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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

Unknown Or Other complaints

104 reports
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Mileage unknown · Jun 4, 2024
EngineUnknown Or Other

Coolant leaking into engine. Not dead yet but not drivable since it will cause more damage to the engine. Luckily caught it before engine went out on the highway, overheating occurred, or fire occurred. This was confirmed by a dealership after they did an engine diagnostic, although a month ago when I brought it in for an oil ch…

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Coolant leaking into engine. Not dead yet but not drivable since it will cause more damage to the engine. Luckily caught it before engine went out on the highway, overheating occurred, or fire occurred. This was confirmed by a dealership after they did an engine diagnostic, although a month ago when I brought it in for an oil change they noticed my coolant was low and said they would look into it, they didn’t. Only the ford dealership mechanics have inspected this as of yesterday. An engine warning light came on the day I took it in (yesterday). - was told by my dealership that entire engine needs to be replaced.

NHTSA ODI #11592337

Mileage unknown · May 31, 2024
EngineUnknown Or Other

The engine has a coolant leak and has made my car not properly functional. Have taken it in multiple time for repairs same issue would happen now they won't fix it because of a specific code is not reading but exactly what's going on they won't fix because it's over the milage coverage confidently.

NHTSA ODI #11591825

Mileage unknown · Apr 25, 2024
EngineUnknown Or Other

known problem with ford eco boost engines. Coolant loss, engine overheating, loss of power and died. now $11000 to replace the engine.

NHTSA ODI #11585186

Mileage unknown · Apr 19, 2024
Unknown Or Other

The roof seals failed, water poured into the rear of the car in cargo space, and filled spare tire wheel well without warning. We had noticed a sour, moldy smell prior to that, and began to show allergy symptoms, necessitating medication. Dealer was made aware.They tested roof and resealed it. The roof was glued on at manufa…

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The roof seals failed, water poured into the rear of the car in cargo space, and filled spare tire wheel well without warning. We had noticed a sour, moldy smell prior to that, and began to show allergy symptoms, necessitating medication. Dealer was made aware.They tested roof and resealed it. The roof was glued on at manufacturer… not riveted or secured in any other way. It is the fault of the Ford manufacturer . The leak appeared approx April [XXX]. Got appointment at Ford here in DeLand April [XXX]. They kept the car, tore it apart to find cause of leak. We got it back late Friday April [XXX]. There was still water 💦 in it ! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI #11584023

Mileage unknown · Jan 10, 2024
EnginePower TrainUnknown Or Other

While driving this vehicle (~88,000 miles) on a route of ~100 miles, the car started shuddering / shaking at highway speed for 30 - 90 seconds every 10 - 15 minutes. I was 50 miles in to the drive when the shaking began. The shaking was startling and distracting. I drove the car to the dealer that night. While driving to the dea…

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While driving this vehicle (~88,000 miles) on a route of ~100 miles, the car started shuddering / shaking at highway speed for 30 - 90 seconds every 10 - 15 minutes. I was 50 miles in to the drive when the shaking began. The shaking was startling and distracting. I drove the car to the dealer that night. While driving to the dealer, the car continued to shudder / shake for even longer durations at greater frequency. Additionally, the car had weak acceleration when the gas pedal was compressed. This created significant challenges when trying to navigate traffic (merging on to highway, accelerating car from stop, etc.). I have a video of the dash which shows the car exceeding 4000 RPM and not exceeding 25mph. I can share this video over e-mail, but could not attach to this form. - The dealer believes this is a malfunction of the powertrain (transmission). It is available for inspection at the time of this writing. However, I am working with Ford and the dealer on a repair solution as this is my primary car. - My safety was at risk because the car shaking was distracting and the lack of acceleration presented challenges with merging, passing cars, accelerating from stop, etc. - Vehicle is currently with dealer beginning inspection - initial suspicion is transmission issue. - No warning lights came on as I was experiencing this issue.

NHTSA ODI #11564761

Mileage unknown · Nov 10, 2023
Unknown Or Other

Ford is refusing to fix the coolant intrusion that is now happening on my vehicle

NHTSA ODI #11554559

Mileage unknown · Nov 5, 2023
Unknown Or Other

The car says it’s in neutral but the gear shift is in park.

NHTSA ODI #11553633

Mileage unknown · Oct 9, 2023
Unknown Or Other

I purchased a 2018 Ford Escape from CarMax, I’ve had the car for 6 months I drove it to Illinois and my car was in park but stating it was in neutral upon a diagnostic it was discover my shifting cable was not working and I needed to keep my car parked and keep The emergency break on at all times. I called Ford and told them my …

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I purchased a 2018 Ford Escape from CarMax, I’ve had the car for 6 months I drove it to Illinois and my car was in park but stating it was in neutral upon a diagnostic it was discover my shifting cable was not working and I needed to keep my car parked and keep The emergency break on at all times. I called Ford and told them my issue they explained to me that in November of 2022 the gear shifting cable was a was fixed per a recall and I would have to pay to have it fixed because they only fix it one time for free . In January of this year another lawsuit was filed against Ford that alleges that even after the shifting cable is fix its still breaking on customers then can results in serious injury to the driver or others. I am asking that Ford take this vehicle back in exchange for a vehicle equal in value, i transport my grandchildren and children in this car and it’s not reliable or safe

NHTSA ODI #11549021

Mileage unknown · Sep 28, 2023
Unknown Or Other

Check engine light came on while driving down the highway. Vehicle lost power to approximately 20 mph even though the throttle was pressed. This was a hazardous situation as the speed limit was 55 mph and no place to pull off. Was told by a mechanic the throttle body was defective and needs replaced.

NHTSA ODI #11547189

Mileage unknown · Sep 26, 2023
Engine And Engine CoolingUnknown Or Other

COOLANT APPEARS TO BE LEAKING INTO THE ENGINE BLOCK.

NHTSA ODI #11546671

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