no report yet
Electrical: engine block heater
NewRisk. An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
2018 Ford EscapeProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 1,833 owner complaints about the 2018 Ford Escape, most often about the engine. It is covered by 4 safety recalls, and for recall 22V-413 the manufacturer reports only 65% of affected cars repaired.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through November 8, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Kevauto, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2018 Ford Escape has problems
1,833 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
1,178Engine11 crash/fire/injury
345Engine and engine cooling
278Power train7 crash/fire/injury
57Electrical system
46Fuel/propulsion system
32Steering
25Service brakes
23Vehicle speed control
22Wheels
12420 other systems
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 1178 | 11 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 345 | 0 |
| Power train | 278 | 7 |
| Electrical system | 57 | 3 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 46 | 1 |
| Steering | 32 | 3 |
| Service brakes | 25 | 5 |
| Vehicle speed control | 23 | 2 |
| Wheels | 22 | 1 |
| 20 other systems | 124 | 19 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
4 recalls
2018 Ford Escape recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
repaired · 2024 Q3
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.
repaired · 2019 Q2
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.
repaired · 2019 Q2
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.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Ford.
Mileage at failure
When do engine problems start?
79kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 250 engine complaints. 74% were reported before 100,000 miles.
Only 37% of complaints for this model year include a mileage.
54under 30k miles186under 100k miles64100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs
What owners say repairs cost
Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.
Engine
139 owners mentioned a cost$9,400median
Middle half: $7,250 – $11,000
Power train
9 owners mentioned a cost$6,200median
Middle half: $2,120 – $8,000
If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.
Best & worst years
2018 vs. every other Escape year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Escape median. How we score
9961,0275584991,3944642541,9741,6932,0711,3206042,7532,0911,1481,1922,7101,8336041,62135623810278263
'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
2018 Ford Escape safety ratings
2018 Ford Escape SUV AWD in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
★★★★★
Frontal crash★★★★★
Side barrier★★★★★
Side pole★★★★★
- Rollover: 4 stars (18.5% risk)
- Stability control: Standard
- Forward collision warning: Optional
- Lane departure warning: Optional
In owners' words
What Escape owners report
Recent engine complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
Coolant intrusion into the engine causing overheating issue that resulted in $4000 of repair costs and is still not fixed. While driving, the warning light came on to pull over immediately. I was at an intersection at a stop sign. Had to get it towed to the service shop.
We bought a 2018 Ford Escape new from the dealer in 2028. In August of this year, 2026, The check engine light came on and our vehicle was running very rough. I used a scanner to check the engine code and it indicated that cylinder # 2 was misfiring. I removed the spark plug to check its condition…
I purchased a used 2018 Ford Escape SE equipped with the 1.5L EcoBoost engine on June 26, 2026. The vehicle currently has approximately 55,088 miles. While driving, I experienced a check-engine warning light after accelerating. The warning light subsequently began flashing while the vehicle was…
Own a 2018 Escape?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.