2018 Ford Escape complaints

Engine cut out in middle of street right after turned on. Engine also overheated on highway. Garage says it's because of a leaked coolant into the engine causing a misfire.

Coolant intrusion into cylinders causing head gasket failure. Needing replacement of block due to known issue with Ford 1.5 ecobost engine. TSB 20-2100

Was driving when engine light came on, then warning that engine was to hot. My car then began to slow down and I pulled over and allowed to cool for a while. Finally able to drive but each time I would drive it happened. Took to a independent contractor and was told my coolant was leaking into engine and it needed to be replaced

This auto engine has burned significant oil from day 1. About a quart for every 800 miles. It burns oil as evidenced by heavy carbon deposits in the the tailpipe. Dealer has no explanation or suggestions from either themselves or the manufacturer to resolve the problem. Nor has taken any action to resolve.

My 2018 ford escape over heated while I was on the highway. I had almost no coolant. The temp gage never moved. It never indicated there was a problem. There was never evidence there was even a leak. I have a coworker who also began having issues with her 2015 ford escape. Her check engine light began to blink when she turned corners. Her vehicle is under warranty and the engine is being replaced because coolant was leaking into the engine which seems to be happening to a lot of these vehicles. I am adding coolant a few times a week. I can't even afford to put it in the shop to get a proper diagnosis I have kept up on oil changes and also had the spark plugs replaced but the leak hasn't been found and I was told by a mechanic at a shop that it looks like my #3 spark plug was a little wet. I get a misfire at start of car

Vehicle has 45655 miles on it. Vehicle idled rough at start on 9-5-23. Upon driving at highway speeds check engine light illuminated. Vehicle was taken to repair shop the next day and was found to have coolant in the engine block and no coolant in the reservoir. No other engine lights are on no indicator for temp and temp was in the normal range.

I drove about 20 minutes to an eating establishment. Left the establishment after about an hour and a half. Got into my car. It would not shift into gear. The shifter moved., but not into gear. No reverse. No drive. No neutral. I called triple a. The arrived in 45 minutes. The gentleman went into my car after telling him what happened. He came back to me and told his tow truck can’t tow my car. They need a truck with a special tool to be able to pull my vehicle out. Since it wouldn’t go into neutral. He did not have that on his truck. I waited for 4 hours. Still no tow truck. I then realized that I had road side assistance with Ford. I called them. I told the gentleman my situation including what the previous tow company told me. He called me back in 20 minutes. Said he found a tow truck. He wouldn’t be able to get there for and hour and half to 2 hours. The tow company towed it to jannell ford in Hanover, Massachusetts. On Monday Jannell called me. They said since I didn’t have an appointment it’s gonna be a while before we can look at it. Through out the 3 weeks they kept in touch with me and were talking about a new transmission. Finally it was my turn for my vehicle to be looked at. And it went into gear. There were no repairs made. I brought my car to a transmission place. He could not recreate what happened. But he did tell me it would happen again. It’s a matter of time. This is the third time I have brought my vehicle involving transmission issues. The first time was

Last week, I noticed that my vehicle was not driving the same. It was like jerking a little. I called and made an appointment with Ford service department. They did a diagnostic and said coolant was leaking into the engine. The car has a little over 72,000 miles on it. I looked at saw other Escapes had the same problem. I am writing to add to other complaints concerning the engine. Thank you.

The contact's sister owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, that the vehicle hesitated. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to a dealer where the mechanic discovered that coolant had intruded into cylinder #1. Upon investigation, the contact thought that the vehicle would be covered under a Customer Satisfaction Program; however, the dealer informed him that the vehicle was not included in the Customer Satisfaction Program. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 45 MPH, the engine overheated warning alert indicated that he should stop driving the vehicle. After a visual inspection of the engine compartment, he observed that the coolant level was abnormally low. After refilling the coolant reservoir, the vehicle seemed to return to normal functionality, but the failure recurred. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who determined coolant had leaked into the cylinder, causing damage to the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related it to Technical Service Bulletin 22-2322, but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 90,000.

