off. Being elderly, they didn't drive the vehicle often so the issue wasn't noticed until recently. It's hard to believe that there hasn't been a recall on these vehicles! This is a serious problem and Ford should make right on this. As I stated, I know there were at least 2 class-action lawsuits for this very thing. Ford initiated a TSB19-2375 then updated to TSB22-2322. If they needed a TSB, there was obviously an issue with the vehicle.

Engine failure due to coolant intrusion. Ford has known about this issue for years. A recall needs to be issued.

I have been advised that the EVAP PURGE Valve is defective by my Ford Dealer. I was also advised that they have been going through a lot of them. After fueling car, if not fueled slowly the car will not start.

The engine has coolant intrusion and misfiring that can lead to an engine fire. My family was put in jeopardy as coolant disappears during driving. The dealership has confirmed a coolant intrusion issue as indicated in the CSP 21N12. There are two CSP's (19B37 and 21N12) from Ford issued when the dangerous engine problem should be a RECALL. Ford recently issued Ecoboost engine recalls for many other vehicles and somehow the 2018 Ford Escape was missed. Ford has refused to fix the engine hazard on this 2018 Ford Escape due to an expiration date on the CSP, even though the vehicle is STILL within the 7 year timeline indicated in the CSP. The vehicle was purchased after the expiration date so I am trying to figure out why the vehicle did not have either of these CSP's done, when dealer had the vehicle, so this dangerous issue was resolved prior to the expiration date and consumer purchase.

I have the 6F35 transmission in my 2018 Ford Escape. On 11/12/24, while driving, the transmission had a catastrophic failure. The vehicle started jerking, it would not move when giving it gas, and the transmission was whining loudly. After taking my vehicle to a Ford dealer, I learned that the pump inside of the transmission flew apart, causing the transmission to fail and to get metal shavings throughout the transmission and oil cooler system. There was no warning. The vehicle drove normal until it didn't. I never got a warning light, even after the transmission completely failed. I believe this to be a catastrophic failure because I had the transmission fluid changed at a Ford dealership about a month ago and I was not told there were any metal shavings in the fluid and the vehicle drove normal after this service. For a new transmission and oil cooler, Ford is quoting me ~$7,000.

Head gasket blown at 97,000 miles. My car died in the middle of the road. My car was deemed not drivable by the dealership. The problem started with a P0303 code which was a cylinder three misfire. I had a shop look it and they were going to replace the spark plug and coil pack. Three days later my car overheated on my way to get the repair and they said my head gasket was blown. This was in August of 2024

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating. The contact stated that a blank warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. 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 132,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (POWER TRAIN) however the contact stated that the remedy completed was not correctly addressed which had a lead coolant leak into the vehicle transmission. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed. The contact was advised that they would have to replace the transmission. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle briefly began to lose significant motive power, prompting her to pull to the shoulder of the roadway. After a visual inspection of the engine compartment, the contact observed that the coolant reservoir was empty. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who determined that coolant had intruded into the cylinder head gasket. The contact was informed that the seal between the engine block and the cylinder head had failed, resulting in damage to the engine. 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 95,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 25–30 MPH, the engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was jerking and losing motive power. While starting the vehicle, the vehicle shook and stopped. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the short-block engine needed to be replaced. The dealer determined that there was a coolant intrusion in the engine. The dealer confirmed that the failure was related to TSB: 22-2322. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that there was no coverage due to the vehicle not meeting the mileage limitation. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 108,660.

2018 Ford Escape - The engine made unusual noise and began running rough. We had to quickly exit traffic unexpectedly. Engine light came on after this incident. Local Ford Dealership has diagnosed the problem as coolant leak into the engine cylinder. Dealership recommended long block replacement at cost of just over $10,000. They also stated that there were no recalls or other assistance available from Ford Motor Company. I later found out about Ford Customer Satisfaction Program 21N12, which covers the cost to replace the 1.5 ecoboost engines with the same problem we are having. However, it only covers 7 years or 84,000 miles. Our vehicle was at 6 years and 118,000 miles when the issue occurred. We have never received any communication from Ford Motor Company regarding Customer Satisfaction Program 21N12.

I just recently came across the 21N12 letter that was sent out to people awhile back after googling an issue I noticed with my car. It appears my car is losing coolant. Which, after reading the 21N12, it appears is a known issue that ford submitted a letter letting people get this repair done for no charge. Well, I never received the letter and might be experiencing these issues. I don’t find this to be anywhere near fair at all. What if my car died on me?