UsedScore

2018 Ford Escape: Best bet

Owners filed 278 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Ford Escape in its first five years on the road, about 99 for every 100,000 sold: 0.5× the rate of a typical Escape year. That's among the fewest of any Escape year.

The biggest problem area, counting serious complaints more, is the engine (52% of complaints, median 28,000 miles).

Complaint index
0.5×
per vehicle sold, vs. a typical Escape year
Rank
5th of 14
1st = fewest complaints
Complaints
278
first five years; 99 per 100,000 sold
Recalls
4
campaigns
3rd generation, 2013–2019 · Updated September 24, 2026 · How we rate
2019 Ford Escape SE 4WD

Photo: 2019 Ford Escape SE 4WD · Mr.choppers, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Problem areas

Ranked by severity-weighted complaints · share · median miles
  1. Engine52% · 145 complaints · median 28,000 miles
  2. Powertrain21% · 59 complaints · median 68,000 miles
  3. Steering5% · 15 complaints · median 15,000 miles
  4. Brakes5% · 14 complaints · median 14,000 miles
  5. Electrical6% · 17 complaints · median 4,000 miles
  6. Speed control5% · 13 complaints · median 26,000 miles
  7. Fuel and propulsion2% · 6 complaints
  8. Wheels and tires4% · 12 complaints · median 11,000 miles
  9. Air bags1% · 3 complaints
  10. Suspension3% · 8 complaints

Bars rank problem areas by complaints weighted for severity (crashes, fires, injuries and deaths count more). A complaint can name more than one area. Mileage is reported on about half of complaints.

What owners describe

Engine

Owners describe their Escape's engine developing coolant leaks into the cylinders, leading to misfires, stalling, or overheating that often required a full engine replacement. Many say this happened more than once, with long dealer wait times and some mentioning a related recall or reprogramming.

Warning signs:
Many report the check engine light illuminating along with rough idling, misfires, stalling, vibrating or jerking, overheating warnings, and a burning or antifreeze smell before failure.
What shops did:
Dealers frequently diagnosed coolant intrusion into the cylinders and replaced the engine or short block, though owners often faced long waits due to backordered parts and some report repeat failures afterward.
Mileage:
most between 60,000 and 105,000 miles, among 509 complaints that give it

“There is a manufactur defect where there is a crack by the cyclinders and coolant is leaking into the oil. Needed a new engine.”

“Noticed that the car sounded rough when starting for a while. Driving around 60mph the car all of a sudden jarred/ chugged”

Powertrain

Owners of this Escape describe transmission and engine trouble, with jerking, stalling, or sudden power loss sometimes tied to a recall for the power train. Many faced repeated shop visits, parts delays, and costly repairs, with some failures happening without warning.

Warning signs:
Many report jerking, shuddering, hesitation, abnormal noises (grinding, clicking, whining), loss of power, overheating, or warning lights before failure.
What shops did:
Dealers often replaced or rebuilt transmissions, torque converters, or engines, though many owners report parts unavailable, repeated visits, or being told a diagnosis could not be confirmed.
Mileage:
most between 55,000 and 100,000 miles, among 92 complaints that give it

“the transmission had a catastrophic failure. The vehicle started jerking, it would not move when giving it gas, and the transmission was whining loudly”

“the flywheel had fractured and needed to be replaced”

Steering

Owners of this 2018 Escape describe the power steering suddenly becoming stiff or locking up, sometimes with a warning message on the dash, occasionally while driving at speed. Repairs, when done, often involved replacing the steering rack or module, but several owners say dealers could not find or fix the issue.

Warning signs:
Many report warning lights or on-screen messages such as "Steering Assist Fault" or "Power Steering Loss" along with the steering wheel becoming stiff, hard to turn, or briefly locked before or during the failure.
What shops did:
Some had the steering rack, pinion, module, or wiring replaced by a dealer or independent mechanic, though many say the dealer could not duplicate or diagnose the problem and left it unrepaired.
Mileage:
most between 10,000 and 55,000 miles, among 16 complaints that give it

“the steering had become difficult to maneuver and required an excessive amount of strength to drive the vehicle”

Summaries are written with AI from the owner complaints shown on NHTSA's site and checked against them; quotes are word for word.

