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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.

About this comparison →

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

What owners actually said

1,791 reports
Mileage unknown · Oct 11, 2025
Engine

Coolant leak caused car to overheat and engine failure

NHTSA ODI #11692720

Mileage unknown · Oct 11, 2025
Engine

Engine failing due to coolant intrusion. I never received a recall notice. I was unaware of the possible issue. Ford refused to complete the repair as I missed the mileage deadline. I was unable to take advantage of the repair.

NHTSA ODI #11692677

Mileage unknown · Oct 8, 2025
Engine

I started to lease the car Aug 18 2025 that day before even leaving the maintenance guy was like oh yeah let me go ahead and clear that light off for you check engine light said it was fixed . I never thought too much of it since it is my first time leasing a car . I drove it three times and on the very next time I turned it off…

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I started to lease the car Aug 18 2025 that day before even leaving the maintenance guy was like oh yeah let me go ahead and clear that light off for you check engine light said it was fixed . I never thought too much of it since it is my first time leasing a car . I drove it three times and on the very next time I turned it off ran in side some where and came out and it acted like it didn't want to start I finally got it started I went home over the next couple of days it just started to get worse and worse I took it to O'Reilly's and had them to look it up the first time they said ma'am there's no check engine light on I left aggravated I didnt no what wad going on wnd why it hadn't popped up well the next day it popped up finally I took it back in the printed me a paper stating it was misfiring bad and it was cylinders 1 and 3 so I went to the dealership where I got it from the said come back in like a week they were busy so I waited a week and they supposebly fixed well the very next day it started up again same thing misfiring went to O'Reilly they said the same thing misfiring in the cylinders . So I went back again told them it was doing again and it was rough idling and he says to bring it back the next week we'll it broke down before I took it back in the morning it broke down I left my house and went down to go Mart when I got back in the car and started it a little thing popped up on the dash said high engine temp shut down safely .. at the time I thought was over heating I looked at the coolant it was good so I let it sit there for like almost a hr and started it said the same thing I took it over beside gomart where my friend lives and parked it there to wait for a few hours and it popped up again and I went to turn it around for when the towing truck came it had lost all of its power .

NHTSA ODI #11692115

Mileage unknown · Oct 5, 2025
Engine

I have a blown head gasket. Ford is willing to do nothing, and this is a known issue with this engine.

NHTSA ODI #11691508

Mileage unknown · Oct 3, 2025
Unknown Or OtherCrashInjury

We were at a stop on a over crossing, and all of a sudden, the car engine started racing loudly and , even with foot on the brake, hard, it surged forward twice and hit the vehicle in front of us and caused that vehicle to hit the vehicle in front of him.My husband tried to shift gear to park or neutral, but shift was stuck. My …

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We were at a stop on a over crossing, and all of a sudden, the car engine started racing loudly and , even with foot on the brake, hard, it surged forward twice and hit the vehicle in front of us and caused that vehicle to hit the vehicle in front of him.My husband tried to shift gear to park or neutral, but shift was stuck. My husband then turned off the car. The hits damaged our radiator and other components. It is now at the body shop and since, our insurance company deemed, we were at fault, we will be paying a deductible and insurance is taking care of driver #2 who sustained soft flesh injury. We are very uneasy about driving this car again after what happen. So far the body shop has not identified the problem. After looking this issue online, I found, that some 2018 ford escapes have problems with the ETB. I just want to bring this to your attention.

NHTSA ODI #11691280

Mileage unknown · Oct 2, 2025
Engine

Earlier this year the check engine light came on in my Escape. My mechanic informed me that a sensor detected a coolant leak in a cylinder head. They replaced the sensor and addressed other issues with the specific cylinder. Three months later, the check engine light came on for the same issue. This time my mechanic replaced…

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Earlier this year the check engine light came on in my Escape. My mechanic informed me that a sensor detected a coolant leak in a cylinder head. They replaced the sensor and addressed other issues with the specific cylinder. Three months later, the check engine light came on for the same issue. This time my mechanic replaced the cylinder gasket head. Ten days later, the light came on again. Now my mechanic is replacing my engine. Although I have a 2 liter engine, Ford had a campaign to replace the engines on the 1.5 liter engine [XXX] ) and have a service bulletin (22-2229) for multiple vehicles with the same issue. I know I'm past the end date of my warranty but ultimately paying out $9k to replace an engine on a decently maintained vehicle at 37k miles seems in appropriate. This issue ultimately causes engine failure. I'm one of many that tried to address the issue immediately, but how many people cannot or do not take their vehicle in on time and experience an engine failure while driving? INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI #11690920

Mileage unknown · Sep 29, 2025
Air BagsCrash

Driver rear-ended another car, the airbags did not deploy. The cars passenger front was damaged, the front end frame was bent, and the car is deemed totaled. Driver hit steering wheel.

NHTSA ODI #11690411

Mileage unknown · Sep 28, 2025
EnginePower Train

Engine failure due to coolant intrusion design defect that Ford DID NOT pay for it. Even though, since Match 1, 2025, there have been over 320 complaints regarding this issue. NHTSA should communicate to Ford, these vehicles should be recalled!

NHTSA ODI #11690208

Mileage unknown · Sep 26, 2025
Engine

I have a 2018 Ford Escape 1.5L EcoBoost purchased on 2/2/18. On 9/17/25, after starting the car I noticed that it idled very rough when I put it in gear, but drove fine afterward. This behavior continued to happen over the next week when I also noticed strong smelling white exhaust/smoke coming from the car while I was still in …

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I have a 2018 Ford Escape 1.5L EcoBoost purchased on 2/2/18. On 9/17/25, after starting the car I noticed that it idled very rough when I put it in gear, but drove fine afterward. This behavior continued to happen over the next week when I also noticed strong smelling white exhaust/smoke coming from the car while I was still in the garage. On 9/23/25 the Service Engine Soon light came on shortly after I started driving. I took the car in for diagnostic testing to my Ford dealer on 9/25/25 and the coolant intrusion issue was identified with codes P0302 and P0316. Because I will not be replacing the engine long block (quoted at $10,570 + tax)--the car is past even the Ford extended warranty of 7yr/84,000mi with 85,721 miles when diagnosed--I was told I need to watch the coolant, that I can drive the car, but that the engine will eventually burn out. I was referred to TSB 22-2322 to read more about the problem, but no fix was offered. With no resolution, this Escape is a timebomb that will eventually experience total engine failure and/or engine fire.

NHTSA ODI #11689969

Mileage unknown · Sep 24, 2025
Engine

There is coolant intrusion that is a known issue with this model. Coolant is leaking into cylinder 1, which has damaged the engine.

NHTSA ODI #11689435

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