general problems of the 2018 Ford Escape - part 1

While entering the highway my vehicle started to buck. I took my foot off the gas and then it accelerated really fast in on coming traffic the check engine light came on it immediately over heated and shut of on the highway in traffic.

Coolant intrusion in engine, dangerous, can cause fires.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the engine was idling rough, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed and it ws determined that there was coolant inside the engine cylinders and informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 53,200.

I have 2018 Ford Escape se 1. 5l engine, approx. 81,500 miles. Date into service 05/26/2018. Diagnosed on 04/18/2026 at Ford dealer (see attached) with coolant intrusion into engine. Ford dealer states that Ford will not assist with repair/replacement of engine because vehicle has been in service more than 7 years.

Coolant in engine block; replacement engine required and not covered by warranty.

This vehicle has 110000 miles. Has coolant intrusion in cylinder 2. Has had an issue since 45000 miles with drivability. Coils and spark plugs were replaced even though coolant intrusion was a known issue at the time.

Coolant intrusion into the cylinders.

Hello, I would like to file a safety complaint regarding my Ford Escape. Vehicle information: VIN: [xxx] make/model: Ford Escape year: 2018 issue description: while driving, my vehicle suddenly overheated. The temperature gauge moved from normal to hot within seconds, and a warning appeared to stop the vehicle immediately. This created a serious safety concern, as the failure was sudden and without warning. After inspection by a certified technician, I was informed that the engine is consuming coolant internally, and the coolant is being burned through the exhaust system. There is no visible external leak. The engine is now running rough and requires full engine replacement. I have learned that this is a known issue with Ford Escape engines, often referred to as “coolant intrusion. ” despite this being a widely reported defect, Ford has declined to provide any financial assistance. I have contacted Ford and opened a case (case number: xxx), but they confirmed this is not a recall and will not cover repairs. This issue creates a significant safety risk due to sudden engine overheating and potential engine failure while driving. I am requesting that this issue be investigated, as it appears to be a widespread defect affecting many Ford Escape vehicles. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed or while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed a coolant leak coming from the engine. The contact was unaware of any warning lights being illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 73,000.

My 2018 Ford Escape has diagnostic codes p0302 and p0316 cylinder 2 misfire and no compression on cylinder 2 due to coolant intrusion into the engine block. This is a known defect documented in Ford TSB 22-2322 and customer satisfaction program 21n12. My VIN was excluded from this program despite having the identical failure and identical fault codes as covered vehicles. This engine failure occurred at highway speed creating a dangerous safety hazard. Ford has refused goodwill assistance despite this being a known manufacturing defect.

I am writing to formally report regarding a serious issue with my Ford Escape 2018. The engine failed at the mileage of 37,833 miles, which is far earlier than any reasonable expectation for a vehicle of this age and mileage. This type of major mechanical breakdown is not consistent with normal wear and tear and raises concerns about the durability of the engine. Ford dealership did the formal evaluation of my Ford Escape 2018.

This Ford 2018 Escape has an intrusion that is a major defect on this motor . It is in the shop to be fixed now costing me a total of $6875. 27 . As soon as the check engine light came on we stopped the car as we were home. We had the car towed to a mechanic for diagnosis & repair. It is in the shop now. I called Ford and told them and they said it is a known problem but nit a recall at this time and is my responsibility to get it fixed . There is a class action suit filed against Ford now for this but I also wanted to share to you all it is a safety concern . This could have actually caught on fire and I am glad it did not as I shut it down as soon as the check engine light came on and had a mis fire you could feel it in the engine where the intrusion caused the coolant to go into the cracked block into the cylinders.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated, and the engine was overheating while white exhaust smoke was coming out of the exhaust pipes. Additionally, the vehicle decelerated and was sluggish while driving. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion in the cylinders. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The contact was informed that the vehicle did not qualify for the extended warranty coverage related to the engine failure. No further information was available. The failure mileage was 31,500.

Coolant leak/known engine issue is now effecting my car. 3/31/26 my mechanic said to take it to an engine place as it will need a new engine due to this known fault. I am too late for their extended warranty which I was never notified of, including when I purchased the car in 2021 when the issue was already well-known.

