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Ford · NHTSA safety record

2018 Ford Escape

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

Owners have filed 1,804 safety complaints about the 2018 Ford Escape with the US government. Of those, 25 describe a crash, 5 mention a fire, 30 people were injured and no death is recorded. 4 recall campaigns are open against it.

The most complained-about system is the engine, named in 1,155 complaints, 64% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 80,188 miles, the median across the 669 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers January 2018 to September 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

1,804 complaints on file

1,804

Complaints

25

Describe a crash

5

Mention fire

30

People injured

0

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

Complaints fell 26% year on year: 398 in the twelve months to 2026-Q2, against 538 in the twelve before.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
ENGINE 1,155 · 64%
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 343 · 19%
POWER TRAIN 272 · 15%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 105 · 6%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 55 · 3%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 43 · 2%
STEERING 32 · 2%
SERVICE BRAKES 25 · 1%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 22 · 1%
WHEELS 22 · 1%
STRUCTURE 20 · 1%
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 12 · 1%
0 465 931

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 1,804.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2025 at 490.

516 387 258 129
18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2018 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2018 Ford ESCAPE, and it is a separate question from what owners report going wrong later.

Test SUV AWD SUV FWD
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover 18.5% 19.1%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard

A rating belongs to a tested body style and drivetrain, not to the model as a whole, which is why more than one is listed. A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.

Recall campaigns

4 on file

EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:ENGINE BLOCK HEATER

26V011000 · January 15, 2026

The defect
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.
The risk
An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
The 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.

Ford Motor Company · up to 116,672 vehicles across all model years covered

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)

22V413000 · June 10, 2022

The defect
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.
The 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.
The 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.

Ford Motor Company · up to 2,925,968 vehicles across all model years covered

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

18V104000 · February 12, 2018

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

Ford Motor Company · up to 88 vehicles across all model years covered

AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW

17V803000 · December 18, 2017

The defect
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.
The 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.
The 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.

Ford Motor Company · up to 11,113 vehicles across all model years covered

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

ENGINE

4 injured · fire · crash · towed · 24,000 miles

ON DECEMBER 26, 2019, ANOTHER OTHER VEHICLE HIT THIS 2018 FORD ESCAPE, SPINNING IT INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THIS ESCAPE CAUGHT ON FIRE AND WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED. ALL INVOLVED VEHICLES (ALL FORDS) WERE IN MOTION TRAVELING ABOUT 50 MPH. THIS ESCAPE WAS TRAVELING NORTH ON ROUTE 122 NEAR BURNT CHIMNEY, VA. THE OTHER TWO FORDS WERE TRAVELING SOUTH ON THIS TWO LANE ROAD.

NHTSA complaint 11291920. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

2 injured · crash · towed

Vehicle involved in collision on major highway with two other vehicles. Given speed and impact of collision very surprised that the air bags did not deploy.

NHTSA complaint 11650019. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

2 injured · crash

HAD A HEAD ON COLLISION AND THE AIR BAGS DIDN'T DEFLATE.

NHTSA complaint 11375960. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL

2 injured · crash

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 low speeds, pulling into a parking space, the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration while the brake pedal was depressed. The vehicle drove over a curve and crashed into the corner of a building when it came to a complete stop. There were no air bags deployed. The contact's wife was able to drive the vehicle away from the scene of the collision. No police report was filed. The contact and his wife later received medical attention at the hospital for

NHTSA complaint 11475699, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
Cylinder cracked due to Coolant intrusion. A Customer Satisfaction Program was opened 21N12 however it closed last November. My vehicle is under the milage for the fix.

NHTSA complaint 11768013. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
Engine just started shaking and stopped working engine light came on then the hot light came on and no longer works. This car had been constantly serviced appropriately has 105,000 miles on it

NHTSA complaint 11767640. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

towed · 64,054 miles

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. While driving at an undisclosed speed, an unknown warning light illuminated, and the message to "Pull Over Immediately" was displayed. The contact pulled over and had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic, who replaced the long block, turbo charger, transaxle oil cooler, an unknown pump, and flushed and refilled the transmission fluid due to coolant intrusion into the transmission. The manufacturer was notified of the failure by phone. The failure mileage was 64,054.

NHTSA complaint 11767849. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
My vehicle has experienced a recurring cylinder 1 misfire (code P0301) over approximately two years. Ignition coils and spark plugs on cylinder 1 were replaced multiple times by different repair shops, but the misfire repeatedly returned, sometimes within months, sometimes within about a year. Wiring and injector testing was also performed and ruled out as the cause. A mechanic ultimately performed a leak-down/compression test and borescope inspection and found a compression leak located in the cylinder wall between cylinders 1 and 2, indicating internal engine damage. I was advised that this is not economically repairable and would require a full engine replacement. After researching this

NHTSA complaint 11767894, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
Supplemental Information – NHTSA Complaint XXX– 2018 Ford Escape 2.0L EcoBoost.Vehicle information: 2018 Ford Escape Titanium 2.0L Turbocharged EcoBoost VIN: [XXX] Current Mileage: 65,946 Since my previous communication, Ford instructed me to take the vehicle to a Ford dealership for evaluation and provide the dealership with my Ford case information. I delivered the Escape to Andy Mohr Ford in Plainfield, Indiana on XXX. On XXX, the dealership diagnosed the vehicle with coolant intrusion and determined that a long-block engine replacement is required. The dealership's repair estimate is $13,315.32. I reported the diagnosis to Ford on XXX. Ford opened Case XXX. On XXX, I was advised that

NHTSA complaint 11767895, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
Radiator fluid ìs leaking into cylinder, requiring engine replacement. Every other model and year of escape has recalls for this issue

NHTSA complaint 11767520. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Ford Escape

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2025 24 9 —
2024 76 8 1
2023 99 11 —
2022 232 19 —
2021 348 19 —
2020 1,602 23 —
2019 588 3 —
2017 2,689 4 —
2016 1,131 4 —
2015 1,106 9 —
2014 2,086 16 4
2013 2,750 18 —
2012 602 1 —
2011 1,316 2 —
2010 2,070 3 —

Other 2018 Ford models

F-150 2,311 Focus 835 Edge 833 Explorer 731 Ecosport 726 Fusion 441 F-250 SD 397 Expedition 375

Complaints on file, same model year.

Every Ford on this site — 359 vehicles.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst