What 1,734 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Ford Escape Gas

The contact's son owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her son was driving 25-30 MPH, the vehicle stalled, and there was smoke coming from underneath the hood. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The driver was able to pull into the nearby parking lot and parked the vehicle. It was unknown whether the vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the head gasket had failed, causing coolant intrusion into the engine and engine damage. The mechanic determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that it was a common failure. The contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12 (Short Block Replacement After Coolant Intrusion). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 67,700.

NHTSA ODI 11684715

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the contact observed smoke and coolant. The check engine warning light illuminated, and the message "High Engine Temperature - Stop Safely" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who retrieved DTC: P0303-28 (Cylinder #3 misfire) and P0316-28. The mechanic informed the contact that the coolant level was low, and the short block needed to be replaced. The vehicle received unknown repairs. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred within one week. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine, and the short block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the contact was then informed that the turbo needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 87,742.

NHTSA ODI 11682970

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated and remained illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle experienced harsh driving and hesitation while accelerating. The vehicle was also consuming an excessive amount of coolant. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 146,000.

NHTSA ODI 11681290

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle lost motive power with white smoke coming from the exhaust. The contact pulled over to the right side of the road, turned off, and restarted the vehicle after approximately 30 minutes. The contact stated that there was still white smoke coming from the exhaust, and the vehicle was driving in LIMP Mode. No warning light was illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion into the engine, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 94,000.

NHTSA ODI 11680868

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was losing coolant. The contact related the issue to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12 (Short Block Replacement After Coolant Intrusion). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer for an oil change, and it was diagnosed that the coolant was bubbling and entering the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, who confirmed there was no recall coverage on the VIN, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 67,500.

NHTSA ODI 11680578

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light displayed, and the vehicle was taken to the local Auto Zone who diagnosed a cylinder misfire. The vehicle was later taken to the local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that there was coolant inside the cylinders, causing the spark plug to fuse inside the cylinder, and the spark plug could not be removed. The contact was later advised that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 88,418.

NHTSA ODI 11680597

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust, and the vehicle surged forward unexpectedly. The check engine warning light remained illuminated. The contact stated that upon inspection, the coolant level in the coolant reservoir was low. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the engine was faulty due to coolant intrusion and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 102,000.

NHTSA ODI 11680765

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that when the vehicle was cold-started, the vehicle was idling roughly and vibrated abnormally before the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was a recurring failure. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that there was coolant intrusion into the engine, and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed by the mechanic that the failure was a known failure. The contact called the manufacturer and was informed that there was a TSB, but the vehicle was not covered under warranty. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

NHTSA ODI 11680360

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the vehicle hesitated, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that there was a misfire in cylinder #2 due to coolant intrusion. The contact was informed that the bottom of the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for further assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 75,600.

NHTSA ODI 11680147

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where failure persisted. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined there was coolant intrusion into various cylinders, resulting in damage to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 82,000.

NHTSA ODI 11679334

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the steering wheel was shaking abnormally. The check engine warning light was illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine and the cylinders, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to the Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12 (Short Block Replacement After Coolant Intrusion); however, the VIN was not included in the program. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and agreed to pay a portion of the cost for the repair. The approximate failure mileage was 96,000.

NHTSA ODI 11679347

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the engine was slow to turn over, and after restarting the vehicle, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that coolant was leaking into the engine, but there were no warning lights illuminated. The contact related the failure to the Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12 (Short Block Replacement After Coolant Intrusion). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who confirmed the coolant intrusion into the engine. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle and verified the failure. However, it was determined that there was no warranty or recall coverage for the failure. The vehicle remained unrepaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that a manager would respond soon. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.

NHTSA ODI 11679391

The contact called on behalf of the owner of the 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and it was diagnosed that a warp cylinder block had failed, and the dealer became aware of coolant intrusion into the cylinder, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 84,000.

NHTSA ODI 11678567

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was white smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe, and the vehicle experienced a rough idle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into cylinder #2. The contact was informed that the short block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to Ford Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12 (Short Block Replacement After Coolant Intrusion). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a vehicle safety complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

NHTSA ODI 11677213

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact received Ford Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12 (Short Block Replacement After Coolant Intrusion). The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that there were no recalls or programs in the system on the vehicle. Recently, the contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and the dealer was provided Customer Satisfaction Program number. The dealer denied assistance and provided the contact an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided a case number. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

NHTSA ODI 11676132

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated when the vehicle was started, the engine failure warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with internal engine failure and coolant intrusion. In addition, the contact was informed that the engine had overheated internally. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under warranty or any special programs. The failure mileage was 92,420.

NHTSA ODI 11675827

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and it was determined that coolant intrusion into various cylinders resulted in damage to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. 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 89,000.

NHTSA ODI 11675702

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, there was white and bluish smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion into the cylinder and that the long block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 53,000.

NHTSA ODI 11673943

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an auto body repair shop, where it was diagnosed with the cylinder #1 misfire. The contact replaced the spark plugs; however, the failure recurred, and the check engine warning light was flashing. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the coolant level was significantly low. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion in cylinder #1. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to Ford Campaign Number: 21N12. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.

NHTSA ODI 11673980

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, there was an abnormal chugging sound coming from underneath the hood. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with head gasket failure. The vehicle was taken to another local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a cylinder #3 leak and misfire in cylinder #1, #2, and #3. The contact was advised by the local independent mechanic that the failure was related to Ford Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 67,582.

NHTSA ODI 11674042

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact started that while starting the vehicle, the vehicle was vibrating and shaking abnormally before the vehicle stalled. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that prior to the failure the check engine warning light had illuminated; however, the contact was able to drive the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that there was coolant intrusion into the engine and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact called the manufacturer and was referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.

NHTSA ODI 11673668

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the engine overheated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and noticed that the coolant reservoir was empty. The contact added coolant to the coolant reservoir; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that there was coolant intrusion into cylinder #1. The dealer determined that the long block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired at the owner's expense. The contact related the failure to Ford Campaign Number: 21N12 (Short Block Replacement After Coolant Intrusion). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000.

NHTSA ODI 11673270

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the engine was running very hot, and the coolant level was extremely low. The contact refilled the coolant reservoir; however, shortly after, the coolant reservoir was low again. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that the engine was faulty due to coolant intrusion, and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000.

NHTSA ODI 11673356

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed on the freeway, the vehicle overheated. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The driver pulled to the side of the road and allowed the vehicle to cool off. The driver then drove to a safe location. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion in the engine. The mechanic determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to Ford Campaign Number: 21N12. The dealer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance in adding the VIN to a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 58,466.

NHTSA ODI 11672678

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that coolant intrusion into the cylinder had caused the engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to cost. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 42,577.

NHTSA ODI 11672752