2018 FORD ESCAPE Engine Problems

Known issue with coolant system. Car is overheating and caused a problem with my engine block. It is a known issue with these vehicles. Ford did a customer satisfaction program (21N12) to fix it for free but only up to 7 years or so many miles. The problem is that I wasn't made aware that this could ever possibly be an issue so how was I supposed to get it fixed with no knowledge of the problem. Now I'm having to pay out of pocket to get it fixed because of Ford's poor design and lack of care for their shoddy product. Fixing this issue will cost thousands, not to mention having to miss work because my car overheated. Which could possibly end up getting me fired. Ford needs to be held accountable for selling poorly made product and not even helping when it falters. My family and I have...

So this morning as soon as I started my 2018 Ford escape up and instantly temp gauge went to hot and threw up a sign stating high temp. Safely stop . I turned it off . And I started googling what was happening and upon doing some searching I started seeing multiple people complaining about the same things that I have going on as well with their 2018 Ford escape having the same problem with their spark plugs and coil packs also they said that they have misfiring in certain cylinders which mine have been in 1 and 3 some of theirs were 2 and 3 also read that the coolant system could be faulty and leaking ( which makes sense on after the car was turned off from driving the night before I heard bubbling sounds and what sounded like a faucet leaking water ) and the leaking could...

Sudden loss of compression on a cylinder lead to loss of all power and engine failure on the highway. A Google search reported this as a known issue with the 1.5L turbos in the 2017-2019 model year Escapes. I took my car in to the Ford dealership and was instructed to open a claim with Ford Corporate and to request financial assistance for an engine replacement. Ford is very well aware of this issue where the engines suddenly pull all the coolant into the engine and cause engine failure. Ford has been offering financial assistance to replace these engines apparently trying to avoid a recall. At the local Ford dealership, this is such a known issue that they are keeping a long block and short block in stock at all times.

I was crossing the road and the suv just stopped. I’m stuck in the middle of a busy road. Luckily I had help to get the car across. The SUV would not start up again.

Coolant leaking into engine. Check engine light on. Codes p0302, p0316, u0140. I was told by the ford dealership that ran codes that the only correction for the issue is a full long block replacement.

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...

While accelerating onto a 70 mph highway via an on-ramp, my vehicle suddenly began to misfire severely, resulting in a dramatic loss of power. It was unable to climb the incline. I immediately activated the emergency flashers, but vehicles approaching from behind at highway speeds were forced to brake abruptly and swerve to avoid a collision. Fortunately, I was able to safely exit via the next off-ramp. During the misfire, the check engine light began flashing on the dashboard. A few months prior, a warning light appeared at startup. Diagnostic code P0302 indicated a misfire in Cylinder 2 during the first 1,000 revolutions. The recommended fix was to replace the spark plugs and ignition coils. I had all spark plugs replaced, and the plug in Cylinder 2 was notably fouled. I also topped off the coolant at that time. Approximately a month later, I checked the coolant again and found...

Vehicle: 2018 Ford Escape SEL, 1.5L EcoBoost engine, purchased new from Town East Ford. Engine failure due to coolant intrusion — known Ford defect previously covered under Customer Satisfaction Program 21N12. on 06 Mar 2020, I had Customer Satisfaction Program 19B37 performed on my 2018 Ford Escape SEL (1.5L EcoBoost engine) as instructed by Ford. Despite that repair, on 19 August 2025 coolant leaked into my engine and caused the engine block to crack. Ford acknowledged this exact defect and issued Customer Satisfaction Program 21N12 to replace affected engines. However, that program expired in November 2022. When I contacted Ford corporate, I was told my repair would not be covered because the program has ended, despite the fact that the defect is the same and presents the same risks. This is not normal wear and tear. It is a latent defect that Ford has already documented. The issue can cause...

