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

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving or reversing from a complete stop, the vehicle was shuddering and there was an abnormal waterflow sound coming from the dashboard. The vehicle was taken to Advance Auto, where it was diagnosed and determined that the spark plugs needed to be replaced. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to the dealer for an oil change and spark plug replacement, the contact was informed that the spark plugs were frozen, and the failure could cause the vehicle to stall while driving. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 103,000.

NHTSA ODI 11663621

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the coolant level was extremely low, and there was white smoke coming from the exhaust pipes. The contact stated that a diagnostic scanner was used to diagnose the vehicle and retrieved DTC: P0301. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 94,000.

NHTSA ODI 11663667

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that the engine had experienced coolant intrusion and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 139,783.

NHTSA ODI 11663373

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact was informed by his wife that while driving at various speeds and while the vehicle was idling, the vehicle was shaking abnormally. The contact was informed that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that while the check engine warning light was illuminated, the vehicle failed to unlock using the key fob, and the driver had to unlock the vehicle manually by entering the code on the driver’s side door. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that coolant was leaking into cylinders #2 and #3. The dealer confirmed that the failure was related to Technical Service Bulletin: 22/2229; NHTSA ID Number: 10214126 (Engine and Engine Cooling) with a defective short block to be replaced by a long block. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the vehicle was included in NHTSA ID Number: 10214126 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 53,600.

NHTSA ODI 11663123

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 the dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle with a cracked cylinder head and coolant intrusion into the cylinders. The contact was informed that 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 vehicle 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 52,000.

NHTSA ODI 11663220

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 MPH, the check engine warning light started flashing, and the message "Engine Fault" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic, where the contact was informed that the coolant reservoir was empty, and the coolant reservoir was refilled. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the water pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The water pump was replaced; however, the failure recurred approximately three and a half hours later. The vehicle was inspected by a certified mechanic who noticed that the coolant reservoir was empty and refilled the coolant reservoir; however, the mechanic noticed that the coolant had lowered by a quart the following morning. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was filed. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to file a vehicle safety complaint. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11662512

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion into the cylinder, which caused the engine to fail. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the same assessment was made; the contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. No further information was available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ODI 11662530

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA ODI 11662560

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated and the engine overheated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a coolant intrusion and engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure had previously occurred, and the engine was replaced at 18,000. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not included. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 97,000.

NHTSA ODI 11662288

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the engine was rattling while idling with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was discovered that there was coolant intrusion into the engine. The contact was informed that the engine long block was damaged, which resulted in engine failure. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not covered under warranty and was given an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was provided a case number. The contact was then referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 108,738.

NHTSA ODI 11662112

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while the vehicle was in for routine maintenance, the mechanic discovered that the coolant reservoir was very low. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, and it was diagnosed and determined that the cause of the failure was due to an engine head gasket leak and a cracked engine block. Additionally, coolant had leaked into the engine. The contact was 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 contact was informed that the vehicle was not eligible for the manufacturer's extended coverage related the failure. The failure mileage was 89,600.

NHTSA ODI 11660835

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated before accelerating. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent at first; however, the failure became worse. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine block had fractured, causing the engine to fail. The contact stated that there was coolant leaking into cylinder #1. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and opened a case. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.

NHTSA ODI 11660992

The contact's mother-in-law owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that her mother-in-law had experienced a loss of motive power while driving at various speeds. The contact was informed that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact's mother-in-law had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who replaced the spark plugs, ignition coils, and fuel pump. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the same mechanic who was able to diagnose that there was coolant intrusion into the engine. The mechanic referred the owner to a dealer for assistance. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and confirmed that coolant had entered the cylinders and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact had researched online and related the failure to a known failure of the 2.0 liter engines. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 78,090.

NHTSA ODI 11660007

The contact's son owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact was informed by her son that the vehicle was experiencing excessive coolant consumption. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant leaking into the engine block. The dealer determined that the long block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under TSB Number: 19-2346. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for information on the reason why the vehicle was not covered under TSB Number: 19-2346. The failure mileage was approximately 76,643.

NHTSA ODI 11659717

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated, and the vehicle experienced rough idling. The vehicle taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed an engine cylinder misfire in cylinder #3. The contact was 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 local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the engine was previously replaced due to the same failure. The failure mileage was 45,000.

NHTSA ODI 11659457

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the engine was misfiring. Additionally, the contact stated that the check engine warning light was later illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion in cylinder #4. The dealer determined that the bottom part of the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 109,701.

NHTSA ODI 11659488

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated and jerked while depressing the accelerator pedal. The failure persisted and the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and it was determined that there was coolant intrusion in cylinder #3, resulting in engine failure. The contact was notified that the failure was linked to Technical Service Bulletin: 212269. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 63,000.

NHTSA ODI 11659268

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH in a parking lot, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the spark plugs and coil packs. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where a heat test and bore were performed and confirmed there was a coolant intrusion in cylinder #3. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 142,621.

NHTSA ODI 11659318

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating. The contact then discontinued driving the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that coolant intrusion into the cylinders had resulted in damages 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 76,000.

NHTSA ODI 11659375

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that an unknown error message related to the coolant was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a local service center, where it was diagnosed with a blown head gasket due to coolant intrusion into the cylinders. 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 70,000.

NHTSA ODI 11658916

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the engine failed to turn over. The check warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine which caused the #4 spark plug to be rusted, and a failure with the long block. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to an unknown NHTSA Campaign Number; however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 137,000.

NHTSA ODI 11657462

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the message "Service Engine Soon" was displayed, and the temperature gauge rose to hot(HOT). Additionally, the message "Stop the vehicle" was displayed while the vehicle was in park(P). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion in the pistons or cylinders. The mechanic determined that the long block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact of Ford Campaign Number: 21N12. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be covered due to the mileage. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.

NHTSA ODI 11657472

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the engine was idling roughly. The contact stated that when the engine had warmed up, the rough idling stopped; however, when the vehicle slowed down for a traffic signal or traffic sign, the vehicle started idling roughly. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle was taken to a local dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that there was coolant intrusion into the engine block, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to manufacturer's Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12 Coolant Intrusion into the Engine (Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.

NHTSA ODI 11657243

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle shuddered and hesitated while accelerating. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that the engine had experienced coolant intrusion, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 119,000.

NHTSA ODI 11656782

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that coolant intrusion into various cylinders had resulted in damages 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 103,000.

NHTSA ODI 11656867