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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
4 / 2
Injuries / Deaths:
5 / 0
Average Mileage:
25,067 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2018 Ford Escape engine problems

engine problem

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2018 Ford Escape Owner Comments (Page 3 of 13)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #210

Jun 162023

Escape

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

With 53,000 miles, this vehicle was brought in 5/6/2021 to address recall 19B37 (reprogram powertrain control module due to coolant intrusion into the cylinder bores). The recall was performed at this time. At this time, this was my company car (leased by Cardinal Health and managed through Element Fleet). I purchased the vehicle in April of 2022. I never received any additional information from Ford regarding this recall or the issue with the coolant. My company confirmed they never received any further information about this issue either. With 96,000 miles, I began having issues with the vehicle on May of 2023. The engine ran "rough" and was louder than usual. The "Engine Fault Service Now" light then appeared, so I brought it to a local shop and they replaced the spark plugs. The vehicle ran somewhat better for a couple of days, but was still a little louder than usual. In early June of 2023, the "Engine Fault Service Now" light came on again. I brought it to NAPA auto parts to run a diagnostic test. Nothing came up, but they noticed the coolant was low, so we filled the coolant and scheduled an appt with Ford dealer. Less than a week later, the flashing engine light came on, so I stopped driving it and had it towed to the Ford Dealer. They diagnosed it as a coolant intrusion in cylinder 3 and said it needs a new short block engine. The repairs are approx $8,000 so they directed me to Ford and told me to reference Customer Satisfaction Program 21NI2. I was told that the limitations to this program were that it had to be fixed prior to November 2022 or the vehicle had to have 84,000 miles or less. Because my vehicle didn't fit this criteria, I received no assistance. Ford was aware of this problem and is doing nothing to about it. They are allowing owners to drive a vehicle under potentially dangerous circumstances, and then are holding the owner accountable for the repairs.

- North Bend, WA, USA

problem #209

May 142023

Escape

  • miles
Going south bound on interstate 81 in Winchester Va. The engine check light came on and the engine started to miss and lose power, and the engine was vibrating really bad. I was able to get the car to the side of the road and got the car to the dealer on 5/16/2023 where they checked it out. I was advised it needed a new engine. The electrode on spark plug 2 rusted off from the block as a result of a crack in block. They replaced the engine

- Strasburg, VA, USA

problem #208

Nov 262022

Escape

  • miles
We bought a 2018 Ford Escape 1.5 ecoboost. It was a one time owner. It had about 60,000 miles on it when we got it from a dealership in Montgomery AL. We drove the car for almost 2 months with no problems. All of a sudden out of no where it started leaking coolant. And taking it to the dealership it said it was running hot and popped up a message on the dash that said -??high engine temperature drive safely-??. The dealership replaced the engine under some kind of warranty with Ford, but I received my vehicle back unfixed. We have two young children and no vehicle to replace it. We are paying nearly 19,000 dollars for the car that we can not drive. $498 a month and $161 insurance a month. The prices to fix these Ford vehicles is outrages and money some people do not have. It is very unfair, and the Ford service departments know exactly what is going on with these vehicles. They are quick to diagnose the problem and they claim -??the motors are garbage-?? so that tells me it a manufactured problem with the vehicles. So the people are supposed to struggle to pay for a vehicle that no longer works unless they find $6,000+ laying around. This needs to be fixed asap. You see all of these recalls on airbags and seat belts when this attempt to recall there-??s certain ford vehicles have been going on for about 3-4 years and nothing has been done. It-??s time for ford to stand up to their actions instead of continuing to put families out of vehicles. Some families depend on that ONE vehicle.

- Grove Hill, AL, USA

problem #207

May 152023

Escape

  • 54,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic for service on the throttle body and was informed by the mechanic that there was white smoke coming from the exhaust. The contact was informed that the head gasket needed to be replaced. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 54,000.

- Wilkes Barre, PA, USA

problem #206

Jun 012023

Escape

  • 102,000 miles
The contact's wife owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light started to flash then remained illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that on occasions, he checked under the hood and noticed that on multiple occasions that the coolant level was low and refilled the coolant reservoir. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that coolant had leaked into cylinder #3, causing a misfire. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced however, the contact stated that the diagnostic test was incomplete, and the vehicle remained at the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the warranty was out of the parameters. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.

