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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

What owners actually said

1,791 reports
90,000 miles · May 14, 2025
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated before accelerating. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent at first; however, the failure became worse. The vehicle was taken to a certified mec…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated before accelerating. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent at first; however, the failure became worse. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine block had fractured, causing the engine to fail. The contact stated that there was coolant leaking into cylinder #1. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and opened a case. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.

NHTSA ODI #11660992

127,000 miles · May 14, 2025
EnginePower Train

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH and approaching a red traffic light, the vehicle began to jerk then suddenly lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to be restarted. After restarting the vehicle, the vehic…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH and approaching a red traffic light, the vehicle began to jerk then suddenly lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to be restarted. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the contact stated that upon reaching her destination, the vehicle stalled and had since not been able to restart. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 127,000.

NHTSA ODI #11660936

89,600 miles · May 14, 2025
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while the vehicle was in for routine maintenance, the mechanic discovered that the coolant reservoir was very low. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, and it was diagnosed and determined that the cause of the failure was due to an engine head gasket leak and a cracke…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while the vehicle was in for routine maintenance, the mechanic discovered that the coolant reservoir was very low. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, and it was diagnosed and determined that the cause of the failure was due to an engine head gasket leak and a cracked engine block. Additionally, coolant had leaked into the engine. The contact was advised that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not eligible for the manufacturer's extended coverage related the failure. The failure mileage was 89,600.

NHTSA ODI #11660835

78,090 miles · May 9, 2025
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact's mother-in-law owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that her mother-in-law had experienced a loss of motive power while driving at various speeds. The contact was informed that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact's mother-in-law had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who repl…

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The contact's mother-in-law owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that her mother-in-law had experienced a loss of motive power while driving at various speeds. The contact was informed that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact's mother-in-law had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who replaced the spark plugs, ignition coils, and fuel pump. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the same mechanic who was able to diagnose that there was coolant intrusion into the engine. The mechanic referred the owner to a dealer for assistance. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and confirmed that coolant had entered the cylinders and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact had researched online and related the failure to a known failure of the 2.0 liter engines. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 78,090.

NHTSA ODI #11660007

45,000 miles · May 9, 2025
Engine

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, there was an abnormal rumbling sound coming from the engine compartment, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle accelerated normally, but while the vehicle was idling, the contact observed a…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, there was an abnormal rumbling sound coming from the engine compartment, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle accelerated normally, but while the vehicle was idling, the contact observed a rumbling sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the spark plugs needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure reoccurred three days later. The vehicle was taken to the same independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the cylinders needed to be interchanged. The vehicle was repaired but the failure reoccurred five days later. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.

NHTSA ODI #11659929

Mileage unknown · May 8, 2025
Engine

Ecoboost 1.8l engine failure due to coolant leaking into the cylinders. Looks to be a very common issue that Ford is very aware.

NHTSA ODI #11659833

76,643 miles · May 8, 2025
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact's son owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact was informed by her son that the vehicle was experiencing excessive coolant consumption. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant leaking into the engine block. The dealer determined that the long block needed to be replaced. The veh…

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The contact's son owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact was informed by her son that the vehicle was experiencing excessive coolant consumption. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant leaking into the engine block. The dealer determined that the long block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under TSB Number: 19-2346. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for information on the reason why the vehicle was not covered under TSB Number: 19-2346. The failure mileage was approximately 76,643.

NHTSA ODI #11659717

Mileage unknown · May 7, 2025
Engine

I purchased this car new [XXX]. It was running rough for some time but now has 90,000 miles on it. I took it in for the shifter cable recall. I told them it was running rough. The Ford dealership here in Arkansas said it was coolant leaking into cylinder #2. By researching, I found that Ford issued a Customer Satisfaction P…

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I purchased this car new [XXX]. It was running rough for some time but now has 90,000 miles on it. I took it in for the shifter cable recall. I told them it was running rough. The Ford dealership here in Arkansas said it was coolant leaking into cylinder #2. By researching, I found that Ford issued a Customer Satisfaction Program 21N12 in June 2022 for this specific issue. I never got a notice in the mail. Ford Motor company says this program stops at 84,000 miles or June 19, 2025 for me so I am out of luck since I have more than 84,000. This is wrong. It should apply to all mileage for such an issue. This should be a recall. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI #11659607

109,701 miles · May 7, 2025
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the engine was misfiring. Additionally, the contact stated that the check engine warning light was later illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion in cylinder #4. The dealer det…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the engine was misfiring. Additionally, the contact stated that the check engine warning light was later illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion in cylinder #4. The dealer determined that the bottom part of the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 109,701.

NHTSA ODI #11659488

45,000 miles · May 7, 2025
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated, and the vehicle experienced rough idling. The vehicle taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed an engine cylinder misfire in cylinder #3. The contact was advised that the engine needed t…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated, and the vehicle experienced rough idling. The vehicle taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed an engine cylinder misfire in cylinder #3. The contact was advised that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the engine was previously replaced due to the same failure. The failure mileage was 45,000.

NHTSA ODI #11659457

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