Engine coolant intrusion on cylinder 2. Hydrolocks on start up. Yes available for inspection. Unknown. Yes dealership inspected and confirmed the issue. Recommendation was engine replacement. No inspection by manufacturer,police, or insurance. Check engine turned on for random misfire. After further investigation, coolant levels kept dropping and noticed misfires on start up. 2018 Ford Escape awd with approximately 125k miles. Diagnoses was a very common coolant intrusion in cylinder 2. Over $12000 in repairs needed.

My 2018 Ford Escape equipped with a 1. 5l ecoboost engine experienced complete engine failure due to coolant intrusion into the engine cylinders on 3/29/26. This is a known design and manufacturing defect in the engine block, documented by Ford in technical service bulletins 19-2375, 19-2346, 22-2322, and 22-2134, and addressed under customer satisfaction program 21n12 (gtdi engine – short block replacement after coolant intrusion). Ford performed a preventive software update under csp 19b37 on this vehicle, confirming that Ford identified this VIN as having the at-risk engine. Despite this measure, the engine failed from the exact defect 19b37 was designed to prevent. The engine block’s thin-walled cooling passages between cylinders cracked, allowing coolant to enter the combustion chambers, causing misfires, overheating, and catastrophic engine failure. This engine failure occurred without adequate warning while the vehicle was in motion. Sudden loss of engine power on public roads poses a serious safety risk to the motorists and pedestrians. Ford’s own tsbs describe this as a progressive failure, but coolant loss is internal and may not trigger warning lights until the engine is already critically damaged. Ford has addressed this defect through multiple tsbs and a customer satisfaction program for some vins, but has not issued a formal recall covering all affected vehicles. Thousands of 2013–2019 Escapes, fusions, edges, and Lincoln mkc/mkz vehicles with 1. 5l, 1. 6l, and 2. 0l ecoboost engines remain on the road with this defect. A class action lawsuit has been filed regarding this issue. I urge NHTSA to investigate and require a formal recall. This vehicle was purchased used from an authorized Ford dealership at 54,677 miles ( 7/2/2022). The dealer had full access to Ford’s oasis system and did not perform the csp 21n12 short block replacement or disclose the known coolant intrusion defect. As the owner, I was never notified by Ford or the dealer about 21n12.

Safety risk: the vehicle suffered a sudden loss of power while driving. Without any warning light or prior symptoms, the car began "pulling". I was advised by mechanics that the vehicle was unsafe to drive due to the severity of the misfire. After two expensive spark plug repairs in six months, the engine light finally triggered during a trip, revealing that the internal defect was significantly worse than a simple maintenance issue. The problem began with a sudden, violent engine hesitation. A scan revealed a cylinder 3 misfire (p0303), but there was no initial check engine light, leaving me unaware of the danger until the car began struggling to move. Over the next six months, the spark plugs were replaced twice. Despite these repairs, the car continued to struggle with acceleration and rough idling. A final diagnosis at palmetto Ford confirmed coolant intrusion into the cylinders (TSB 22-2322). The engine is consuming coolant internally, which fouled the spark plugs and led to a mechanical failure leading to get over $11000 on repairs for a new engine.

Check engine light on. Code = p0303. Safety issue for overheating with potential engine fire. Local dealership service has diagnosed as coolant intrusion into cylinder #3 and coolant loss. Vehicle has not been inspected by manufacturer, police, insurance representative or other. Vehicle was serviced on January 29th of 2020 for customer satisfaction program 19b37. Vehicle has failed at 88000 miles due same design issue addressed by Ford motor company under customer satisfaction program 21n12.

Blown head gasket due to known faulty engine. Coolant leaking into cylinders. Known design defect.

With only 122,000 miles on the vehicle, the Escape is generating an error associated with a misfire in cylinder 1. New plugs were installed for the entire engine and the coil in cylinder 1 was replaced. A few days later, the error was generated again with an added warning to server now. The service station that did the previous repair, stated that this was a known issue with this Ford engine and the Escape would need a new engine. If I don't replace the engine, this vehicle has been known to discontinue working while driving. The estimate for repairs are $10,300.

I went in to get a tune-up on car because a engine light came on which was a misfire. The mechanic had a hard time getting out one spark plug with a hard residue on it. I drove for a couple days after tune-up and engine light came on again. I then started the next day the garage filled with white smoke with a real weird smell. The car showed another engine light that said engine fault service now. Car would not start. It was towed to Ford dealership. It is a coolant intrusion into the block. I have 110,000 on vehicle and had the 100,000 extended warranty. I now I need to fight Ford to get fixed. This is a known issue and there was not a recall on this. I am retired and I am forced into buying another vehicle on a fixed income. If Ford does not fix this, I will join the class action suit that will be heard in June 2026. I have bought Fords all my life and I am super disappointed that Ford did not recall this motor and replace. I have heard that alot of people with this problem with coolant intrusion in block if over 84,000 or 7yrs Ford will not replace. Shameful when they know there is this issue.

