I have a vehicle whose refrigeration is going into the motor. It started with the check engine light came on notifying the third spark plug was damaged and showed the codes P0303, P04DB, P0316, P0339. Later a warning sign came on the dashboard with the phrase "ENGINE MALFUNCTION, SERVICE NOW". It had a recall almost immediately after it was acquired and was seen by the manufacturer about two years.
2018 Ford Escape fuel system complaints
Page 2 of 3: complaints 11 to 40 of 58, newest first, as owners wrote them.
I have not even had this car for a year spent 10,000 on it it had less than 100,000 miles sounded great no noises or engine lights first it was the canister purge valve issue even tho I got the oil changed and everything wen I first got this car I have a work car so I literally bearly drive this car then the transmission went out less than a year into owning it it needs rotors In the front n mind u I paid cash so I can’t even complain to them can’t believe there are no recalls on this model im literally starting a facebook group about this car just to see how many ppl had this problem so far every person that had problems with this model transmission went out or both had my 2010 Kia for 12 years this car is a 2018 this is ridiculous
I was driving and all of a sudden a message popped up and said high engine temperature stop safely in the car just shut off immediately. The car would not drive anymore it shut off in traffic with no warning, which could have caused a terrible accident, because something about a heat sensor the car never ran hot the car has never overheated. I've never had any issues The car has always been serviced with no problems. I took the car to a mechanic certified mechanic that said there's a problem with the coolant leaking into the engine the same thing that I see other complaints about on this site there has to be something done about this. I've only had this car for a year this month April 2026 make it one year. I bought the car from Allan Turner Hyundai Pensacola Florida if Ford keeps getting complaints about the same issue why isn't it recalled in the engines being taken care of, now I am sitting here with the vehicle still trying to pay for it and the vehicle is messed up.
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)
While driving on a highway the RPMS in my 2018 Ford Escape with 88,600 miles went up high without me touching the gas because I was coasting downhill & then once I pushed the gas pedal to resume normal speed it shifted real hard into gear but would not move, it just kept coasting as cars were speeding up behind me going at least 55 MPH! I was finally able to pull over and once I put the car into park & tried to move it into a parking lot the car would not go into gear at all. The car was towed is currently at the Ford Dealer & they confirmed that the transmission needs to be replaced. The only time the warning sign/light came up on the dashboard was AFTER I tried for the last time to move the car into a safe parking area. Per the Ford service this apparently is a known issue with ford & the 6F35 transmissions & they are on back order for 4-6 weeks and Ford will not give me a loaner car.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was started, the check engine warning light illuminated and remained illuminated. The contact stated that after refueling and starting the vehicle, the warning light illuminated, and the vehicle failed to restart immediately. The vehicle restarted after three attempts. The failure reoccurred on three occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that there was a stuck cannister purge valve, and the fuel sensor system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure was associated with the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 108,500.
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. This is an engine defect Ford has known about since 2010, yet they continued to put this engine into their cars. I had bought this car less then a year ago, it had been in the shop more then I have had it. It is constantly overheating. The most recent time I was driving my son to school my exhaust was smoking really bad and everything seemed to be ruining smoothly the day before when I drove it the auto shop I have been taking it to they had spent 2 weeks researching what was wrong with it they told me I needed my whole engine replaced. Im a single mom amd I need answers.. I look up my Vin in the recalls and its stating 0 results but that cant be possible if I have had been same issue as others my eco start and stop dont work and my passager in the front cant roll window down
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.
coolant loss with no visible external leak, a sweet smell from the exhaust, and bubbling or gurgling in the coolant reservoir after startup. There is a KNOWN issue ongoing regarding customer satisfaction program 21N12
CEL is on -- hard time getting vehicle to start up after getting gas - once is running has a "shake to it" for a few seconds then stables Would this be a potential cover? March 30, 2018 the federal safety agency CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10137114 COMPONENT: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE the federal safety agency ID Number: 10137114 Manufacturer Communication Number: SSM 47203 Components: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
Coolant leak into the engine causing engine failure. This is a known problem with the 1.5 turbo engine in this model vehicle. Automobile is now undriveable and entire engine must be replaced.
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.
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.
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 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.
Frequently (not all the time) the motor would shake after filling with the gas in tank when I start the engine and it stops pumping. So It needs to be turned back on and have to use the gas pedal to keep it running during neutral mode. Something is not right. It has to do with fuel pump system issue and engine light would be on when the problem comes.
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
The contact's daughter owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving 60 MPH, the vehicle hesitated and shuddered. The vehicle failed to exceed 60 MPH. The check engine warning light was illuminated and flashing. The contact stated that the failure was related to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the failure was due to the fuel pump and fuel lines. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who confirmed there was no recall coverage on the VIN. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and transferred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 116,147.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the purge valve 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 assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 129,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the vehicle was shuddering and shaking abnormally. The check engine waning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the EVAP purge valve needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure reoccurred two days later. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the spark plugs needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 129,000.
