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

I have a coolant intrusion into my engine. It is a well known issue among the 2017-2019 ford escape 1.5L ecoboost engines. ford is refusing to assist me with financial assistance because it has fallen outside of their customer satisfaction program 21N12. they are punishing me for their faulty engine because i took care of my vehicle and it lasted longer than their program terms. i took it into a ford dealership who confirmed it is the exact issue explained in their TSB 22-2134, yet i am going to have to pay $8787 for a short block replacement, when had this happened a few years ago, they would have covered it for free. this NEEDS to be a recall. there have been enough people report this exact issue for cause to become a recall.

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Vehicle showed "Engine Fault/Service Now". Drove to dealer. Told needed new engine as coolant had leaked into the third engine cyclinder. The cost would be $16,000. Research showed that Ford had had a program in place to fix this issue, but it had expired. Further research showed this was a known fault, even at the time of purchasing the car new, but that no recalls had been issued, and that there is a class action lawsuit against Ford for this problem. Have been advised to report to NHTSA.

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Started overheating, spark plug code and coolant code. Now they believe coolant is leaking into cylinder in motor because of design flaw.

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My 2018 Ford Escape SE temp gauge went to the red with warning lights to pull over and get engine serviced immediately. I refilled the coolant revisor and with in a few days the same instance occurred paired with misfiring while this situation happened. I immediately stopped driving the car and it is going to get dropped off at the dealership we purchased from on thursday 7/16/26. I believe this motor is faulty due to coolant intrusion. Zero leaks of coolant only issue is stated above. i believe the coolant is leaking into the cylinders.

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Car overheated and losing coolant. I just purchased this car on 6/22/2026 and having issues already. The check engine light is on and giving a p0301 code. I’m having to add coolant everyday to keep the car from running hot.

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Car has 105k can get specific if need be. But has had an intermittent misfire along with consuming coolant since about 95k miles. It now has had coolant intrusion and needs a complete engine overhaul or replacement

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Car gave an Engine Overheat warning to pull over and turn off. Towed to Ford dealership where their diagnostics pointed to coolant intrusion - a known issue with 2018 ford escapes with similar specs to mine. I was then told that I would need to replace the engine due to the issue and Ford would not be willing to assist or cover the cost. I was told that my specific VIN was not covered by recall but that it is a very common issue and to report the issue to NHTSA.

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I am writing to report a severe and dangerous manufacturing defect regarding engine coolant intrusion on my 2018 Ford Escape. Engine coolant has leaked into the engine cylinders, causing immediate engine misfires, white smoke from the exhaust, a rapid loss of coolant, and severe engine overheating.This is a well-documented manufacturing flaw in Ford's EcoBoost engine blocks (specifically involving the cylinder block design). This defect creates a critical safety hazard: the engine can stall suddenly, lose power while driving at highway speeds, or suffer complete catastrophic failure, greatly increasing the risk of an accident or an engine fire.Ford previously issued Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 19-2346 and Customer Satisfaction Program 21N12 for this exact issue, acknowledging the design flaw. However, my vehicle is now experiencing this catastrophic failure, and the dealer is demanding thousands of dollars for a complete engine block replacement. I am requesting that the NHTSA fully investigate this persistent safety defect to force a safety recall so affected consumers are not left driving hazardous vehicles or forced to pay for Ford's engineering failure.

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Noticeable engine shudder upon startup for 2018 Ford Escape. Engine light turned on for cylinder misfire. Took to Ford dealer, and a certified technician investigated the issue as: "REPLACE ENGINE SHORT BLOCK AND TRANSFER PARTS (ENGINE LOW ON COOLANT, LEAKING INTO CYLINDER 3". This is a known manufacturing defect at this point. Ford knows these engines are defective due to a design flaw, and there's even ongoing class action lawsuits related to this exact issue for the same make/model. The NHTSA needs to step in and force a mandatory safety recall from Ford due to the increasing reports and before this causes severe accidents.

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The engine failed because of coolant intrusion and the cylinders are messed up because of it. The engine could have died or locked up while driving,the car could have overheated and caught fire. Yes a ford dealer diagnosed the vehicle. Yes I had a check engine light come on for a misfire in cylinder 2 I also had low coolant and white smoke in my exhaust and rough idling. Ford is refusing to help replace the engine but this is an ongoing issue with the 1.5l ecoboost engines.

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I am reporting a severe safety hazard regarding a complete powertrain failure on my 2018 Ford Escape Titanium AWD equipped with the 2.0L EcoBoost engine. This vehicle experienced a catastrophic internal failure due to a known factory design defect where engine coolant intrudes directly into the cylinder bores.This defect is thoroughly documented by the manufacturer in Ford Technical Service Bulletin TSB 19-2346. The sudden loss of engine compression and immediate coolant burning causes severe engine misfires, a sudden drop in vehicle power, and blinding white exhaust smoke. This creates an immediate traffic hazard, blinding drivers behind the vehicle and risking a high-speed rear-end collision on the highway.Furthermore, the rapid loss of engine coolant puts the vehicle at risk of sudden stalling in live traffic without warning, disabling power steering and power brakes, and introducing a severe risk of under-hood engine fires due to extreme overheating.Ford has re-engineered this engine block casting for production models built after mid-2019 to resolve this exact structural defect, proving that the original factory engine block installed in my vehicle was fundamentally defective from the factory.Because this design defect creates an immediate, dangerous operational failure on public roads, I am requesting that the NHTSA escalate this investigation and force Ford Motor Company to issue a safety recall and provide retroactive financial reimbursement to affected vehicle owners, regardless of current vehicle mileage.

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The check engine light came on. It would not go above 60 mph. The vehicle was blowing hot air and shaking.

