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EnginePart report

2018 Ford Escape Engine Problems

Complaints
1,169about this part
Share
64%of 1,822 total for the year
Median mileage
78,667miles
Trend
RisingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.

NHTSA recorded 1,169 complaints about the engine of the 2018 Ford Escape, 64% of the 1,822 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 78,667 miles. 5 of these say a crash was involved and 5 a fire, according to the filers.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“At 62,000 the engine fault light came on. I took it to the dealership and was told it was leaking coolant into the cylinder head and I needed a new engine. My car was just at the dealership 3 weeks prior with no issues notes. I take my car in for work every 3 months. When I was told I needed a new engine, I was told this was a known problem with the engine.”

NHTSA complaint #11343096, filed 2020-08, 62,000 miles

“After several months of engine backfires, rough starts and idling and check engine lights they are finally replacing my engine due to issues with coolant getting into the engine. The last incident happened when the car was moving and could have been serious situation. When it was taken to the dealership they would not allow me to drive it further.”

NHTSA complaint #11267174, filed 2019-10, 29,850 miles

“2018 Ford Escape has 10,000 miles on it. My coolant is backing up into my engine. Called the dealership on september 2nd, 2020. They stated this is a common problem. It's now october 11th, 2020 and they still don't have my car in. They stated they don't have any loaner cars to give out. They will need my car for a minimum of 3 weeks. Why are they able to sell cars with bad engines.”

NHTSA complaint #11363770, filed 2020-10, 10,300 miles

“Check engine light was on. Took recalled vehicle into company to get a new engine replaced. There was a recall for coolant leaking into the engine. After 2weeks I got the vehicle back and I kept smelling a strong burning odor smell coming through the vents. I immediately called the company to return the vehicle for inspection. As of right now, they still have my vehicle as I'm driving a rental car.”

NHTSA complaint #11315897, filed 2020-03, 25,064 miles

“Went in for recall of powertrain control module software tweak field service action # 19b37, they ran an add'l test and now are replacing the engine next week. I mean, thank you and all, but the car has been fine -- there goes my resale value.”

NHTSA complaint #11350291, filed 2020-08, 12,335 miles

Related service bulletins

Engine: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
2025519%
20241317%
20232828%
20223314%
20214413%
20201228%
201931753%
20181,16964%
20171,58359%
201620017%
201523921%
201472735%
20131,26646%
20127312%
201124819%
201049324%
200925415%
2008834%
20072510%
20064710%
20051309%
2004316%
2003244%
2002364%
2001273%

Other parts of the 2018 Ford Escape

Engine cooling
345 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
275 complaintsOther or unknown
109 complaintsElectrical system
57 complaintsFuel system
57 complaintsSteering
32 complaintsBrakes
27 complaintsVehicle speed control
23 complaintsWheels
22 complaintsBody and structure
20 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
13 complaintsExterior lighting
12 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2018 Ford Escape

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology