general problems of the 2018 Ford Escape - part 1

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.

Keep getting an error code for p0303 cylinder 3 misfire. I have replaced everything to correct this problem but keep getting the same error. Started noticing that coolant is leaving reservoir and only returns when I remove the cap. When I turn the car off I hear water rushing behind the dashboard. There are no leaks seen. I've started having very quick and sudden overheating that cools quickly after stopping the car. I get a dash message "engine fault service now" message that goes away after I remove the cap from the coolant, thus allowing the reservoir to refill. I've been dealing with the p0303 code off and on for a year now, but the coolant issue started a couple of months ago. Yesterday was the first overheating of the engine and the only place I could pull over was very dangerous and I was not able to fully get out of the road. I saw there is a recall on 2018 Ford Escapes for coolant intrusion. Why is this one not included?!.

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.

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.

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).

The component that is failing in my vehicle is the engine, specifically the 1. 5l ecoboost engine short block, which is experiencing coolant intrusion into the cylinders. This defect causes misfires, rough running, loss of coolant without visible leaks, and can lead to catastrophic engine failure. The car and all its components are available for inspection upon request. My safety, my child's safety, as well as the safety of others on the road, has been put at risk because this engine defect can cause sudden misfires, loss of power, or complete engine failure while driving. I rely on this vehicle to transport my special needs toddler to and from essential care appointments and therapies. I have experienced sudden intermittent powertrain loss that has resulted in the vehicle randomly stopping on highway. A local auto shop diagnosed the issue free of charge. It was explained to me that this is a known defect that Ford has documented, and other owners have reported to the national highway traffic safety administration, demonstrating that it is reproducible in vehicles with this engine type. My vehicle has not been inspected by Ford for repair coverage, nor have police or insurance representatives been involved. Ford has reviewed my VIN internally but refused coverage based on a narrow eligibility range, leaving me responsible for repair costs that are financially burdensome and urgently needed for the safety and care of my child. As of now I experience random misfires, rough running, white thick smoke expelling from the exhaust, random powertrain loss, and unexplained loss of coolant. These symptoms appeared gradually but are consistent with the documented defect in other vehicles with the same engine type, model, and assembly plant, making it clear that my vehicle is affected by the same issue.

I was on my way to work on 2/4/2026 and all of a sudden the rpms went up really high and wouldn’t accelerate and then down shifted really hard so I pulled over. It then showed on the dash “system fault: transmission fault service now” I ended up needing a tow truck. This is not ok! it’s also apparently a common occurrence which means it should be recalled and fixed!.

Flywheel detached and destroyed our engine and transmission while we were traveling 75 mph in traffic. We were nearly rear-ended and side-swiped due to immediate loss of power. A dealer inspected the vehicle and told us about the flywheel detachment. They referred us to Ford customer service, who said nothing could be done as we were a few thousand over the warranty. Repairs would cost 14,500. The transmission is 6f35, which has had several class action lawsuits due to its failure according to internet sources. There was a clicking noise at idle but the car was running fine at that point. This may have been loose dowels that eventually detached.

I was driving on the highway, and there was an abrupt loss of drive and failure of the car. The transmission failed suddenly when I was traveling at highway speed, and there was no prior warning. This nearly caused an accident with the cars behind me, but I managed to get off the road into the shoulder. This is a safety concern, since there were no prior signs at all of this happening. The transmission failure was immediate. I purchased the car new, and I'm the only owner. I kept up well with maintenance, even doing the oil changes prior to the oil light coming on. I spoke to several Ford dealers, including the Ford dealer I purchased my car in 2018. He admitted that the transmission in this make and model needs often replacement. The miles on my car is approximately 116,000.

While driving on highway the trouble light "engine fault service now" engaged and the engine started to lose power. Another trouble light came on saying to pull car over immediately and restart. By this time the car was dying of power and eventually lost all forward motion. After sitting for a couple hours the engine started with no trouble lights. Had towed to Ford dealer and they say there are no codes logged. This is two weeks after we had to have a new long block engine installed due to faulty motor due to fluid intrusion into cylinders. This latest problem is definately a safety issue with vehicle just dying on the road.

Received transmission fault error while driving the car (car was in motion). Car could not accelerate despite appkying pressure to the accelerator. Car failed to to shift while car was in motion. Vehicle stalled 3 times on the date indicated. Had vehicle diagnosed at a Ford dealer. Requires a remanufactured transmission thats costs $7500 (more than the vehicle is worth). This is a known issue among 3rd gen Ford Escapes.

