general problems of the 2018 Ford Escape - part 1

I’ve seen others report on the same issues and hopefully this brings something up for a recall. At first it was a misfire in the engine, and oil getting into the spark plugs. Then coolant leaking. Then overheating. I looked into the codes and took it into the shop and it’s going to cost me 8-12,000 to fix due to the same issue that other people all seem to be having.

I purchased this 2018 Ford Escape in August 2022 from richmond Ford. Within 2 days to a week I noticed fault indicators stating check engine, failed auto stop and start malfunctioning. I immediately reported this issue. Richmond Ford put me in a loaner for approximately 2 months to only remedy the problem with a new battery. This has happened for 3 years. I’ve had 4 batteries replaced even recently after having extreme high heat engine failure fault while in traffic with my grand children in the car and had to be towed. My engine has faulted several times and always shuts down in the middle of traffic. This issue could have killed me and my grand children and other vehicles. Richmond Ford kept replacing the battery and charging me for other things. The technician and general manager has claimed it’s nothing wrong but kept replacing the batteries. 4 times. My life and my grandchildren have been in danger several times while driving on the highway and local streets. Today richmond Ford says it’s that I need a new engine because antifreeze has intruded into the engine blowing head gaskets, mind you it was just there on June 23 of 2025 or so for engine malfunction fault extreme high temp no antifreeze and the only band aid that was offered was yet another new battery. Then today I was advised that it will cost $14,000. 00 plus to replace my engine. There is definitely a problem and should recall this model 2018 Ford Escape sel because the manufacturer has fixed the notification system and or the faults to not warn owners of major engine failures which cost thousands to repair and is always covered up by replacing the battery. Please add this make and model to the recent recall. Thank you.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 40 mph, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined there was a misfire in cylinders #2 and #3, and that the battery needed to be replaced and a tune-up was needed. The vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic ,who stated that the coolant level was low. The coolant reservoir was refilled. The contact stated that the following day, the coolant level was low. The mechanic informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 126,000.

I have had to replace multiple headlight bulbs every few months. The bulbs and fuses are working fine. Sometimes one side will work and the other side will turn off without warning. I have been stranded on the side of the road multiple times. It is unsafe to drive this way. Finally today both lights just stop working without any warning. This is why I came to this page to see if I was the only one having this issue and it looks like I'm not. I have made an appointing to take it in to the dealer hopefully they can find the problem.

We purchased this 2018 Ford Escape new. The headlights have burned out many times, and much sooner than normal. What is really a mystery is that many times the low beams will burn out together. This is typically rare as one will burn out and then the other will continue to work for a while. We always replace them in pairs. The local shop changed them out most of the times and they only work for a few months to about six months on average. It is a very strange situation. They will stop working and then will sometimes begin working again, leading me to believe it is not a bulb issue as much as its an electrical issue. We keep checking to see if there is a safety recall as this is very unsafe when they stop working together at night while driving. There are many comments on websites and blogs so we know we are not alone. This is just one of the problems. This vehicle, driven mildly and maintained perfectly on schedule, with most service done at the local Ford dealer service center, has experienced both engine and transmission failure in the low 90k miles. Fortunately, we purchased coverage that took care of those. But we are told that our cna bumper to bumper warranty does not cover head light issues. I think Ford should pay to have this vehicle examined, to determine what is wrong with the headlight wiring and pay for the repair to restore it to safe operation .

I was taking off and I had a warning sign that my hood was opened and nobody didn't even touch the hood.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, while attempting to start the vehicle, the infotainment system failed to display the rear-view camera, and the contact was unable to view the image behind the vehicle. The contact stated that the radio was also inoperable. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic and all the vehicle fuses were checked for proper functionality. The dealer was contacted and provided an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 96,000.

On Friday, August 9, the check engine light was blinking and the car ran roughly. On Saturday, August 10, I had my car towed to aaa repair. Current codes: p0316 - misfire detected on startup; p0302 - cylinder 2 misfire; swap cyl2 coil to cyl4 & retest. . Misfire remains on cyl2. TSB:22-2322 indicates cylinder failure allowing coolant into the engine causing misfire and rough running. Aaa recommended vehicle service be done at the dealership—complete engine rebuild/replacement. The dealership recommends a complete engine rebuild/replacement with an estimate of $11,400. The balance on paying off the car is $8,400.

Coolant leaking into engine causing engine failure. Entire screen and navigation system stopped working as well as the charge ports.

This is the third time my lift-gate ( back hatch ) has started working intermittently. I assume the latch is an electromagnet. It is very unsafe as it does not always latch tight and there is no emergency release. Century Ford replaced the first latch on 3/11/21, r. O. 342961. It was also worked on 9/15/21. The current incident started on or about 5/20/24.

My Ford Escape 1. 5l ecoboost engine overheated. A Ford service mechanic confirmed the Escape has a defect that causes coolant to leak into the engine’s cylinders, which can cause corrosion, oil dilution and contamination, and engine failure; and these defects create a safety risk, because the lack of coolant created by the leaks causes overheating. The Ford service mechanic confirmed my cylinder head was cracked and will lead to total engine failure, and/or engine fires.

When I get gas engine turns off. Need to restart it multiple times. Hesitation on acceleration afraid to be on highway. Rough idol at stop. I’ve seen it multiple people have had this issue. It turns out to be the vapor canister, purge solenoid, which I had to be replaced that fixed it. Hopefully this could help out other people. I was so scared on the highway. God bless you.

The apim failed in both my Escape and f150. These vehicles are under 65,000 miles and are 2018. This is a known issue, and is all over internet forums. The apim failure has resulted in no rear camera, screen, radio, or usb ports.

Subject: complaint regarding electrical malfunction in 2018 Ford Escape to whom it may concern, I am writing to report a concerning electrical malfunction that occurred in my 2018 Ford Escape, resulting in a critical safety issue. At 55,000 miles, the accessory protocol interface module (apim) failed, subsequently causing the touch screen, navigation system, voice command functionality, and hands-free communication features to cease operation. Additionally, this failure disabled the phone charging capabilities, posing a safety concern due to the loss of essential functionalities. The malfunction of the apim at such a relatively low mileage directly impacted the navigation system, voice commands, and the hands-free communication system, rendering them non-functional. As a consequence, this electrical issue posed safety risks, particularly concerning the failure of the navigation system and voice commands, which are crucial for safe driving practices. The incident occurred, and subsequent repair cost of $1,163. 72, were serviced at serra Ford dealership in farmington hills, mi. The nature of this electrical failure not only incurred financial costs but also posed potential safety hazards, especially with the impairment of critical functionalities like the rear-view camera, navigation, and hands-free communication. I urge the national highway traffic safety administration (NHTSA) to investigate this matter promptly, as it not only caused inconvenience and financial burden but also compromised the safety features of the vehicle. This complaint aims to highlight the serious implications of electrical failures in Ford Escape vehicles, emphasizing the potential risks it poses to drivers, passengers, and others on the road. Please consider this complaint as a formal report to address and rectify these safety concerns, preventing similar incidents in other vehicles. Your attention to this matter is highly appreciated.

Was driving when engine light came on, then warning that engine was to hot. My car then began to slow down and I pulled over and allowed to cool for a while. Finally able to drive but each time I would drive it happened. Took to a independent contractor and was told my coolant was leaking into engine and it needed to be replaced.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the auto start/stop feature was no longer operable. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 132,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the hatchback failed to open while pressing the power emergency release button and while using the key fob. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

Loss of power. Driving up hill, normal acceleration. Electrical- corrosion in the fuse box under the hood. Corroded fuse pin connector plate. Found wire from ecu relay to ecu fuse pin plate corroded and completely broke from corrosion. Ordered used fuse box online, opened up the fuse box and found the same exact fuse pin plate corrosion as my vehicle. Local dealer ship told me they are replacing fuse box in customer cars on average once or twice a month.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while his wife was driving approximately 35 mph she observed the blind spot detection system had started flashing on both sides off and on, additionally the radio had stopped functioning and when the function would return the sound would be blaring. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that failure was intermittent but had become a recurring failure. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the accessory protocol interface module (apim) needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 64,661.

