There is a known ford problem with the engine in 2018 Ford escape manufactured in Louisville from 11-16-17 / 4-8-2019. And the final assembly plant was in Louisville . I spoke with Ford today my vin should have been covered under 21n12 and 19b37. A rep at Ford, Tim, told me to contact you because my vin was missed on this recall. This is the 2nd engine it has needed. I just purchased this car in Oct of 2024 . The car is in the Ford dealer for the same exact thing in Aug 2025. The engine needs to be replaced . There is a problem with the block due to coolant intrusion. The blocks were built poorly causing this problem. There is also a TSB issued for this problem. The cost of this repair will not be covered by Ford and it should. My vin was not included in recall, and this came from a Ford rep in customer relations. Ford is well aware of these problems and are doing nothing about this problem. Something should be done before more people experience this problem.
2018 Ford Escape engine complaints
Page 15 of 50: complaints 401 to 430 of 1,458, newest first, as owners wrote them.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and occupied, while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that after twenty-five minutes of turning off and restarting the vehicle several times, the vehicle operated as intended. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the purge valve needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 18V735000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and transferred the contact the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 89,000.
The contact called on behalf of the owner of the 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and it was diagnosed that a warp cylinder block had failed, and the dealer became aware of coolant intrusion into the cylinder, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 84,000.
Coolant leak into the cylinder requiring a complete new engine.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, the vehicle started to hesitate upon depression of the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light was flashing. The contact stated that upon scanning the vehicle with a vehicle scanner, the contact retrieved diagnostic trouble codes that indicated a misfire in engine cylinder #2. The vehicle was initially towed to an independent mechanic, who referred the contact to the dealer. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact related the failure to the Ford Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12; however, both the dealer and the manufacturer informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered. The manufacturer referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline to file a vehicle safety complaint. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 131,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was white smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe, and the vehicle experienced a rough idle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into cylinder #2. The contact was informed that the short block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to Ford Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12 (Short Block Replacement After Coolant Intrusion). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a vehicle safety complaint with the federal safety agency Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
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
2024 Car smoking making a noise. Ford dealer told warranty company it needed a new engine. Warranty company was going to buy a new engine but Ford said the engine was under their warranty and they would replace it. They only replaced the short block. 2025 Ford said no longer under warranty - engine pouring out oil. Now they say it needs a long block cost $14,000. They will not pay for it.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact received Ford Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12 (Short Block Replacement After Coolant Intrusion). The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that there were no recalls or programs in the system on the vehicle. Recently, the contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and the dealer was provided Customer Satisfaction Program number. The dealer denied assistance and provided the contact an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided a case number. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated when the vehicle was started, the engine failure warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with internal engine failure and coolant intrusion. In addition, the contact was informed that the engine had overheated internally. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under warranty or any special programs. The failure mileage was 92,420.
I am writing to report a serious and, from my research, widespread issue with my 2018 Ford Escape equipped with the 1.5L EcoBoost engine. My vehicle is currently experiencing a coolant leak into cylinder #2, leading to a significant misfire and severely compromising its driving ability. Upon searching for "common problems with 2018 Ford Escape 1.5 EcoBoost," the first and most prominent result was this exact issue, indicating a systemic design or manufacturing defect rather than an isolated incident. This malfunction presents a significant safety concern. My girlfriend and I had planned a long-distance trip to Los Angeles this September. We are fortunate that this engine failure occurred locally rather than on a major interstate, where the sudden loss of power and severe engine shaking could have led to a dangerous situation, potentially causing an accident. Given the prevalence of this problem among other owners of this engine, I urge the federal safety agency to investigate this matter thoroughly. A widespread defect of this nature poses a clear risk to public safety. Thank you for your time and attention to this critical issue.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and it was determined that coolant intrusion into various cylinders resulted in damage to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 89,000.
Car has only 49,006 miles on it and the engine failed. It was working and then all of a sudden the check engine light came on and it started to run rough. Checked the spark plugs and they were full of gunk and changed them out. Car was still having problems and so we took it to the Ford dealer. The Ford dealer said that we needed to replace the engine because it was had scored cylinder walls at the number two cylinder and had no specific reason for it. The car was 1 quart low on oil even though it has regular maintenance and oil changes and there was still 38% oil life before we needed to change oil again. The check engine light only came on once it started to fail. Also, the engine compression at that point was only at 10%. Ford has refused to repair anything or pay any of it even though the engine is faulty.
We took the vehicle on a road trip from South Carolina to Ohio on July 6th. On [XXX], we started experiencing the issue listed in TSB 20-2100, where coolant was entering the combustion chamber. After making the determination that we could not take it anywhere, least of all back to South Carolina, we took it to a local dealership to where we were, Brondes Ford in Maumee OH. We received a call back from the service writers the next day, stating that the short block had cracked and coolant has infiltrated the combustion chambers. We were told that, with a 2018 Escape with 103,000 miles, we were not under any warranty and TSB 20-2100 would not cover us in terms of a free engine replacement, since we were over the 85,000 mile limit specified in the TSB. It was recommended that we contact Ford Motor Company to see if they could assist. After contacting Ford, was told they could not help us. Moreover, Ford recommended I lodge a complaint with NGTSA while I was on the phone with them. Final quote for the repair was going to be $9,000 to take care of the issue, which is almost twice the resale price of the vehicle at that time. We had to return home to South Carolina, so we opted to take a flight back home to attend to business here at home. That being said, had we known about this TSB, we never would have thought of traveling in this vehicle, and with so many of these vehicles still in service, it is a surprise to me that there have not been any accidents reported due to the possible conditions. Honestly, the thought of this occurring while we were traveling leads me to believe we would have, at least, been stranded on open highway somewhere. How this is not a recall is surreal to me. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine burns alot of coolant. Break time is not where it should be for a car with only 38k miles. The engine intake valves in affected vehicles may crack and break, causing the vehicle to lose motive power. Prior to losing motive power, an engine malfunction indicator lamp may illuminate in the cluster and the driver may notice that the vehicle is running rough. A loss of motive power can increase the risk of a crash.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine sputtered and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was driving abnormally rough. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. In addition, the contact stated that the transmission had failed in 2024 and was replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was advised to contact the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.
