Open safety recalls, the components owners report failing most often, crash-test results and running costs for the 2018 Ford Escape, assembled from NHTSA and EPA records.
Everything on this page applies to the model as a whole. Run its VIN to decode that exact car, its engine, trim, assembly plant and factory equipment, alongside these records.
Open a VIN recordRecalls and complaints are filed against a specific model year, so figures differ from one year to the next even within a single generation. See every Ford Escape year.
No EPA fuel-economy match for this model. Naming may differ, or it predates EPA records.
NHTSA lists 4 recalls for this make, model and year. Recalls apply to the model, so some may already be fixed on this specific car. A dealer can confirm from the VIN.
Issue: 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.
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.
Campaign 17V803000
Issue: 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.
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.
Campaign 18V104000
Issue: 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.
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.
Campaign 22V413000
Issue: 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.
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.
Campaign 26V011000
NHTSA frontal crash test
Rated configuration: 2018 Ford Escape SUV AWD
The parts named most often across 1,787 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this make, model and year.
2 crashes · 3 fires · 2 injured
3 crashes · 3 injured
5 crashes · 3 injured
1 crash · 1 injured
Complaints are self-reported and skew toward problems people find alarming, so read this as where to look rather than as a defect rate.
Check Engine light turned on for misfire codes. Replaced spark plugs but noticed coolant in the cylinder. Found Ford TSB 22-2133 and TSB 22-2229. So i want to report another failure of these engines
Went to get service for a misfire and found out about a well documented issue with these engines. Coolant intrusion into the cylinders leading to complete engine failure. Ford has known about this issue since 2010 and continued manufacturing with this known defect
My 2018 Ford Escape SEL with the 1.5L EcoBoost engine has only 12,770 miles. The vehicle experienced a misfire and coolant-related issue resulting in loss of engine power and a dashboard warning stating, “High Engine Temperature – Stop Safely.” Fortunately, this occurred as I was driving out of my driveway rather than at highway speed. The vehicle would not drive and had to be towed to my independent mechanic, where it remains. On May 22, 2026, the check engine light appeared. I brought the vehicle to my mechanic, but no problem was identified. When the light reappeared, I returned on July 9, 2026. The ignition coil and spark plugs were replaced. On July 27, 2026, the “High Engine Temperature – Stop Safely” warning appeared and the vehicle lost power. My mechanic subsequently identified a misfire and coolant-related issue. Importantly, on February 5, 2020, at only 4,259 miles, Levittown Ford performed Ford Customer Satisfaction Program 19B37 on this vehicle.(See attached) CSP 19B37 addressed the potential for coolant intrusion into the cylinder bores of certain vehicles equipped with the 1.5L EcoBoost engine. I recently learned that Ford subsequently established CSP 21N12, “Short Block Replacement After Coolant Intrusion,” for certain vehicles that previously received 19B37 and later experienced coolant intrusion. This expired in 2022. I am concerned that my vehicle, despite having only 12,770 miles and previously receiving CSP 19B37, is now experiencing a misfire, coolant-related problem, overheating warning, and loss of engine power. Had this occurred at highway speed rather than while leaving my driveway, it could have created a serious safety hazard.
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
Showing 12 of 1,787 complaints.