On August 1, 2023 my vehicle began to show engine issues. When I started it, it would shudder, like it wasn't getting fuel. I contacted Firestone and scheduled a diagnostic for that Friday. In the meantime, I bought some enginge cleaner and put it in my gas tank. Firestone reports that the coolant has leaked into the head gasket, causing my vehicle to need a new enginge. They printed out a report of CSP21N12 which covers this KNOWN ISSUE for 84,000 or 7 years. My vehicle has 92,800 miles on it and had shown no signs of this issue prior. The vehicle was then seen at Dahl Ford in Davenport, Iowa where they confirmed that the coolant was leaking into the enginge and it needed replaced. Again, this is known issue that Ford has been aware of since 2019. They have released numerous TSBs (which I didn't even know existed until August 4). Ending the coverage at 84,000 miles is not acceptable and this is a serious safety hazard. The vehicle can catch fire if it runs out of coolant. The vehicle can stall in the middle of the road causing a potential accident. Ford needs to issue a recall.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving 60-70 MPH, a message indicating that the vehicle was overheating and to pull over was displayed. The contact veered to the side of the road and allowed the engine to cool down. The contact continued driving, however, the vehicle was not accelerating as needed. The contact stated that the failure recurred 7-8 times within one week. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion in the engine cylinders, and the engine, the cylinders, and the valve cover gasket needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 107,000.

Shifts hard sometimes slamming into and out of gears causing car to jump. No warning lights torque converter replaced at 58000 miles. Less than two years later problem came back. It causes the car to jerk sometimes when it shifts and stutters at times as well causing the car to slow down. May someday stop with no warning causing a crash.

Headgasket failed. Coolant is leaking into the cylinders. Repair requires complete engine replacement. After doing some questioning/investigating, it was revealed that this is a known problem with this vehicle and Ford is doing nothing to notify owners/compensate for this mechanical failure. The symptoms of this failure (misfires leading to improper engine behavior/failure to accelerate) are a significant safety issue.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the auto Start/Stop feature was no longer operable. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 132,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at slower speeds, the vehicle was shaking abnormally. While depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond. The accelerator pedal was depressed to the floorboard. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The engine overheated. The contact checked the coolant level but found no leaks. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 35-37 MPH, the vehicle failed to shift into the intended gear, and was jerking significantly. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving. The contact stated that the vehicle was inspected for fluid leakage, but no issues were found. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. The contact stated that the vehicle was connected to an OBD reader, but no diagnostic codes were retrieved. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the transmission needed to be repaired; however, the parts were on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power train); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered to partially cover the repair cost. The failure mileage was approximately 69,000.

Coolant leaking in engine making car not Start and getting stranded

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at the local dealer for routine maintenance, the mechanic discovered water inside the cylinder head, and informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The engine was replaced, and the failure was remedied. Recently while driving at various speeds, there was a loud revving sound while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 52,000.

Coolant intrusion into engine block which caused rough idling and overheating. Potential for vehicle to start on fire. Engine has to be replaced.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned. Flexplate cracked at 62037 It is available for inspection upon request. I have the dealer's invoice. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? There was a knocking noise in the motor while i was on the highway with my kids. no Warning lights. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes, The dealer. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Yes, the Wayne Ford service center. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No there was no warning lights. No symptoms.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle overheated. The message "Vehicle Running Hot” was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion in cylinder #3. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000. The VIN was not available.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle began to overheat intermittently, prompting the driver to pull to the side of the roadway, where the failure persisted. The check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who determined that the head gasket had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number 23V380000 (Engine) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 86,000. The contact stated after the independent mechanic diagnosed the vehicle with engine failure, the vehicle was towed to Ford who confirmed it was in fact engine failure. The cost for repairs was $10,000+ prohibitive without a recall, especially since there is a $17,000 balance on the financed car only ten months earlier.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while the vehicle was being serviced at an independent mechanic, the check engine warning light illuminated. The independent mechanic diagnosed that the spark plugs needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the spark plugs were replaced; however, while driving 55-65 MPH, the engine started misfiring and the vehicle was sputtering. The check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion into the engine cylinders, and the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer related the failure to Ford Campaign Number: 21N12. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 77,893.

My 2018 Ford Escape started out with a flashing engine light. Code said was coil #2. Overheated because didnt realize was using coolant. We changed the coils and spark plugs. Engine light went off and continued to keep an eye on the coolant. Engine light came back on next day. Noticed it not wanting to start and was having to fill coolant up frequently. Then noticed the lag when accelerating. Finally wouldn't start at all. Took it to the dealership and they said the coolant was leaking into the second cylinder and I need a new engine. The extended warranty is out (118,880 miles) so I'm not able to get it fixed. I'm still paying on the car.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the spark plugs were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer where it was discovered that coolant had leaked into cylinder #2. The dealer informed the contact that either the engine block or the engine might need to be replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 103,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after taking the vehicle in for service, the contact was made aware that the lug nuts were damaged and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the lug nuts were damaged due to the manufacturing installation process. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 95,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined coolant intrusion had damaged the engine block, requiring the engine to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related it to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12, but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 132,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving out of the driveway, the vehicle was running rough. The message stating that the engine was overheating was displayed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with engine failure, caused by a misfire in cylinder #3. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed the engine failure. The contact was informed that the vehicle was no longer under Warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 84,572.

