10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
4 / 3
Injuries / Deaths:
7 / 0
Average Mileage:
21,531 miles

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« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #738

May 152025

Escape

  • miles
Purchased 2018 Escape at 64, xxx miles and was doing well. At around 86, xxx miles noticed a misfire and white smoke out of the exhaust. Took it to a shop and they did tests. They confirmed that it had coolant intrusion on cylinders 2 & 3. Since it is 2,000 miles over the 21N12 FoMoCo said we are basically on our own for repairs. Thank for being so stand up for your products Ford!!

- Casper, WY, USA

problem #737

May 132025

Escape

  • miles
All of a sudden, right around 108,000 miles, the check engine light came on. Upon several mechanic visits, and replacing ignition coils, and spark plugs, and even doing a system engine oil flush, the check engine light keeps coming back on. The same code is displayed, a cylinder 2 and 3 misfire. Upon further investigation, I've found that this is a common issue that happens with the same model as my vehicle and instances occur with various mileage on the vehicle, some reported from 15,000 and up to 240,000 miles on the vehicle. During my research, I found that Ford realized that this was the engine type itself being at fault and changed from a short block engine to a better one going forward. I've also read reports that Ford has corrected the issue by replacing the engine retroactively. I feel that this is a major safety concern, as I was told be several mechanics that it could fail while driving and shake uncontrollably, which as anyone who drives would know, could cause major collisions. I urge this agency to take corrective action against Ford Motor Company in general and in encouraging them to fix the issue in my vehicle.

- Land O Lakes, FL, USA

problem #736

May 112025

Escape

  • miles
My car was working fine. Two weeks ago, the check engine light came on, so I took it to a local repair shop. They said it had a misfire code and the car needed new spark plugs and a new ignition coil. My Escape has 86,000 miles on it. The check engine light went off, but a week later, the dashboard lit up like a Christmas tree and said engine was overheating, stop car immediately. I was about 1 block from my house. The car stalled and would not run at all. After about five minutes, I was able to start the car and limp back home. I called AAA and they towed it to a AAA repair center. Three days later, the repair center called and said that I needed a new engine. They told me that there was a known problem with these engines and that Ford would replace the engines in cars with 84,000 miles or less. They advised me to go to a dealer and see if they would replace the engine because I was so close to 84,000. I went to a Ford dealer and they said they would not replace the engine. They also said that if the Ford dealer replaced the engine, it would cost approximately $8,000. The car is valued at $10-12,000. I currently still owe $12,000 on this vehicle.

- Largo, FL, USA

problem #735

May 192025

Escape

  • miles
Engine coolant intrusion into Cylinder head. Vehicle is a 2018 with 95k miles on it. This is causing cylinder 1 misfiring and FORD is saying it requires a new engine block.

- Geneva, IL, USA

problem #734

May 022025

Escape

  • miles
Ford is trying to say that my engine is blown, my check engine light came on at 105,000 miles and it said that my cylinder too was misfiring. I brought it to my mechanic and he replaced the coils and the spark plugs and the check engine light kept coming back on within a few hours I took the vehicle to my mechanic five times in three days the last time I took it to my mechanic the vehicle started overheat, there was no power, the vehicle is shaking, and it left me pretty much stuck on the side of the road with a child in my car.

- Saint Albans, VT, USA

problem #733

May 142025

Escape

  • 127,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH and approaching a red traffic light, the vehicle began to jerk then suddenly lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to be restarted. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the contact stated that upon reaching her destination, the vehicle stalled and had since not been able to restart. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 127,000.

- San Bernardino, CA, USA

problem #732

Apr 232025

Escape

  • 45,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, there was an abnormal rumbling sound coming from the engine compartment, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle accelerated normally, but while the vehicle was idling, the contact observed a rumbling sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the spark plugs needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure reoccurred three days later. The vehicle was taken to the same independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the cylinders needed to be interchanged. The vehicle was repaired but the failure reoccurred five days later. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.

- Panama City, FL, USA

problem #731

May 082025

Escape

  • miles
Ecoboost 1.8l engine failure due to coolant leaking into the cylinders. Looks to be a very common issue that Ford is very aware.

- Stow, OH, USA

problem #730

Apr 012025

Escape

  • miles
I purchased this car new [XXX]. It was running rough for some time but now has 90,000 miles on it. I took it in for the shifter cable recall. I told them it was running rough. The Ford dealership here in Arkansas said it was coolant leaking into cylinder #2. By researching, I found that Ford issued a Customer Satisfaction Program 21N12 in June 2022 for this specific issue. I never got a notice in the mail. Ford Motor company says this program stops at 84,000 miles or June 19, 2025 for me so I am out of luck since I have more than 84,000. This is wrong. It should apply to all mileage for such an issue. This should be a recall. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Fort Smith, AR, USA

problem #729

May 012025

Escape

  • miles
My coolant is leaking into the motor. Shop gave me a quote for a whole new engine. I-??ve seen so many posts on forums and many friends who own the same car having the same problem. Please please make Ford issue a recall as this is my only vehicle and I got it hoping to finally not have to worry about car problems for a while. It-??s been 2 months since I bought it.

- Hillsboro, OH, USA

problem #728

Apr 282025

Escape

  • miles
Check engine light came on at 103k miles with a P0302 error code. Replaced spark plugs and check engine light went away. 2 weeks later high engine temperature warning came on. Had it towed to a mechanic. Diagnosis was a cracked engine block with coolant leaking into cylinder number 3. Complete engine and turbo replacement is needed quoted at $11k.

