Ford · Escape · 2018
2018 Ford Escape: problems & reliability
NHTSA has logged 1,823 owner complaints and 4 safety recalls for the 2018 Ford Escape. The most-reported problem area is the engine (64% of complaints), followed by engine & cooling and transmission & powertrain. Make sure every open recall has been fixed by a dealer before you buy.
Common 2018 Ford Escape problems
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Engine problems
1,171 owner complaints to NHTSA (64% of all complaints for this model year) involve the engine, including 5 crashes, 5 fires, 7 injuries. One owner reported: “While traveling in a rotary our car was struck violently by a vehicle on the left trying to make an incorrect exit. The impact was hard enough to cause the engine to stop operating resulting in a total loss of steering land braking…”
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Engine & cooling problems
345 owner complaints to NHTSA (19% of all complaints for this model year) involve the engine & cooling. One owner reported: “The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the engine temperature increased, and the vehicle entered Limp mode. The vehicle was driven to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with…”
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Transmission & powertrain problems
276 owner complaints to NHTSA (15% of all complaints for this model year) involve the transmission & powertrain, including 4 crashes, 6 injuries. One owner reported: “The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at…”
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Electrical system problems
57 owner complaints to NHTSA (3% of all complaints for this model year) involve the electrical system, including 3 crashes, 2 injuries. One owner reported: “On September 4, 2026, at approximately 6:00 PM, I was driving my 2018 Ford Escape SE (1.5L EcoBoost) and executing a left-hand turn across an intersection. Mid-turn, the vehicle suddenly lost all power, an "Engine Fault" warning message…”
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Fuel system problems
57 owner complaints to NHTSA (3% of all complaints for this model year) involve the fuel system, including 1 crash, 1 fire, 4 injuries. One owner reported: “The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light was illuminated. A certified mechanic was contacted and diagnosed the vehicle with evaporative emission…”
Owner complaints by area
| Area | Complaints | Share | Chart |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 1,171 | 64% | |
| Engine & cooling | 345 | 19% | |
| Transmission & powertrain | 276 | 15% | |
| Electrical system | 57 | 3% | |
| Fuel system | 57 | 3% | |
| Steering | 30 | 2% | |
| Brakes | 27 | 1% | |
| Speed control & acceleration | 23 | 1% |
1,823 complaints filed with NHTSA in total, reporting 26 crashes, 6 fires, 30 injuries. A complaint can involve more than one area.
2018 Ford Escape recalls
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Equipment › Electrical › Engine block heater
Risk: An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed March 6, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S01. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on January 16, 2026.
Full recall summary
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Focus, 2013-2019 Escape, and 2015-2016 MKC vehicles equipped with a 2.0L engine. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.
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Power train › Automatic transmission › Gear position indication (prndl)
Risk: A damaged or missing bushing may prevent the vehicle from shifting into the intended gear, and cause the vehicle to move in an unexpected direction. Additionally, the vehicle may roll after the driver selects the 'Park' position. Either scenario increases the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the under hood shift bushing and add a protective cap over the shift cable bushing, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters, informing owners of the safety risk, were mailed July 1, 2022. Remedy parts are expected to be available in 4th Quarter 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed October 27, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S43.
Full recall summary
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2019 Escape, 2013-2018 C-Max, 2013-2016 Fusion, 2013-2021 Transit Connect, and 2015-2018 Edge vehicles. The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach.
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Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Risk: A brake fluid leak may lengthen the distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake hoses, replacing any that are incorrect, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin March 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S04.
Full recall summary
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 Ford Escape and Lincoln MKC vehicles. These vehicles may be equipped with incorrect front brake hoses that may chafe against other components, possibly resulting in a brake fluid leak.
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Air bags › Side/window
Risk: If the component detaches during deployment, it may enter the passenger compartment and be a projectile within the vehicle cabin, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver and passenger side curtain air bags, as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin January 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S44.
Full recall summary
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 Ford Escape vehicles. The side curtain air bags on these vehicles have a component that may detach during deployment of the inflatable curtain air bag.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. To check whether a specific car’s recalls have been repaired, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
2018 Ford Escape crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2018 Ford Escape SUV AWD. Ratings can differ between body styles and drivetrains (2 versions tested or listed).
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Specifications
- Drivetrains
- AWD, FWD
- Body styles
- SUV
Other Ford Escape years
About this data
Problems, complaint counts, recalls and crash-test ratings come from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public databases, last checked 2026-11-03. Complaints are reports from owners and have not all been verified by NHTSA.
How we score reliability: every model year starts at 100. Points come off for the number of owner complaints (on a log scale, up to 40 points), for each safety recall (2 points each, up to 15) and for complaints involving crashes, fires, injuries or deaths (up to 15). Popular vehicles get more complaints simply because more are on the road, so compare scores between similar vehicles. More about our method.
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