The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while his wife was driving approximately 35-45 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle was overheating. A message advising to pull to the side of the road was displayed. The contact's wife was able to veer to the side of the road. The vehicle was taken to the nearest independent mechanic, where the water pump, the serpentine belt, the water pump gasket, the cylinder head temperature sensor and the coolant temperature sensor were replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated, the message "Service Now" was displayed, and the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. The vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that there was hydrocarbon intrusion into the coolant system. The mechanic determined that the failure was related to Ford Campaign Number: 21N12. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed there was coolant intrusion into the cylinders, and the dealer determined that the short block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 83,100.

- Shelton, CT, USA

Coolant intrusion to the cylinder bores.

- Durango, CO, USA

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact became aware of a flowing liquid sound underneath the hood. The vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with coolant leak into the engine and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed of Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12; however, the contact was informed that the repair could not be covered under the Customer Satisfaction Program. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

- Overland Park, KS, USA

Coolant leaked into causing engine failure. Now having to have engine replaced. Noticed 156 other complaints to NHTSA regarding same issues. Why is Ford not doing anything about this. My Ford has 58560 miles on it.

- Oroville , CA, USA

Widely known issue that the engine has coolant leaking into the engine. Ford issued a statement on it. Now the same thing is happening to my car. Safety of myself and others put at risk by vehicle running incorrectly and engine is now misfiring resulting in difficulty maintaining power while driving. Problem has been confirmed by independent body shop and is being confirmed but dealer now. Check engine light was on at 97k and now at 106k with same codes.

- Oxford, CT, USA

Our vehicle is a 2018 Ford Escape with 54,843 miles. This vehicle was purchased Used from Ted Britt Ford, Chantilly, Va. and assured there was no issues with the vehicle. On or around February 20, 2024 my daughter notified me the check engine light is on. Dropped it off a local repair shop which identified there was a misfiring and needed a bore scope to see inside. Borescope discovered coolant in the cylinders indicating the head gasket is leaking. Call Ford US Customer Service same day (February 26, 2024), said they need Ford mechanic to look at it. Took to Chantilly who confirmed. Called Ford USA back, said they would talk with Ford Dealer and call me back, never returned a call. I've been calling them every 2-3 days since. Finally today they said 'there is no program to provide financial assistance' which really pisses me off. Reading industry material from reddit indicates this is a consistent problem experienced by many drivers of the Ford Escape. Seeing these reports indicate a bigger problem with the design and manufacturing of the Ford Escape. Consumers are left to pay the bill estimated at $13,000 - $15,000. Ford states there is no program to support this. I see this is a safety issue. What if a driver (in this case an 18yr old girl) has an engine seize stranding the driver. Ford America Customer Service Case # CXH-01638292

- Aldie, VA, USA

Went to start vehicle in morning after it had been sitting overnight. temperature gauge went all the way to red immediately and alert on dash said do not drive vehicle and turn engine off immediately. had it towed to dealer and they advised coolant was leaking which caused blown head gasket. only fix is to replace engine which will cost more than vehicle is worth

- Oakdale, CA, USA

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle started leaking fluid. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the fuel line was cracked. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the failure was due to a cracked fuel line. The contact stated that the failure was related to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

- Flatwoods, KY, USA

The day after paying off my wife's 2018 Escape with 102,000 miles on it started telling us to pull over while driving on the highway because the engine was getting hot We pulled over and it went away. The next time we drove it our daughter was driving with our grandson in the car and it would not go more than a mile or two without overheating. We took it to be looked at by a local mechanic and was told that these regularly have head gasket problems, that was the problem with ours and we would have to replace the engine for about $10,000. A quick call to the Ford dealer and a perusal of the internet confirmed what the mechanic stated. I see information about the faulty head gaskets on the 1.0 liter engines, when I look on line I see at least as many customer complaints about the 1.5 liter engine in the escapes. These engines both have the same faulty wet sleeve design that is going to fail prematurely. Why isn't Ford being forced to address the dangerous engines in the escapes as well as the ecosport?

- Kansas City, MO, USA

Check engine light came on for misfire. Odaniel Ford in New Haven, Indiana confirms coolant intrusion. Short block needs replace for $6800.

- Fort Wayne, IN, USA

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that coolant had intruded into the cylinders. The dealer recommended that the engine be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.

- Westlake, OH, USA

My check engine light came on and I brought my 2018 Ford Escape to a mechanic. I then learned that coolant was leaking into the engine and causing the spark plugs to misfire. Ford had a bulletin on this issue but refused to perform any repairs on it (they recommended a full engine replacement). I contacted both Ford's customer service line and spoke to the service department at the dealership. Both said they could do nothing to help. I researched this issue and discovered that it is common in this make and model. I do not wish to pay the $10,000 it would cost to replace the engine on my own. I fear that this vehicle may overheat and fail for me on the highway with the loss of engine coolant or the misfire of the spark plugs.

- Burnsville, MN, USA

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered, and a burning odor was detected. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who replaced the water pump and timing belt; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where the spark plugs were replaced, but the failure persisted, and the vehicle hesitated to restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the failure was related to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12 (Short Block Replacement After Coolant Intrusion). The contact was referred to the manufacturer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The contact was informed that the VIN was included in Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12 (Short Block Replacement After Coolant Intrusion); however, the vehicle exceeded the mileage limitations. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

- Arcadia, OK, USA

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.

- Arvada, CO, USA

Coolant leaking into engine

- Killingworth, CT, USA

Car is experiencing coolant intrusion into cylinder of engine. Ford dealership in Orlando Florida is saying engine needs to be replaced. I'm reading that this issue is very common with this car. It was a safety hazzard for us because the car was running rough on a very busy highway. Had it towed to dealership.

- North Ogden , UT, USA

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.

- Beavercreek, OH, USA

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced rough idling, with white smoke coming from the exhaust. The check engine warning light remained illuminated while driving. The vehicle was examined by the local mechanic who determined there was coolant inside the cylinder #3, which caused severe engine damage. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and the local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

- Knoxville, TN, USA

I have ford escape 2018 S and I bought the car from koons ford silver spring MD. It is unfortunate whenever I drive the car for long hours ; suddenly the acceleration declines and the vehicle loose its power. And a strange click sound comes up and the check engine light on. Once I parked the car and the car cool down --the warning system disappear. I tried to contact the dealership and I was told my vehicle is not on recall list despite my vehicle have the same symptom--I bought this car very expensive and handle it with care and the car has only 5900 miles on it. Appreciate if you guys could investigate the case.

- Silver Spring, MD, USA

COOLANT LEAKING INTO ENGINE - I've owned this car for exactly 6 years tomorrow (2/20/24). It has 106k on the odometer. It's almost paid off and Ford tells me the coolant issue will be $10k to repair which is more than the car is worth, more than I owe on the car. They'll give me $500 to salvage it. Ford knows about this issue but won't cover it because my car is over 80k. Ridiculous. I will never buy another Ford product again.

- Knoxville, TN, USA