2018 Ford Escape

Coolant leak into cylinder resulting in a misfiring cylinder and engine overheating. This is a known issue that FoMoCo has a service bulletin for. [XXX] My vehicle falls within the parameters of this, however, there are no active recalls for this problem. Doing some Google searches, it appears this issue is wide-ranging and is affecting a lot of Escape owners whose vehicles fall within the service bulletin. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Vehicle has 62,151 miles. I am making this complaint as the original owner of this vehicle. We performed all recommended maintenance on this vehicle at the dealership on schedule including the three recall repairs. On [XXX] I noted a rough idle for a few seconds at start up. Later that day the check engine light came on. Dealer diagnosed coolant intrusion into the engine cylinders and noted that this is a known issue in 2017-2019 Escapes that were manufactured in Louisville, KY but no recall was ever issued. Instead Ford opted for a Customer Satisfaction Program (21N12) and did not inform owners of the program proactively. They just let engines fail and owners lose the value of their investment overnight. Had this happened to my car 6 months ago they would have fixed it. We called the Ford Customer Assistance line, and Ford has declined to assist with the repair of their faulty manufacturing. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

When driving home from a hike my car over heated. I was mostly going downhill and my air-conditioning was off. I was 15 minutes into my drive home and I was 15 miles from any sort of gas stations, food, water, bathrooms, ect. I had to park on the side of a mountain road while other cars flew past me on the winding road with limited pull off options. I took my car to the only gas station within 30 miles. My coolant was dried up even though I topped it off with the proper orange coolant only last month when we were replacing spark plugs. I mad it home and then took my car to a shop. 2 days later. The new jug of coolant I had put in 2 days prior was now dried up. My car now needs a new engine due to issues with the eco boost leaking coolant nto my engine. Ford apparently offers some possible assistance finically if your car has less than 88,000 miles. My car hit 88,888 just before it over heated on that drive. So helpful. This is a know issue for my specific vehicle and not was was i made aware. I do well keeping up on regular maintenence and the recall for the transmission shifter is being addressed at this moment.

The engine is misfiring and riding rough, with the check engine light on. After a series of service calls to an independent mechanic to replace other components, and the issue not resolving, I took it to a Ford dealership. Ford concluded that coolant is leaking into cylinder #3 of the engine, requiring a complete engine replacement. This is identified as a known design issue, with the root cause specifically being a defect in the engine block. If left untreated, this coolant intrusion (causing engine misfires) will lead to unburned fuel and coolant entering the exhaust system, which will then overheat and/or poison the catalytic converter, eventually destroying it. To discover this root cause, several auto parts were needlessly replaced and discarded: spark plugs, ignition coils, fuel system fluids, and an air intake tube.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The component that failed is the engine cooling system, specifically due to a known issue with coolant intrusion into the short block. This failure led to significant engine damage in my son’s 2018 Ford Escape. The vehicle is currently available for inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The sudden engine failure posed a serious safety risk. If the vehicle had stalled while in motion—particularly on a highway or in heavy traffic—it could have led to a collision or left the driver stranded in a hazardous location. In this case, my son's car failed unexpectedly, which could have resulted in harm had the conditions been different. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes, the issue has been confirmed by a certified service technician. It matches a known problem in 2018 Ford Escapes involving coolant leaking into the engine block, which has been documented in Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) issued by Ford. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others? At this time, the vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. However, the diagnosis and confirmation of coolant intrusion was made by a mechanic. Were there any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No. Only engine coolant container was empty without warning.

2018 Ford Escape with 86k miles, low for its age, diagnosed with a cracked cylinder block.Ford had issued a Technical Service Bulletin. 22-2322 for Escapes manufactured between 2017 and 2019 with the symptoms described in the bulletin—code P0303, low coolant in reservoir, rough idle, and white smoke and Ford said they couldn’t help. An $8600 bill on a car that retails around 14k makes this car disposable in the sense that it makes no sense to repair. Extended warranty purchased ran concurrently with manufacturer’s warranty so repair is no longer covered. Ford knows the issue; yet won’t take responsibility for their defect.