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

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the front driver-side vent failed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced due to coolant intrusion into the cylinder. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 78,200.

NHTSA ODI 11748852

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact was concerned about the vehicle catching on fire. Additionally, the contact stated the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the spark plugs were replaced. Additionally, coolant was added to the reservoir, but the vehicle was losing coolant. The contact stated that there was white smoke coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that there was coolant intrusion into the engine. The vehicle was not drivable. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and offered a buyback, but later declined the offer. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.

NHTSA ODI 11747975

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his wife was driving on two occasions at approximately 50 MPH, the Check Engine warning light illuminated. During the second failure, there was white smoke coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road each time, turned off, and restarted; however, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that there was an issue with the engine block causing coolant intrusion into the engine, and that the engine block or engine needed to be replaced. The contact stated that two spark plugs were replaced; however, the failure reoccurred a month later. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine and the engine long block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11744282

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the coolant had leaked into cylinder two and engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified on the failure, and they offered no assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 48,000.

NHTSA ODI 11741556

The contact's wife owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, water would intrude into the engine compartment and the vehicle would independently shift into Limp Mode. The check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic, where the ignition coils and spark plugs were replaced at the consumer's expense; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with water intrusion into the engine. The vehicle was not repaired due to the costs. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to Ford's Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12; however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

NHTSA ODI 11740053

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving the vehicle misfiring, white some, hesitation. The engine light illuminated. antifreeze leaking into the cylinder. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the diagnostic code P0300 was read and an antifreeze leak into the cylinder and a design flaw in the Eco boost. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The approximate mileage was unavailable.

NHTSA ODI 11740063

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after driving her vehicle, she notices that her coolant levels drain very quickly, causing her to fill up after every trip, and stated her vehicle was overheating at times. The vehicle was taken to a independent mechanic where it was diagnosed to have coolant leaking into cylinder two, needing a new engine replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 119,000.

NHTSA ODI 11739010

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the engine was idling rough, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed and it ws determined that there was coolant inside the engine cylinders and informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 53,200.

NHTSA ODI 11734225

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the warning light for the engine overheating was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced an unknown recall with a similar failure description; however, the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

NHTSA ODI 11733063

The contact's daughter owns a 2018 Ford Escape. While the owner was driving at various speeds, the engine overheated and the vehicle went into LIMP Mode on several occasions. The driver pulled over to the side of the road, and the vehicle was towed after each failure. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the coolant sensor was replaced; however, the failure recurred two days later. The vehicle was difficult to start. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact used a scanner to scan the vehicle and retrieved a diagnostic trouble code for a cylinder #2 misfire. The contact cleared the code; however, the check engine warning light became consistently illuminated. Additionally, the contact noticed that the coolant reservoir was black due to coolant and oil mixture. An independent mechanic was contacted and informed the contact that the coolant intrusion in the combustion chamber was a common failure, and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 76,200.

NHTSA ODI 11732660

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed or while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed a coolant leak coming from the engine. The contact was unaware of any warning lights being illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 73,000.

NHTSA ODI 11731211

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated, and the engine was overheating while white exhaust smoke was coming out of the exhaust pipes. Additionally, the vehicle decelerated and was sluggish while driving. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion in the cylinders. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The contact was informed that the vehicle did not qualify for the extended warranty coverage related to the engine failure. No further information was available. The failure mileage was 31,500.

NHTSA ODI 11730374

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal odor inside the cabin of the vehicle, and the vehicle entered SAFE Mode, lost power, with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the temperature gauge was raised from COLD to HOT immediately, and the vehicle was turned off unintendedly. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who determined that the coolant level was low. The independent mechanic "burped" the system and added coolant to the coolant reservoir. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred approximately 30 days later. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that there was coolant intrusion in cylinder #3, and the short block was cracked, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 79,900.

NHTSA ODI 11725830

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact attempted to start the vehicle, and the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine, and the engine and the inner coolant system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 159,000.

NHTSA ODI 11720232

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The message "Engine Malfunction - Service Immediately" was displayed. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle was idling at a lower RPM. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine, causing catastrophic engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin:19-2172; however, the vehicle was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 57,000.

NHTSA ODI 11715054

The contact's daughter owns a 2018 Ford Escape. While her daughter was driving at a slow speed, the engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that coolant was leaking into cylinders #1 and #2, and the engine needed to be replaced. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and confirmed that there were no open recalls associated with the VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.

NHTSA ODI 11713852

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked in the garage after being driven in the morning; however, later in the day, the vehicle failed to restart. While the contact’s grandson was using the vehicle, there was an abnormal popping sound. There was white steam in the garage. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who noticed milky coolant inside the engine while using a camera to check the engine. The mechanic determined that there was coolant intrusion into the engine, causing a crack in the engine, which warped the cylinder heads. The mechanic informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 54,000.

NHTSA ODI 11711239

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated, and there was a misfire coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was covered under the Manufacturer’s Extended Warranty which was related to the failure. The failure mileage was 126,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ODI 11706826

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the check engine warning illuminated. The contact stated that an unknown warning light was illuminated on the instrument cluster with a message that the vehicle needed to be stopped due to high engine temperature. The contact pulled into a gas station and observed that the coolant reservoir was empty. The contact checked for leaks but found none. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined there was a misfire in cylinder #4. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched online and found that the 1.5-liter engine in the vehicle was known for a failure with coolant intrusion into the engine block. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000.

NHTSA ODI 11705507

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA ODI 11701159

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 40 MPH, the engine overheated and the vehicle stalled. The driver was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was restarted, but was undrivable. The vehicle had been taken to the dealer, where it was determined that coolant intrusion in cylinder #2 had caused engine damage. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced, and the contact was informed that the failure had occurred due to a factory defect. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin Number: 22-2322. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that no assistance would be provided because the vehicle was not covered under warranty or recall. The failure mileage was approximately 116,000.

NHTSA ODI 11695042

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. The vehicle was taken to Christian Brothers Automotive, where it was inspected, and the contact was informed that the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption and the coolant level was abnormally low. The mechanic referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. Additionally, the contact stated that the message "Power Train Malfunction" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to the Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12 (GTDI Engine – Short Block Replacement After Coolant Intrusion). The dealer referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the Customer Satisfaction Program. The failure mileage was approximately 80,188.

NHTSA ODI 11688307

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed, and it was determined that there was coolant intrusion into the cylinders. The contact was informed that the engine long block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 65,000.

NHTSA ODI 11687916

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 20-25 MPH, an alert indicating engine failure was displayed, along with the “Service Now” message. The vehicle was on the verge of overheating, with the temperature gauge showing an excessively high temperature reading. The contact added coolant to the coolant reservoir to address the issue temporarily. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine. The mechanic recommended an engine replacement; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed that a prior Customer Satisfaction Program had expired. The manufacturer also confirmed that there was no recall coverage for this issue and offered no additional assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA ODI 11686945

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the contact noticed that the engine was shaking, and smoke was coming from the engine compartment. Additionally, while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined 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 VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and informed the contact that it was a known issue with similar vehicles. The failure mileage was 46,000.

NHTSA ODI 11686412