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I am reporting a severe, dangerous engine design defect in my 2018 Ford Escape Titanium (2.0L EcoBoost engine). The vehicle has suffered an internal cylinder head failure, allowing engine coolant to flood directly into the cylinders (coolant intrusion). This defect has rendered the vehicle completely disabled and undrivable. Prior to complete failure, the vehicle experienced severe hesitation, white smoke from the exhaust, and sudden drops in engine power while driving, creating an immediate traffic hazard and risk of a high-speed highway stall. Ford has issued Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) for this exact issue, acknowledging that the block design allows coolant to pool and bypass the head gasket. Furthermore, a federal court certified a class action lawsuit regarding this exact 2.0L safety hazard on June 22, 2026 (Miller v. Ford Motor Co.). Because this defect causes sudden, unpredictable engine failure and stalls during active operation, it poses an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety. I request that the NHTSA escalate its investigation into Ford's 2.0L EcoBoost engines to force a mandatory safety recall.

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defective engine block coolant intrusion into the cylinders engine shuts off during highway use. check engine light comes on before. i have taken it to ford dealership, it is a know defect, and they will not help with cost

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Coolant intrusion I now need a new engine Known problem by Ford who refuses to fix it I now owe on a car that I cannot drive

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My 2018 Ford Escape with the 1.5 EcoBoost has a dealer confirmed coolant intrusion failure. This is what is addressed in the 21N12 program customer satisfaction program. But my vin is not listed. But my engine has the identical engine failure. They told me I needed a new engine. I reached out to Ford and to y'all I have waited almost a year for a response. I need help please.

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The suv had a coolant loss. After checking the oil it smelled like antifreeze and the antifreeze container smelled of gas mixed with antifreeze

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Vehicle has a coolant intrusion issue which is a well known issue for this model and year. Reference campaign 21N12

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Request for NHTSA Investigation – 2018 Ford Escape 1.5L EcoBoost Coolant Intrusion Engine Defect ​Vehicle Information ​Year/Make/Model: 2018 Ford Escape ​Engine: 1.5L EcoBoost ​VIN: [XXX] ​I am submitting this complaint regarding a well-documented coolant intrusion defect affecting my vehicle’s 1.5L EcoBoost engine. The vehicle is experiencing coolant loss without any visible external leaks, and an authorized Ford dealership has confirmed that coolant is entering the engine, causing internal damage. ​The dealership noted that this matches the exact defect Ford has acknowledged in multiple Technical Service Bulletins (TSB 19-2375, TSB 20-2100, SSM 48106, SSM 48150) and Customer Satisfaction Program 21N12. However, I am told my specific VIN is excluded from coverage, leaving me financially responsible for a full engine replacement. ​This defect is a severe safety concern. It can cause sudden engine misfires, overheating, and a complete loss of power while driving, placing my family and other motorists at immediate risk. As a single mother rebuilding my life after leaving a domestic violence relationship, I cannot afford to pay thousands of dollars to fix an inherent, manufacturer-acknowledged design flaw. ​The high volume of consumer complaints proves this is a widespread manufacturing defect, not normal wear and tear. I respectfully request that the NHTSA investigate this further and require Ford to issue a full safety recall or extend coverage to all affected vehicles, regardless of VIN eligibility. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

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The vehicle experienced a coolant intrusion failure involving the 2.0L EcoBoost engine. While driving, the engine began to misfire and run rough, and the check engine light illuminated. Diagnostic testing confirmed a cylinder misfire. A dealership inspected the vehicle and confirmed that coolant was leaking internally into one or more cylinders due to engine coolant intrusion. The dealership advised that the manufacturer recommends replacing the engine short block rather than performing a head gasket repair because the underlying engine design is the cause of the failure. This condition creates a significant safety concern because the engine can suddenly lose power, run unpredictably, or stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash, especially in traffic or at highway speeds. Continued operation also risks catastrophic engine failure. The condition has been confirmed by an authorized dealership and is available for inspection upon request. Prior to diagnosis, symptoms included rough engine operation, a check engine light, and a confirmed cylinder misfire. The coolant intrusion was verified during the dealer's inspection. Based on the dealership's findings, this appears to be an internal engine defect rather than normal wear or maintenance-related failure.

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Check-engine light related to code P0301 (misfire, cylinder 1). This is a known issue on many Ford engines, including the 2.0L ecoBoost in our Escape (with Titanium trim). Reference: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2019/MC-10169807-0001.pdf

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Head cracked and allowed coolant to intrude into the cylinders causing misfiring and white smoke to come out of the exhaust. Barely made it off the highway to a safe location as I was quickly loosing acceleration. Issue confirmed by Sames Ford dealership in Harlingen, TX (codes p0302 and p0303). They informed me that this is a known issue with this 1.5L Ecoboost motor in this vehicle. Vehicle is a total loss and I still owe a significant amount on the lease.

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2018 Ford Escape SE with a 1.5l Ecoboost engine is experiencing coolant intrusion into the cylinders. This is a well documented flaw in the engine block for which the repairs are more expensive than the value of the vehicle. Service centers have validated the problem and the flaw has been redesigned in newer vehicles. The only problem reported by OBD2 data is cylinder misfire, indicative of a coolant breach of the head gasket and coolant usage under normal conditions.

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My 2018 Ford Escape has experienced coolant intrusion into the engine cylinders, a known issue affecting this model year. The vehicle began misfiring and consuming coolant without external leaks. This has caused me a great deal of financial stress as I still pay on the vehicle auto loan and was quoted $12,000 for an engine replacement after already paying $2,000 to repair the original misfire. This needs to be recalled NOW!

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Contaminated coolant system

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