2018 FORD ESCAPE Engine Problems

Engine design flaw with coolant channels caused coolant to leak into cylinder 3 causing misfire and rapid coolant loss.

I was told by Ford during an oil change around 06/2024 that my coolant is leaking and I needed a new engine.. now my car keeps overheating and I haven't been able to drive it for about 5 months....my extended warranty is also expired now....they said there was a recall for this, but expired back in 2022? I never received notification of this... it makes no sense to me.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that there was a coolant intrusion resulting in a misfire and damage to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 80,000.

Ford 2.0l EcoBoost engine has a design failure Ford has been aware of prior to 2019. My 2018 Ford Escape, I bought new with less then 45000 miles on it has failed due to this design where coolant is sucked into the #2 cylinder. I have contacted Ford, and they will not admit it their design failure. Ford also issues two technical service bulletins concerning this issue in 2019 where the recommend replacing the engine. TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN 19-2208 and 19-2346. I've contacted Ford and they are willing to pay for the labor but not the parts. This failure was caused by Ford and since I could do nothing to fix it nor did they inform me about the possible issue prior to the expiration of the 5-year warranty in 2023. I am having to foot a bill for something they knew about for years. This is consumer fraud.

My engine light came in and upon checking codes and researching the problem I realized I was getting coolant into cylinder 3 and apparently it is a very common problem with this vehicle.

Coolant leak into cylinder 3, with Ford dealer saying I need to replace the engine or the car will just die at the side of the road and leave me stranded. Check engine light indicated a problem and I kept leaking coolant but couldn't see where the leak was going until I went to the dealer and they changed me $200 to diagnose. This occurred at 110,000 mi. Now I have to replace the engine or lose a car that is worse less than the price of the engine replacement, but I still owe money on it. The dealer encouraged me to replace the engine with a new one from Ford that addresses the problem. So Ford knows it's a problem yet will not pay for repairs.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. While the contact's daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an engine misfire with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact's daughter drove the vehicle to the shoulder of the road. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact, who is an independent mechanic, replaced the spark plugs however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact diagnosed the vehicle with engine failure. The contact stated that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was informed that the mileage was above the warranty limit. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.

My car started shaking when I turned it on and the engine light came on. I took it to get fixed on 12/12/24 which they stated the spark plugs were damaged and they replaced them. Two days later, I turned on my car and it started shaking and throwing white smoke, the engine light came on again. I popped open my hood and saw my cooler liquid was low although it has been filled to the max line. It seems like I am expiriencing the coolant intrusion that is common in these cars but Ford refuses to take accountability for. I am scared to drive my car as I am a girl and I am afraid it will leave me stranded in the highway or a busy intersection and I will get hurt. I hope that Ford can recall this issue and solve it. Although, many have testified that even...

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the check engine warning light started flashing and the vehicle was losing motive power. The contact stated that the vehicle was hesitating while driving to the independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was made aware of a misfire in cylinder #2, and the mechanic suggested that the engine be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed to take the vehicle to a Ford dealer for assistance. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and was diagnosed with a bent valve on the long block. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened; and the contact was referred to NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The contact stated that the manufacturer had closed...

Coolant intrusion into the engine, repaired under partial warranty and safety bulletin 21N12 having the short block replaced in March of 2024 by the dealership. Noticed coolant loss and white smoke while idling in December of 2024. Currently waiting to get the vehicle to the dealership

I bought the car in June of 2023 and 2 months later started having issues. Replaced the fuel pump, replaced the PTU, camshaft and now the engine needs replaced. Ford is aware of the engine issue but didn’t issue a recall only an extended warranty for 7 years/84,000 miles. I was not made aware of this problem at the time of purchase or receive any letter stating that. Had I known about the problem with those engines I never would have purchased the car.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the engine fault service now warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then towed to another independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and confirmed as engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact called the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 81,285.

2018 Ford Escape threw P0303 code (misfired cylinder 3) multiple times. Had towed to local ford dealership. Diagnosed as coolant intrusion, recommended engine replacement at cost of $10,400. Mileage at time of diagnosis was 57,974. Further research into issue shows this is a known issue with this engine and Ford has issued a Costumer Satisfaction Program notice 21N12 for repairs to a select number of vehicles but the problem is clearly beyond this issued CSP notice. I have made several attempts to contact Ford Corporation (certified letter, 3 emails to CEO James Farley, and messaged Ford Motor Company via social media platform, all which have been ignored. I have also used the chat feature with Ford and they are unable/unwilling to provide contact info to senior leadership.

The contact's daughter owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was shaking, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact's daughter pulled over and turned off the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was determined that there was coolant intrusion into the short block and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12 (Short Block Replacement After Coolant Intrusion); however, the VIN was not included. 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 95,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. In addition, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating. The contact refilled the coolant reservoir. The contact continued to drive the vehicle to the intended destination; however, the failure reoccurred, and the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was started. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start as intended. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic. The vehicle was scheduled to be diagnosed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was advised that the repair was not covered under the Technical Service Bulletin: 22-2134. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not associated with the Technical Service Bulletin....

The motor couldn’t handle the weight of the car and cost me $7000 to replace. That’s almost the cars entire value.

Check engine light came on code P0303 showed a Cylinder 3 misfire, replaced engine coil. 2 days later check engine light, engine fault message and the wrench symbol came on .Again code p0303 showed a cylinder 3 misfire. Mechanic determined engine coolant leak , need a new head casket. Both times I was able to drive it 10 miles to my mechanic but I had severe power loss.1

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that there was a misfire in cylinder #3, and the coil was replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, after the repairs were completed, the vehicle failed to exceed 25 MPH and was shuddering with white smoke coming from the exhaust. The vehicle was taken back to the same local independent mechanic where the spark plugs were replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the vehicle failed to start after the repairs were completed. A check engine temperature message was displayed. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the warranty being expired. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to the Technical Service...

Confirmed by the Ford Dealer, coolant leaked into the engine causing complete engine failure. No warnings, car began to shake, lost acceleration. Known issue with Escapes, we did not receive ANY notification of this known problem which has been confirmed due to this VIN not attached to this known Ford Escape problem. After multiple attempts with Ford Customer Service, they confirmed Ford has a customer satisfaction program under the guidelines of 7yrs or 84K miles. This vehicle has 101,000k. Ford will not support the financial burden of $11,000 to repair the vehicle. This car has been well taken care of, all maintenance has been completed per scheduled. It is available for inspection. Only diagnosed by the Ford dealer and there was no warning or problems before this incident. The vehicle has not been in an accident. We need help in getting this repaired and nobody is taking responsibility for a...

Car has less than 100,000 miles on it. Engine failed due to coolant intrusion from manufacturing defect in the cylinder walls. (Ford TSB 19-2139) Now Ford wants $11,500 to fix a problem they created.

Coolant is getting into oil. Misfires. And coolant disappears and causes engine to get hot.

The check engine light came on so I took it to a dealership. There is a crack in the engine resulting in coolant leaking into the cylinder. It can't be repaired and will need a total rebuild of the engine. I researched this issue and there have been MANY with the exact same issue and several class-action lawsuits against Ford Motor Company. This vehicle has LESS THAN 50,000 miles on it. My dad was the original owner of the vehicle but due to his age and relocating closer to his children after the passing of his daughter, the title was transferred to me and I paid his loan off. Being elderly, they didn't drive the vehicle often so the issue wasn't noticed until recently. It's hard to believe that there hasn't been a recall on these vehicles! This is a serious problem and Ford should make right on this. As...

Engine failure due to coolant intrusion. Ford has known about this issue for years. A recall needs to be issued.

I have been advised that the EVAP PURGE Valve is defective by my Ford Dealer. I was also advised that they have been going through a lot of them. After fueling car, if not fueled slowly the car will not start.

The engine has coolant intrusion and misfiring that can lead to an engine fire. My family was put in jeopardy as coolant disappears during driving. The dealership has confirmed a coolant intrusion issue as indicated in the CSP 21N12. There are two CSP's (19B37 and 21N12) from Ford issued when the dangerous engine problem should be a RECALL. Ford recently issued Ecoboost engine recalls for many other vehicles and somehow the 2018 Ford Escape was missed. Ford has refused to fix the engine hazard on this 2018 Ford Escape due to an expiration date on the CSP, even though the vehicle is STILL within the 7 year timeline indicated in the CSP. The vehicle was purchased after the expiration date so I am trying to figure out why the vehicle did not have either of these CSP's done, when dealer had the vehicle, so this dangerous issue was resolved prior...

Head gasket blown at 97,000 miles. My car died in the middle of the road. My car was deemed not drivable by the dealership. The problem started with a P0303 code which was a cylinder three misfire. I had a shop look it and they were going to replace the spark plug and coil pack. Three days later my car overheated on my way to get the repair and they said my head gasket was blown. This was in August of 2024

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating. The contact stated that a blank warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 132,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle briefly began to lose significant motive power, prompting her to pull to the shoulder of the roadway. After a visual inspection of the engine compartment, the contact observed that the coolant reservoir was empty. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who determined that coolant had intruded into the cylinder head gasket. The contact was informed that the seal between the engine block and the cylinder head had failed, resulting in damage to the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program 21N12. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 95,000.

2018 Ford Escape - The engine made unusual noise and began running rough. We had to quickly exit traffic unexpectedly. Engine light came on after this incident. Local Ford Dealership has diagnosed the problem as coolant leak into the engine cylinder. Dealership recommended long block replacement at cost of just over $10,000. They also stated that there were no recalls or other assistance available from Ford Motor Company. I later found out about Ford Customer Satisfaction Program 21N12, which covers the cost to replace the 1.5 ecoboost engines with the same problem we are having. However, it only covers 7 years or 84,000 miles. Our vehicle was at 6 years and 118,000 miles when the issue occurred. We have never received any communication from Ford Motor Company regarding Customer Satisfaction Program 21N12.

I just recently came across the 21N12 letter that was sent out to people awhile back after googling an issue I noticed with my car. It appears my car is losing coolant. Which, after reading the 21N12, it appears is a known issue that ford submitted a letter letting people get this repair done for no charge. Well, I never received the letter and might be experiencing these issues. I don’t find this to be anywhere near fair at all. What if my car died on me?

Took the vehicle to 3 different mechanics for estimate as my daughter was driving the car and it started to over heat, white smoke coming from tailpipe , coolant level very low or gone. It was determined this is a known issue on this 1.5L eco boost engine. Estimate $9K to replace with new engine! It's technically not a blown head gasket. It's a design/manufacturing defect in the open-deck design of the block. Google "Ecoboost coolant intrusion" and "Ford Customer Service Program 21N12" for more info.

My engine failed as I was driving down the road with cars behind and in front of me. Lost power while driving, had to find a place immediately to pull over before being hit by other vehicles. Dash lights came on, car started making beeping noises, dash said it was overheating when thermostat gauge said it was completely cold. No antifreeze in the overflow tank, all antifreeze went into the engine from a coolant leak. Had to have car towed to garage they called and said it was engine failure due to coolant intrusion, called Ford Customer Care and they would not help me, talked to closest Ford dealership service department and they told me it was within the years but over mileage for the Customer Satisfaction Program and would be $8900 to replace the entire engine. Now I am left without a car that I am still paying on.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there coolant intrusion into the engine and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 92,561.

Engine coolant intrusion

My car has about 104,000 miles. Suddenly the check engine light came on and a warnning that reads "High Temprature Engine Stop Carfuly" and "Engine Fault Service Now" came on. Certified mechanic checked and confirmed coolant intrusion into cyliners needing engine replaced. Ford was contacted and said the "Customer Satisfaction" addressing this issue expired. It was for 7 years or 84,000 miles, which my car exceeds. And refused to do anything and said to complain through NTHSA. This is clearly the manufacturer issue and is repeatedly showing on NTHSA by owners of 2017-2019 Escape. This should turn into a nationwide recall. New engine costs $12500 which is more than the car price.