I bought the vehicle in July of 2019 with approximately 20,000 mi on it. I have never touched or adjusted the steering wheel, and I'm the only one to drive the vehicle. My daughter has gotten her temps and I allowed her to drive the vehicle last night. She adjusted the steering column as she is a bit shorter than I am. When I got back into the driver seat, and move the steering wheel back into the position that I keep it in, and then proceeded to turn out of the driveway and it felt as if all the tires were flat and it was very hard to steer. I assume I lost my power steering abilities. Also the windshield wipers started going off and the washer fluid just started flying out onto the windshield and would not stop. I immediately put the car into park and turn the vehicle off. I turned on the car, proceeded to make the turn again, and the car did the same thing. The only thing I could think of was possibly something got pinched inside the steering column with the wiring harness because that is the only thing that changed between her and I driving. When I started the car up this morning and went to turn out of the driveway it did the same thing. I loosened up the lock on the steering wheel and I moved it up and down and relocked it, and got to my destination without any more issue, but concerned there is something going on with the wiring harness now.

The contact owns a 2019 Ford fusion. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, she became aware of a failure with the software on the radio. The contact stated that while trying to connect the phone to the radio, the calls kept dropping, or she could not hear the other person over the radio, as intended. The contact stated the failure was dangerous since she had to maneuver the radio and the connection while driving, which w distracting to her while driving. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was repaired over a year ago; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the same local dealer, and it was diagnosed that the epam needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that while researching online, she became aware of an unknown recall related to the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. However, the contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 21v650000 (electrical system) however, the parts to do the repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs as the recall notice was received several months ago. Additionally, the contact stated that she placed her foot on the accelerator pedal attempting to merge into traffic when the vehicle started to shake, and the shifter was stuck in drive position. The check engine warning light illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that parts were unavailable, and an appointment was scheduled. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The sync system is failing causing no gps, no phone connections, no radio, rear camera problems and other electronic issues. This is apparently a well known part (apim) problem.

The component or system would be the apim malfunction; radio, gps, volume on radio and bluetooth all failed. My dashboard flitters and also goes blank/black. Yes, it is available for inspection. I don't know if anyone's safety was at risk because I don't know what is going on. I am taking it to the dealer again. The vehicle hasn't been inspected yet. There was no warning, it just went out.

Hello, I am submitting a formal complaint on my 2018 Ford Escape. History: it is a lease plan vehicle that was assigned to me with 11,000 miles on it in 2018 it has a been maintained per the manufacturer schedule through the lease plan app purchased the vehicle in may 2021 thru my companies purchase program, I have only had the car for 9 months and it is now inoperable it is a primary vehicle for work for a family member situation error alert appeared on the console for engine took the car to firestone initially as they had done all the maintenance work previously they were unable to look at the car and gave me a time of 5-7 days took it to tires plus, they said they could look at it the next day which was a Sunday I had not heard back from anyone at tires plus, so I called, they recording indicated that they were closed. I drove up there and mathew the manager said that the mechanics had not shown up for work, it was mother’s day. Received call that the car needed 1 coil and spark plugs approved the work the told me to come pick up car, they were still working on it when I arrived and I stood around for 45 minutes waiting when the technician test drove the vehicle it started backfiring again, diagnosis was a cracked spark plug and another coil. Waited another day for it to be completed picked up the car to drove fine for two days then more engine error codes, overheating codes and the car went into “limp mode” the technicians allowed me to drive the vehicle and did not dive deeper into the codes to determine the root cause of why the car was showing all these engine codes not until I brought it back 2-3 days later and explained that there was white smoke coming out of the tailpipes that the technician said these ecoboost engines have a known issue with the computer dumping coolant into the cylinders. This cause the head gasket to blow. When I called Ford, they said there was not a recall for this VIN number even though the error codes and.