Coolant intrusion on the third cylinder causing over heating and engine failure. Known design flaw by Ford and they only offered a customer service program and not a full recall.

The engine has a coolant intrusion problem with a rough idle and potential for complete failure. This problem is documented as a known problem with this engine and Ford has in the past provided extended warranties including engine replacements. Ford had earlier released TSB 20-2100 and has acknowledged the problem.

Spark plug cylinder 1 gets stuck trying to replace which causes vehicle to misfire.

On 3/15/2026 I was on my way home from massachusetts to pennsylvania, and about 35 minutes into my drive I got an alert stating "high engine temperature stop safely", so I pulled over immediately and turned the car off. After allowing the engine to cool down, I opened the hood and started the car to see if I could identify any issues, the "engine fault service now" alert came up. This was the first time this ever happened, this put me, my two dogs who were in the car with me, and possibly others on the road at risk, had the conditions escalated. (I. E. Under hood fire). The vehicle was towed to an authorized Ford dealership, mathieu Ford sales, inc. Who diagnosed the issue on 3/17/2026. The dealership removed the spark plugs to inspect cylinders and found coolant intrusion into cylinders significantly on cylinder 2. Dealership referenced TSB 22-2322, is recommending short block assembly and related parts to remedy concern. Dealership advised it was safe and okay to drive the vehicle slowly to a nearby residence (to store the vehicle/retain possession), noting to pull over if an alert pops up and to have it towed if I received another message like before. The dealership advised it was not safe to drive the vehicle back to pennsylvania. There weren't any issues driving the vehicle back on 3/17/2026 following the dealership's guidance; the car hasn't been driven since. The car needed to be jumped to start the vehicle on 4/17/2026 for a tow truck to load the vehicle onto its bed. The vehicle is currently back in possession of the dealership who diagnosed the issue. Upon doing research, this appears to be a widespread manufacturing design defect that Ford has failed to properly address/recall. My vehicle met the criteria under their customer satisfaction program in 2022 - the vehicle is an Escape, 2017-2019, assembled in louisville, that was built before April 8, 2019, and which exhibited a covered condition, having low coolant. Ford motor CO is failing to remedy-cure.

The contact's daughter owns a 2018 Ford Escape. While the owner was driving at various speeds, the engine overheated and the vehicle went into limp mode on several occasions. The driver pulled over to the side of the road, and the vehicle was towed after each failure. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the coolant sensor was replaced; however, the failure recurred two days later. The vehicle was difficult to start. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact used a scanner to scan the vehicle and retrieved a diagnostic trouble code for a cylinder #2 misfire. The contact cleared the code; however, the check engine warning light became consistently illuminated. Additionally, the contact noticed that the coolant reservoir was black due to coolant and oil mixture. An independent mechanic was contacted and informed the contact that the coolant intrusion in the combustion chamber was a common failure, and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 76,200.

My 2018 Ford Escape, which has experienced catastrophic engine failure due to the well-documented coolant intrusion defect in the 1. 5l ecoboost engine. In early March 2026, without any prewarning or engine light, my vehicle displayed an “engine fault service now” warning and stored diagnostic trouble code p2601 (coolant pump a control circuit performance/range). I immediately took the vehicle to bidwell automotive in [xxx] , where on March 10–11, 2026, technician gannon performed a thorough inspection. The findings were as follows: the coolant level was critically low; the water pump showed signs of leaking; the top of the piston in the affected cylinder appeared washed clean (a hallmark of coolant entering the combustion chamber); and the technician detected an odor consistent with combustion gases in the cooling system. The diagnosis was a suspected failed head gasket consistent with internal coolant intrusion. I then brought the vehicle to future Ford Lincoln of roseville, your authorized dealership, on March 12, 2026 (ro #xxx, service consultant [xxx] , certified technician [xxx] ). Future Ford verified the coolant intrusion into cylinder 2 by removing the spark plugs and performing a borescope inspection. The dealership’s own technician referenced TSB 22-2322 and recommended either a short block replacement ($9,396. 45) or a long block replacement ($13,331. 01). The dealership confirmed that my vehicle has no remaining warranty coverage and offered no assistance beyond the paid repair estimate. Ford’s documented knowledge of this defect Ford motor company has long been aware that the 1. 5l ecoboost engine in 2017–2019 Escape vehicles suffers from a structural design defect in the engine block’s cooling passages that causes coolant to intrude into the cylinders. Ford’s own actions confirm this knowledge. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Vehicle: 2018 Ford Escape se, 1. 5l ecoboost, 130,000 miles problem: coolant intrusion into cylinder 2 has caused engine misfires, rough starting, check engine light, and the engine now requires replacement. Circumstances: the failure occurred suddenly. The vehicle was properly maintained and regularly serviced. Safety concern: coolant intrusion can lead to sudden engine stall and loss of power, creating a risk while driving. Additional info: diagnosed by an independent mechanic; engine replacement recommended. This appears consistent with a known defect in this engine type.

