Complaint volume
1734 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.
Complaint records
2018 Ford Escape Complaints
1734 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2018 Ford Escape, grouped by component category.
1734 Total complaints
25 Crash reports
5 Fire reports
23 Injury reports
Complaint data reflects consumer-submitted reports. A complaint is not proof
of a defect, recall, or manufacturer fault. Enriched severity fields come
from official bulk records when the complaint can be matched by ODI number.
Buyer interpretation
How to use these complaints before buying
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
Pattern to inspect
The most common categories are engine, engine and engine cooling, power train. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 25 crash reports, 5 fire reports, 23 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 663 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 76,191 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to engine, engine and engine cooling, power train?
- Can I see recent maintenance and repair records?
- Has the vehicle ever been towed, involved in a crash, or repaired for the same issue twice?
- Can we also check the recall record for this 2018 Ford Escape?
Used-car checklist
Use these complaints before the test drive.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
2018 Ford Escape
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2018 Ford Escape complaints?
25 Crash
5 Fire
23 Injury
0 Fatality
152 Towed
20 Medical attention
What are the most common 2018 Ford Escape complaint categories?
ENGINE 940
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 286
POWER TRAIN 172
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 56
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 27
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 23
STEERING 22
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 19
WHEELS 19
SERVICE BRAKES 15
1,734 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2026 | ENGINE | Due to faulty manufacturing by Ford Motor Company the coolant leaked into cylinders 2 and 3 of the engine. Ford is aware of this issue and has issued a technical service bulletin stating that the only fix is to replace the engine however they have not issued a recall. The leak has been confirmed by two mechanics. Blacks Tire and Auto and is currently at the Ford dealership. The check engine light came on and I researched the code and found many stories of people having the same issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | ENGINE | When checking the oil, realized that there was no antifreeze in the reservoir. I went ahead and filled it to the max line, as the antifreeze didn't even come up to the minimum line of the reservoir tank. My gut was telling me that I need to every so often check the antifreeze, there was no apparent leak, there was nothing on my garage floor to indicate that there was a leak. Every time I checked the antifreeze, it was below the minimum line. I had also been noticing that my car was shifting hard. the rpms were randomly jumping higher than normal when I was maintaining a normal speed. When I go to start my car, the whole car shakes as though the engine is misfiring. When I took the car in to a mechanic, they looked it over and I was told that I needed to replace the long engine block due to a coolant intrusion into the cylinder. The car will sometimes show the check engine light and sometimes it just goes off. I had the check engine light come up before and was told after having it hooked up at Auto Zone that I just needed a tune up. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his wife was driving on two occasions at approximately 50 MPH, the Check Engine warning light illuminated. During the second failure, there was white smoke coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road each time, turned off, and restarted; however, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that there was an issue with the engine block causing coolant intrusion into the engine, and that the engine block or engine needed to be replaced. The contact stated that two spark plugs were replaced; however, the failure reoccurred a month later. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine and the engine long block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | ENGINE | 2018 Ford Escape: engine coolant intrusion resulting in a completely failed engine. Took it to a local Ford dealership for evaluation. Confirmed this was the issued. Quoted over $14,000 to replace with a re-manufactured engine. This issue causes misfire, smoke and could catch on fire. Contacted Ford and was told while we qualify for mileage for the customer service program 21N12, it does not qualify based on expiration despite knowing this is a faulty part. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | ENGINE | 2018 Ford Escape SE 1.5L 4 cylinder EcoBoost engine. I was driving on a major 2 lane state road going 65 miles an hour when the warning light came on that the engine was overheating and pull over immediately. There was no prior warning. As soon as I stopped I looked at the temperature indicator and it returned to a normal level. I tried to drive again and got the same urgent message to stop. There was very little grass on the side of the road where I had to pull off and cars and trucks were passing us going 60-70 miles per hour. I had to call a tow truck to get the vehicle towed to the local Ford dealership. 