FaultScore report

2018 Ford Escape problems

Owners have filed 2,185 complaints about the 2018 Ford Escape with NHTSA between 2018 and 2026. The largest single group is the engine & cooling. Across this model's run it ranks 9 of 25 worst.

C

50/100

CleanWorst

Measured against the other years of the Ford Escape, never against another car.

How this is worked out

The numbers

2,185

Complaints

38

Crashes reported

7

Fires reported

34

Injuries reported

80,000 mi

Median mileage at failure

Half of reported failures happened before this

19%

Failed under 36,000 miles

Inside a typical bumper-to-bumper warranty

NHTSA overall crash rating

From the agency's own crash tests

8

Safety recalls

4 US, 4 Canadian

What kind of bad

The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.

Complaint volume 75 vs 50 Severity 19 vs 50 Early failure 33 vs 50
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 75
Against the median year of the Ford Escape. 50 means typical for this model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 19
3.6% of these complaints involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of 9.7%.
Early failure — 33
19% of failures with a mileage on record happened under 36,000 miles, against a national rate of 29%.

How 2018 compares with every other Ford Escape

Click any bar to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded

What breaks on a 2018 Ford Escape

Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.

Engine & Cooling 1,486 68.0%

4 crashes, 5 fires · median 85,725 mi

4 crashes, 0 fires · median 80,000 mi

6 crashes, 1 fires · median 14,350 mi

1 crashes, 1 fires · median 108,500 mi

2 crashes, 0 fires · median 26,174 mi

Steering 32 1.5%

3 crashes, 0 fires · median 28,000 mi

Brakes 27 1.2%

4 crashes, 0 fires · median 32,000 mi

Wheels 25 1.1%

1 crashes, 0 fires · median 41,000 mi

1 crashes, 0 fires · median 29,682 mi

Median failure at 96,000 miles

2 crashes, 0 fires · median 22,000 mi

Median failure at 34,060 miles

Lights 11 0.5%

Median failure at 49,850 miles

Suspension 11 0.5%

1 crashes, 0 fires · median 45,000 mi

Seat Belts 9 0.4%

1 crashes, 0 fires · median 15,000 mi

Airbags 9 0.4%

7 crashes, 0 fires · median 59,381 mi

Doors, Latches & Locks 5 0.2%

Median failure at 64,800 miles

Stability & Traction Control 4 0.2%

1 crashes, 0 fires · median 7,750 mi

Equipment & Accessories 3 0.1%

Median failure at 44,381 miles

Tires 3 0.1%

Median failure at 10,800 miles

Seats 1 0.0%

Exactly what failed

NHTSA files every complaint against a named sub-assembly, not just a system. This is the difference between knowing it was "the engine" and knowing which part of it — the list to hand a mechanic.

Body 12 27.9%
Lugs/Nuts/Bolts/Studs 6 14.0%
Automatic Transmission 6 14.0%
Automatic Emergency Braking 5 11.6%
Blind Spot Detection 4 9.3%
Cooling System 4 9.3%
Camera 3 7.0%
Accelerator Pedal 3 7.0%

When it fails

Odometer readings owners gave when they filed. About half of all complaints include one.

Under 1,000 miles 7 0.9%
1,000 – 9,999 miles 46 5.8%
10,000 – 24,999 miles 61 7.7%
25,000 – 49,999 miles 87 10.9%
50,000 – 74,999 miles 146 18.3%
75,000 – 99,999 miles 216 27.1%
100,000 – 149,999 miles 222 27.9%
150,000+ miles 11 1.4%

NHTSA crash tests

The agency crash-tested this model year itself. These are its own photographs and star ratings.

