68 complaints reported

2018 Ford Escape POWER TRAIN,ENGINE

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
68
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Sep 2024

I have coolant leaking into my engine. There are several misfires occurring ans it doesn’t always start. Have replaced spark plugs and a few hoses. Issue still isn’t resolved

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 FORD ESCAPE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jul 2024
Aug 2024

It is a power train failure. Hi my name is [XXX] I bought a 2018 Ford escape SE 1.5L eco boost on 9-3-2022 and it had 75,000 miles on it. I’m now finding out that it had a recall (21N12) when I bought it that expired at 84,000 miles. My car is now at 120,000 miles and my engine needs to be replaced. I was never told about the recall and was still sold the car that didn’t even last 2 YEARS!!!!! Now it’s going to be $8,000 to replace my motor. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 FORD ESCAPE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Aug 2024
Aug 2024

The 2018 Ford Escape had a check engine light come on. It showed a code (P0303) that said cylinder 3 was misfiring. It was also having white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe and my coolant was draining really quickly. The coolant tank was completely empty before hitting 2,000 miles since it had last been filled. I took the vehicle into a Ford dealership for a diagnostic check to see what was going on. In the end I was told that I have a crack in the long block that is letting coolant into my cylinders which is causing the misfiring. I was told that the possibility of an engine fire and a few other things that make the engine not work could have happened while driving it. Unfortunately the vehicle isn’t even paid off yet and I can’t drive it for fear of something bad happening while doing so. They are quoting me around $8600 to fix it. We are currently trying to figure out if there is anyway of fixing it without having to pay out of pocket. It appears that this is a common problem with 2018 ford escape 2.0L engines. My engine was manufactured in Louisville, Kentucky. The Ford company sent a notice or something out on [XXX] that said the manufacturer error engines for the 2017-2019 Ford Escape 1.5L Ecoboost were manufactured in Louisville, Kentucky. Seeing as my engine was made there and has the same problem as the 1.5L engines I feel like there should be a recall put out for the 2.0L and the 1.5L 2017-2019 Ford Escape engines. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 FORD ESCAPE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Mar 2024
Jul 2024

Vehicle has less than 100k miles and has an engine failure resulting from coolant intrusion. Ford support admits this is a known issue but refuses to give any remedial action to solve it because the nhtsa handles recalls not them. They will not tell me anything unless I pay to have it towed to a dealer and pay for diagnostics.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 FORD ESCAPE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jul 2024
Jul 2024

Coolant Leak, engine damage, overheated engine

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 FORD ESCAPE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jul 2024
Jul 2024

FLEX BROKEN AGAIN THIS WILL BE 3RD FLEX PLATE PUT INTO CAR. ALL WORK DONE AT FORD CAR ONLY HAS 80,000 MILES ON IT ABOUT EVERY 20.000 MILES IT BRAKES

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 FORD ESCAPE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jul 2024
Jun 2024

Check engine light came on with a P0302 code, indicating misfire. Took it to the dealer that verified coolant intrusion, indicating 21N12. Mileage exceeding the allowable coverage under 21N12, but it was covered by an extended warranty. In addition to having the short block replaced, the wiring harness and PCM were soaked with oil, requiring additional replacement of both. A month prior, the flex plate also failed and required replacement under warranty.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 FORD ESCAPE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: May 2024
Jun 2024

I replaced the engine cause the head gasket was blown previously. 2 months later my check engine goes on and Powertrain - ON Powertrain Trouble Code[s]: P0301 Cylinder 1 Misfire Detected Code P0301 indicates that Cylinder 1 had too many misfires within a predetermined period of time. P0301 Cylinder 1 Misfire Detected P0300 Random Misfire Detected P0304 Cylinder 4 Misfire Detected Secondary Trouble Code[s]: P0300, P0304, P0301, P0300, P0304

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 FORD ESCAPE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Aug 2024
May 2024

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the power train warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and a local dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that coolant intrusion had damaged the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related to the failure to the Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure however, the contact was informed that the vehicle could not be repaired under the Customer Satisfaction Program because the mileage had been exceeded. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 FORD ESCAPE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: May 2024
Apr 2024

December 2023 my 2018 ford escape 1.5L ecoboost had low coolant levels. We put more in every other day. The check engine light came on and a warning saying engine failure repair now. Took it to an independent garage where I was told it needed a new short block due to coolant intrusion. I called ford and was told to take to ford dealership to be diagnosed. I was told the same thing there. I’m 180 miles over the 84,000 that they extended it too so I have to pay. I applied for financial assistance and fords paying some of my bill. It’s been 5 months and I’m getting the run around from them and won’t have my car until at least mid may. I’m also being denied a loaner. I was on my way home from work and my car alerted me it was over heating and to turn it off. Then my car threw itself in “limp mode” causing me to go from 55 to 15 within a matter of seconds almost causing an accident if people behind me didn’t swerve around me. With so many complaints how is this not a recall? It poses a great risk for the driver of the vehicle along with other potential drivers on the road.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 FORD ESCAPE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Dec 2023
Feb 2024

