10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 6 / 1
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 7 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 5,223 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.
So this morning as soon as I started my 2018 Ford escape up and instantly temp gauge went to hot and threw up a sign stating high temp. Safely stop. I turned it off. And I started googling what was happening and upon doing some searching I started seeing multiple people complaining about the same things that I have going on as well with their 2018 Ford escape having the same problem with their spark plugs and coil packs also they said that they have misfiring in certain cylinders which mine have been in 1 and 3 some of theirs were 2 and 3 also read that the coolant system could be faulty and leaking ( which makes sense on after the car was turned off from driving the night before I heard bubbling sounds and what sounded like a faucet leaking water ) and the leaking could be making it go into where the spark plugs go into. And it could damage the engine. Also I had white smoke that came out of the tail pipe two or three times and it also spoke about the coolant making it's way to the head gasket possibly and all these that I've have read online are just like what ive have been having problems with and identical for the last week or two.and there are quite a bit of people on the Internet complaining these same events going on and no body has found and or not reported of finding any solutions to the problems.
- South Charleston, WV, USA
OBD trouble code P0302 -?" cylinder 2 misfire caused by coolant seeping in from a deformation in the block.
- Cincinnati, OH, USA
Engine failure. No engine lights are on and vehicle is driving fine, but engine block could crack due to coolant intrusion problem. Coolant intrusion is a defect in the motor well know to Ford and mechanics.Ford customer satisfaction program:21N12 and 19B37.TSB tech. serv. bulleting 22-2134 and 19-2375. Problem has been confirmed by private mechanic shop and Ford dealer. No warning lights, no messages, no symptoms. Problem appeared scheduled maintenance & multipoint inspection.
- Chicago Heights, IL, USA
Car sometimes has trouble accelerating Does not want to go over 65 on cruise control for a very long time. Cruise control was shut off by itself. Car doesn-??t want to accelerate over steep hills rPMs go up to four
- Adams, WI, USA
Engine overheating due to coolant loss into cylinder through internal leak. Engine and vehicle are available for inspection. Engine overheating due to coolant loss into cylinders can be a risk for vehicle fire. Overheating affected my engine longevity and function and caused my vehicle to stop in an unsafe location (i.e. the highway). This is a serious safety concern for my family since we also live in Arizona where we are highly susceptible to extreme heat. I took the Ford vehicle to a Ford dealer to inspect and they verified that the engine block was warped due to an internal leak of coolant into the engine cylinders through a known recall issue Ford Vehicle has been inspected by the Ford dealership by certified Ford mechanics. Overheating had no warning since internal coolant leaks are not detectable through external means. When car overheated, I took the vehicle to Ford for inspection.
- Phoenix, AZ, USA
Check engine light first appeared early May 2025 days after the car started running very roughly, then bucking upon startup; local mechanic said may need engine but should go to dealer; dealer towed a couple of days later as engine light had begun to blink and said it couldn't be driven; a few days later dealer reported coolant leaking into combustion chamber and would need a new engine at $12,860. Apparently a known failure as reported in Technical Service Bulletin 22-2229, date 6/9/2022 for vehicles including my 2018 Ford Escape Titanium 2.0 L Ecoboost with only 44k miles, final assembly Louisville KY. Reported danger of engine failure while driving, possible fire.
- Slingerlands, NY, USA
Check engine light came on ON DAY OF MY FINAL PAYMENT!! Mechanic said there had been issues and possible recall to fix. Antifreeze leaking into engine causing need to replace engine
- Plymouth, MA, USA
My vehicle received a short block repair under CSP 21N12 in 2023 at my ford dealership. Now, less than two years later, the same issue has returned -?" coolant intrusion into the cylinders, visible white exhaust, and oil leaks, with an estimate for the full repair is $15,000, from this same ford dealership where I purchased the car clearly the recall repair did not fix this issue of coolant intrusion. Dealer diagnosed the issue as long block pressure tested cooling system for over an hour system dropped 8 PSI, Engine consuming coolant into cylinders and burning through exhaust. Dealer Recommends replacing long block with new engine and replacing one time use parts with new turbo at 15k. I still owe on the loan this is the same problem as the recall.
- Elgin, IL, USA
I have a 2018 Ford Escape that I purchased 2 years ago. Three days ago, it would not start and when we got it to start white smoke came out and there was no coolant left in the chamber. There is no fluid under the car and the car warning light came on saying PowerTrain malfunction, reduced power. The fluid went in the cylinder we believe. We went to a Ford dealership and was told there are no recalls on this vehicle. When we looked up online we see that There was a Program 21N12 for this problem but because it's not a recall we can't use it. How do we get help with this?
- Oconto Falls, WI, USA
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
When the transmission gets warm, the car stops driving. It goes into all the gears fine. The vehicle has 102 thousand miles and I-??m told the transmission needs to be replaced already. There are no recalls on the vehicle, but from what I have been reading, the Ford Escapes are known for transmission concerns. How is there no recall on the transmissions.