Frontal crash test of a 2018 Ford Escape SUV AWD

Frontal crash test

Side barrier crash test of a 2018 Ford Escape SUV AWD

Side barrier crash test

Side pole crash test of a 2018 Ford Escape SUV AWD

Side pole crash test

Photographs taken by NHTSA during its own New Car Assessment Program crash tests of this model year. Public domain.
Configuration Overall Front Side Rollover
2018 Ford Escape SUV AWD
18.5% risk
2018 Ford Escape SUV FWD
19.1% risk

When owners complained

A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single owner can see from inside their own car.

Jan 2018 peak 75 Sep 2026

Recalls on the 2018 Ford Escape

A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous enough to fix for free — however old the car is.

United States — NHTSA

26V011000

EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:ENGINE BLOCK HEATER

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.

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

22V413000

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.

Risk: 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.

18V104000

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

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.

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

17V803000

AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW

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.

Risk: 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.

Canada — Transport Canada

Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not always mirror the American ones.

Recall 2026004 193,627 units in Canada

Electrical

Issue: On certain vehicles, the engine block heater could leak coolant. If this happens, the block heater could short circuit when it's plugged in. Note: This recall only affects certain vehicles equipped with a 2.0 L engine. Safety Risk: A short circuit can create the risk of a fire. Corrective Actions: To reduce the safety risk, Ford advises you not to use the engine block heater until the recall repairs have been completed. Ford will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to replace the block heater. Alternatively, owners can choose to have the dealership permanently disable the engine block heater.

Recall 2022311 362,062 units in Canada

Powertrain

Issue: On certain vehicles, the shift cable may detach from the transmission. This could cause the transmission not to shift gears when the shifter is moved. As a result, the transmission could be in a different gear than the gear shifter indicates. If a driver attempts to exit the vehicle while the transmission is not in Park, and the parking brake is not applied, the vehicle could move suddenly. Safety Risk: Sudden and unexpected movement of the vehicle could increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: Ford will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealership to replace the transmission shifter cable bushing and install a protective service cap. Ford advises that you should apply the parking brake each time the vehicle is parked.

Recall 2018087 4 units in Canada

Brakes

On certain vehicles, incorrect front brake hoses may have been installed and could cause the hoses to contact adjacent components while the vehicle is being driven. This could result in premature wear to the hoses and potentially lead to a brake fluid leak, which could increase stopping distances and increase the risk of a crash causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will inspect the front right hand and left hand brake hoses to determine whether they are from the suspect population, and replace as necessary.

Recall 2017653 496 units in Canada

Airbag

On certain vehicles, the inflator diffuser installed in certain side curtain air bag modules may not have been manufactured correctly. If the vehicle were involved in a crash that warranted side curtain airbag deployment, this could potentially lead to the diffuser detaching. If the diffuser were to detach, it could become a projectile in the occupant compartment, and could cause a tear that could result in the side curtain airbag to not fully inflate. Both of these conditions could increase the risk of injury in a crash. Correction: Dealers will inspect both the right and left hand side curtain airbags to determine whether they are from the suspect population, and replace as necessary.

Recalls cover specific build ranges, so check your own vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or, in Canada, Transport Canada.

Complaints that involved harm

Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.

Belleville, MI 1 injured

AIR BAGS

WHILE DRIVING TO PICK UP MY DAUGHTER MY HUDBAND WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AND THE SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED FOR NO REASON. THE FRONT AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. UPON INSPECTION OF THE CAR BY AN INSURANCE COLLISION EXPERT THERE WAS NO COLLISION OR RODENTS THAT COULD HAVE AFFECTED THE VEHICLE. IT WAS DEEMED A MECHANICAL OR ELECTRICAL FAILURE/DEFECT. MY HUSBAND WAS TRAVELING AT 70 MPH HE COULD HAVE LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR AND CRASHED AND POTENTIALLY LOST HIS LIFE. A COLLISION CENTER HAS CONFIRMED THIS. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN INSPECTED BY COLLISION CENTER AND INSURANCE COLLSION EXPERT. THERE WERE NO WARNING MESSAGES OR LABELS OF ANY KIND.

NHTSA complaint #11742241 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Loveland, OH 1 injured

SERVICE BRAKES

On Sept.17, 2021 my 2018 Ford Escape rolled away. When I was leaving a driveway, I got in car, buckled my seatbelt, started the engine and put the vehicle in Reverse. I immediately realized I had not paid for the item and shifted into Park. I unbuckled my seatbelt, opened the door, got out of my vehicle, walked fully past the door. At that point, I noticed the vehicle rolling backward on the flat driveway. I ran after my car to try to get my foot on brake because I was in a neighborhood with children. I nearly got my foot on it when I was knocked down and the driver-side front wheel ran over me, crushing my pelvis and sacrum and causing other injuries to my abdomen and legs. -I believe my car was in False Park.That is why it didn’t move as soon as I took my foot off the brake and was able to clear the open door. Both my husband and I have been able to get the car back to that false park position where it might stick for 5 seconds or several minutes. I have several videos I can share. - Automatic Electronic Park Brake would have prevented this accident. - Inadequate Warnings 1.The chime for Door Open when in Park is almost identical to the Door is Open not in Park. 2.The warning on the dash is in white and Orange for Door Open In Park and All WHITE for the more dangerous Door Open Not in Park. 3. A warning in the magnitude and attention-grabbing of the Seatbelt off or Collision warning would be more appropriate. 4.Ford did not warn customers until July of 2022 that there was a transmission issue recall. However, Ford sent a technical Bulletin to their Dealer Repair shops that there was a transmission issue in March 2021. I always used my Parking brake on hills but not on flat ground. Had Ford sent me a warning in March 2021, I most certainly would have used it that day and every day. -Quick Reference Guide should include Parking Brake Information and warning not just in the long owners manual. They don't even show its location.

NHTSA complaint #11731964 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Loveland, OH 1 injured

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

On Sept.17, 2021 my 2018 Ford Escape rolled away. When I was leaving a driveway, I got in car, buckled my seatbelt, started the engine and put the vehicle in Reverse. I immediately realized I had not paid for the item and shifted into Park. I unbuckled my seatbelt, opened the door, got out of my vehicle, walked fully past the door. At that point, I noticed the vehicle rolling backward on the flat driveway. I ran after my car to try to get my foot on brake because I was in a neighborhood with children. I nearly got my foot on it when I was knocked down and the driver-side front wheel ran over me, crushing my pelvis and sacrum and causing other injuries to my abdomen and legs. -I believe my car was in False Park.That is why it didn’t move as soon as I took my foot off the brake and was able to clear the open door. Both my husband and I have been able to get the car back to that false park position where it might stick for 5 seconds or several minutes. I have several videos I can share. - Automatic Electronic Park Brake would have prevented this accident. - Inadequate Warnings 1.The chime for Door Open when in Park is almost identical to the Door is Open not in Park. 2.The warning on the dash is in white and Orange for Door Open In Park and All WHITE for the more dangerous Door Open Not in Park. 3. A warning in the magnitude and attention-grabbing of the Seatbelt off or Collision warning would be more appropriate. 4.Ford did not warn customers until July of 2022 that there was a transmission issue recall. However, Ford sent a technical Bulletin to their Dealer Repair shops that there was a transmission issue in March 2021. I always used my Parking brake on hills but not on flat ground. Had Ford sent me a warning in March 2021, I most certainly would have used it that day and every day. -Quick Reference Guide should include Parking Brake Information and warning not just in the long owners manual. They don't even show its location.

NHTSA complaint #11731964 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 98,000 miles Thomasville, GA Fire

ENGINE

The contact owned a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed flames coming from the hood of the vehicle. The vehicle was parked, and the contact and the passenger exited the vehicle. The contact stated that the contact's mother was an additional occupant in the vehicle and was seated in the rear seat. The contact and the contact's mother exited the vehicle. The contact stated that within seconds, the entire vehicle was engulfed in flames. In addition, the contact stated that no warning lights were illuminated prior to the failure. The vehicle was towed to a local tow yard. No injuries were sustained. The contact stated that the vehicle had not been inspected. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that the VIN had no recalls associated with the VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.

