The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that an unknown error message related to the coolant was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a local service center, where it was diagnosed with a blown head gasket due to coolant intrusion into the cylinders. 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 70,000.
2018 Ford Escape engine complaints
Page 20 of 50: complaints 551 to 580 of 1,458, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Check engine light came on and car would produce shaking and bumping feeling up on startup Took vehicle to AAA tire and auto Sylvania, Ohio. Service shop performed diagnostic. Used scope to visualize coolant in the third cylinder of the engine. Tech said that the cylinder was almost completely full of coolant and engine would fail soon and would need replaced. A few days later the car is now producing smoke from the exhaust and is now undrivable due to safety concerns from smoke and potential failure while driving.
Vehicle acts like it wants to stall when it starts. I had it checked and it has coolant intrusion on cylinder 3 from engine block. Ford dealer says it does not fall under a replacement campaign. I called Ford consumer support and was told that if the vehicle had been manufactured in building A versus B, it would be fixed by Ford. So, all the same parts are used to manufacture the vehicles................they all will have the same issue. The 21N12 campaign needs to be expanded to cover all vehicles since they have the same motor which results in the same issue. This vehicle has 43,932 miles on it so it hasn't even lasted the 60,000 miles that one would expect the engine to last. I am requesting that the federal safety agency assist in getting this engine replaced since it is a known issue. Ford needs to replace all faculty engines.
Ford Customer Satisfaction Program 21n12. Coolant intrusion into one or more cylinders for the 1.5L Ecoboost motor. Ford will not repair this motor under the 21n12 code beyond 7 years or 84,000 miles. CSP 19b37 is required prerequisite prior to performing the 21n12 repair, so the 21n12 repair timeline therefore should start at the date of the 19b37 repair. My vehicle is just 4 months out of the 7 years (in service date) and Ford won’t cover the repair. Vehicle is inoperable and the repair cost will exceed the cars value after repairs are made. The vehicle currently has 79,xxx miles which is unacceptable by today’s vehicle life standards.
This vehicle has a known issue with coolant intrusion into the engine, while driving down the highway this caused my car to instantly send an engine overheating message and send the car into limp mode. While driving in the left lane i quickly lost all power and was limited to roughly 10mph to try and merge across 3 lanes of traffic. There was a customer satisfaction program to fix this but i am 6k miles beyond qualifiying.
Recall 21n12 Was sold this car from ford dealership without them disclosing this recall that has been in affect for years Now being told that my engine failed due to this recall but that ford isn’t going to cover it due to it being past the recall date now and I was quoted $14,000 which is more than what the car was even worth in the first place
Coolant intrusion in engine block for the second time.
Short Block Coolant Intrusion as described in Customer Satisfaction Program 21N12 dated June 9, 2022.
I purchased a 2018 Ford escape from a dealership in 2023. Has know recall issue/ issues dealership should have notified me of. Also manufacturer warranty should cover but warranty is limited to time I didn't own the vehicle. Was not notified as required by statute.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the message "Service Engine Soon" was displayed, and the temperature gauge rose to hot(HOT). Additionally, the message "Stop the vehicle" was displayed while the vehicle was in park(P). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion in the pistons or cylinders. The mechanic determined that the long block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact of Ford Campaign Number: 21N12. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be covered due to the mileage. The manufacturer referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the engine failed to turn over. The check warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine which caused the #4 spark plug to be rusted, and a failure with the long block. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to an unknown the federal safety agency Campaign Number; however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 137,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent, mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine block had failed, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to the 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 and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for further assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 92,800.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the engine was idling roughly. The contact stated that when the engine had warmed up, the rough idling stopped; however, when the vehicle slowed down for a traffic signal or traffic sign, the vehicle started idling roughly. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle was taken to a local dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that there was coolant intrusion into the engine block, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to manufacturer's Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12 Coolant Intrusion into the Engine (Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request?: The engine - coolant leaked and is leaking into one of the piston heads - this is in line with what has happend to several others regarding their Ford Escape. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk?: The engine was miss-firing - luckly I took it in before anything serious happened, but when I press the gas, it didn't always accelerate. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center?: Yes, both Ford HQ and the dealership have confirmed this problem. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others?: Yes Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear?: Engine light was flashing.
Coolant leaking into cylinders caused engine failure at approx 113,000 miles. I took it to a dealership and they said the engine had to be replaced. I did so and had it replaced at $8464.12 This is a known problem with this Ecoboost engine
Coolant intrusion leak. Car came up with 3rd misfire. Changed spark plug and coil. Came back with same code. The car starts bag. I will fill coolant and the next day it is empty.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that coolant intrusion into various cylinders had resulted in damages 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 103,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle shuddered and hesitated while accelerating. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that the engine had experienced coolant intrusion, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 119,000.