- Radcliff, KY, USA
I am writing to implore the NHTSA to finally take an interest in the ongoing issues with the engines in the 2018-2020 ford escapes. you have over 1600 documented statements from concerned owners who ford has no intention of aiding. Its ironic that all are experiencing the same issues and receiving almost the same answers from the dealerships, Ford and your agency. When calling Ford we are all directed to contact NHTSA who then sends us back to Ford who then sends us to the dealership who states its up to NHTSA. Well if Ford is saying that NHTSA can add the vins that were left off under their safety recalls 19B37 and 21n12 Then I say add them all so Ford will honor their statements and fix these engines. You have over 1600 complaints and that's what we know of. at 10,000 an engine that is over $16,000,000 that the citizens of our nation have to cover for a flaw that Ford has admitted and every dealership will corroborate. I have read most of the complaints filed that are printed and it amazes me that no one at your office is doing anything about this. I ask that you tell us who we actually need to be speaking to because getting sent around the horn continuously isnt helping any one out. Please take notice of these safety issues it clearly states in fords 21n12 recall that these engines could combust or stop running while driving think of how many lives could or could have been saved if there was an issue that went un reported. I do not know about you but for me the loss of any 1 life is to great when it could be prevented. Its time for the NHTSA to do their Job and make Ford honor their obligations to their consumers. I ask you please send me an email or contact to whomever can discuss this issue with me in more detail
- Beverly Hills, FL, USA
While driving the vehicle car completely shuts off in the middle of traffic, dash lights turn off then power went out.Now HORN no longer works. Turned the car back on and pulled to the side of the road. I tried to accelerate and white smoke came out of the back of the vehicle and a rattle noise from the front passenger side. Warning lights never turned on ! I was able to drive the vehicle to a nearest ford dealer after stopping multiple times in the process. Took the car to Ford, they claimed there was no issues except the ones they found not relating to the problem I first stated. They advised me for security I would have to get these problems fixed and that could be the cause. I picked the vehicle up 2/17/2025, $1951.72 later. Car cuts off again in the middle of Traffic, Smoke, lights flash then everything went off. I have a full report of the battery and everything else however the car is a big SAFETY ISSUE IF IT KEEPS STOPPING IN TRAFFIC.
- Parkville, MD, USA
I bought this car a month ago and now the transmission is not working I got a warning from my car saying -??transmission fault service now-?? and now I-??m trying to see how to fix that, if you guys can help me that would be great
- Provo, UT, USA
A Design Flaw (as confirmed by a Ford Service Advisor) in the engine block allows coolant to seep into the engine, rendering the engine useless. Ford has a TSB on this, they know it's a problem, other previous years similar engines have been recalled, these engines currently have class action and private lawsuits happening, and Ford extended the warranty on these vehicles to 84k miles because of this KNOWN mistake on their part. So.... after 84k miles Ford no longer stands behind their product. Leaving me and my family with a monthly car payment and a car that's sitting at the dealer that needs and $8k repair. I've had the car towed twice and am relying on friends to get around. Ford should own up to this and either fix or replace the vehicle. It's not right, and certainly doesn't make us want to buy American cars.
- Phoenixville, PA, USA
My engine light came on and within a three day time span my engine overheated. I kept up with all maintenance on my vehicle and even had a previous diagnostic ran on the vehicle a month prior. I was told there was a customer satisfactory warranty that expired in November 2022 on my vehicle but information was given to first owner that stated what would happen to my vehicle. I bought my car in March of 2021Due to me getting my car from Hondas car lot they said they were unaware that the vehicle had a warranty at time of sale which would have been of great help. I have been quoted $10,000 to replace the motor in my car due to coolant intrusion, short block, and a spark plug being stuck within the engine. My car ran hot with myself, a dog and my son being in the car in the middle of a busy street but we were able to move vehicle to a safe spot while car was malfunctioning. I was told to look under the hood by my boyfriend to check fluids and he went into detail on what to check for and we found that the oil was clean but their was no antifreeze in the vehicle. I received my oil change in September of 2024 and everything required for my tags that is done yearly all on the same visit.
- High Point , NC, USA
APIM is not fuctional. Rear camera does not work, display does not work, stereo does not work. Resetting the system does not work. Fuses are all good, and electrical connections confirmed good. APIM issues have been an issue with this year of Ford.
- Gresham, OR, USA
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle stalled and failed to return to normal operation. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer to be diagnosed. The diagnostic test result was not provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 120,067.
- Roanoke, VA, USA
Needing Throttle Body replace though the car is 6 years old. Car will not get up to speed and engine fault light comes on. Got diagnosis and need to replaced. Also motor mounts have deteriorated despite lack of miles on car. Numerous complaints.
- Fishers , IN, USA
- Rohnert Park, CA, USA