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2018 Ford Escape

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2018 Ford Escape do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 996.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

668 reports with mileage · 1,123 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Engine. Review the 1,145 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 342 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 269 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

25 crash reports5 fire reports23 injury reports

Power Train complaints

269 reports
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Mileage unknown · Jul 15, 2022
Power Train

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The man…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI #11474046

8,000 miles · Jul 14, 2022
Power Train

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in the garage, the engine oil leaked onto the ground. Additionally, the gear shifter seized…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in the garage, the engine oil leaked onto the ground. Additionally, the gear shifter seized, causing the vehicle to be unable to reverse. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 8,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI #11473977

Mileage unknown · Jul 14, 2022
Power Train

I have 128,000 miles on my 2018 Escape. About three weeks ago I was driving down the road at 55 mph when my transmission disengaged and I coasted to a stop. Even though my engine was running I couldn't go forward or backward at all, and so I had it towed to a local mechanic. The mechanic said that this was a common problem wi…

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I have 128,000 miles on my 2018 Escape. About three weeks ago I was driving down the road at 55 mph when my transmission disengaged and I coasted to a stop. Even though my engine was running I couldn't go forward or backward at all, and so I had it towed to a local mechanic. The mechanic said that this was a common problem with the Escape, that I was going to have to replace the entire transmission, and that it would take about two months to get a new transmission in. About two weeks ago I got a notice from Ford Motor Co. about a recall on my Escape for another transmission issue (Ref. Safety Recall Notice 22S43/NHTSA Recall 22V413). I called my local dealership and was told that my transmission issue was completely different than the recall problem because the recall only dealt with a transmission that shifted differently from the park position, and not a transmission that didn't engage at all. They also said that they would call me when they got the parts in. I have no idea how to resolve this issue. Do I park my vehicle until Ford gets the parts in in the 4th quarter of 2022 to see if this fixes my problem, and only then get the transmission replaced afterwards? If it takes 2 months or more to get a new transmission in, I could see this taking a year before I have my vehicle repaired. If I have the transmission replaced by the local mechanic, it will costs me $6,200.00, and take two months to repair. This would probably save me some money over the dealership cost to repair it, but would void any subsequent work that they might do? Do you have any suggestions as to I might be able to resolve this problem? Thank you, [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ODI #11473834

101,000 miles · Jul 12, 2022
Power Train

The contact called on behalf of his wife who owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while his wife was driving at approximately 65 MPH, there was an explosion coming from the engine. The contact also stated while the vehicle was stopped, the vehicle was shaking abnormally before losing motive power. The contact’s wife then …

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The contact called on behalf of his wife who owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while his wife was driving at approximately 65 MPH, there was an explosion coming from the engine. The contact also stated while the vehicle was stopped, the vehicle was shaking abnormally before losing motive power. The contact’s wife then restarted the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 101,000.

NHTSA ODI #11473616

Mileage unknown · Jul 12, 2022
Power Train

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue.…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI #11473612

89,000 miles · Jul 12, 2022
Power Train

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the gear shifter seized before the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was towed to three different independent mechanics who were unable to diagnose the failure due to the vehicle being unable to start. The vehicle was then to…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the gear shifter seized before the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was towed to three different independent mechanics who were unable to diagnose the failure due to the vehicle being unable to start. The vehicle was then towed to the contact's residence, where it remained unrepaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000. The VIN was unavailable.

NHTSA ODI #11473578

Mileage unknown · Jul 9, 2022
Power TrainSuspension

6 Speed Powershift transmission burnt up without giving any codes or warning lights. Vehicle had started making a low whine noise at 10,000 miles which Dealership technicians claimed not to hear. At 50,000 miles took vehicle into Dealership because noise became very loud and popping noise from front end, report was transmission …

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6 Speed Powershift transmission burnt up without giving any codes or warning lights. Vehicle had started making a low whine noise at 10,000 miles which Dealership technicians claimed not to hear. At 50,000 miles took vehicle into Dealership because noise became very loud and popping noise from front end, report was transmission had failed and burnt up. Dealership did a rebuild on transmission had vehicle almost 3 months, pick up vehicle still transmission whine, returned to Dealership they claimed air in transmission lines was flushed, transmission still had whine. Reman transmission ordered, installed and still has noise from transmission and no warning lights, still shift issues, jerking, pulling , etc.