Coolant leaking into block.

My check engine light came on, took it to a parts store for an analysis and got code P0303. The vehicle was also running different. When I would first turn it on, it felt like it wasn’t at full power and felt like the engine was shaking slightly. We changed the spark plugs, engine light didn’t go away. Had same code so changed cylinder #3 coil as that was the one misfiring. The engine light blinked and remained on. The car when I would put it in drive had almost no power for the first several seconds I would press the gas in drive then would all of a sudden jump to driving. $140 later in parts I had a bunch of white smoke coming out of the back, about every light and alarm sound started going off as it had a message that was telling me engine overheated (we...

- The vacuum pump is the part that failed and locked up, it broke parts internally in the engine and that is what caused the crank bolt to spin loose and the car to jump time. - this happened when the car was going dowin a steep mountain and we were forced to pullover immediately, however the breaks were not working normally. - yes the problem has been confirmed - the component was inspected by the dealership - there were no warning signs, and the delear mechanic said there was nothing we could do to prevent the issue

Check engine light came on, when car was plugged in to investigate you get the number one cylinder is misfiring warning. Had a coil pack replaced and within 200 miles, the check engine light returned. Currently my vehicle is at the ford dealership and they are reporting I need a new motor. I am losing antifreeze which is going into the cylinders.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 30 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle lost motive power. No further information was available. The vehicle was taken to the residence, where the contact's husband used a hand-held vehicle diagnostic scanner and retrieved diagnostic trouble code P0301, indicating a misfire of the first cylinder. The contact's husband replaced the spark plugs, but the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The contact's husband then replaced the ignition coils. The contact's husband also noticed that the coolant level was abnormally low. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 116,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while starting the vehicle and attempting to reverse, the vehicle started shaking with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 98,000.

Coolant reservoir was completely dry and is leaking into unknown areas. There is no leak under the car but the coolant level is sinking dramatically. Heat was not working in the car due to having no coolant. Engine occasionally sputters when initially started in the morning. Engine light occasionally comes on but there is no error or service message and then the engine light goes off. Coolant reservoir and engine are currently being inspected by mechanic.

Vehicle had rough starts with rough idling upon starting for two days. Then vehicle hesitated to start and upon start, would idle rough. Check engine light came on and codes were for misfire in cylinder 2 and cylinder 3. There was also a heavy smell of coolant and some white smoke from the exhaust pipes. Vehicle rough idle at stop signs/red lights and almost shut off. On next start, it took vehicle 5 attempts to start. Upon start there was a rough idle and heavy white smoke from exhaust. Still a smell of coolant and a warning light on the dash that read "Engine Fault Service Now." Car was left at my home and I used another vehicle to get to work. Had I driven the vehicle it could have broken down while driving and caused a traffic incident. It may have also leaked fluid onto the roadway causing unsafe...

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle jerked approximately four times and then stalled. The vehicle was restarted after several minutes. The contact’s son continued to drive to the residence; however, while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle stalled twice. The vehicle as steered to the side of the road. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 142,699.

C2 cylinder has misfire due to coolant in the cylinder.

My ford escape overheated on me on Monday 10/14/2024, I took it to a mechanic and he found blown head gaskets from coolant intrusion, I need an entire new engine which is $11,000

Leak in the coolant which causes the engine light to go on and off. Engine is misfiring when driving anywhere

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her sister was driving at approximately 30-40 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The driver was able to pull over safely and continued to drive to her residence. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was determined that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer was not contacted.  The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 104,107.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the engine was misfiring. The contact started the vehicle and it was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that coolant had leaked into cylinder head three. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 163,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an unknown speed, white smoke was coming from the exhaust pipe. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to get a diagnosis; the dealer informed the contact that the failure cause was unidentifiable. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer made the contact aware of Customer Satisfaction Program Number: 19B37 however, the CSP expired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 128,000.