I lost engine power trying to accelerate while entering the highway. Check Engine light flashed several times then went steady. I pulled over into the slow lane with my flashers on and with reduced power to get off the highway exit straight to the Dealer. The Check Engine light stayed on steady. This is apparently part of a known issue with the 1.5l GTDI engine. There was a Technical Service Bulletin created for it 22-2322 and a Customer Service Program fix was set up- 21N12

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.

While driving the car got hot and on the highway the car slowed all the way down to 5mph almost causing a car to hit me from behind and cause a crash on the highway

Transmission slips and transmission fault error alerts while driving. VIN # doesn’t come up when searching the NHTSA recall # 22S43 involving the faulty shift cable bushing effecting Ford Escapes 2013-2019. While my car isn’t listed on the recall it seems I’m having the same issues.

I was advised to have the coolant flushed in our 2018 Ford Escape in July of 2025 by VIP in Concord NH while an oil change was being performed. Took vehicle to Nucar in Concord, the tech advised that the coolant was low and would not pressurize, they kept the vehicle overnight, it did in fact keep pressurization overnight. Made an appointment on 07/25/2025 to make sure the coolant was at an acceptable level, the tech advised all good. It is now September of 2025, took car out on SaturdAY [XXX] to run errands, got 2 miles down the road, vehicle starting running extremely rough, sort of bucking like it wanted to stall. Got it home and parked it there until I call Nucar in Tilton NH (Ford Dealer), car was towed on 09/04/2025, they confirmed we need a new engine. After market warrant company AAC Warranty is stating this...

I lost engine power trying to accelerate while entering the highway. Check Engine light flashed several times then went steady. I pulled over into the emergency lane and shut the car off. It did start again but with reduced power to get off the highway. The Check Engine light stayed on steady. This is apparently part of a known issue with the 1.5l GTDI engine. There was a Technical Service Bulletin created for it 22-2322 and a Customer Service Program fix was set up- 21N12

Check engine light, White smoke on cold start, low coolant, P0302 - misfire cylinder 2, P1299 - Cylinder Head Protection Active. No power - limp mode

My 2018 Ford Escape was sputtering one morning and I realized the oil was dark and almost gone. I took it for an oil change and they discovered there wasn’t coolant in the reservoir. But that didn’t solve the issue. The vehicle shut down and I was left in the middle of the road until I could get help. I took it to the shop and I was told coolant had leaked into the cylinders and the I would be needing a head gasket and short block. I called Ford customer service and I was made aware that is is an issue with the 2018 ford escape ecoboost. But they were unable to help me because 21N12 has expired.

Component or System: Engine – Coolant intrusion into the combustion chamber (cylinder 2). The vehicle and documentation (dealer diagnostic report, photos) are available for inspection upon request. Safety Risk: Coolant intrusion causes engine misfires, loss of power, and rapid coolant loss, which can lead to sudden engine stalling or hydrolock at highway speeds. A stall could result in loss of power steering and braking assist, creating a serious crash risk for occupants and others on the road. Confirmation: The problem has been reproduced and confirmed by a Ford dealership using a borescope inspection. Inspection: A Ford dealership service department has inspected the vehicle. They confirmed coolant pooling in cylinder 2. Warning Signs: The check engine light first appeared in early July 2025 with a misfire on cylinder 2. Spark plugs and other components were replaced, but the issue returned within two weeks. The engine misfired, produced white exhaust smoke, and...

It started out as a misfire which can be caused by multiple issues, after changing spark plugs and coils, noted low coolant (no visible leaks), white smoke, running rough. Ford dealer diagnosis as coolant intrusion and states a complete long block needs replacement. The cost of this is more than the market value.

My check engine light came on Saturday August 23rd. I took my car to my local Ford dealership on Monday August 25th and on Wednesday, August 27th the Ford technician verified a misfire and found coolant was low. They removed the spark plug and found cooling system was under pressure. They found coolant entering into the cylinder via the cylinder head and that my vehicle now needs a new engine. This problem has been confirmed by the dealership and my only option is to purchase a brand new engine for my 2018 Ford escape that has less than 40,000 miles on it. An engine failure at just 40,000 miles is simply unacceptable and raise serious concerns about the reliability of this model. I am aware that engine issues on certain Ford escapes have been the subject of multiple customer complaints and I strongly believe that this may be part of...