After having the 2018 Ford Escape for three weeks, the entire apim system went down. I was not able to charge anything, use the radio, or the touchscreen for all of the functions in the dash. It goes in and out constantly, often does not turn on at all, the touchscreen lags, the radio takes up to a minute or longer to change a channel once a button is pressed. The only thing that is in tact is the rear camera. The 2016-2017 apims have been recalled, and this one should as well. Other than the rear camera and now being able to charge a phone, I cannot use the touchscreen at all and do not use the radio because I cannot see what channel it is on.

I was pulling out of a parking lot when going up a hill my car no longer would shift gears. There was a car coming up fast on me and I barely made it over the hill. I allowed the car to roll into the next parking lot to get out of traffic. No warning lights came on. I turned the car off to see if it was a computer problem. The car would not start up. I used a jump box to restart the battery. When the car was back on I attempted to drive in the empty lot and the car would not shift gears. The car is an automatic and I tried to do manual shift if sport mode and it would not function. I was in a different state with my sister and we were stranded. I had to call my husband to tow my car home because it would be months to get parts for the repair shop in the other state. I had it evaluated at Ford and they said it was the transmission. It took 7 months to get parts and to get it fixed. Now the radiator is leaking and the car no longer runs. I spent $8000 on repairs and I can’t even drive it. Now my dad’s Escape that is a different year and body style has to have its transmission repaired too.

While on the interstate, engine suddenly cut out. I was coasting and nothing else on the highway during rush hour. I got an alert the "auto start/ stop shift to park, then restart the engine" I pulled over and the engine would not restart.

Coolent leakage into engine block.

The sync system stopped working. I was told it was the apim module. The vehicle has to be driven for quite some time (until it warms up?) when the car is turned off and back on the sync system might start working.

Recurrent problems with coolant leaking. Engine replaced once, now leaking again. Recurrent problems with the spark plugs. Check engine light is on, car shakes when driving, unable to drive with air-conditioning on.

Difficulty starting. Stationary.

The vehicle was purchased in Mar/Apr 2019 with 3000 mi. The vehicle had all regular maintenance checks prior to the 11/11/19 incident. There were no vehicle alerts regarding coolant or engine overheating prior to this incident. At 17349mi, the vehicle was parked after a 35min drive on the tollway. The vehicle had one coolant/hot engine warning after the vehicle had been parked for 2. 5hrs in sub-zero weather. I turned off and then on again 5 min later. This time the engine shut itself off immediately following the key turn. The vehicle's engine "locked up" and is at the dealership awaiting repair. I have been told this repair could take 4-6 weeks because engines are on back order and generally take up to two weeks to install. The dealership also states that there was no way that this repair would have been found in previous maintenance checks.

I was driving to work this morning and a strong smell of burning plastic/rubber filled the cabin. I did make it to work and had several coworkers sit in the vehicle to make sure I was not imaging an odor. Also lifted the hood to check engine for any melting hoses etc and did not see anything. I took the vehicle in that morning, the service manager and technician did a check and did not notice a smell and told me that the smell was the leather seat covers that I installed. . . I installed the fake leather seat covers over two months ago. I do know what burnt rubber vs pleather smell like. Service person kept asking if I had left a phone plugged into the vehicle, after he asked me that I asked him had there been overheating concerns. I was told no, just seems strange thing to ask if phone jacks were not a issue. So, I am making a note of this electrical issue and hope that this will not turn into a problem.

Another driver ran stop sign and hit middle of car, mostly the left door behind drivers seat. The back and passager airbags released but the driver side airbag didn't fully release. I didn't know at the time that this was weird and was actually relieved it didn't. Since then, my son's dad drove my SUV and told me that the front windshield may not have been bonded correctly, he has to put additional force on the breaks and the engine makes random noises whenever it does, it looses power and he has to put the pedal to the metal. He says since my SUV only has 18,000 miles, it shouldn't be doing these things. It also burns through coolant. I don't know if any other Fords have issues likes this too.