Multiple failures occurred while driving with my kids in the car from what we can tell an electrical system failure of the parking brake motor as well as a transmission failure it is unknown at this time whether the parking brake motor failed causing stress on the transmission or the transmission fault led to the end electric motor failure of the parking brake.

This vehicle is driven by my [xxx] 3 things happened the third can cause an accident leading to death or a multi car accident. #1 [xxx] driving on the freeway she heard a squeeling noise like a belt slipping then went away and has not retuned. I checked belts and idlers all ok. #2 [xxx] heard loud ticking under floorboard of car driving on the freeway car seemed to drive normally then ticking went away. #3 [xxx] driving on the freeway steering wheel pulled the car aggressively to left almost causing a multi car accident cars behind and to the left were swerving to avoid hitting other cars. She was able to control the car back straight again luckily the car to her left was not next to her but at her rear bumper or she would have hit that car pushing it into cars in all the lanes to the left. After an internet search I discovered that Ford has had problems with their transfer cases (ptu) and its rare but people have reported issues with the car pulling hard left for no reason. I mention the three steps that happened previous to the steering wheel incident because from my research these are the warring signs before the transfer case goes out. This vehicle is a 2018 Ford Escape awd 35,000 original miles p. S. Ford customer service was notified of this safety issue on December 6, 2025 my case# [xxx] response was not covered I will be repairing this vehicle and I will retain all the old parts for your convenience if you need them for further inspection or investigation. Ptu failures are a well know issue with these ptu's information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Had vehicle in shop for axle repair, as soon as I got home transmission went out when I was about to turn onto a main road with 2 kids in my car. My car felt like it was in neutral but it wasn’t. Barely got back to my parking spot. Seeing this is a common issue with my car and I think it should be covered under a recall.

To whom this concerns: my name is [xxx] and I’m writing this on the behalf of my wife [xxx] , but her last name was [xxx] years ago. My wife purchases a 2018 Ford Escape. Car was working completely fine and there were no problems. As time went on, we had to take our vehicle to jordan Ford where the car was purchased. The issue with the car was something called engine intrusion. We took it to jordan Ford, and they told is this needed to be fixed. The cost was around 5,000 which was a lot for this. Then we found out that this vehicle had a recall on it for the exact same issue that we were having. Looking at the recall, it said that we had to give them this by a certain date. We were too late on that date so the recall could not be honored. We called Ford and told them about the problem with the vehicle and they were willing to knock the price down. I told them that is not fair that we must pay for a problem that is a recall. We did not get the car fixed and they knew about it. Now, it looks like our Ford Escape has the exact same issue, but now they are saying that we must pay over 8,000 to replace the short block because it’s over-heating. Well, we found out that this car was purchased after the recall was in motion and we were not told about it. It is not fair that this vehicle has had this many problems and Ford knew about it. [xxx] [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Engine light came on. It came up as misfire cylinder 3 needing spark plugs/ignition coil so I made an appointment to get that fixed. On my way to my appointment today, the “engine overheating stop vehicle” warning came on. Turns out this is the known coolant intrusion into the engine block problem that has caused the engine to crack and now needs replaced. Called Ford customer service and just like what they are telling everyone else, there is nothing they can do to help. Yes it’s a known problem by Ford but they will not fix it because my car does not meet mileage criteria. It has 130,000 miles.

My vehicle stooped running. I scheduled maintenance at metro Ford. According to the diagnostic test completed at metro Ford, there were powertrain issues. This diagnosis also appears on my Ford motor pass app. According to the service department at metro Ford, coolant was leaking into the engine and that a new water pump and battery needs to be installed to get the car back running. We complied with the cost ($2,400 this included new water pump and battery) and 30 days later the car stopped running again. The car was towed back to metro Ford and we were told that the engine is dead and that a new diagnostic check will need to be done with an additional $410 on top of the $2,400 which was paid to get the water pump and other items fixed previously. We were never informed that the engine will need to be replaced after the first diagnostic check. That information should have been told first since you are running the same check that now tells you the engine is dead.

On 10/17/2025, my transmission stop working properly after driving fine for 145,000 miles. This seems to be a common occurrence with this year and model for the Escape. The transmission is an automatic and stopped going in the drive gear on the highway. I was able to get the car off the road and have it towed to a mechanic where they verified that that I would need a new transmission.

Transmission fault in red letters came on. Turned car off and then turned back on after 20 minutes and the message disappeared. Three days later same things happened- repeated what I did before and message went away. I've noticed when I try to accelerate it sounds as if I'm accelerating but I'm not getting passed 20 mph. Car does a hard jerk when trying to accelerate.