- West Chester, OH, USA

problem #727

May 152024

Escape

  • miles
I have a coolant intrusion in the 1.5L engine and now I have to have the entire engine replaced, and it will cost me more than the car is worth. This is a widely known problem and Ford refuses to include all year/make/models with this issue. I have no way to get my car fixed and it's been down for over a year now because I can't afford to get it fixed.

- Jacksonville, FL, USA

problem #726

Apr 242025

Escape

  • miles
The car hit 101,000 miles, and the check engine light came on. I do not remember having the spark plugs replaces, so I took the car in to the dealership to have those done thinking that was the problem. They have the car for two days. The dealership replaced the spark plugs and the crank case. The day after the car came back it did not start. Then the next time I drove it, I made it half a mile down the road and it started smoking. After the car was towed to the dealership at 9:57 am, this is the first message I received from the dealership at 4:48pm on Tuesday. "I wanted to inform you the tech did take a look at the vehicle and found a bunch of codes to different parts of the system. The shop foreman, my manager, and my director are all involved to correct this for you. Still performing inspections of different parts of the engine & under the hood." The second message I received was 11:37 Thursday "I apologize, I had to leave office yesterday at 1030 unexpectedly. I have been catching up on everything since returning today. I was informed there is coolant intrusion on the engine after performing the spark plugs. That is what caused the vehicle to start overheating. Our sincere apologies. There is a recall on the vehicle for this exact concern. It calls for an engine replacement. However, your vehicle is outside of the allotted mileage for that recall. I have submitted to both Ford and our rep for assistance to have these repairs taken care of. Per my manager, Jess & director Chris, please stay in the loaner vehicle (our cost) until we can resolve this matter. I should have an answer from our rep/Ford by this afternoon." Then I did not hear from them again until the Monday after at 1:37 pm asking for me to call them. The news on the phone call was that it was an extended warranty not a recall and that Ford was not willing to do anything about it.

- Baltimore, MD, USA

problem #725

May 052025

Escape

  • miles
The coolant leaked, causing the need for a total engine replacement at only 68,000 miles. This has essentially totaled my vehicle, with the cost of repair exceeding the value of the car. It also placed my family and me at risk if the car had overheated. The vehicle has been inspected and the issue confirmed by my Ford dealer.

- Indianapolis, IN, USA

problem #724

May 022025

Escape

  • miles
The vehicle was shaking really bad when started. I took the vehicle to a mechanic since it seemed like it was mis-firing. I was told the vehicle was leaking coolant into the 2nd cylinder causing damage to my engine. I was told I needed a whole engine replacement. I called Ford Customer care and was told there is no service programs for my VIN number. I also purchased the extended warranty when purchasing this vehicle which just expired in NOV 2024. I can't believe Ford will not honor this engine replacement when I just saw online this was an ongoing issue and my vehicle was was in the time frame of 96 months or $150,000 mile time frame.

- Riley, MI, USA

problem #723

Apr 152025

Escape

  • 70,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that an unknown error message related to the coolant was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a local service center, where it was diagnosed with a blown head gasket due to coolant intrusion into the cylinders. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

- Williamsport, PA, USA

problem #722

Apr 212025

Escape

  • miles
Check engine light came on and car would produce shaking and bumping feeling up on startup Took vehicle to AAA tire and auto Sylvania, Ohio. Service shop performed diagnostic. Used scope to visualize coolant in the third cylinder of the engine. Tech said that the cylinder was almost completely full of coolant and engine would fail soon and would need replaced. A few days later the car is now producing smoke from the exhaust and is now undrivable due to safety concerns from smoke and potential failure while driving.

- Sylvania, OH, USA

problem #721

May 032025

Escape

  • miles
Vehicle acts like it wants to stall when it starts. I had it checked and it has coolant intrusion on cylinder 3 from engine block. Ford dealer says it does not fall under a replacement campaign. I called Ford consumer support and was told that if the vehicle had been manufactured in building A versus B, it would be fixed by Ford. So, all the same parts are used to manufacture the vehicles................they all will have the same issue. The 21N12 campaign needs to be expanded to cover all vehicles since they have the same motor which results in the same issue. This vehicle has 43,932 miles on it so it hasn't even lasted the 60,000 miles that one would expect the engine to last. I am requesting that the NHTSA assist in getting this engine replaced since it is a known issue. Ford needs to replace all faculty engines.

- Heath, OH, USA

problem #720

Apr 292025

Escape

  • miles
Ford Customer Satisfaction Program 21n12. Coolant intrusion into one or more cylinders for the 1.5L Ecoboost motor. Ford will not repair this motor under the 21n12 code beyond 7 years or 84,000 miles. CSP 19b37 is required prerequisite prior to performing the 21n12 repair, so the 21n12 repair timeline therefore should start at the date of the 19b37 repair. My vehicle is just 4 months out of the 7 years (in service date) and Ford won-??t cover the repair. Vehicle is inoperable and the repair cost will exceed the cars value after repairs are made. The vehicle currently has 79, xxx miles which is unacceptable by today-??s vehicle life standards.

- Loves Park, IL, USA

problem #719

May 022025

Escape

  • miles
This vehicle has a known issue with coolant intrusion into the engine, while driving down the highway this caused my car to instantly send an engine overheating message and send the car into limp mode. While driving in the left lane i quickly lost all power and was limited to roughly 10mph to try and merge across 3 lanes of traffic. There was a customer satisfaction program to fix this but i am 6k miles beyond qualifiying.

- Oklahoma City, OK, USA

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