Had a lot of knocking in the engine on startup and sometimes driving down the road. Engine check light went on, used code reader to diagnose and it said misfire on cylinder 2. Replaced spark plugs and ignition coils to solve problem. Ran well for about a week, week and half before had the same issues pop up again. Then all of the sudden I’m driving down the road and the temp spikes in the engine and warning light comes on about car overheating and to pull off the road . I was on the highway so I let off the gas and the temp came right back down. Took the car to a Tire Kingdom to get it checked out and the coolant is almost all gone, it’s leaked back into the engine and the head gasket needs replaced. Call Ford to see if they would cover service and...

A cracked engine block caused coolant intrusion into my Eco Boost engine resulting in overheating engine. I was almost stranded in the Cascade mountains. Randy Wright at Bill Pierre Ford of Seattle says he sees a Ford Escape with this problem once a week. After multiple conversations with Ford corporate, it appears Ford is aware of the problem but unwilling to issue a recall for these dangerously defective engines. The vehicle gave no prior warnings before the overheating took place.

MY FORD ESCAPE IS A 2018 WITH 54,000 MI AND COOLANT WAS LEAKING IN THE CYLYDERS. IT WAS SOLD TO ME AS A LOW MILAGE MINT COND. SUV THROUGH CARMAX WHO DID NOT DISCLOSE THIS PROBLEM AND ALSO FORD. NOW ITS SITTING AT THE FORD DEALERSHIP FOR 2 WKS WITH NOTHING DONE AND "WAITING TO HEAR" FROM FORD. THEY SAY THE JOB COULD BE UP TO $11,000.

Due to a known manufacturing defect in the casting of the engine block, coolant leaked into the #2 cylinder causing failure of the engine. Due to the fact that this is a known issue by Ford, they will do nothing as the vehicle is no longer under warranty. The extended warranty we purchased will not cover the damage or repair as it is a "known issue from Ford." Vehicle is available upon request, if catastrophic failure of the engine had occurred possible loss of power and or control of the vehicle, vehicle was inspected at a certified Ford dealership, check engine and a lot of white smoke the day of service appointment, rough idle the day prior

The car began a rough idle, followed by odd fluid noises from the engine once shut off. I then saw an engine fault light come on and brought it straight to the dealership. They diagnosed a coolant leak into the engine, based on a default in that model, which would require a full replacement. Otherwise the car could lose power without warning.

The engine light came on and we took it to the dealer where we purchased it. They told us the engine had coolant leaking into it from a warped engine block. The vehicle has less than 50,000 miles on it. The dealer told us it would cost $14000 to replace the engine. We are feeling quite frustrated as FORD was aware this was a known problem / design defect. They even went as far to correct the design on new models. What can we do?

Engine light came on. Took directly to Ford dealer. Code P0303:00-A8. Cylinder 3 misfire. Coolant leaked into engine. Need long block replacement. 2018 1.5L engine. 57000 miles. Ford won't warranty. $14,000 to replace engine.

In 2021 my engine was replaced by the dealership I purchased it from, with a manufacturer made engine. The issue was that the coolant was leaking into the cylinders causing the engine to overheat which is a potential risk of fires. It was under warranty for 5 years or 50K miles whichever came first. Today, I was notified by the dealership that my engine needs to be replaced AGAIN for the SAME ISSUE as 4 years ago. Coolant leaking into cylinder causing misfire. I was charged $1400 for repairs that DID NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE ISSUES. Ford is now telling me there is nothing they can do for me and my car is safe to drive so long as I keep it filled with coolant.

OBD trouble code P0302 — cylinder 2 misfire caused by coolant seeping in from a deformation in the block.