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was experiencing hard shifts and the transmission was slipping. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the failure was related to the transmission. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, but the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was taken to another dealer, where it was diagnosed that an unknown transmission part had failed, but the vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to a transmission specialist, where the transmission fluid was flushed, and the failure ceased. The contact stated that the check engine warning light later illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the transmission specialist, where it was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the transmission fluid was abnormally dark. The transmission specialist replaced the valve control assembly, the solenoid valve blocks, the clutch drum 3-4-5. Additionally, the transmission fluid was flushed, and the transmission was reprogrammed. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer for repairs to reimbursed. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 FORD ESCAPE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 2023
Feb 2024

The flex plate cracked in four places. I have images showing the cracks on the flex plate. The problem was confirmed by an independent service center. There were no warning lamps or messages, only a percussive tapping sound caused by the cracked flex plate. This issue could cause loss of control of the vehicle leading to an accident.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 FORD ESCAPE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Feb 2024
Dec 2023

I Purchased a 2018 Ford Escape SE (VIN# [XXX] ) with 1.5 EcoBoost Engine on 9/24/2023 with 89,726 miles. On 12/10/2023 my 16 year old son was operating vehicle when he experienced a catastrophic engine failure and the vehicle is unserviceable. The vehicle had 90,766 miles on it at the time of the failure. Vehicle was diagnosed on 12/18/2023 and it was determined that there was coolant intrusion into the #2 and #3 cylinder and that the engine will need to replaced. Diagnosis showed that Ford had issued (2) Customer Satisfaction Program alerts on the vehicle for this issue Ford CSP 21N12 and 19B37 on 06/9/2022. I contacted Ford Motor Company and my local dealer to report the issue. I was advised this is a known issue with this specific engine although the vehicle is beyond the extended warranty under the Ford CSP's above. This known issue on this vehicle was not disclosed to my at the time of purchase and Ford will not cover any cost associated with the repair. I feel this known issue should be a recall due to the fact that this catastrophic engine failure does pose a significant safety risk to the vehicle operator and other traveling public. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 FORD ESCAPE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Nov 2023
Dec 2023

Coolant going into block and ford refuses to fix makes no since there was a customer satisfaction on this issue it ended . But I never got the paper work on this issue I would say people before me did .Ford customer service told me I should of been cking internet really it was a new car for me and now they want 6000 to fix . I don't understand cuz I did a recall and the 1.6 and 2.0 why did they not do a recall on the 1.5 that makes no sense to me I really wish somebody would explain it to me this problem has been with this motor since 2010 they recalled all of them but they won't recall this now I'm lost please help me I'm done with that a car now for a month nobody is willing to help I have an extended warranty they won't help because they said that Ford should fix it cuz it's their default. But it doesn't make any sense that you got it somebody recalls all the other ones but not the 1.5 and now they're recalling 2020

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 FORD ESCAPE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Nov 2023
Dec 2023

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate properly; however, the vehicle jolted while reversing. The transmission warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact there was a delay in the drive train, and that the engine had internal damages. The contact stated that the engine was replaced prior to the failure by the local dealer. The mechanic recommended that the engine be rebuilt. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 131,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 FORD ESCAPE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 2022
Nov 2023

The transmission was found to have a leak by my personal mechanic. The suv does not have a dipstick to check if fluid is low so a few weeks ago it start making noise and running weird. It would hesitate while driving, slow acceleration, even sputtering to the point of possible shutting off. Sometimes I am not able to reverse out of the way of traffic. It is dangerous especially if my children are in the car. My mechanic said that at first he just thought it was low on fluid and then he seen a puddle on the pan that collects underneath but he assumed it was oil but that wouldn't be because I just got an oil change from the dealership. Come to find out the transmission has had a slow leak that I would have never even noticed because there is a collection panel underneath. I've tried to contact the dealership multiple times. No help, we've only had the car for 15 months.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 FORD ESCAPE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jul 2023
Oct 2023

My 2018 Ford Escape has a coolant intrusion, which if left unchecked, can cause serious damage and danger (fire). I purchased this used vehicle from a trusted dealership, only 7 months ago, to now discover this issue and find out that the recall that could have fixed this is now "expired". Coolant intrusion was confirmed by a local autoshop and confirmed by Ford. There was a brief flashing MIL light, but it has not gone off since, which also adds to the concern.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 FORD ESCAPE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Oct 2023
Oct 2023

The vehicle check engine light came on at 61k miles, was found to be misfiring. Upon inspection, dealership found coolant intrusion in engine. Engine will require block replacement. Vehicle could have overheated, caught fire, or left family members stranded in severe weather conditions.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 FORD ESCAPE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Dec 2023
Sep 2023

