general problems of the 2018 Ford Escape - part 1

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.

Engine coolant intrusion- I don't feel safe driving this vehicle due to engine problems known to Ford even at/before time of sale. Possible fire hazard. Transmission- I don't feel safe driving this vehicle due to transmission problems known to Ford even at/before time of sale. Vehicle lurched around while backing from my garage. Electronic emergency brake- occasionally sticks in lock on position not allowing me to operate. Report date is today 02/08/2026 for issues as of manufacture date 12/17/17 I request Ford buy back this vehicle at full purchase price. I'm a single widow and don't feel safe driving this vehicle alone. Ford selling vehicles with long known problems to unsuspecting customers is shameful.

Battery light came on, its a new battery with warning of 12v battery failure. The back camera has been giving blank screen and camera unavailable message.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed, and the failure was not duplicated. The dealer cleared the check engine warning light. The contact then received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 26v011000 (equipment); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The check engine warning light returned, and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer. The dealer acknowledged the recall and confirmed that parts were not yet available, and the contact was provided an estimate for a diagnostic test, but the contact declined. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start after several attempts. An independent mechanic was contacted and confirmed that there was a coolant leak and that coolant might have leaked into the engine. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.

I purchased a 2018 Ford Escape from metropolitan Ford dealership in eden prairie, mn on 5/15/2025. The very next day the engine light came on. I called them, made an appointment and brought it in thinking that it was a sensor. They checked it out and tried to charge me $1000 for the fix. I argued with them that I had just bought the car and the should be responsible for fixing it. In end I paid $300 and knew from that point that they would take no responsibility for anything wrong with th car. Fast forward to 12/12/2025 I was driving to work and as soon as I entered the interstate the engine light came on as well as the temperature gage going through the roof. I found that I couldn't accelerate and slowly drove the car off the next exit. I was able to get it to my mechanic right there, where he said I had a slow leak in the coolant and gave me a rough estimate of $1000 possible fix but he couldn't do it then. He advised me to keep the coolant filled and took it out of the "limp" mode so I could drive it. A week later I went out to my car and it was in the "limp" mode again, I had it towed to the nearest service station where they came back with the issue. A coolant intrusion. The engine was no longer functional. I went back to the dealer and they told me it was my problem to deal with and that they had no responsibility to do anything. That's when I found out about the recall that they knew about and ignored and sold me a car that they knew was problematic. I'm hoping to join this class action lawsuit because I'm out $12,000 the largest amount that I ever paid for a car and I don't have a working car. I still owe $5000 on this one. I thought going to a Ford dealership and spending the kind of money I spent would protect me from this exact thing. I'm devastated and really don't know what to do.

Blown head gasket, it is available for inspection. The engine overheating could’ve left me and my family stranded. The problem has not been confirmed by anyone. It also has not been inspected yet either. There were no other indicators lit on the dashboard other than the check engine light.

My car was fine earlier today, but when I drove home and parked, I turned my vehicle off and the fan continued to run. I took my car to autozone and they ran a diagnostic test with the oem and no codes came up. They said it’s possibly the motor fan module or some sort of sensor or relay. The car isn’t running hot or anything, but the motor can won’t turn off, so it’s running my battery down. This is the first time this has happened.

I believe coolant got into the cylinders and caused an engine failure. I had to replace the engine on the vehicle at 58000 miles.

We were at a stop on a over crossing, and all of a sudden, the car engine started racing loudly and , even with foot on the brake, hard, it surged forward twice and hit the vehicle in front of us and caused that vehicle to hit the vehicle in front of him. My husband tried to shift gear to park or neutral, but shift was stuck. My husband then turned off the car. The hits damaged our radiator and other components. It is now at the body shop and since, our insurance company deemed, we were at fault, we will be paying a deductible and insurance is taking care of driver #2 who sustained soft flesh injury. We are very uneasy about driving this car again after what happen. So far the body shop has not identified the problem. After looking this issue online, I found, that some 2018 Ford Escapes have problems with the etb. I just want to bring this to your attention.

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 .

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.