NHTSA ODI #11473014

Mileage unknown · Jul 5, 2022
Power Train

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact received an email from Carfax regarding NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer stated that parts would …

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact received an email from Carfax regarding NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer stated that parts would be available in the fourth quarter of 2022. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI #11472414

101,000 miles · Jun 29, 2022
Power Train

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while attempting to shift into gear, the vehicle failed to respond. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was finally able to shift the vehicle into gear and drove the vehicle to the residence. The contact stated that the vehicle was jerking while driving. T…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while attempting to shift into gear, the vehicle failed to respond. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was finally able to shift the vehicle into gear and drove the vehicle to the residence. The contact stated that the vehicle was jerking while driving. The contact drove the vehicle to the dealer who diagnosed the vehicle with a hard gear shift while performing the road test. Additionally, there was a whining sound coming from the engine, and the transmission was overheating. The contact stated two months prior the same dealer had performed a transmission fluid flush. The contact related to the failure NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 101,000.

NHTSA ODI #11471607

Mileage unknown · Jun 18, 2022
Power Train

Ford not responding in a timely manner to repair safety issue concerning 2018 Ford Escape. June 10,2022 recall no repair until October-December 2022. I must park car for 4-6 months due to safety concern. I now have no transportation to and from work.

NHTSA ODI #11469885

Official recalls

4

26V011000 · Equipment:electrical:engine Block Heater

Jan 15, 2026

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Focus, 2013-2019 Escape, and 2015-2016 MKC vehicles equipped with a 2.0L engine. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed March 6, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S01. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on January 16, 2026.

22V413000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission:gear Position Indication (prndl); Power Train:shift Linkage/cable/rod

Jun 10, 2022

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2019 Escape, 2013-2018 C-Max, 2013-2016 Fusion, 2013-2021 Transit Connect, and 2015-2018 Edge vehicles. The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A damaged or missing bushing may prevent the vehicle from shifting into the intended gear, and cause the vehicle to move in an unexpected direction. Additionally, the vehicle may roll after the driver selects the 'Park' position. Either scenario increases the risk of a crash or injury.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the under hood shift bushing and add a protective cap over the shift cable bushing, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters, informing owners of the safety risk, were mailed July 1, 2022. Remedy parts are expected to be available in 4th Quarter 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed October 27, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S43.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Power Train:shift Linkage/cable/rod

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2019 Escape, 2013-2018 C-Max, 2013-2016 Fusion, 2013-2021 Transit Connect, and 2015-2018 Edge vehicles. The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach.

Consequence: A damaged or missing bushing may prevent the vehicle from shifting into the intended gear, and cause the vehicle to move in an unexpected direction. Additionally, the vehicle may roll after the driver selects the 'Park' position. Either scenario increases the risk of a crash or injury.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the under hood shift bushing and add a protective cap over the shift cable bushing, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters, informing owners of the safety risk, were mailed July 1, 2022. Remedy parts are expected to be available in 4th Quarter 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed October 27, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S43.

Power Train:automatic Transmission:gear Position Indication (prndl)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2019 Escape, 2013-2018 C-Max, 2013-2016 Fusion, 2013-2021 Transit Connect, and 2015-2018 Edge vehicles. The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach.

Consequence: A damaged or missing bushing may prevent the vehicle from shifting into the intended gear, and cause the vehicle to move in an unexpected direction. Additionally, the vehicle may roll after the driver selects the 'Park' position. Either scenario increases the risk of a crash or injury.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the under hood shift bushing and add a protective cap over the shift cable bushing, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters, informing owners of the safety risk, were mailed July 1, 2022. Remedy parts are expected to be available in 4th Quarter 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed October 27, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S43.

18V104000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings

Feb 12, 2018

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 Ford Escape and Lincoln MKC vehicles. These vehicles may be equipped with incorrect front brake hoses that may chafe against other components, possibly resulting in a brake fluid leak.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A brake fluid leak may lengthen the distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake hoses, replacing any that are incorrect, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin March 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S04.

17V803000 · Air Bags:side/window

Dec 18, 2017

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 Ford Escape vehicles. The side curtain air bags on these vehicles have a component that may detach during deployment of the inflatable curtain air bag.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the component detaches during deployment, it may enter the passenger compartment and be a projectile within the vehicle cabin, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver and passenger side curtain air bags, as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin January 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S44.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.

Go deeper into Ford Escape problems