I purchased this vehicle in July of 2023 and put 3000 miles on it and then found out when parked and sits…when started blue smoke comes out of exhaust. Made an appointment at a Ford dealer, it was there 10 days without being looked at and I needed to return the rental car, which I told the service advisor that it had to be checked out in order for my warranty company to pay my rental fees, kept calling with no answer.. ended up taking it to another dealer which diagnosed it needing an engine due to the cyclinders taking coolant… they than til me they 6 months out due to having 6 escapes just like mine in front, all needing engines.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 FORD ESCAPE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Sep 2023
Sep 2023

I was driving around 50 mph. A notice popped up that said service engine now. It then started to run hot. I pulled over on the side of the road and the car wouldn’t start. The car had no coolant in it at all when my help arrived. It was empty. I now have a message on my Ford app that says power train malfunction. I haven’t had this car two years. My safety was at risk because my daughter was in the car and it started to run hot. I thought my car was going to catch fire. I can’t afford to fix this when thousands of other people have had this same issue.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 FORD ESCAPE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Aug 2023
Sep 2023

Coolant intrusion into the engine from the cylinder. Check engine light came on for a misfire. My mechanic read the diagnostic codes as a misfired cylinder. Ford admits they know this is an issue with the 1.5L Eco-boost Engine but will only cover 60% of the repair.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 FORD ESCAPE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Nov 2022
Aug 2023

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at the local dealer for routine maintenance, the mechanic discovered water inside the cylinder head, and informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The engine was replaced, and the failure was remedied. Recently while driving at various speeds, there was a loud revving sound while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 52,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 FORD ESCAPE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Aug 2023
Jul 2023

During my ownership of a 2018 Ford Escape equipped with a 1.5L EcoBoost engine, a series of catastrophic engine failures occurred, jeopardizing my safety and that of others on the road. The specific components that failed this time include the short block, crankshaft, and other critical components within the long block, such as the pump and converter. Additionally, the torque converter and flex plate required replacement. These components are available for inspection upon request. The failures posed significant safety risks as the vehicle experienced a sudden loss of power and acceleration, leading to potential hazards for both myself and adjacent motorists. The problem has been confirmed by the All American Ford dealership in Old Bridge, NJ, where detailed diagnostic testing revealed the flex plate and short block were damaged. The vehicle has been inspected by the All American Ford dealership, and a claim was filed with my warranty company (Olive Warranty), but unjustly denied, despite the recurring nature of these failures. Significantly, no warning lamps or messages alerted to the impending issue prior to the failure, and the initial symptom was a clicking noise upon activating the AC. My local mechanic initially suspected the problem to be related to the air compressor, but further inspection revealed that it was not the cause of the issue.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 FORD ESCAPE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Mar 2023
Jul 2023

I own a 2018 Ford Escape SE. In May, I started my car & it shook, the check engine light started blinking. I took it to Auto Zone for a diagnostic; diagnostic trouble codes Power Train System - P0302/ cylinder 2 misfire detected & Anti-Lock Brake System (No Code) /Service Interval Light. I was told to replace the spark plugs & ignition coil. I took it to an independent mechanic, sparks plugs & coil were replaced. The check engine light off. Notice I was using more gas. 2 weeks later, check engine light came on, car started shaking. I took it to Auto Zone for another diagnostic & was told the same thing, issue with the spark plugs and coil, misfire for cylinder 2. July 14, took it to the dealership for an oil change; I was told the coolant was below level/ low. In my Ford Pass App, I received an alert; I decided to sign in into my FORD ACCOUNT, where I have my cars registered. I saw an alert with the following messages: 1 * Recalls: You're all set! There are no recalls for your vehicle. 2 * CSP (Customer Satisfaction Program 19B37 will be in effect until November 30,2022, regardless of mileage. Coverage is automatically transferred to subsequent owners. Additionally, if engine damage has occurred due to coolant intrusion, Ford Motor Company is providing a one-time repair of the engine short block. I called Mac Haik Ford Dealership and notify them of the issue. They wanted to charge me $155 just for a diagnostic. I told then that according to Campaign #21N12, I'm not suppose to be charge. I left my vehicle at the dealership for the diagnostic and at 3:54pm, I received a message for the service adviser telling me this "Hello this is [XXX] with Mac Haik Ford. The technician has looked at your vehicle & it is coolant intrusion. We have ordered parts, and we will be going into Monday with your vehicle. I will touch base with you again on Monday, have a great weekend. My car could have overheated & could have been stranded on the freeway or could have been in an accident INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 FORD ESCAPE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jul 2023
Jun 2023

2018 Ford escape with 53,700 miles. Ford designed a faulty metal plate between the cylinders. Too thin. It cracked. Coolant flooded the engine. The engine needed to be replaced. The dealership replaced the lower half of engine, luckily, before my 60,000 mile warranty. This is a common problem that has been happening since 2018!!! Please issue a recall. Ford is just waiting until people are stranded on the side of the road facing thousands of dollars in repairs!

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2018 FORD ESCAPE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Feb 2022

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 2018 Ford Escape has 68 POWER TRAIN,ENGINE complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.