My 2018 Ford Escape equipped with a 1.5L ecoboost engine purchased new with 33,000 miles, experienced overheating, white smoke from the exhaust and extreme vibration which became undriveable. It was towed to a Ford dealer who determined it had coolant in the sparkplug holes and the engine would need to be replaced. There was no previous problem or check engine light until the event. There was a Customer Satisfaction Program 19B37 dated May, 2020 identifying the possibility of this problem which required the Ford dealer to perform a reprogramming to prevent the coolant from leaking into the engine. This was performed by a Ford dealer in October 6, 2020. Ford has determined that my vehicle is out of warranty.

- Punta Gorda, FL, USA

Known coolant intrusion issue causes coolant to ruin the engine from the inside. Ford is unfairly denying their own program to remedy the situation for desperate customers.

- Texas City, TX, USA

The engine was replaced under the customer satisfaction program due to the known broken head gasket issue causing catastrophic engine failure. Now, the flex plate is cracked, also a known issue related to the engine replacement. Two major catastrophic repair issues within 9 months. There were no check engine lights. The safety issue is clear. Ford needs to acknowledge and address the issues to protect their customers.

- Pleasant Hill, CA, USA

My 2018 Ford Escape titanium is leaking coolant into the cylinder's. This is a known issue affecting the Ecoboost engine and is not a sign of wear and tear. Code: p0316, p0302. NHTSA should investigate these issues. The warranty may be expired but in good faith this should be covered by the manufacturer. A Ford mechanic mentioned the cost of $7500 to $10000 for this repair which is a cost I cannot afford. My vin is: [XXX] Thank you! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Rockford , IL, USA

2018 ford escape eco boost 2.0L. 72K miles Notified of Code P0303. Engine started missing. Findings coolant intrusion into the cylinders. Was told it was a casting issue of the block manufacturing and engine would need replacing. Notified ford for assistance to repair known issue and was denied. Safety concerns due to a design flaw in the open engine block, which can lead to head gasket failure and other coolant-related issues. Yes confirmed by auto repair shop with scope and provided pictures of moisture in the combustion chamber.

- Swansboro, NC, USA

The 2018 Ford Escape Titanium had to replace the engine because engine coolant was seeping into the engine block. The mechanic stated head gaskets were leaking coolant into the spark plugs. I was losing coolant from the reservoir, engine light was on. The mechanic stated this could become a safety hazard if the engine overheated while driving car would completely die and stall. The mechanic stated this has been a problem Ford has known and has now replaced this engine, and the only remedy for this is to replace it with a new engine. miles 119,600. Ford has not responded to my complaint. I replaced the engine at a cost of 8600.00

- Scottsdale, AZ, USA

A certified shop diagnosed my car as having coolant intrusion in the engine. The engine is the 1.5L Eco Boost. I am getting the run around from the dealership and Ford Corporation. This is a major safety defect that is known and has been reported. This happened quickly and I am now without a vehicle. This is a major safety defect in the engine that Ford manufactured and Ford is very well aware of.

- Barnwell , SC, USA

Head gasket went bad, leaked coolant into the engine, cracked cylinder 1

- Eldridge, IA, USA

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, he and one of his friends observed white smoke coming from the tailpipe. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with a misfire in cylinder #2. The spark plugs, coil pack, and valve cover gasket were replaced; however, the failure reoccurred four days later, and the check engine warning light illuminated with the message "Engine Fault - Service Now" message was displayed. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.

- Newport, NC, USA

06/2025: vehicle overheated approximately 10 times. One time, on 06/24/2025, we were traveling back home. The vehicle overheated and went into limp mode while traveling on a main highway. We were almost hit in the back end, with 3 children in the back, by a semi truck at 10:00 at night. The vehicle would not move faster than 10 miles an hour all of a sudden, with no way to move out of the way fast. It would continue overheating and going in limp mode for months. Then at the end of July 2025, we were traveling in South Carolina. On Kings Highway, or state rt. 17, it just all of a sudden went into limp mode from overheating with absolutely no warning. I had to carefully move to a parking lot of a Home Depot. Luckily they had antifreeze. I slowly filled it back up. Later that week, it did the same thing. This car is dangerous! I have spoken to Ford Customer Service. they told me there was no problem. I recently had a mechanic look at it. He said that there is coolant in the cylinder 2. It has caused damage, possibly, to the head. It is in a constant miss in cylinder 2, and others. The original owner, I believe, knew what was wrong and sold it to us without telling us. I have put over 10 gallons of coolant through this vehicle in the 7 months we have owned it.

