2018 Ford Escape

The check engine light started flashing and my car lost acceleration as I traveling uphill on a busy freeway. I had it towed to my mechanic who found evidence of coolant leaking related to cylinder 2 in my engine. I did not feel safe going so slow on a busy freeway. My car did not have any problems prior and only has 31000 miles on it. It was diagnosed with a coolant intrusion leak (a known problem with this engine) and requires an engine replacement.

COMPONENTS FAILED & AVAILABILITY:Engine and transmission failed concurrently at 45,893 miles. Engine suffered internal coolant intrusion per Ford TSB 19-2139 . Transmission failed mechanically. Components are available for inspection. SAFETY RISK:Defects create severe roadway hazards. Transmission causes dangerous lack of acceleration on inclines and highway merging, risking rear-end collisions. Coolant intrusion causes severe shaking, rough running, and sudden stalling. Sudden loss of motive power at highway speeds heavily increases crash risks. CONFIRMATION & INSPECTION:An independent service center confirmed failures on August 4, 2026. Technician documented a cylinder misfire, active coolant leak, shaking on startup, and inability to accelerate uphill. Ford corporate customer service rejected all assistance and declined to physically inspect the car. WARNING LAMPS & PRIOR SYMPTOMS:Symptoms began with an illuminated check engine warning lamp, followed immediately by severe vehicle shaking and a violent shudder during engine startup just prior to the physical diagnosis.

I read the recent article about the recalls for the ford fusion, focus and eco sport. The exact same issue happened to my 2018 escape with about 85000 miles. The oil light and engine light came on and the car lost power. It would only go about 30 miles an hour. This occurred when my son was traveling home from college from [XXX] to [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

We brought the car in spring of 2025 for our daughter, She as driving from school and engine light came on, car was overheating and car started shaking on the freeway. She pulled the car over to check it out on the freeway, she started the vehicle back on and got the car back to her apartment and parked it. She called Expert Automotive to have them tow it to their shop to find out what happen. They check the vehicle to find coolant dripping in between block and head from the cylinders and the engine had to be replaced ( $12,127.82).

Coolant intrusion into the cylinders causing engine failure. This is a repeat of the known 1.5L EcoBoost defect. The engine was previously replaced in 2021 under TSB 21-2269. The repair order shows Ford installed the original defective open-deck short block (part number DS7Z-6009-G) instead of the updated closed-deck design. The same failure has now returned. This defect can cause sudden loss of power and overheating while driving, creating a safety risk.

I have a 2918 ford escape se with what I am now finding has a known flawed 1.5l ecoboost that ford only put a service notice out on long ago. The engine has a know issue with cylinder coolant intrusion problems. I had engine misfire and powertrain code show up and put the car into limp mode while driving at 70 on the interstate. When the limp mode started I came close to being in an accident due to sudden deceleration. I have replaced parts for the misfire and even more codes show up. The motor is now overheating and blowing white smoke when starting due to the coolant intrusion in cylinder one. Please make ford finally responsible for this issue and coverup. There needs to be a recall.

engine light on solid. replaced per code solenoid purge sensor. after a month light back on. Replaced per code solenoid purge sensor. Light came back on after 3 wks. Went to Ford dealership. Says coolant leaked into cylinders. Out of warranty 91,000 miles. Over 7 yrs, 84,000 miles. Need to replace engine at my expense. Seems unfair. I'm elderly and like most people these days on fixed budget.