My vehicle started overheating as I was driving on [XXX]. A warning displayed on the dash to pull over immediately. I had the car towed my home and after reviewing issues with overheating I believe and was confirmed by my brother with a scan tool to be the head gasket leaking into the cylinders. This is a known issue that Ford is aware of and they even published TSB 20-2100. Request you investigate why this issue hasn't been resolved by Ford via recall. Sincerely, [XXX] 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 attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle hesitated to start. Additionally, the contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of motive power and failed to restart. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that coolant intrusion had caused the cylinder and the engine to fail. The failure was related to Ford Campaign Number: 21N12. An unknown local dealer was contacted but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to an expired warranty. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 49,695.
Coolant leaking into engine destroying spark plugs and ignition coils and damaging the engine
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, there was an abnormal chugging sound coming from underneath the hood. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with head gasket failure. The vehicle was taken to another local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a cylinder #3 leak and misfire in cylinder #1, #2, and #3. The contact was advised by the local independent mechanic that the failure was related to Ford Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 67,582.
Coolant leaked into the cylinder and now my whole engine has to be replaced. It’s was confirmed by a auto shop. I turned on my car, and it started to gurgle and then a message saying “engine faulty, service now.” I took it straight to the repair shop. I’ve only had the car for 3 years.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an auto body repair shop, where it was diagnosed with the cylinder #1 misfire. The contact replaced the spark plugs; however, the failure recurred, and the check engine warning light was flashing. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the coolant level was significantly low. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion in cylinder #1. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to Ford Campaign Number: 21N12. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included. The contact was referred to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, there was white and bluish smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion into the cylinder and that the long block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 53,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact started that while starting the vehicle, the vehicle was vibrating and shaking abnormally before the vehicle stalled. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that prior to the failure the check engine warning light had illuminated; however, the contact was able to drive the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that there was coolant intrusion into the engine and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact called the manufacturer and was referred to the federal safety agency Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.
My service engine now light came on while I was traveling from WV to OH. I took it to a mechanic in Ohio that looked over my vehicle. The mechanic concluded that there is coolant intrusion into the cylinder bores of my engine resulting in my engine needing to be replaced and or rebuilt. According to FORD, my VIN number was not part of the recall they issued in June of 2022 for this exact issue with the Ecoboost 1.5L engines on the 2017-2019 Ford Escapes.
Date of Incident or Diagnosis: 7/15/2025 I am writing to formally report a serious issue with my 2018 Ford Focus, which has required a full engine replacement due to a known and widespread defect — coolant intrusion into the engine cylinders, specifically cylinders 1 and 3. This is a manufacturing defect and not the result of normal wear and tear or improper vehicle maintenance. Coolant intrusion leads to engine misfiring, overheating, stalling, and ultimately complete engine failure — posing both safety risks and a significant financial burden to owners. This issue is especially concerning as there is no check engine light or prior warning before the damage becomes irreparable. In my case, the damage was discovered only after experiencing performance issues and having the vehicle professionally diagnosed. This problem has been widely reported by other owners of 2018 Ford Focus and Escape vehicles with similar 1.5L EcoBoost engines. Ford has previously issued technical service bulletins (TSBs) and recalls for similar issues in other model years and engine variants, but this specific year and model have not yet been included — despite exhibiting the exact same symptoms and root cause. I strongly believe that this failure is a design and manufacturing defect, not an isolated incident. It is unfair to hold consumers responsible for the cost of an engine replacement due to a flaw that Ford is already aware of in similar vehicles. Requested Action: I urge the federal safety agency to investigate this issue further and push for an official safety recall of 2018 Ford Focus vehicles affected by coolant intrusion. Engine failure while driving could pose a serious hazard to the driver and other motorists. Ford should be held accountable and required to cover the cost of repairs for all affected vehicles, not just those included in previous recall campaigns.
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
On or about 16 June 2025, a misfire prompted me to have the problem investigated. The computer showed a misfire on #1 cylinder; however, the problem cleared within two days. Then, the engine overheated. I filled the antifreeze tank, and the heat was reduced immediately. However, it recurred the next day, prompting me to have it investigated by our local dealer. They found it to be a leaking of coolant into the cylinder. I researched this problem and have learned it to be a common problem with 2015 - 2019 2.0L Ecoboost engines, of which my vehicle is one. Further research revealed that Ford was aware of this problem, had recalled several vehicles to address it, and had even extended the warranty to 10 years or 150,000 miles, whichever came first. However, I have been informed this is done by "VIN" and only a few are selected. I am upset that my engine is NOT included in this, as it is a 2.0L Ecoboost, just like the others. If Ford knew this problem, regardless of manufacture, why would my engine NOT be included? I cannot afford this cost on top of the $17,300 I owe for the car!
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the engine was running very hot, and the coolant level was extremely low. The contact refilled the coolant reservoir; however, shortly after, the coolant reservoir was low again. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that the engine was faulty due to coolant intrusion, and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000.
There is a design flaw with the engine where coolant leaks into the motor. The entire engine needs to be replaced. The issue begins with a piston misfiring and then slowly devolves into total engine failure. Ford knows about the issue and has offered in the past to replace it, but this ended in 2022.
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