Obd trouble code p0302 — cylinder 2 misfire caused by coolant seeping in from a deformation in the block.

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.

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.

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?.

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.

Early may 2025 the check engine light came on. Had towed to my mechanic 95 miles away (I live remotely), they changed the spark plugs. Within one week the check engine light came on a, took to a local garage (inside the national park where my residence is) and they chaned the spark plugs again. The nect week I heard my coolant system making noises (it never made this before), checked and refilled fluids, but it continued and tye check engine light came on again. Had it towed to my mechanic again. They advised me the headgasget blew and the coolant system went with it. Had to pay to have it towed to my home.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 00 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.

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 .

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.

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.

Vehicle overheated in middle of traffic and immediately went in limp mode due to antifreeze leaking in the internal engine.

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.

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 unknown.

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.

I just recently came across the 21n12 letter that was sent out to people awhile back after googling an issue I noticed with my car. It appears my car is losing coolant. Which, after reading the 21n12, it appears is a known issue that Ford submitted a letter letting people get this repair done for no charge. Well, I never received the letter and might be experiencing these issues. I don’t find this to be anywhere near fair at all. What if my car died on me?.

The head gasket on cylinder 4 broke. Releasing coolant into the engine block, causing stuttering and stalling within the engine. As well as causing the car to loose coolant quickly that lead to the engine overheating. All of this information about my car I was given by the head mechanic at olympic auto, longwood FL. He said that many Ford Escapes have experienced this issue. The only warning light I was given was the engine, and it would tell me that cylinder 4 had faulted.

The engine has coolant intrusion and misfiring that can lead to an engine fire. My family was put in jeopardy as coolant disappears during driving. The dealership has confirmed a coolant intrusion issue as indicated in the csp 21n12. There are two csp's (19b37 and 21n12) from Ford issued when the dangerous engine problem should be a recall. Ford recently issued ecoboost engine recalls for many other vehicles and somehow the 2018 Ford Escape was missed. Ford has refused to fix the engine hazard on this 2018 Ford Escape due to an expiration date on the csp, even though the vehicle is still within the 7 year timeline indicated in the csp. The vehicle was purchased after the expiration date so I am trying to figure out why the vehicle did not have either of these csp's done, when dealer had the vehicle, so this dangerous issue was resolved prior to the expiration date and consumer purchase.

The engine light came on in my 2018 Ford explorer. I took it to the mechanic and was told my engine is failing and the coolant is leaking into the engine. He told me this is a common issue with this car and has happened to other people. He suggested I call the place I bought it to see if they can help pay. I called them and was told there is nothing they can do because my warranty expired three months ago. They said I could by another warranty but would have to wait 30 days for it to go into effect and the car may not last that long.

The check engine light was intermittently on and off for several days in late June. We went to autozone to read code, which said misfire cylinder 3. So we bought spark plugs and asked our mechanic friend to replace all four of them before our road trip as the mechanic suggested. The safety of the driver and passengers was put at risk due to the high engine temperature warning while driving on the highway, indicating a potential engine overheating issue. We waited till it cooled down and saw the coolant was below the minimum level. So, we drove to a small car care centre. They didn’t find any leak and just added some coolant. And the check engine light was cleared. But it came back on again the next day and we were still loosing coolant. We were too worried to drive too far, so we went to meineke in new haven. They checked everything and replaced our four spark plugs again because the former ones were overtightened as they said. They also replaced rear brake pads and rotors, and did tune-up. The light was cleared again. However, the light came back on again on Jul. 12. We’ve kept an eye on the coolant recently. And last week we found it was below the minimum level again. We replaced the cap of the coolant reservoir and added some fuel injection cleaner. We didn’t see any visible leak but are still losing coolant. 5. We don’t know if it’s safe to drive this vehicle even if this is only transport of our family. Ford refused to help even if they failed to disclose that Ford Escapes have a defect that causes coolant to leak into the engine’s cylinders, which can cause corrosion, oil dilution and contamination, and engine failure; and failed to disclose these defects create a safety risk, because the lack of coolant created by the leaks causes overheating and can result in the cylinder head cracking, total engine failure, and/or engine fires.