I have 117k miles on my ford escape and have always maintained the services on my car. I was driving and my car started to overheat and warning lights came on. Pulled over immediately and turned car off and had it towed to the shop. Mechanic told me the coolant leaked into the cylinder and caused a misfire in cylinder 2&3. He currently has 3 other ford escapes there with the same issue. Yet there is no recall for this? He quoted me $6,400 for this job. This is crazy. Something needs to be done about this if so many people are having the same issue.

I was sold the Escape and was not informed about the coolant intrusion and have been having the check engine light come on and off since I purchased it last September, I've replaced multiple spark plugs on cylinder 3 and later found out that the inside of the cylinder had developed surface rust and was having coolant leaking into that cylinder, and due to the coolant leak, my engine overheated and shut it self off in my driveway.

Check engine light came on. Then overheat light. Stopped vehicle and stayed 45 mins. Had to put refrigerant in vehicle drove home. Took to parts store than ran codes. #2 spark plug misfire. Now my car at Ford dealership with engine gone. Will contact ford.

Blown head gasket which is causing coolant to leak into the cylinders. Check engine light came on at 72,000 miles (leased the car at 71,000) with coolant loss. The problem was diagnosed by an independent service center on 8/19/25, 3 weeks after leasing to buy.

[XXX] Ford Escape panel flashed red with warnings about overheating. Could not drive vehicle. Vehicle towed to nearest Ford dealership. After inspection, advised that coolant intrusion into Cylinder 2 caused engine to overheat and was not repairable. Replacement cost ranges from $8,000-11,000. Contacted Ford Corporate since class action suit involved this exact problem. Ford Corp said that they could not assist with repair even though this make and model was included in a class action suit of which we knew nothing. There is a loan on the vehicle that cannot be sold except to a salvage company. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Due to a lack of power I took my car to my mechanic for diagnosis. After performing compression checks he found that 3 of the 4 cylinders had low compression. Additionally the coolant level was found to be low. A check of the Ford web site showed that TSB #22-2229 was issued and indicated that coolant was leaking into the block. The Ford remedy was to replace the short block assembly. This repair would cost approximately $6 - 7000. No re-call was ever issued for this problem.

Coolant leak into Cylinder 1 causing engine to overheat. Have to keep putting coolant in to drive it. Brought it to Park City Ford for evaluation. They confirmed it is coolant leaking into Cylinder 1. Engine replacement necessary to resolve issue. Called Ford customer service several times. Because it is over 60,000 miles its out of warranty and nothing can be done for me.

Engine failure. No engine lights are on and vehicle is driving fine, but engine block could crack due to coolant intrusion problem. Coolant intrusion is a defect in the motor well know to Ford and mechanics.Ford customer satisfaction program:21N12 and 19B37.TSB tech. serv. bulleting 22-2134 and 19-2375. Problem has been confirmed by private mechanic shop and Ford dealer. No warning lights, no messages, no symptoms. Problem appeared scheduled maintenance & multipoint inspection.

The engine design allows premature failure of the head gasket and allows coolant to leak into the cylinders. This is a known issue and I just had it happen to my car.

Check engine light came on, Ford Dealership told me I need to have the engine replaced at my cost $10,000 I am the second owner and it only has 45,000 miles Please help!

Coolant leak into the engine

Coolant intrusion . Coolant leak caused the vehicle to overheat and thus making it unable to drive . Had to tow to a repair facility and they confirmed that it’s a coolant intrusion, a common issue with Ford Escape .Engine warning light came up and there were mis fires in engine. In a week , got an engine overheat warning in the morning when I started the car .

Car in shop for the 4th engine. First was coolant going into the oil-cracked block. 2nd was cracked cylinder wall- coolant leaking in to cylinder 4 now coolant leaking into the cylinder again. They can't find the leak but can see the inside there is coolant. All have been covered under warranty for now. And taken to Ford dealerships. But there has to be an issue, why it keeps happening. The service light only went on for the second engine. It was labeled as a misfire, and i had reduced engine power. So i went straight in knowing I had just gotten it replaced 3 months prior. Car bought- 40k miles 11/2021. taken in 3/2022, 6/2022 for coolant intrusion. taken in 11/2023 for thick white smoke. They told me it was just condensation. taken in 8/2025 for persistent thick white smoke, and oil/coolant build up on turbo case. Dealership is...

There is a known ford problem with the engine in 2018 Ford escape manufactured in Louisville from 11-16-17 / 4-8-2019. And the final assembly plant was in Louisville . I spoke with Ford today my vin should have been covered under 21n12 and 19b37. A rep at Ford, Tim, told me to contact you because my vin was missed on this recall. This is the 2nd engine it has needed. I just purchased this car in Oct of 2024 . The car is in the Ford dealer for the same exact thing in Aug 2025. The engine needs to be replaced . There is a problem with the block due to coolant intrusion. The blocks were built poorly causing this problem. There is also a TSB issued for this problem. The cost of this repair will not be covered by Ford and it should. My vin was not included in...

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 NHTSA 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 NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 89,000.

Coolant leak into the cylinder requiring a complete new engine.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, the vehicle started to hesitate upon depression of the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light was flashing. The contact stated that upon scanning the vehicle with a vehicle scanner, the contact retrieved diagnostic trouble codes that indicated a misfire in engine cylinder #2. The vehicle was initially towed to an independent mechanic, who referred the contact to the dealer. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact related the failure to the Ford Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12; however, both the dealer and the manufacturer informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to file a vehicle safety complaint. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 131,000.

Car sometimes has trouble accelerating Does not want to go over 65 on cruise control for a very long time. Cruise control was shut off by itself. Car doesn’t want to accelerate over steep hills rPMs go up to four

2024 Car smoking making a noise. Ford dealer told warranty company it needed a new engine. Warranty company was going to buy a new engine but Ford said the engine was under their warranty and they would replace it. They only replaced the short block. 2025 Ford said no longer under warranty - engine pouring out oil. Now they say it needs a long block cost $14,000. They will not pay for it.

We took the vehicle on a road trip from South Carolina to Ohio on July 6th. On [XXX], we started experiencing the issue listed in TSB 20-2100, where coolant was entering the combustion chamber. After making the determination that we could not take it anywhere, least of all back to South Carolina, we took it to a local dealership to where we were, Brondes Ford in Maumee OH. We received a call back from the service writers the next day, stating that the short block had cracked and coolant has infiltrated the combustion chambers. We were told that, with a 2018 Escape with 103,000 miles, we were not under any warranty and TSB 20-2100 would not cover us in terms of a free engine replacement, since we were over the 85,000 mile limit specified in the TSB. It was recommended that we contact Ford Motor Company to see if they...

Car has only 49,006 miles on it and the engine failed. It was working and then all of a sudden the check engine light came on and it started to run rough. Checked the spark plugs and they were full of gunk and changed them out. Car was still having problems and so we took it to the Ford dealer. The Ford dealer said that we needed to replace the engine because it was had scored cylinder walls at the number two cylinder and had no specific reason for it. The car was 1 quart low on oil even though it has regular maintenance and oil changes and there was still 38% oil life before we needed to change oil again. The check engine light only came on once it started to fail. Also, the engine compression at that point was only at 10%. Ford has refused to repair anything...

I am writing to report a serious and, from my research, widespread issue with my 2018 Ford Escape equipped with the 1.5L EcoBoost engine. My vehicle is currently experiencing a coolant leak into cylinder #2, leading to a significant misfire and severely compromising its driving ability. Upon searching for "common problems with 2018 Ford Escape 1.5 EcoBoost," the first and most prominent result was this exact issue, indicating a systemic design or manufacturing defect rather than an isolated incident. This malfunction presents a significant safety concern. My girlfriend and I had planned a long-distance trip to Los Angeles this September. We are fortunate that this engine failure occurred locally rather than on a major interstate, where the sudden loss of power and severe engine shaking could have led to a dangerous situation, potentially causing an accident. Given the prevalence of this problem among other owners of this engine, I urge...