Recalls (4)

Check a VIN on NHTSA ›
  • NHTSA 26V011000January 2026116,672 vehicles

    Equipment: electrical: engine block heater

    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.

    Risk: An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.

    Fix: Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied.

  • NHTSA 22V413000June 20222,925,968 vehicles

    Power train: shift linkage/cable/rod · Power train: automatic transmission: gear position indication (PRNDL)

    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.

    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.

    Fix: Dealers will replace the under hood shift bushing and add a protective cap over the shift cable bushing, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 18V104000February 201888 vehicles

    Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings

    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.

    Risk: A brake fluid leak may lengthen the distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake hoses, replacing any that are incorrect, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 17V803000December 201711,113 vehicles

    Air bags: side/window

    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.

    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.

    Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver and passenger side curtain air bags, as necessary, free of charge.

A recall only helps if the repair was done. Enter the vehicle's 17-character VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup before you buy.

Service bulletins

Ford sent NHTSA 173 service bulletins and other notices to dealers covering the 2018 Escape. These are repair instructions, not recalls. Warranty extensions and bulletins about its top problem areas:

  • SSM 54366 · November 2025Some 2015-2021 Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0011, P0012, P0014, P0015, P0016, P0017, P0018, P0019, P0021, P0022, P0024 and/or P0025.
  • SSM 52335 · March 2024For 2015-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with turbocharged engines and customer concern of an engine oil leak, refer to Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 303-00 for oil leak inspection and…
  • SSM 51409 · March 2023Some 2014-2020 Fusion and 2017-2019 Escape vehicles may be equipped with a 1.5L Ecoboost engine that uses a 50-tooth variable camshaft timing (VCT) intake and exhaust unit from the assembly plant or…
  • TSB 22-2322 · August 2022Some 2014-2019 Fusion vehicles built on or before 10-Jun-2019 and 2017-2019 Escape vehicles built on or before 08-Apr-2019 equipped with a 1.5L EcoBoost engine may exhibit low coolant level, white…
  • TSB 22-2229 · June 2022Some 2015-2018 Edge and 2017-2019 Fusion/MKZ/Escape/MKC vehicles equipped with a 2.0L EcoBoost engine may exhibit a low coolant level, white exhaust smoke and/or a runs rough condition with or…
  • 19B37-S4 · June 2022Certain 2017-2019 Model Year Fusion and Escape Vehicles Equipped with a 1.5L GTDI Engine - Powertrain Control Module Reprogramming.
  • 21N12 · June 2022Certain 2017-2019 Model Year Fusion and Escape Vehicles Equipped with a 1.5L GTDI Engine – Short Block Replacement After Coolant Intrusion.
  • 19B37 · June 2022Certain 2017-2019 Model Year Fusion and Escape Vehicles Equipped with a 1.5L GTDI Engine - Powertrain Control Module Programming - Some of the affected vehicles may exhibit collant intrusion into the…

All 2018 Escape bulletins on NHTSA ›

Questions owners ask

Is the 2018 Ford Escape reliable?
Owners filed 278 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Ford Escape in its first five years on the road, about 99 for every 100,000 sold: 0.5× the rate of a typical Escape year. That's among the fewest of any Escape year. Ratings compare Escape years with each other using complaints filed with NHTSA; they don't measure every problem owners have.
What are the most common 2018 Escape problems?
Owners' complaints most often involve the engine (52%), the powertrain (transmission and drivetrain) (21%) and the steering (5%). A complaint can name more than one area.
Has the 2018 Ford Escape been recalled?
Yes. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2018 Ford Escape, the most recent in January 2026 (equipment). Enter the vehicle's VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to see whether the repairs were done.

Sources

Owner complaints, recalls and manufacturer communications from NHTSA's public data files, as of September 24, 2026. Complaints are counted once each, over the model year's first 60 months on the road. UsedScore is not affiliated with NHTSA or Ford. The 2018 Ford Escape on NHTSA.gov · How we rate