NHTSA complaint #11720444 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Rohnert Park, CA Crash 1 injured

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

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 complaint #11691280 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Asheville, NC Crash

AIR BAGS

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 complaint #11690411 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

The most recent complaints

In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.

Brown Summit, NC

ENGINE

My 2018 Ford Escape SE 1.5L EcoBoost is actively suffering from the manufacturer defect outlined in Ford TSB 19-2375 (coolant intrusion into the engine cylinders). The vehicle shakes violently on startup, emits heavy white smoke from the tailpipe, and displays an 'Engine Fault Service Now' warning. Because it is burning through coolant, this vehicle poses an immediate safety risk of sudden power loss, highway stalling, or catastrophic engine failure while driving. My job requires me to transport vulnerable medical patients, and this severe defect makes the vehicle entirely unsafe to operate on public roads.

NHTSA complaint #11764020 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Hemphill, TX

ENGINE

IN 2022 THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED (DUE TO A FORD DEFEC CALLED COOLANT INTRUTION) THE MILAGE WAS 49000. THE MILAGE IS NOW 78825 AND THAT ENGINE IS FAILING DUE TO COOLANT INTRUCTION. AS A SINGLE GRANDPARENT I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO FORK OUT $11000 DOLLARS FOR A NEW ENGINE IF ITS STILL A FORD DEFECT

NHTSA complaint #11763157 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SAN Diego, CA

ENGINE

The engine is having issues. There is coolant leaking into the engine. Causing for the engine to shake upon starting the car. Issues that can come from operating the vehicle are overheating, fire and explosion of engine. I took the car for diagnostics at a Ford dealership and they confirmed that it is a fault with the engine that Ford is aware about but issued no recall. The check engine light first appeared on Saturday 9/05/2026 and that same day upon igniting the engine that was the first time that the engine rattled when starting the vehicle.

NHTSA complaint #11763165 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Fargo, ND

ENGINE

Error code p0016 came up and I started investigating and found coolant intrusion which was a known defect during manufacturing by ford. I was driving normally when the vehicle accelerated really slowly after a stop which could have caused a traffic accident if it happened while in traffic

NHTSA complaint #11762592 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Sidney, NE

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

My sunroof spontaneously exploded while driving. It made a very loud noise, at first I thought a tire blew, but the tire light didn't come on. I could hear like a whistling coming from the top of the car and thought it must be the sunroof. It only cracked at that point, but lots of cracks. We were able to finish driving to our destination, but then when going to drive back home, it began to break and pieces fell onto the cover and some blew away also. There were no signs of issues before this happened.

NHTSA complaint #11762484 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Rindge, NH

ENGINE

There is coolant intrusion into the engine. My car became overheated and undriveable while I was driving. Ford knows about this issue, but is no longer addressing the issue.

NHTSA complaint #11762273 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

West Union, IA

ENGINE

Coolant is going into the cylinder. Car was starting rough and exhaust smelled strange. No warning lights came on. Service center reproduced issue. It’s an issue Ford has been aware of but hasn’t issued a recall. Now I need a new engine on my vehicle that only has 41,000 miles on it. Estimate is $10,000.00

NHTSA complaint #11761551 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Osceola, IN

ENGINE

Ford has known about a flaw with this engine and coolant intrusion. I have owned the vehicle for 5 months and they are refusing to cover the cost of a new engine. I know there is a lawsuit going on right now with Ford (21N12) This was my daughters first purchase that she financed and now she is on the hook financially for a vehicle that is not running.