- Hyndman, PA, USA

problem #205

Jun 192023

Escape

  • miles
On Sunday, I was driving home from the store(about a 5 mile trip), I was less than 1/4 mile from home when engine temperature warning came up I immediately turned the engine off and coasted home in neutral. Lifted the hood and saw coolant was low. Filled reservoir. Monday morning was going to head to dealership about 2 miles away. Vehicle would not start and Engine Fault error came up. Vehicle started on 2nd try and drove to shop. After diagnosis today was Told coolant leaked into cylinders deed causing misfire and only fix was engine replacement at $7100. I bought the car brand new and have had just over 5 years. Called Ford and am waiting to see if resolution. Not crossing my fingers based on what I have read.

- Random Lake, WI, USA

problem #204

May 312023

Escape

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I took the car into the dealer for a check engine light which was misfire on cylinder 3. It seemed like he knew that it would be a cracked block and it was. The repair is a $6,000 engine. This is ridiculous. I had the same model engine previously and it would probably still be running if the car hadn-??t been totaled. If you look on the internet there are many complaints of the same issue. Ford knows that this is a problem and refuses to stand behind this engine. I didn-??t buy the extended warranty because I have never needed it. I would settle for paying 1/2 the cost, because I have over 100,000 miles on the car. But 6 thousand seems excessive for a known problem.

- Mount Horeb , WI, USA

problem #203

Jun 142023

Escape

  • 21,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while the vehicle had a routine oil check, the mechanic stated that the coolant was low. The vehicle was diagnosed but failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but did not provide any assistance and advised to contact NHTSA. The failure mileage was 21,000.

- Broomfield, CO, USA

problem #202

Mar 222023

Escape

  • 90,702 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated he was unable to start the vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated the vehicle was jumped started. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to exceed 35 MPH. The contact stated that the engine started overheating and a message to -??Pull Over and Park-?? was displayed. The contact stated that he continued driving to his residence. The vehicle was not drivable after parking the vehicle. The contact towed the vehicle to an independent mechanic, where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact towed the vehicle to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,702.

- Columbia, SC, USA

problem #201

Jun 052023

Escape

  • miles
The engine isn-??t working. Took to Ford Dealership in Selma, Alabama and they told us it will cost 10k to fix the car and I still owe 15K for the car. It started out not cranking. It is not safe for a woman to be in a car and not crank to get me home back and forth to work everyday. I have only had the car for 4 years. The warning lamp came in for me on Monday, June 5th, 2023 and at that time my husband immediately got it to the Ford Dealership on Thursday of that week so he could get a dolly to take it there. The car is at the dealership in Selma right now. We don-??t have an invoice yet. Paying 10k for a new engine is almost paying the car off on what I owe on it. My husband is trying to find someone else to look at the car at a reasonable cost. Hope you can help. This has put me out of a car.

- Hope Hull, AL, USA

problem #200

May 252023

Escape

  • 73,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon his wife starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. After a visual inspection, the contact observed a failure with the second cylinder spark plug, which he replaced. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred and that he became aware that the coolant level was low. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined there was engine damage due to coolant intrusion, resulting in a cracked engine block. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact related the failure to Ford's Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12 (Power Train). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 73,600.

- Chestertown, MD, USA

problem #199

Jun 082023

Escape

  • miles
What happened was I was Driving down the street at thirty miles per hour and the speed limit changed to thirty five miles per hour so I put my foot on the gas and nothing happened. The engine did not rev and the speed did not go up the speed kept going down. Quit thinking made me push the auto start off button and then I pushed on the gas again and the Car speed went up as I pushed on the gas pedal. There were no cars in front of me or beside me in the next lane but there was a pickup truck behind me. He was far enough back that he did not have to step on his breaks. This scared me to death and if quick thinking had not been a part of the situation for the auto off button, Then I would have easily caused a wreck with the truck behind me if he would not have been paying attention. This just happened about five minutes ago so I have not been able to tell the dealer yet. I am already scheduled for next tuesday to get my transmission bushing recall fixed next week at the ford dealership in my town.

- San Angelo, TX, USA

problem #198

Jan 222023

Escape 4-cyl

  • miles
2 weeks after our warranty expired for the power train we experienced failure with a misfire of Cylinder 1. We replaced all of the spark plugs at around 41,000 miles. 1 month into replacement cyclinder 1 misfired again, we replaced the spark plug thinking it was that and also the coil. 2 months after we are having the same issue, replaced the spark plug again, and the code will not go away, the check Englishwoman light continues to flash. I brought it to the dealership where it has been preliminarily determined I have a coolant intrusion in cylinder 1 and a new king block will be required at the tune of about 9k. There was tsb 19-2346 on my car and nothing was done to prevent this from happening. We suddenly lost all coolant around the same time we replaced the spark plugs as well. There was no visible leak. Ford needs to cover this repair in full, and issue a recall. My 17 year old drives this vehicle and when she was driving yesterday is when the failure began as she was turning left she had a sudden loss in power, almost getting tboned.

- Colorado Springs, CO, USA

problem #197

Oct 012022

Escape

  • 85,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while her son was driving 65 MPH, the temperature gauge began to raise quickly. Additionally, the -??High Engine Temperature - Stop Vehicle Immediately-?? message was displayed. The driver parked the vehicle on the side of the road for an hour before continuing to drive to his destination. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the thermostat to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but continued to experience the failure. The contact towed the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the engine to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.

- Barton, VT, USA

problem #196

May 202023

Escape

  • miles
The dealership, All American Chevrolet of San Angelo TX, sold me this car 12/14/2022 without fixing the recall that was issued 6/2022. My battery has died 2x within a month, my check engine light came on yesterday but there are only 68k miles on the car. It's against federal law for a dealership to sell a car with an open recall, isn't it?

- San Angelo, TX, USA

problem #195

May 162023

Escape

  • 93,400 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the transmission was shifted into Reverse(R) or Drive(D), the vehicle was shaking. The check engine warning light was illuminated, and the "Pull Over" message was displayed. Additionally, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The contact's boyfriend, an independent mechanic, diagnosed that there was a misfire in cylinder # 1. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 93,400.

- Stout, OH, USA

problem #194

May 152023

Escape

  • 90,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH and overtaking another vehicle, the contact heard an abnormal sound before the vehicle started to hesitate. The contact stated that the coolant warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that she parked on the side of the road and restarted the vehicle and drove slowly back to her residence. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with needing the four spark plugs to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but continued to experience the failure. The contact took the vehicle back to the independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with needing the four spark plugs, four coil boots, and the engine to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

- Tucson, AZ, USA

problem #193

Mar 022023

Escape 4-cyl

  • miles
Purchased vehicle brand new. Transmission light is coming on. There is jerking while driving and hard to put in gear. I have the premium extended warranty on car. At 58,099 miles the light has been on. I travel for work and have tried to get an appointment for repair in GA. FL, and two places in AK no one can get me in in a reasonable time. All a least 3 weeks to a month out which leaves me unable to travel for work because I can't afford to rent a car for a month. This is a inconvenience. They say they have so many cars with engine issues in the shop. Ford needs to take full responsibility for this. There should be a recall on these cars. I am almost forced to buy a new car just to be able to work. Ive called my warranty and Ford head quarter and no one can assist. I'm stuck with this lemon. It's unacceptable. Ford needs to be held accountable!

- St Augustine, FL, USA

problem #192

Mar 162023

Escape

  • miles
Defective engine block, getting cooling leaking into the engine causing overheating and creating hazard of starting fire, when got tested in the dealership they found problem and we-??ve been told they found a recall on that issue but they cannot fix this right now due to shortage of parts could be months could be years and now car is not safe to drive park at the dealership, Ford dealership can only provide a rental car for the time car being fixed after parts comes

- Greer , SC, USA

problem #191

May 092023

Escape

  • miles
The check engine light came on so I checked the code and it indicated a misfire in cylinder 2. I was headed to the shop for a tuneup when the temperature gage shot up to hot and the engine lost power. It's pouring white smoke from the exhaust and is not drivable. The coolant was completely gone but no leaks found. It's running hot on startup and won't go over 10mph. There was no warning lights until it was too late. The vehicle stalled in the middle of the road and a car almost wrecked into me and my daughter.

- Pascagoula , MS, USA

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