Faulty purge valve control valve. Which is a common issue with the 2018 Ford Escape and there is an active recall for this issue. However my car was not included and I’m experiencing this issue.
My coolant is leaking into the motor. Shop gave me a quote for a whole new engine. I’ve seen so many posts on forums and many friends who own the same car having the same problem. Please please make Ford issue a recall as this is my only vehicle and I got it hoping to finally not have to worry about car problems for a while. It’s been 2 months since I bought it.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and was unable to accelerate above 40 MPH. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the high-pressure fuel pump, resulting in damages to the camshaft. The vehicle was not repaired. 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 69,000.
When I get gas engine turns off. Need to restart it multiple times. Hesitation on acceleration afraid to be on highway. Rough idol at stop. I’ve seen it multiple people have had this issue. It turns out to be the vapor canister, purge solenoid, which I had to be replaced that fixed it. Hopefully this could help out other people. I was so scared on the highway. God bless you.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after refueling the vehicle, the vehicle hesitated and stalled. The contact stated that recently the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle was stalling more frequently. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local Auto Parts Store and was diagnosed and DTC: P0456 (Evap. System); P0451 (Evap. System Switch) and P1450 Bleed out Fuel Vacuum) were retrieved. The contact stated that a friend recently had a recall of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) for the Canister Purge Valve (CPV) completed and related the failure to the recall. The contact had spoken to the manufacturer and a dealer and was advised that the vehicle was included. The manufacturer referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.
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 after refueling the vehicle, the vehicle failed to immediately start. The vehicle was taken to the local O'Reilly Auto Parts store which diagnosed that the EVAP high purge flow was faulty. No further information was available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 117,000.
I purchased a 2018 Ford Escape in February 2024 with 80,000 miles from a dealership. The vehicle had a single owner and appeared to be in great condition at the time of purchase. However, in December 2024 it presented a critical safety issue involving the engine. While driving, the vehicle began shaking violently and lost power, almost stopping in the middle of an intersection. This placed me and others at significant risk of a collision, as I was unable to control the car properly or move it safely out of traffic. The problem was confirmed by the Ford dealership, where diagnostics initially revealed a misfire code (P0302). After further inspection, the dealership determined that the engine required a full replacement. This repair was estimated to cost $9,000—nearly the current value of the vehicle. The car is at the dealership and has not been repaired due to the prohibitive cost. Through my research, I found Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 19-2346, which documents similar engine issues reported by other Ford Escape owners, requiring significant repairs and part replacements. Despite reaching out to Ford Customer Service, I was denied assistance and left to bear the full cost of these extensive repairs. There were no warning lamps or messages prior to the failure. The issue occurred without warning while I was driving, making the defect hazardous. Given the serious safety implications of this defect, I strongly urge this issue to be considered for recall. A vehicle with relatively low mileage should not experience catastrophic engine failure, and Ford must take responsibility for addressing this widespread and dangerous issue. My life and the safety of others on the road are far more valuable than the cost of repairs.
My engine check light came on and it said Engine Fault Service Now, with a wrench signal exposed. Then I could hardly stop the vehicle , it became very difficult to apply the brakes, using all of my body weight applied to stop the vehicle. I immediately brought it to O’Reily’s auto place and had a diagnostic test run on the vehicle. Multiple default code come up. P1016, p0365, p0299,p164D p0369,p0443,p0456,p1450. Brought it to the Ford dealership, upon inspection the diagnosis Evap system related disc on this line , tested evap system, found canister purge valve to be broken , tech notes that this is a non Oem part. Advised to replace purge valve and hose assembly. Also discovered that vacuum pump not pulling vacuum, advise to replace pump and reset. Upon removal of the vacuum pump, found pump cam lobe twisted off , vacuum pump is seized, cam replacement is seized , cam replacement will be required. Also both front axel boots are torn, spewing grease all over, recommend replacing both axels, leak p2 pinion value, left back axel leaking, both back brake rotors and pads worn 2mm in the red, coolant level low possible leak. Also is discovered that there was a non ford part purge valve that shouldn’t be there. Estimated cost is 8,500-9000 dollars could be more
Purge valve stuck open causing check engine light to come on. Same as current recall on Ford Focus 2012-2018 vehicles. Ford Escapes within the same time frame should be included in the recall. Every time I fill gas there is a hard turn on since beginning of December. Then check engine light came on and code P1450.
Total engine failure and rebuild due to faulty head gasket component from ford. Vehicle went from running good to all of a sudden having smoke when starting, engine light came on. Immediately had inspected and was told total head gasket/engine failure.
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