NHTSA complaint #11761582 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Murrayville, IL

ENGINE

I have a 2018 Ford Escape with the 1.5L engine with 108k miles purchased new in 2018. Noticed the car recently stuttered at times upon vehicle start up and then would smooth out shortly after starting. Check engine light came on, checked the code and it indicated P0301 which is a misfire on cylinder 1. Since it would run I thought it was probably a spark plug misfire so I made an appointment with a dealer to change the plugs. While traveling to the dealer the car quickly overheated and issued a warning to turn the car off. Luckily I was only a half mile from home and not on the main highway yet so I did not have to deal with safety in traffic. Had the car towed to the dealer and they diagnosed coolant intrusion into cylinder 3 and that a new engine would be required to fix the car. Cost will be about $11k they quoted. I am recently retired so coming up with that amount of money is a big hit on our retirement savings. After consulting with my wife we decided we really did not have much choice but to replace the engine, given the cost of new vehicles and being on a fixed income to not create a car payment (this car was paid off two years ago). I did notice about a week before this incident happened that the car was low on coolant in the reservoir so I took it to the place I have the car serviced to top off the coolant. When they opened the reservoir the coolant returned to the bottle and showed full. I did not want to overfill it so I thought since it showed full, it must be normal on these newer engines. This had to be the beginning of the problem, wish Ford would have said something earlier so would have known what to watch out for. At any rate, I will be out of $11k to fix this problem that I am finding out Ford knew about. Ford should step up and take care of this since it apparently has been a problem for several years. We have been a Ford family for 40 years but not sure I can recommend them moving forward. Truly disappointed.

NHTSA complaint #11761740 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Steger, IL

ENGINE

Engine light and cylinder four misfire code happened on Easter Sunday 4/5/26 while warming up in the driveway shuddered and stalled. I did not drive had vehicle towed to my mechanic the following day. Had vehicle towed 8/27 to the dealership where it was purchased (brand new 4/5/2019) at the recommendation of our mechanic due to the coolant intrusion and known defect. Was informed by the dealer today that i will need a new engine block with only 35,000 miles driven.

NHTSA complaint #11761188 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Indianapolis, IN

ENGINE

The vehicle experienced a severe engine failure caused by coolant intrusion into cylinder #3, which requires a complete engine short block replacement. The vehicle became entirely unsafe to drive, presenting a sudden mechanical failure that put the safety of the occupants and other drivers at risk on the road. Prior to this catastrophic failure, the timing belt and water pump were replaced. The failed components and the vehicle are currently preserved and available for inspection upon request.

NHTSA complaint #11761224 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Round Rock, TX

ENGINE

Coolant intrusion the engine is ruined by a design flaw

NHTSA complaint #11760360 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Boise, ID

ENGINE

My vehicle a 2018 Ford Escape has a 1.5 liter Eco-Boost engine is has been diagnosed with a coolant into cylinder leak and is in jeopardy of seizing and causing a catastrophic accident. No one should be driving these Ford vehicles due to a good possibility of serious enjury or death.

NHTSA complaint #11760412 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 120,618 miles Chicago, IL

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start immediately but started after several attempts. The vehicle was driven to an independent mechanic, where diagnostic tests were performed, but no failure was found. While driving 10–15 minutes later at approximately 30–35 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was returned to the independent mechanic, where a it was diagnosed that the canister purge valve had failed. The canister purge valve was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the under-hood canister purge valve and the EVAP canister were replaced, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted and informed that the failure was unknown. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 120,618.

NHTSA complaint #11759723 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 81,131 miles Chicago, IL

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:EVAPORATIVE EMISSIONS:CANISTER

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light was illuminated. A certified mechanic was contacted and diagnosed the vehicle with evaporative emission system purge flow performance failure. Additionally, the canister purge valve needed to be replaced. The contact stated that on December 24 of 2025, the vehicle was repaired by the dealer due to a failure associated with the issue, and the evaporative canister purge control valve was replaced. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired because the warranty had expired. The manufacturer was not aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 81,131.