3 hours sitting on the side of the road and did not get picked up for 3 hours in the dark. Ford ran a diagnostic test the next day and informed me in writing that the engine needed to be replaced due to coolant leakage into the engine block. I would also need the cabin coolant heater pump and the sparkplugs replaced. The total would be over $8,200. I had the vehicle in for service three months ago due to a check engine light and did the requested repair. The informed me now that it was for a different issue. Ford is not taking any responsibility for this known problem. I was the original owner and was never informed of the issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | ENGINE | Engine fault warning flashed upon start for a few weeks, then check engine light came on and did not shut off. Took to shop and they said that it was leaking coolant and coolant intrusion was occurring requiring a new engine. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | ENGINE | My 2018 Ford Escape developed a severe engine problem at fewer than 30,000 miles. The Check Engine Light illuminated and diagnostic trouble code P0302 (cylinder #2 misfire) was present. The vehicle was also losing coolant without any visible external leak, and white smoke was observed from the exhaust. The engine now misfires so severely that I do not consider the vehicle safe to operate. The vehicle has not been driven for more than 60 days because of concerns about further engine damage and safety. Due to the severity of the misfire, the vehicle cannot safely accelerate or reach normal traffic speeds. The symptoms are consistent with coolant intrusion into cylinder #2, where coolant enters the combustion chamber through an internal engine defect. The combination of coolant loss, cylinder #2 misfire, and white exhaust smoke indicates an internal engine failure rather than a routine maintenance issue. This condition occurred at under 30,000 miles and has effectively rendered the vehicle unusable. The potential for loss of power, inability to accelerate with traffic, and possible engine failure while driving creates a significant safety concern. I am submitting this complaint because I believe this may be related to a broader defect pattern involving coolant intrusion in certain Ford EcoBoost engines and because the condition creates a risk of loss of power during vehicle operation. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | ENGINE | Coolant intrusion a known flaw in the design of the 1.5 ecoboost yet no help from ford at all. When a failure is designed into a product and sold to customers this is not ok and should be made right by Ford. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | ENGINE | Coolant Intrusion due to a design flaw leading to coolant entering the combustion chamber causing spark plugs to prematurely fail and in extreme cases cause the engine to hydrolock and bend piston rods. Symptoms are a rough idle, MIL illumination and DTC for Misfires P0300-P0304, Coolant loss and overheating | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | In 2025 I bought this vehicle used at a dealership with 84,000 miles on it. A year later, it’s at 118,000 miles and needs a new engine. Due to coolant leaking into my cylinders and into my engine and mixing with oil and water in my oil pan. The issue it is having is directly caused my ford and the way it has designed this engine. Coolant has leaked into my cylinders causing a check engine light coming on labeled cylinder 3 misfire. I called ford about this to see if they would help, but they told me because my car is over 84,000 miles, they cannot cover the cost of repairs. I am still paying on my car loan, and in addition now, I have to pay even more to buy an engine for 5,000 dollars. This is not okay. Other have this issue as well. It is well documented online. Ford should recall this issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | ENGINE | took to a shop to replace dead battery. shop did full inspection as this shop does for me. shop found oil dripping down cv boot and thought I needed new CV boot. I advised CV boot just replaced a few years ago. They thought it was leaking from my Turbo. I advised I should still have warranties from Ford. Took to my Ford dealership I leased from in Dec 2017, and purchased in Dec 2020 and regularly brought my vehicle to. They said you need a new engine, and your warranties expired 5 months ago. My Ford had 38K miles ONLY! Called warranty # for Ford, no help, dealership wouldn't help. 38K miles on a 2018 Ford Escape and it's now JUNK! 15K for a new engine on a car that's worth 8K. Great job FORD! Never again! | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | ENGINE | Engine running rough on start; found coolant intrusion in cylinder 3; necessary to replace long block assembly | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | ENGINE | Driving on highway, suddenly starts chugging and stalling, blowing white smoke and engine light comes on. On side of road won't restart. Ford dealer confirmed it was coolant intrusion from a known engine faulty design, dealer said Ford did not cover all VINS that this effected, (which mine was one) even though it met the other criteria. Has only been inspected and confirmed at Ford repair center. Engine lights on at same time engine began mis-firing during drive. No previous warnings or issues with the car. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | ENGINE | Car started losing coolant and engine overheating on highway. Ford knows about this issue with coolant leaking into engine block but fails to mention to current owners. We have to figure it out ourselves once the engine is destroyed and damage is done and the expensive fix is in. This is dangerous! | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No Injuries: 1 Medical attention | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | ENGINE | Coolant breach in engine block, Cylinder 3. Causing misfire and engine fault. TSB 22-2322 | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | 1.5 L eco boost engine FORD- COOLANT INTRUSION, cylinder 3 misfire, check engine light at 59,800 miles - known defect by Ford- needs new engine. Some models recalled but not this one (?? Why??). Cannot safely drive this vehicle. Problem diagnosed by dealer[ as well as by independent garage] and dealer acknowledged a recall should be done but they cannot help except to replace the engine at my expense. So many others having the same issue! Can you please help us get Ford to take responsibility for selling us vehicles with defective engines? Please?? Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | ENGINE | Coolant intrusion in the engine which needs replacement. Car was misfiring and white smoke coming out took the auto shop for service. Its about $9400 to fix the car which is now more than the car is worth. Dealership never warned me that this was a potential issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | ENGINE | 2018 Ford Escape 105K miles. Check engine light came on, car ran rough, white smoke coming out of tail pipe. I took it to a third party mechanic, they ruled out coolant intrusion (or so they said) replaced a coil and spark plug and cleared check engine light. One week later after I had driven maybe 100 miles it had a very rough start in the morning and the check engine light came on again. I noticed white smoke coming out of the tail pipe. I had it towed back to the mechanic that first worked on it. They found coolant intrusion. This creates a safety concern because the vehicle can misfire, overheat, lose power, enter limp mode, or stall while driving, including at highway speeds or in traffic. A sudden loss of engine power could prevent me from accelerating, merging, clearing an intersection, or safely pulling off the roadway. Ford has acknowledged coolant intrusion on certain 2017–2019 Escape 1.5L engines through Customer Satisfaction Program 21N12, which provided short-block repair coverage for coolant intrusion, but my vehicle is now outside coverage and requires an engine replacement. Up to this point Ford has refused to provide any assistance. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | ENGINE | I purchased this vehicle used in 2024, and since I bought it have had a variety of issues. I have already invested over 5k in repairs. I have replaced the head gasket and now the water pump twice. This vehicle will not stop overheating. Ford has a known issue with these engines and should correct these issues. They are making working families go broke and we still owed 8k on the car loan. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the coolant had leaked into cylinder two and engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified on the failure, and they offered no assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 48,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 48,000 |
| May 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Got vechile 3 months ago. On going issues with coolant,overheating, pull over light coming on. Vechile has been in the shop 4 times for the same reason. Thermostat changed twice. Mechanic said common problem with fors escape. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | ENGINE | Check engine light came on and took to shop and determined that coolant intrusion in cylinder #2 this was a recall on other 2018 Ford Escape but not this VIN number. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | ENGINE | Componet System that Failed: Engine and engine cooling Complaint Description:The vehicle experienced a sudden internal engine failure due to a manufacturer design defect causing coolant intrusion into the engine cylinders. A professional mechanic diagnosed the issue with Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) P0303, confirming a Cylinder 3 misfire caused by coolant leaking into the block. The vehicle requires a total engine replacement at just 48,406 miles. This internal coolant leak poses a severe safety hazard, including sudden engine stalling, loss of motive power while driving, and potential thermal runaway/engine fire risks. The vehicle is currently rendered unsafe to drive and is parked at my residence. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Safety issue involving a 2018 Ford Escape, Shortly after purchase, after approximately 80 miles of use, the vehicle displayed a “Service Transmission Now” warning, entered limp mode, and lost normal power/speed while on the interstate. This created a hazardous situation for me and my passenger because the vehicle could not operate normally in interstate traffic. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The mechanic diagnosed transmission failure requiring replacement and reported that the transmission fluid was black/burnt. The vehicle was later taken to the dealership’s shop after the selling dealer instructed me to bring it there. I understand that the transmission issue was also confirmed there. I am reporting this because the transmission failure and limp-mode event occurred almost immediately after purchase and created a roadway safety hazard. I am requesting that NHTSA log this complaint for defect/safety tracking and review. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |