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.
An engine coolant leak on the engine caused the engine to overheat. This could have led to a possible fire. If we were on a highway or freeway when this happened and the car cut off, this could have caused an accident. There were NO warning signs or lamps that came on before this issue that would have alerted us to this issue. I had the vehicle towed into the Ford dealership and the diagnostic was engine failure due to a coolant leak. The engine coolant leak has been a known issue on the 2018 Ford Escapes by the manufacturer.
I had to replace the engine May 28, 2024. The coolant started mixing with the oil based on the poor design of the engine. Then December 16, 2024, I had to replace the transfer case. Now my transmission has gone out on January 22, 2025. All of this has been out of pocket because I was out of the warranty mileage range. I'm still currently financing the vehicle and have to make all these costly repairs. I'm trying to see what can be done? There is no way a new vehicle like this should be having all these problems especially when it was bought new off the lot.
Car started running hot feb 2023, took it to local auto shop where it showed leaking collant in cylinder 2&3. Local shop quoted 8000 for full engine repair. Contacted ford dealership to see about a CSP the auto body shop told me about and was told my car isn't covered due to millage (over the 84000). This CSP was never preformed on the ford before I bought it when the CSP came out in 2020. I bought in 2021. Nor was I informed about the 2022 extended CSP. I was not made aware of a collant leak possibility until it happened. No repairs have been completed on this car and I am still making my monthly payment for it. I will never buy another ford.
- Westville, FL, USA
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Engine light came on and car shakes a bit when car is first turned on for the day and has been off for a few hours. This started in early January 2025. We took it to a mechanic on January 10th 2025. Mechanic reported white exhaust smoke and stated this could be due to a coolant intrusion into the cylinders. Was told the short block, head gasket or the entire engine would need to be replaced. As of today, January 29th 2025, vehicle has not been inspected by a dealership, but as stated above, it has been checked by a mechanic. Concerned for family safety because vehicle can turn off at any time without any warning. Vehicle is available upon request, for inspection.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered abnormally. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that there was a coolant intrusion in the engine, and there was a misfire in cylinder #3. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that there was no recall associated with the failure. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the vehicle failed to properly function. The contact stated that a message to -??Pull Over Immediately-?? was displayed. The vehicle was towed to a dealer but was pending a diagnostic test. The dealer had not yet diagnosed the vehicle but believed that the vehicle had experienced engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 101,000.
Multiple times when weather is cold (currently 42 degrees, so not even that cold) the engine will not start. It is a brand new engine that was replaced after the heavily reported coolant leak issue - which should be recalled!) The car turns on, with lights, radio, air systems, etc all running, but the engine does not start or even attempt to start. After several hours the car turns on without issue and operates as normal. This car/engine are absolute lemons. I spent $10,000 to replace the engine due to Ford's own manufacturing issue with the coolant leak, and now this. NHSTA needs to do something about these faulty cars on the road.
have a bad engine that seems to be a common problem with this year car.Has 68,300 miles and I am told that this one does not have all the right criteria to be under warranty.not sure of the reason other than I was told it is out of the 7 year period.its a 2018 and broke down in 2024.
A common and known problem to Ford: the coolant leak caused a crack in the engine block. This caused fluid in the cylinders to misfire and now oil is also leaking into the engine block as well. There was no warning or preventative measures we could take, and after research, this is an extremely common issue. The dealership will not work with us as there is "no official recall" even though they know it happens a lot, and it would take more than $7,000 to repair when we still owe $6,500.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the vehicle started sputtering. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to TSB: 20-2100. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that there was a leak in the coolant system. The contact stated that coolant was leaking into the engine and the oil. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that coolant was leaking into the engine and the oil. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and agreed to cover 40% of the cost of the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 56,000.
Engine misfiring, stuttering, power loss happened at high speed on interstate. Independent mechanic diagnosed coolant intrusion into engine. Spark plug in cylinder 3 seized. New engine needed. Ford does not have a recall for it. This is a well known engine problem according to research and review of other complaints on this site.
Timing Chain broke with only around 106,000 miles on the vehicle. While I was driving to run some errands, I came to a four way stop. Taking a right turn and beginning to accelerate to turn onto the intersecting road, my car began to accelerate and then acceleration stopped and could only coast on momentum I had left. Luckily I was able to maneuver out of traffic and onto the side of the road using the steering wheel and get it into park. Car was towed to local car repair shop and they determined that the timing chain was broken, resulting in a complete engine failure. It has not been investigated by manufacturer or police. No warning lamps appeared on the system when the incident occurred.
A Design Flaw (as confirmed by a Ford Service Advisor) in the engine block allows coolant to seep into the engine, rendering the engine useless. Ford has a TSB on this, they know it's a problem, other previous years similar engines have been recalled, these engines currently have class action and private lawsuits happening, and Ford extended the warranty on these vehicles to 84k miles because of this KNOWN mistake on their part. So.... after 84k miles Ford no longer stands behind their product. Leaving me and my family with a monthly car payment and a car that's sitting at the dealer that needs and $8k repair. I've had the car towed twice and am relying on friends to get around. Ford should own up to this and either fix or replace the vehicle. It's not right, and certainly doesn't make us want to buy American cars.
My engine light came on and within a three day time span my engine overheated. I kept up with all maintenance on my vehicle and even had a previous diagnostic ran on the vehicle a month prior. I was told there was a customer satisfactory warranty that expired in November 2022 on my vehicle but information was given to first owner that stated what would happen to my vehicle. I bought my car in March of 2021Due to me getting my car from Hondas car lot they said they were unaware that the vehicle had a warranty at time of sale which would have been of great help. I have been quoted $10,000 to replace the motor in my car due to coolant intrusion, short block, and a spark plug being stuck within the engine. My car ran hot with myself, a dog and my son being in the car in the middle of a busy street but we were able to move vehicle to a safe spot while car was malfunctioning. I was told to look under the hood by my boyfriend to check fluids and he went into detail on what to check for and we found that the oil was clean but their was no antifreeze in the vehicle. I received my oil change in September of 2024 and everything required for my tags that is done yearly all on the same visit.
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.
Coolant is getting in to the engine and blowing the engine up. Ford is aware of the issue but is denying coverage and repair under a distraction. They are aware of the repair and issued Customer Satisfaction program 21N12 which is the fix to the engine. However, they say that if customer satisfaction program 19B37 was not completed prior to 2022, then you do not qualify to do 21N12 even though under 21N12 if the car is under 7 years old and 84,000 miles that it qualifies. Ford says that if the previous owner (since we did not get the car until 2023/24) did not do 19B37 that we are screwed and they will not cover the engine replacement that they know about. This issue is all over the internet, so I am shocked a recall has not been issued.
Complete Engine failure causing vehicle to be totally un drive able at only 91,000 miles. Engine failure cause was diagnosed by local authorized Ford dealer service department as systemic engine design flaw that caused catastrophic fluid intrusion into cylinder(s), rendering engine useless. Remedy, engine needs to be totally replaced, not repaired, but replaced. Not an isolated incident in my particular case as there have been thousands of issues with this model of engine that FORD (manufacturer) has employed on this model year, make, and model (2018 Ford Escape SEL). No warning lamps lighted to warn of potential engine failure, and most importantly, no written notices provided by Ford to alert of the catastrophic engine issue, and certainly no information on remedies provided either.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Goodland, MN, USA