NHTSA complaint #11759694 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Von Ormy, TX

ENGINE

A warning light illuminated, so the vehicle was taken to the dealership for inspection. The vehicle has a history of receiving routine maintenance and repairs at this dealership. The 2.0L EcoBoost engine is known to experience coolant intrusion associated with its open-deck engine-block design, which includes narrow, slotted cooling channels—or grooves—between the cylinder bores. After inspecting the vehicle, the dealership determined that the engine block should be replaced. The estimated out-of-pocket repair cost exceeds the vehicle’s current market value.

NHTSA complaint #11759378 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Milan, MI

ENGINE

I purchased my vehicle [XXX] from Suburban Chevrolet Cadillac in Ann Arbor, MI. Less than two weeks after purchasing the vehicle, my vehicle information screen informed me that the engine was overheating. My mechanic was able to replicate the issue and informed me I was the victim of a common issue with the 1.5L Ford EcoBoost Ford Escape engine that caused a coolant intrusion. I learned that Ford extended the factory warranty on the vehicle because of this issue, so they are clearly aware of it, but my vehicle was not under warranty when I purchased it used. The dealership told me they were unable to help me because I did not buy an extended warranty from them. Continuing to drive without repairing this issue could have resulted in severe engine damage, stalling, or complete mechanical failure, potentially endangering lives if it occurred while on the road. Because Ford has not issued a recall for this issue, I had to pay I had to pay $5,765.39 to replace the engine short block, inclusive of parts and labor, on top of what I paid for the car. The work was completed 11/23/2023. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11759008 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 84,000 miles Woodburn, IN

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, a message was displayed to exit the vehicle immediately. The contact pulled over and called someone to add coolant to the vehicle, but the failure persisted. The contact was constantly adding coolant to the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that coolant was leaking into the engine and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000.

NHTSA complaint #11758440 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Seattle, WA

ENGINE

2018 Ford Escape vehicles equipped with a 2.0L EcoBoost engine may exhibit a low coolant level, white exhaust smoke and/or a runs rough condition with or without an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL). Diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) may include P0300, P0301-P0304, P0316, P0217, P1285 and/or P1299 stored in powertrain control module (PCM). This may be due to coolant intrusion into the cylinder. To correct the condition, follow the Service Procedure to replace the long block engine assembly. THis is a known issue with a Techinal service bulletin issued on 6/9/2022. My car has only 87,000 miles on it and will need a new motor because coolant is leaking into the piston and causing a missfire.

NHTSA complaint #11758082 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Roanoke, IN

POWER TRAIN

Transmission spudder when accelerates only at 75K miles

NHTSA complaint #11757726 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Roanoke, IN

STRUCTURE:BODY

Transmission spudder when accelerates only at 75K miles

NHTSA complaint #11757726 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Youngstown, OH

ENGINE

Engine coolant in the oil. The engine needs to be replaced. The cost is greater than the value of the car.. it is a known defect that Ford knows about, but will not do anything to repair or replace the engine problem….

NHTSA complaint #11757086 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Louisville, KY

POWER TRAIN

Check engine light would come on vehicle was not running well, seemed to stall. When I turned off the car I could hear liquid moving around from inside the vehicle. I am a Mom so I am driving with my 2 small children constantly and worried about their safety. The problem was confirmed by the dealership as well as an independent service center.

NHTSA complaint #11756696 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Burien, WA

POWER TRAIN

Coolant is leaking into the head causing engine failure. This car has fewer than 60,00 miles. From what I have read this is a common problem and is due to a manufacturer’s design flaw. Ford refused to help me in any way when I contacted them. When I took the vehicle to the dealership they informed me that the engine would need to be replaced. The bill would be $13,000.

NHTSA complaint #11756727 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Louisville, KY

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Check engine light would come on vehicle was not running well, seemed to stall. When I turned off the car I could hear liquid moving around from inside the vehicle. I am a Mom so I am driving with my 2 small children constantly and worried about their safety. The problem was confirmed by the dealership as well as an independent service center.

NHTSA complaint #11756696 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.