I am reporting a confirmed safety defect in my 2018 Ford Escape equipped with the 1. 5l ecoboost engine involving engine coolant intrusion into the cylinder bores. This appears to be a manufacturing defect associated with this engine design rather than a maintenance issue. I have exercised proper diligence as the vehicle owner and have two prior inspection reports (available upon request) that showed no indication of this issue before the failure occurred. I have a formal written diagnosis from a Ford service center confirming internal engine failure consistent with Ford technical service bulletin (TSB) 22-2229. This defect allows engine coolant to leak into the cylinder bores, which can lead to misfires, overheating, severe internal engine damage, and eventual engine stalling or complete loss of engine power. This condition presents a serious safety hazard because it can cause sudden and unpredictable loss of engine power while the vehicle is in motion, including at highway speeds. A sudden stall in traffic significantly increases the risk of a crash and endangers the driver, passengers, and surrounding motorists. Ford’s customer satisfaction program 21n12 does not adequately address the severity of this defect. All these vehicles like mine even at only 101,000 miles are at risk with no warnings. Numerous owners have reported the same coolant intrusion failure in vehicles equipped with the 1. 5l ecoboost engine, suggesting a systemic manufacturing issue. There are also ongoing consumer complaints and civil litigation related to this defect. Because this issue has the potential to cause sudden loss of power without warning, I respectfully request your administration investigate this defect and consider a mandatory safety recall to protect the entire public. Thank you.

Check engine light came on last week. Took it into the repair shop and they let me know that there is coolant in the first cylinder. There is not a recall for this but it is a known issue with Ford Escapes designs and that Ford has redesigned the engine block and gasket, and in some cases, they are replacing the entire long block.

My 2018 Ford Escape has experienced coolant intrusion into the engine cylinders, a known issue affecting this model year. The vehicle began misfiring and consuming coolant without external leaks. The dealership confirmed the diagnostic, a technical service bulletin applies to my VIN. This defect can cause engine failure while driving, creating a serious safety risk. I am experiencing coolant loss, smoke and excessive shaking. Just paid my car off and got title last week. Only 130,000 miles. Ford will not help pay for repairs. Ford needs to be responsible for this and pay for this fix! it is a know defect!!! . Safety risks • loss of power while driving • risk of engine stall • overheating risk • highway safety concern.

Car began making noises and overheating. Had to pay $2200 for water pump coolant thermostat timing belt etc. With the uncertainty if the engine was “blown”. Drove two days began overheating again. Has been determined that head gaskets are blown due to coolant leaking into the engine.

The engine leaked coolant into the cylinder. Bad cylinder #2 per mechanic. Engine needs replacement. This is a know problem with 2017-2109 Ford 1. 5l eco boost engines.

Coolant intrusion requiring short block engine replacement mil came on approximately 3 weeks ago and Ford no longer covers this repair for a known defect.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 45 mph, the vehicle shut off with the check engine, transmission, battery and several other unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact and her husband shifted into neutral(n) and pushed the vehicle off to the shoulder of the roadway. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was purchased, and a diagnostic test was performed. The contact was informed by the mechanic that a timing chain failure had destroyed the engine block resulting in complete engine failure. The contact was provided an estimate for a new engine. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number. The contact was also informed that the vehicle was out of warranty and that there were no recall associated with the VIN. The vehicle was not repaired and was towed back to the residence. The failure mileage was approximately 122,000.