To whom it may concern, I am writing to express my deep frustration regarding a serious issue with my Ford vehicle. My vehicle recently displayed code p0302 – misfire cylinder 2, which has been diagnosed as coolant intrusion into the cylinder. The recommended repair is a replacement long block, along with new hardware and seals. This is a known issue with certain Ford engines — one that Ford previously covered under warranty or service campaigns prior to 2023. My vehicle has fewer than 60,000 miles, yet it has suffered a major engine failure clearly tied to a manufacturing defect. Ford and even u. S. Government agencies are aware of this widespread issue. Unfortunately, Ford is now refusing to take responsibility for a defect they have long known about. It’s extremely disappointing to see such disregard for loyal customers. This experience has completely eroded my trust in Ford. It’s clear why so many americans are turning to foreign manufacturers — companies that take accountability and fix known problems instead of ignoring them. I will never purchase a Ford again, and I will be sharing my experience so that others are aware of how these issues are being handled.

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.

Ford design flaw in 1. 5 ecoboost engine in a 2018 Escape with 91k miles causing water intrusion into cylinder which causes engine to run dangerously bad. Ford knew of design flaw but neglected issue recall but did issue csp 21n12 Ford will not assist because of ending program in late 2022.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to shift into gear properly, with the transmission warning light illuminated. The contact also stated that the vehicle failed to shift into reverse and was unable to operate while in reverse. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

Engine failure due to coolant intrusion design defect that Ford did not pay for it. Even though, since match 1, 2025, there have been over 320 complaints regarding this issue. Nhtsa should communicate to Ford, these vehicles should be recalled!.

My 2018 Ford Escape 1. 5l ecoboost experience rough starts for about a week. Then on the highway the engine temperature gage shot all the way to hot, the check engine light began flashing, and the vehicle started rumbling. We parked and had the vehicle towed. The mechanic diagnosed the problem as coolant intrusion into the cylinder. It has cracked the engine block. This issue is known to be a problem by Ford. The dealership mechanic knew what the problem just from the make, model, and year. Ford released a letter to all dealerships to attempt a computer repair in 2022, apparently to buy time as they knew there were going to be issues as these vehicles aged. The letter suggests that Ford and the dealers are to contact anyone who purchased these vehicles. We were not contacted. We have contacted Ford and their customer service representatives say that Ford has a customer satisfaction program, 21n12, in place to fix these vehicles, but it "is not attached to our VIN" and there is nothing they can do. When you ask for a supervisor, they call from a toll free number after 8:00pm and tell you the same thing. "that program isn't attached to your VIN" and there is nothing they can do about it.

Coolant leaking into engine. Check engine light on. Codes p0302, p0316, u0140. I was told by the Ford dealership that ran codes that the only correction for the issue is a full long block replacement.

Coolant intrusion, damaged engine.

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.

I lost engine power trying to accelerate while entering the highway. Check engine light flashed several times then went steady. I pulled over into the slow lane with my flashers on and with reduced power to get off the highway exit straight to the dealer. The check engine light stayed on steady. This is apparently part of a known issue with the 1. 5l gtdi engine. There was a technical service bulletin created for it 22-2322 and a customer service program fix was set up- 21n12.

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.

My motor had to be replaced due to coolant intrusion. Now my transmission has to be replaced as well. It was definitely faulty. I have letters from the Ford dealership that worked on my car and put the new motor in. It was caused by coolant intrusion.

We started to notice a rough idle when starting the vehicle, the check engine light came on. The rough idle continued to get worse. We took it to a certified mechanic to have it inspected. Based upon the check engine status, they did further diagnosis through various tests. They determined that the coolant appeared to be seeping into the #1 cylinder. They checked the Ford website for any recalls and found a TSB ( technical service bulletin} # 19-2346 regarding the 2. 0l eco-boost engine. Ford's tsp says to replace the engine block, but does not indicate at who's expense. If this is defective and Ford knows, the consumer should not be responsible to pay for this major expense. What do we do? within the ;next couple weeks we plan to take the car into a Ford dealership to do their own diagnosis.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving 80 mph and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The transmission was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened a case. The approximate failure mileage was 85,822.

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.

Coolant intrusion . Coolant leak caused the vehicle to overheat and thus making it unable to drive . Had to tow to a repair facility and they confirmed that it’s a coolant intrusion, a common issue with Ford Escape . Engine warning light came up and there were mis fires in engine. In a week , got an engine overheat warning in the morning when I started the car .