Car · Ford problems

2018 Ford Escape problems

1,824 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2018 Ford Escape. The most reported area is engine and engine cooling (79% of them). NHTSA also lists 131 service bulletins and 4 recall campaigns.

Counts are what owners told NHTSA, as filed. NHTSA does not confirm each report, and a complaint is not proof of a cause. Injuries: 30. Deaths: 0.

Complaints by area

Each bar is the share of this model year's 1,824 complaints that name that area. A complaint can name more than one area, so the shares add up to more than 100%.

• Engine and engine cooling1,450 · 79%
• Power train (transmission and drive)276 · 15%
• Other or unknown107 · 6%
• Electrical system57 · 3%
• Fuel system57 · 3%
• Steering32 · 2%
• Service brakes27 · 1%
• Speed control and throttle23 · 1%

18 smaller areas not shown (132 complaints in total).

Do not compare models by these numbers. NHTSA has no sales count for each model, so a model with more complaints may just have sold more cars. Use them to see which areas owners write about, not to rank cars.

Service bulletins

NHTSA's database lists 131 repair bulletins from Ford for the 2018 Ford Escape. A bulletin is a repair instruction sent to dealers. It is not a recall and does not mean your car is covered. The 8 newest:

1. TSB 25-2570Received December 1, 2025

   Electrical system

   Some vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit various SYNC performance related concerns including but not limited to: Display operation concerns Navigation inoperative Voice...

2. SSM 54366Received November 19, 2025

   Electrical system

   Some 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.

3. SSM 53040Received October 16, 2024

   While performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, a transmission seal kit may be on backorder due to supply chain interruptions.

4. TSB 24-2165Received June 6, 2024

   Some 2016 MKS, 2016-2017 Navigator, 2016-2018 F-150/Focus/C-MAX/Edge/Fiesta/MKX/Transit Connect/Mustang, 2017-2018 Continental/Fusion/MKZ, 2017-2019 Explorer, 2016-2019...

5. SSM 52335Received March 20, 2024

   Engine and engine cooling

   For 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...

6. SSM 51838Received September 4, 2023

   Electrical system

   In various 2017-2023 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, customers may receive a message in the FordPass or LincolnWay App stating Feature Unavailable.

7. SAN-Vol1 I1Received August 16, 2023

   Equipment

   The Service Awareness Newsletter is an informal communication that contains information that may not be presently available in a TSB, SSM, GSB, or other electronic communication.

8. SSM 51536Received May 4, 2023

   Body and structure

   For 2000-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, swapping a module from a vehicle for diagnosis purposes is likely to cause errors and is not recommended.

Recalls

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2018 Ford Escape. Recall repairs are free at a Ford dealer. The 3 to look at first:

1. 22V413000June 10, 2022

   Power train

   The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach.

2. 26V011000January 16, 2026

   Equipment

   The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.

3. 18V104000February 12, 2018

   Service brakes, hydraulic

   These vehicles may be equipped with incorrect front brake hoses that may chafe against other components, possibly resulting in a brake fluid leak.

See all 4 recalls for the 2018 Ford Escape, or check your VIN below to see which are open on your car.

Common repairs in this area (not a diagnosis)

These are repair jobs that sit in the areas owners report most. A complaint may need a diagnosis first: the same symptom can come from many causes, and a serious one such as engine failure is not fixed by a cheap part. They are not a forecast of what your Escape will need. Ranges are US estimates for all makes.

Start with a diagnosis

• Diagnostic scan (check engine light)$55 to $250

Engine and engine cooling 1,450 complaints · 79%

No repair price here: this area usually needs a diagnosis first. A diagnostic scan (check engine light) runs $55 to $250.

Power train (transmission and drive) 276 complaints · 15%

• Transmission fluid service$140 to $480
• Transmission solenoid replacement$290 to $1,200
• Torque converter replacement$880 to $2,475
• Clutch replacement (manual transmission)$1,000 to $2,050

Electrical system 57 complaints · 3%

• Battery replacement$150 to $470
• Alternator replacement$360 to $930
• Starter replacement$280 to $740
• Battery cable replacement$100 to $340

Fuel system 57 complaints · 3%

• Fuel pump replacement$370 to $1,075
• Fuel injector replacement (one injector)$170 to $820
• EVAP purge valve replacement$80 to $240
• Gas cap replacement$5 to $95

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Check your VIN

Complaints and bulletins cover a whole model year. Only the VIN shows what is open on your car.

By VIN By year, make and model

VIN (17 characters, on the dashboard by the windshield or the driver door jamb)

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Recall and complaint data comes from NHTSA, the US government's vehicle safety agency, and is cached for up to a day. Recall repairs at a dealer are free. A recall that is not listed may not apply to your car or may not be filed yet. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls too.

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2018 Ford Escape: questions

What are the most common problems on the 2018 Ford Escape?

Of the 1,824 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2018 Ford Escape, 1,450 (79%) name engine and engine cooling, and 276 (15%) name power train (transmission and drive). A complaint can list more than one area, so the shares add up to more than 100%. These are owner reports, not proven causes.

Is the 2018 Ford Escape reliable?

These numbers cannot say. NHTSA complaints have no sales count to compare against, so a high number on one model does not mean it fails more than another. Use them to see which areas owners write about, then check your own VIN for open recalls.

Do these complaints include crashes or fires?

Owners marked 26 of the 1,824 complaints as involving a crash and 6 as involving a fire. They also reported 30 injuries and 0 deaths. NHTSA records these as the owner reports them and does not confirm each one.

How many recalls does the 2018 Ford Escape have?

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2018 Ford Escape. Recall repairs are free at a Ford dealer. Enter your VIN to see which ones are open on your car.

What is a service bulletin?

A service bulletin is a repair instruction a maker sends to its dealers. It is not a recall, and it does not mean your car is covered. NHTSA lists 131 repair bulletins for the 2018 Ford Escape.

More

• 2022 Escape problems
• 2021 Escape problems
• 2020 Escape problems
• 2019 Escape problems
• 2017 Escape problems
• 2016 Escape problems
• 2015 Escape problems
• 2014 Escape problems
• 2013 Escape problems
• 2012 Escape problems
• 2011 Escape problems
• 2010 Escape problems
• 2018 recalls
• All Ford recalls
• Ford problems by model
• Check-engine codes

Sources

• NHTSA complaint and technical service bulletin files, checked October 29, 2026
• NHTSA recalls

Complaint, bulletin and recall counts come from NHTSA as filed. Repair prices are estimates from our own ranges. Not a repair shop, estimates only.