After having the 2018 Ford Escape for three weeks, the entire APIM system went down. I was not able to charge anything, use the radio, or the touchscreen for all of the functions in the dash. It goes in and out constantly, often does not turn on at all, the touchscreen lags, the radio takes up to a minute or longer to change a channel once a button is pressed. The only thing that is in tact is the rear camera. The 2016-2017 APIMs have been recalled, and this one should as well. Other than the rear camera and now being able to charge a phone, I cannot use the touchscreen at all and do not use the radio because I cannot see what channel it is on.

Car began blowing large plume of white smoke out exhaust on startup around 100k miles. It was determined to be the internal coolant leak as described by NHSTA TSB 10218621. Quoted by dealer as over $4000 to repair. No warning lights have come on with the vehicle. Only thing that made me aware of this issues was the smoke coming out of vehicle.

We found out on July 3, 2023 that the coolant level was low in the reservoir and the vehicle was stuttering. While doing research on the issue I found that there is a manufacturer defect in the engine short block on the 1.5L engine installed from 2017 to 2019 in the ford fusion and the ford escape. I also found a Customer Satisfaction Bulletin 21N12 that was sent out June 09, 2022 which extended the manufacturer’s warranty from 5 year 60,000 miles to 7 year 84,000 miles. Our 2018 ford escape fell out of those parameters, since we found the issue when the vehicle was at 88,000 miles.

My car has coolant intrusion problem where the coolant get into the cylinders so I have to top off the coolant after evey drive with a quart of coolant or so. Also there is white smoke coming out of the exhaust beside a faulty engine message that comes and goes on the dash.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that when starting the vehicle, it would vibrate and shake. The starter would fail to successfully start the vehicle intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that coolant leaking into the engine causing the engine to fail. The engine needed replacement. The failure was related to Service Bulletin NHTSA ID Number: 10210392 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Equipment) however they were 7,000 miles outside of the mileage limitation to receive the repair. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that they did not meet the requirements of the Service Bulletin. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 92,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that coolant was leaking into the engine, requiring an engine replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 88,000.

Today, the shop I took my vehicle to for oil change and tire rotation, could not complete the tire rotation due to many lug nuts being swollen and unable to be reinstalled safely. I had to purchase seventeen new lug nuts costing several hundred dollars to make the vehicle safe again. This flaw in lug nut selection by Ford is widely known and this is not my first encounter with swollen lug nuts. Previously, I had a flat tire on a local highway. When I attempted to change the tire, the provided lug wrench would not fit the lugs. A wrecker was summoned and the driver was also not able to remove the lugs with any sockets he had. The vehicle needed to be towed to my Ford Dealer. Lug nuts were replaced at that time as well. My concern is the safety of the lug nuts since heating can caus them to swell and distort. Are they also being prematurely weakened due to inappropriate materials being used?

During my ownership of a 2018 Ford Escape equipped with a 1.5L EcoBoost engine, a series of catastrophic engine failures occurred, jeopardizing my safety and that of others on the road. The specific components that failed this time include the short block, crankshaft, and other critical components within the long block, such as the pump and converter. Additionally, the torque converter and flex plate required replacement. These components are available for inspection upon request. The failures posed significant safety risks as the vehicle experienced a sudden loss of power and acceleration, leading to potential hazards for both myself and adjacent motorists. The problem has been confirmed by the All American Ford dealership in Old Bridge, NJ, where detailed diagnostic testing revealed the flex plate and short block were damaged. The vehicle has been inspected by the All American Ford dealership, and a claim was filed with my warranty company (Olive Warranty), but unjustly denied, despite the recurring nature of these failures. Significantly, no warning lamps or messages alerted to the impending issue prior to the failure, and the initial symptom was a clicking noise upon activating the AC. My local mechanic initially suspected the problem to be related to the air compressor, but further inspection revealed that it was not the cause of the issue.

COOLANT INTRUSION INTO CYLINDERS. AT LEAST NEW SHORT BLOCK NEEDED, IF NOT A LONG BLOCK ASSEMBLY..

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine light illuminated. Upon inspecting the engine compartment, the contact noticed that the coolant level was low coolant. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of coolant. The contact stated that further testing revealed a cylinder misfire code, and the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The independent mechanic determined that the spark plugs needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The contact linked the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12 (Engine and Engine Cooling), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 87,000.

