My 2018 Ford Escape was sputtering one morning and I realized the oil was dark and almost gone. I took it for an oil change and they discovered there wasn-??t coolant in the reservoir. But that didn-??t solve the issue. The vehicle shut down and I was left in the middle of the road until I could get help. I took it to the shop and I was told coolant had leaked into the cylinders and the I would be needing a head gasket and short block. I called Ford customer service and I was made aware that is is an issue with the 2018 ford escape ecoboost. But they were unable to help me because 21N12 has expired.

- Rio Hondo , TX, USA

Check engine light, White smoke on cold start, low coolant, P0302 - misfire cylinder 2, P1299 - Cylinder Head Protection Active. No power - limp mode

- Vancouver, WA, USA

It started out as a misfire which can be caused by multiple issues, after changing spark plugs and coils, noted low coolant (no visible leaks), white smoke, running rough. Ford dealer diagnosis as coolant intrusion and states a complete long block needs replacement. The cost of this is more than the market value.

- Twin Lake, MI, USA

Component or System: Engine -?" Coolant intrusion into the combustion chamber (cylinder 2). The vehicle and documentation (dealer diagnostic report, photos) are available for inspection upon request. Safety Risk: Coolant intrusion causes engine misfires, loss of power, and rapid coolant loss, which can lead to sudden engine stalling or hydrolock at highway speeds. A stall could result in loss of power steering and braking assist, creating a serious crash risk for occupants and others on the road. Confirmation: The problem has been reproduced and confirmed by a Ford dealership using a borescope inspection. Inspection: A Ford dealership service department has inspected the vehicle. They confirmed coolant pooling in cylinder 2. Warning Signs: The check engine light first appeared in early July 2025 with a misfire on cylinder 2. Spark plugs and other components were replaced, but the issue returned within two weeks. The engine misfired, produced white exhaust smoke, and lost coolant over time.

- Broomfield , CO, USA

My check engine light came on Saturday August 23rd. I took my car to my local Ford dealership on Monday August 25th and on Wednesday, August 27th the Ford technician verified a misfire and found coolant was low. They removed the spark plug and found cooling system was under pressure. They found coolant entering into the cylinder via the cylinder head and that my vehicle now needs a new engine. This problem has been confirmed by the dealership and my only option is to purchase a brand new engine for my 2018 Ford escape that has less than 40,000 miles on it. An engine failure at just 40,000 miles is simply unacceptable and raise serious concerns about the reliability of this model. I am aware that engine issues on certain Ford escapes have been the subject of multiple customer complaints and I strongly believe that this may be part of a broader quality or manufacturing issue. There are numerous reported cases from 2018 Escape owners describing engine failures, tied to coolant intrusion and instances where an engine fails unexpectedly often linked to coolant, entering the cylinder and requiring full engine replacement, which seems to be a common pattern in these 1.5 L and occasionally the 2.0 eco-boost. While no formal recall exists for this Ford has implemented a customer satisfaction program 21N12 which addressed coolant intrusion into the engine, especially affecting 1.5 L eco-boost engines.

- Kennesaw, GA, USA

Had a lot of knocking in the engine on startup and sometimes driving down the road. Engine check light went on, used code reader to diagnose and it said misfire on cylinder 2. Replaced spark plugs and ignition coils to solve problem. Ran well for about a week, week and half before had the same issues pop up again. Then all of the sudden I-??m driving down the road and the temp spikes in the engine and warning light comes on about car overheating and to pull off the road. I was on the highway so I let off the gas and the temp came right back down. Took the car to a Tire Kingdom to get it checked out and the coolant is almost all gone, it-??s leaked back into the engine and the head gasket needs replaced. Call Ford to see if they would cover service and the dealer and Ford corporate both said it would not be covered, despite TSBs being out about this issue.

- Plant City, FL, USA

Due to a known manufacturing defect in the casting of the engine block, coolant leaked into the #2 cylinder causing failure of the engine. Due to the fact that this is a known issue by Ford, they will do nothing as the vehicle is no longer under warranty. The extended warranty we purchased will not cover the damage or repair as it is a "known issue from Ford." Vehicle is available upon request, if catastrophic failure of the engine had occurred possible loss of power and or control of the vehicle, vehicle was inspected at a certified Ford dealership, check engine and a lot of white smoke the day of service appointment, rough idle the day prior

- Auburn, IN, USA

My Ford Escape is a 2018 with 54,000 mi and coolant was leaking in the cylyders. It was sold to me as a low milage mint cond. SUV through carmax who did not disclose this problem and also Ford. Now its sitting at the Ford dealership for 2 wks with nothing done and "waiting to hear" from Ford. They say the job could be up to $11,000.