- Spout Spring, VA, USA

Our family has been on the middle of the highway when the Escape has just shut off. We here in Charleston, WV are not the only ones with this issue. We have contacted FORD multiple times on this. The engine failure about 6-7 years ago was the start. Coolant leaking into the cylinder, which is a service bulletin not a recall, prompted the engine to be extensively repaired or replace. Then after this nothing was ever the same. Todd Judy Ford which has been through a rebrand because of all the bad business here in Charleston WV has been since renamed to Downtown Ford, was made aware of every issue along the way. FORD stopped helping, dealership doesn't care. This was a major issue that caused our family's Ford Escape to just stop in the middle of driving in traffic. My wife could have been killed. The electrical and the engine in a severe issue on this year, make and model. Please do something. They have millions of issue with this specific engine and this model and will do nothing. Someone needs to stop them!

- Charleston, WV, USA

On the way home from work my 2018 Ford Escape began to drive roughly. The car engine would rev up to 3 then immediately down to 2, and felt like it would stop. I took it to Mac Haik Ford in DeSoto TX where I purchase my vehicle and got a diagnostic done. It ready, Coolant has leaked into the engine and the short block would need to be replaced at $14,000

- Alvarado, TX, USA

Check engine light comes on, and car starts to overheat. Took it to Auto Zone, I was told it-??s misfiring and he noticed the coolant has a leak, coolant intrusion into the engine.

- Raleigh, NC, USA

coolant loss with no visible external leak, a sweet smell from the exhaust, and bubbling or gurgling in the coolant reservoir after startup. There is a KNOWN issue ongoing regarding customer satisfaction program 21N12

- Nashville, TN, USA

Check Engine Light appeared, and car seemed to sputter and had an odd chemical smell. Brought to mechanic who scanned PCM and found 3 misfire codes (P0300, O0301, P0316). They removed 1 spark plug and inspected cylinder and found it to be wet. Block test was performed, and fluid was found to be coolant. Engine head gasket requires replacement as well as repair or replacement of cylinder. Mechanic suggested seeking support from dealership to have the issue fixed because this is a known issue. A simple internet search confirmed that this make and model (2018 Ford Escape 4 Cyl Ecoboost) has this issue and it is well known and documented. Ford coolant intrusion is a known problem and design flaw. The service manager at the Flood Ford in Narraganset said that since there are no recalls and the warranty on the car has expired there is nothing that they can do as far as monetary support or compensation. They quoted a $9000 repair price. The manager then suggested speaking to Ford Customer Service directly. I spoke to a service rep followed by a supervisor (Reggie) at Ford Customer Service who both told me that there was nothing they could do because there were no active recalls or active customer service programs. The rep at Ford did tell me that CSP 19B37 was done on the vehicle in 2020, prior to my purchase. I was not told of this upon purchase or made aware in any way of a coolant issue. This issue causes major damage to the vehicle and is a safety risk.

- Newport, RI, USA

CEL is on -- hard time getting vehicle to start up after getting gas - once is running has a "shake to it" for a few seconds then stables Would this be a potential cover? March 30, 2018 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10137114 COMPONENT: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE NHTSA ID Number: 10137114 Manufacturer Communication Number: SSM 47203 Components: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

- Mesa, AZ, USA

coolant leak into cylinders caused misfire in cylinder 1. coolant low with no visible leaks. Ford has issued tsb of this known issue. Ford is now doing diagnostic testing. ford just confirmed my engine has the leaking problem.

- Newport Beach, CA, USA

It started with engine light coming on, engine was starting to run rough when started. I noticed the car was using more coolant than usual also. when scanned and pressure tested it was found to be misfiring in cylinder 2 and coolant was leaking into engine. by this point the vehicle is smoking also. It was decided the car should not be driven at this point.

- Blachly, OR, USA

Started with an engine light coming on, when checked with scan it said misfire in cylinder 2. Was using coolant usually high and when pressure tested it was said to be leaking coolant into engine.

- Blachly , OR, USA

My 2018 Ford escape has the 1.5 liter ecoboost engine which is well documented to have a coolant intrusion issue into the cylinders resulting in the vehicle needing a new engine. The check engine light came on last week and started to run roughly. I brought the vehicle to my local Ford dealership in Belleview Fl today 11/03/25. I payed for a diagnostic test which found 2 codes po302 and po316 and found coolant in cylinder #2. The result: will need to replace engine. My vehicle has 144k miles and therefore the original manufactured warranty has expired. Ford quoted me approximately $14,000 for a new engine/labor.

- Summerfield , FL, USA