Check engine light came on, had it read and it showed cylinder 3 misfire. Did the basic spark and coil change then took it in to recheck which showed the same code. Next while driving with kids in the car, a High Heat warning light came on, pulled over and antifreeze was dripping, added antifreeze and drove 2 miles to Ford Performance on 7?24/2023 where they tell me that coolant leaked into the cylinder and I would need a whole new engine costing approx $8000. Open research I'm finding out that Ford new about this faulty engine and still manufactured vehicles using this motor. Ford needs to honor a replacement for the faulty engine to make it right!

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the vehicle shuddered and failed to accelerate as needed with the accelerator pedal depressed. The vehicle stalled but restarted after four attempts. The vehicle was taken a dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 84,000.

My check engine light has come on and was first diagnosed as a crank shaft tube that needed to be replaced. That was done 6/19 and I paid $411.29 for the repair. I had to bring the car back today because the check engine light came on again. I received a voice mail stating that the same error code came up, but inspection shows the crank shaft tube with no problems. The voice mail said it’s most likely an evap problem, but it’s hard to find. I was asked if I wanted to drive the car until I have “drive ability issues”. According to vehicle history.com this is a known issue for this model and Ford refuses to issue a recall and this issue may result in the need for a complete engine replacement. I shouldn’t be asked to drive a vehicle that has a leak that could cause the engine to break or blow up, until I have drive ability issues risking my safety. The car already had a burning smell as I was driving it to the dealership. I am asking for your assistance in getting Ford to do the right thing for myself and everyone else who has this make and model of vehicle. Please let me know how I can send you the voice mail. Thank you.

I purchased my 2018 Ford Escape with brand new in February 2018. My vehicle only has 35,279 miles on it at the time of the incident. On 17JUL2023 my check engine light came on. The AutoNation Ford dealership did not have any appointment available until 24JUL2023. I did not drive the vehicle again until that day to get it to the dealership the vehicle was shaking and could not go above 20 mph. Once checked in they diagnosed it as "P0303 misfire on cylinder3, coolant leaking into cylinder3 recommend engine replacement." The vehicle could breakdown at any moment if driven and further damage done to the transmission. Articles and lawsuit are all over this issue and ford has still has no recalls for this manufacture failure and they refuse to help compensate for any costs.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while parking into a parking space, the vehicle accelerated at high speed. The contact was not sure if a warning light was displayed or illuminated. The vehicle drove over the curb striking several shopping carts and coming to a complete stop, causing front-end damages to the vehicle. The contact suffered a bruise to the chest due to the seat belt but did not seek medical attention. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 60,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle started shaking violently. The contact stated that there was smoke inside the vehicle. The accelerator pedal failed to depress as needed and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who referred her to the dealer. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that coolant was leaking into the cylinders. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 58,480.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated and started blinking. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that coolant was leaking into the cylinders causing cylinder #2 to misfire. The contact was informed that the engine block needed to be replaced. The contact was referred to the manufacturer for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 93,361.

Poor lug nut design I’m sure the dealership impacted these nuts on and did follow proper torque recommendations. Had a flat and can’t remove the tire without having to destroy the lug nut or pay a big expense to tow and fix it outrageous this is a known issue with these nuts I promise the dealership doesn’t follow proper procedures torque wise.

I own a 2018 Ford Escape SE. In May, I started my car & it shook, the check engine light started blinking. I took it to Auto Zone for a diagnostic; diagnostic trouble codes Power Train System - P0302/ cylinder 2 misfire detected & Anti-Lock Brake System (No Code) /Service Interval Light. I was told to replace the spark plugs & ignition coil. I took it to an independent mechanic, sparks plugs & coil were replaced. The check engine light off. Notice I was using more gas. 2 weeks later, check engine light came on, car started shaking. I took it to Auto Zone for another diagnostic & was told the same thing, issue with the spark plugs and coil, misfire for cylinder 2. July 14, took it to the dealership for an oil change; I was told the coolant was below level/ low. In my Ford Pass App, I received an alert; I decided to sign in into my FORD ACCOUNT, where I have my cars registered. I saw an alert with the following messages: 1 * Recalls: You're all set! There are no recalls for your vehicle. 2 * CSP (Customer Satisfaction Program 19B37 will be in effect until November 30,2022, regardless of mileage. Coverage is automatically transferred to subsequent owners. Additionally, if engine damage has occurred due to coolant intrusion, Ford Motor Company is providing a one-time repair of the engine short block. I called Mac Haik Ford Dealership and notify them of the issue. They wanted to charge me $155 just for a diagnostic. I told then that according to Campaign #21N12, I'm not suppose to

When I stop at a red light and begin to to go the vehicle jumps and jerks forward before going

Coolant has leaked into a cylinder of the engine. The engine needs to be replaced. Lose of coolant did not trigger a warning. Luckily the engine did not catch on fire.