- Johnson City, TN, USA

A cracked engine block caused coolant intrusion into my Eco Boost engine resulting in overheating engine. I was almost stranded in the Cascade mountains. Randy Wright at Bill Pierre Ford of Seattle says he sees a Ford Escape with this problem once a week. After multiple conversations with Ford corporate, it appears Ford is aware of the problem but unwilling to issue a recall for these dangerously defective engines. The vehicle gave no prior warnings before the overheating took place.

- Seattle, WA, USA

OBD trouble code P0302 -?" cylinder 2 misfire caused by coolant seeping in from a deformation in the block.

- Cincinnati, OH, USA

In 2021 my engine was replaced by the dealership I purchased it from, with a manufacturer made engine. The issue was that the coolant was leaking into the cylinders causing the engine to overheat which is a potential risk of fires. It was under warranty for 5 years or 50K miles whichever came first. Today, I was notified by the dealership that my engine needs to be replaced AGAIN for the SAME ISSUE as 4 years ago. Coolant leaking into cylinder causing misfire. I was charged $1400 for repairs that DID NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE ISSUES. Ford is now telling me there is nothing they can do for me and my car is safe to drive so long as I keep it filled with coolant.

- Raynham, MA, USA

Engine light came on. Took directly to Ford dealer. Code P0303:00-A8. Cylinder 3 misfire. Coolant leaked into engine. Need long block replacement. 2018 1.5L engine. 57000 miles. Ford won't warranty. $14,000 to replace engine.

- Dixon, CA, USA

The engine light came on and we took it to the dealer where we purchased it. They told us the engine had coolant leaking into it from a warped engine block. The vehicle has less than 50,000 miles on it. The dealer told us it would cost $14000 to replace the engine. We are feeling quite frustrated as FORD was aware this was a known problem / design defect. They even went as far to correct the design on new models. What can we do?

- Gray, ME, USA

The car began a rough idle, followed by odd fluid noises from the engine once shut off. I then saw an engine fault light come on and brought it straight to the dealership. They diagnosed a coolant leak into the engine, based on a default in that model, which would require a full replacement. Otherwise the car could lose power without warning.

- Sanford, NC, USA

I was sold the Escape and was not informed about the coolant intrusion and have been having the check engine light come on and off since I purchased it last September, I've replaced multiple spark plugs on cylinder 3 and later found out that the inside of the cylinder had developed surface rust and was having coolant leaking into that cylinder, and due to the coolant leak, my engine overheated and shut it self off in my driveway.

- New Bern, NC, USA

I have 117k miles on my ford escape and have always maintained the services on my car. I was driving and my car started to overheat and warning lights came on. Pulled over immediately and turned car off and had it towed to the shop. Mechanic told me the coolant leaked into the cylinder and caused a misfire in cylinder 2&3. He currently has 3 other ford escapes there with the same issue. Yet there is no recall for this? He quoted me $6,400 for this job. This is crazy. Something needs to be done about this if so many people are having the same issue.

- Jacksonville, IL, USA

Check engine light came on. Then overheat light. Stopped vehicle and stayed 45 mins. Had to put refrigerant in vehicle drove home. Took to parts store than ran codes. #2 spark plug misfire. Now my car at Ford dealership with engine gone. Will contact ford.

- Chatsworth, GA, USA

Blown head gasket which is causing coolant to leak into the cylinders. Check engine light came on at 72,000 miles (leased the car at 71,000) with coolant loss. The problem was diagnosed by an independent service center on 8/19/25, 3 weeks after leasing to buy.

- Macomb, MI, USA

[XXX] Ford Escape panel flashed red with warnings about overheating. Could not drive vehicle. Vehicle towed to nearest Ford dealership. After inspection, advised that coolant intrusion into Cylinder 2 caused engine to overheat and was not repairable. Replacement cost ranges from $8,000-11,000. Contacted Ford Corporate since class action suit involved this exact problem. Ford Corp said that they could not assist with repair even though this make and model was included in a class action suit of which we knew nothing. There is a loan on the vehicle that cannot be sold except to a salvage company. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Adams Run, SC, USA

Due to a lack of power I took my car to my mechanic for diagnosis. After performing compression checks he found that 3 of the 4 cylinders had low compression. Additionally the coolant level was found to be low. A check of the Ford web site showed that TSB #22-2229 was issued and indicated that coolant was leaking into the block. The Ford remedy was to replace the short block assembly. This repair would cost approximately $6 - 7000. No re-call was ever issued for this problem.

- Pilot Point, TX, USA