Check engine light came on. Fault indicated cylinder #2 misfire. Took vehicle into Ford dealer to diagnose failure. Informed that cylinder #2 has coolant leaking into the cylinder and repair would require that the engine block be replaced. Estimate for repair approximately $10,000. I understand that Ford had a design problem with the 1.5 L Eco Boost engine that was installed in some 2018 Escape models but any opportunity to get this vehicle repaired by Ford has elapsed. Vehicle currently has approximately 109000 miles on the odometer.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light intermittently illuminated. The vehicle later had white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for an oil change, and the contact was informed that there was coolant intrusion into the engine and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 11,080.
Check engine light came on. Took it to a mechanic and they changed the plugs and coils due to misfire. About a month later, check engine light came on and I received an alert on Ford pass app. The alert said power train failure. Had the dealer pick it up for service. Told today I need a new engine due to coolant intrusion. Looked up the issue and it is a well known problem. I had the related recall done in 2020. The dealer said I don’t qualify for the fix because I have over 84000 miles. I was told the parameters are 84 months and 84000 miles. I am less than 84 months but my mileage is at 88500 and I need a new engine. Less than 5000 miles and was told by the dealer I don’t qualify. Car has been serviced regularly and initial recall done when it was due. This repair should be covered by Ford.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was stationary, the vehicle needed to be jumpstarted. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle with a failure with the head gasket, which caused a misfire in cylinder #2, and stated that the engine needed to be replaced. The independent mechanic had taken a video of the failure. The dealer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 35,835.
Coolant leak. Cylider# 3. Cracked cylinder. 61000 miles Engine replaced.
Engine is unsafe to drive. Paid over $1400 in repairs just to find out the engine is a faulty engine. Engine failed due to coolant intrusion. Vehicle is not safe to drive. Veh has less than 100k miles. Happened randomly car engine shakes violently and sputters.
The contact's mother 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 the dealer, who determined that there was coolant intrusion into the cylinders and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 19B37 (Powertrain Control Module Reprograming); however, the vehicle was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the Customer Satisfaction Program. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle shuddered. The Check Engine, Transmission, and Battery, along with several other unknown warning lights were illuminated; the "Service Engine Soon" and "Power Train Malfunction" messages were displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact did research and was made aware of an unknown the federal safety agency Campaign Number however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000.Â
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the head gasket. 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 contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 68,351.
My short block engine failed in the middle of pulling out onto a 4 lane roadway while my two children were in the vehicle. We were almost hit from behind as I lost power while entering the roadway. The vehicle was taken to and diagnosed by a Ford dealership as needing a short block and full engine rebuild. There was no warning or problems before the failure. My vehicle has 23,000 miles on it and is currently waiting for repairs at an independent shop because I cannot afford another new vehicle at this time.
Coolant leaking into cylinder head and causing misfire in ignition coil 4. Car is using mass amounts of coolant but no leak. Codes are reading misfire in 4th ignition coil as out lined in the following: TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN 1.5L EcoBoost - Low Coolant, White Exhaust Smoke And/Or Illuminated MIL - Built On Or Before 06-Apr-2019 19-2139. Yes it's available on request. The car would studder while running in traffic causing people to stop short or significant risk of being rear ended because the car would not excelerate as built too. No. Vehicle has not been inspected by manufacturer, police etc. It has been confirmed by an independent service person. MiL light came on. In March and coil 4 closest to the cylinder was replaced. The problem resurfaced April 19th 2025 and it was looked at again. Once again coil 4 was misfiring again and the plugs were looked at again and they were corroded with coolant even though they had just been replaced March 2nd. This is a known issue with Ford they are well aware and choose to do nothing even though there is a specifically detailed TSB 19-2139 detailing the very issue that is going on with my car.
2018 ford escape , purchased brand new. . check engine light went on .was on. brought to mechanic; coolant level was low . Engine was misfiring. Reason for check engine light. Discovered one spark plug stuck and corroded. Discovered the reason that coolant was empty. It leaked into the engine. Mechanic says it is a closed system so it cannot be readily discovered. said coolant leaked into the engine . now need new engine. mechanic said this is a design flaw of ford and that many other ford escape owners have the same issue. I paid off my car. I was quoted over 7k to replace the engine. Miles are low on this vehicle. This is unconscionable that Ford has not issued a recall regarding this issue when it appears so many ford owners are having the exact same issue and all are told to pay for a new engine
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