10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 4 / 3
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 7 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 22,020 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.
« Read the previous 20 complaints
Last week, I noticed that my vehicle was not driving the same. It was like jerking a little. I called and made an appointment with Ford service department. They did a diagnostic and said coolant was leaking into the engine. The car has a little over 72,000 miles on it. I looked at saw other Escapes had the same problem. I am writing to add to other complaints concerning the engine. Thank you.
- Chesapeake, VA, USA
Vehicle has 45655 miles on it. Vehicle idled rough at start on 9-5-23. Upon driving at highway speeds check engine light illuminated. Vehicle was taken to repair shop the next day and was found to have coolant in the engine block and no coolant in the reservoir. No other engine lights are on no indicator for temp and temp was in the normal range.
- Palmyra, MO, USA
On August 1, 2023 my vehicle began to show engine issues. When I started it, it would shudder, like it wasn't getting fuel. I contacted Firestone and scheduled a diagnostic for that Friday. In the meantime, I bought some enginge cleaner and put it in my gas tank. Firestone reports that the coolant has leaked into the head gasket, causing my vehicle to need a new enginge. They printed out a report of CSP21N12 which covers this KNOWN ISSUE for 84,000 or 7 years. My vehicle has 92,800 miles on it and had shown no signs of this issue prior. The vehicle was then seen at Dahl Ford in Davenport, Iowa where they confirmed that the coolant was leaking into the enginge and it needed replaced. Again, this is known issue that Ford has been aware of since 2019. They have released numerous TSBs (which I didn't even know existed until August 4). Ending the coverage at 84,000 miles is not acceptable and this is a serious safety hazard. The vehicle can catch fire if it runs out of coolant. The vehicle can stall in the middle of the road causing a potential accident. Ford needs to issue a recall.
- Davenport, IA, USA
Shifts hard sometimes slamming into and out of gears causing car to jump. No warning lights torque converter replaced at 58000 miles. Less than two years later problem came back. It causes the car to jerk sometimes when it shifts and stutters at times as well causing the car to slow down. May someday stop with no warning causing a crash.
- Brooksville, FL, USA
Headgasket failed. Coolant is leaking into the cylinders. Repair requires complete engine replacement. After doing some questioning/investigating, it was revealed that this is a known problem with this vehicle and Ford is doing nothing to notify owners/compensate for this mechanical failure. The symptoms of this failure (misfires leading to improper engine behavior/failure to accelerate) are a significant safety issue.
- Canby , OR, USA
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at slower speeds, the vehicle was shaking abnormally. While depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond. The accelerator pedal was depressed to the floorboard. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The engine overheated. The contact checked the coolant level but found no leaks. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
- Enola, PA, USA
What component or system failed or malfunctioned. Flexplate cracked at 62037 It is available for inspection upon request. I have the dealer's invoice. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk" There was a knocking noise in the motor while i was on the highway with my kids. no Warning lights. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes, The dealer. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Yes, the Wayne Ford service center. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear" No there was no warning lights. No symptoms.
- Newark, NJ, USA
Coolant intrusion into engine block which caused rough idling and overheating. Potential for vehicle to start on fire. Engine has to be replaced.
- Wausau, WI, USA
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.
- Sierra Madre, CA, USA
Coolant leaking in engine making car not Start and getting stranded
- Oak Harbor, OH, USA
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle began to overheat intermittently, prompting the driver to pull to the side of the roadway, where the failure persisted. The check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who determined that the head gasket had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number 23V380000 (Engine) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 86,000. The contact stated after the independent mechanic diagnosed the vehicle with engine failure, the vehicle was towed to Ford who confirmed it was in fact engine failure. The cost for repairs was $10,000+ prohibitive without a recall, especially since there is a $17,000 balance on the financed car only ten months earlier.
- Osterville, MA, USA
My 2018 Ford Escape started out with a flashing engine light. Code said was coil #2. Overheated because didnt realize was using coolant. We changed the coils and spark plugs. Engine light went off and continued to keep an eye on the coolant. Engine light came back on next day. Noticed it not wanting to start and was having to fill coolant up frequently. Then noticed the lag when accelerating. Finally wouldn't start at all. Took it to the dealership and they said the coolant was leaking into the second cylinder and I need a new engine. The extended warranty is out (118,880 miles) so I'm not able to get it fixed. I'm still paying on the car.
- Glencoe, OK, USA
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the spark plugs were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer where it was discovered that coolant had leaked into cylinder #2. The dealer informed the contact that either the engine block or the engine might need to be replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 103,000.
- Turtle Lake, WI, USA
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving out of the driveway, the vehicle was running rough. The message stating that the engine was overheating was displayed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with engine failure, caused by a misfire in cylinder #3. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed the engine failure. The contact was informed that the vehicle was no longer under Warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 84,572.
- Pine Bluff, AR, USA
We found out on July 3, 2023 that the coolant level was low in the reservoir and the vehicle was stuttering. While doing research on the issue I found that there is a manufacturer defect in the engine short block on the 1.5L engine installed from 2017 to 2019 in the ford fusion and the ford escape. I also found a Customer Satisfaction Bulletin 21N12 that was sent out June 09, 2022 which extended the manufacturer-??s warranty from 5 year 60,000 miles to 7 year 84,000 miles. Our 2018 ford escape fell out of those parameters, since we found the issue when the vehicle was at 88,000 miles.
- Punxsutawney, PA, USA
Car began blowing large plume of white smoke out exhaust on startup around 100k miles. It was determined to be the internal coolant leak as described by NHSTA TSB 10218621. Quoted by dealer as over $4000 to repair. No warning lights have come on with the vehicle. Only thing that made me aware of this issues was the smoke coming out of vehicle.
- Seaford, DE, USA
My car has coolant intrusion problem where the coolant get into the cylinders so I have to top off the coolant after evey drive with a quart of coolant or so. Also there is white smoke coming out of the exhaust beside a faulty engine message that comes and goes on the dash.
- Dearborn Heights, MI, USA
Coolant intrusion into cylinders. At least new short block needed, if not a long block assembly..
- Huntsville, TX, USA
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.
- East Brunswick, NJ, USA
- Grand Rapids, MI, USA