2018 Ford Escape problems, complaints & recalls

2018 Ford Escape recalls (4)

• Recall 26V011000Jan 15, 2026116,672 vehicles
  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.

  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.

• Recall 22V413000Jun 10, 20222,925,968 vehicles
  POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL) · 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.

  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.

• Recall 18V104000Feb 12, 201888 vehicles
  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.

  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.

• Recall 17V803000Dec 18, 201711,113 vehicles
  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.

  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.

NHTSA 5-Star safety ratings

Recent 2018 Ford Escape complaints

Excerpts of the newest owner complaints, lightly cleaned of personal details. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

1. Filed Oct 3, 2026PACrashTowedElectrical SystemEngineAcceleration & Cruise Control

   On September 4, 2026, at approximately 6:00 PM, I was driving my 2018 Ford Escape SE (1.5L EcoBoost) and executing a left-hand turn across an intersection. Mid-turn, the vehicle suddenly lost all power, an "Engine Fault" warning message illuminated on the dashboard, and the engine completely stalled out. Because the vehicle died directly in the path of oncoming traffic, I was forced to steer the coasting vehicle out of harm's way to avoid an imminent side-impact collision.…

   NHTSA complaint #11768713 · source
2. Filed Oct 2, 2026AKEngine

   Engine has been diagnosed with coolant intrusion (very common ford ecoboost engine problem) where due to a manufacturing defect the engine has grooves in cylinder that allow coolant to enter combustion chamber. This causes coolant loss, engine mis fires, lots of white smoke upon starting and extremely rough idle. car has 120000 miles and the cost to repair is over 10,000 dollars. The vehicle and remainder of loan is a total loss because the common problem has made the trade…

   NHTSA complaint #11768462 · source
3. Filed Oct 2, 202694,000 miGATowedEngine

   The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH, the head gasket of the engine cracked and the vehicle stalled. There was coolant leaking into the engine previously, and the vehicle was repaired. The vehicle was leaking coolant. There was white smoke coming from the tailpipe with a sweet odor during the failure. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The manufacturer was contacted by phone, where a case was opened. The contact was informed…

   NHTSA complaint #11768457 · source
4. Filed Oct 1, 2026TNEngine

   Ford issued TSB 22-2229 (and earlier TSB 19-2208) specifically covering 2018 2.0L EcoBoost engines with coolant intrusion into the cylinders. The Root Cause: Ford redesigned the engine block around mid-2019 because the original design allowed coolant to pool in small grooves between the cylinder bores, eventually degrading the head gasket or cracking the cylinder wall. Error code * P0316 — misfire detected during startup. Ford dealer estimate $12,700 for the Repair. A new…

   NHTSA complaint #11768370 · source
5. Filed Sep 30, 2026FLEngine

   Cylinder cracked due to Coolant intrusion. A Customer Satisfaction Program was opened 21N12 however it closed last November. My vehicle is under the milage for the fix.

   NHTSA complaint #11768013 · source
6. Filed Sep 29, 2026INEngine

   Supplemental Information – NHTSA Complaint XXX– 2018 Ford Escape 2.0L EcoBoost.Vehicle information: 2018 Ford Escape Titanium 2.0L Turbocharged EcoBoost VIN: [XXX] Current Mileage: 65,946 Since my previous communication, Ford instructed me to take the vehicle to a Ford dealership for evaluation and provide the dealership with my Ford case information. I delivered the Escape to Andy Mohr Ford in Plainfield, Indiana on XXX. On XXX, the dealership diagnosed the vehicle with…

   NHTSA complaint #11767895 · source
7. Filed Sep 29, 2026TXElectrical SystemEngineFuel, Hybrid & EV Propulsion

   My vehicle has experienced a recurring cylinder 1 misfire (code P0301) over approximately two years. Ignition coils and spark plugs on cylinder 1 were replaced multiple times by different repair shops, but the misfire repeatedly returned, sometimes within months, sometimes within about a year. Wiring and injector testing was also performed and ruled out as the cause. A mechanic ultimately performed a leak-down/compression test and borescope inspection and found a compression…

   NHTSA complaint #11767894 · source
8. Filed Sep 29, 202664,054 miMITowedEngineTransmission & Drivetrain

   The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. While driving at an undisclosed speed, an unknown warning light illuminated, and the message to "Pull Over Immediately" was displayed. The contact pulled over and had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic, who replaced the long block, turbo charger, transaxle oil cooler, an unknown pump, and flushed and refilled the transmission fluid due to coolant intrusion into the transmission. The manufacturer was notified of the failure by…

   NHTSA complaint #11767849 · source

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Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data, as of Oct 10, 2026. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology