2018 Ford Escape problems and complaints
Owners have filed 1825 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Ford Escape. The most-reported areas: Engine (1173), Engine And Engine Cooling (345), Power Train (276).
Key takeaways
- 1825 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
- 26 involve a crash, 6 a fire, 30 reported injuries.
- Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 1173 | 64% |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 345 | 19% |
| Power Train | 276 | 15% |
| Unknown Or Other | 107 | 6% |
| Electrical System | 57 | 3% |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 45 | 2% |
| Steering | 30 | 2% |
| Service Brakes | 27 | 1% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 23 | 1% |
| Wheels | 22 | 1% |
| Structure | 20 | 1% |
| Exterior Lighting | 12 | 1% |
One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
Parts for the 2018 Ford Escape
GarageDex's verified specs for this car. Each Buy button searches Amazon for that exact part.
- Battery
- Engine oil
- Oil filter
- Engine air filter
- Cabin air filter
- Wiper blades
- Headlight bulb
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| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 Ford Escape SUV AWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2018 Ford Escape SUV FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
Latest complaints, as filed
Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.
Engine - filed 2026-11-04
The antifreeze is leaking into the engine or into another part of the vehicle. There are no external leaks. This causes a consistent refill issue and possible engine damage if left untreated.
Engine - filed 2026-11-03
Id been getting misfires on cylinder 3 and eventually 2 even after replacing coilpacks, spark plugs, and fuel injectors into my 2018 ford escape sel 1.5L ecoboost engine. We believe it to be a coolant intrusion and have not been able to operate my vehicle. White smoke appears and it stutters a lot on start up.
Engine - filed 2026-10-30
vehicle experienced a sudden misfire, loss of power, and internal coolant intrusion at Cylinder 2. Vehicle is now inoperable due to manufacturing defect.
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More for the 2018 Ford Escape
Complaints are reports filed by owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA publishes them without verifying them, and counts rise with how many cars were sold, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Crash ratings are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings results.