2018 Ford Escape reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2018 Ford Escape has 1,792 complaints with NHTSA after 9 years, or 37 per year. That is about even with the other Escape years here. Their median is 40 complaints per year. NHTSA has 4 recalls on file, including Engine block heater, Gear position indicator, and Hoses and fittings.

2017 Ford Escape SE — Photo by RL GNZLZ from Chile, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 2.0

Complaints

1,792

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (1,146 of 1,792), then Engine and engine cooling (342) and Powertrain (269). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 80,520 miles, and the middle half falls between 50,000 and 102,000 miles. Those filings include 25 that report a crash, 5 that report a fire, and 23 that report an injury.

Next to 2017 and 2019

The 2017 Escape has 2,679 complaints, 74 per year, and the 2019 has 586 complaints, 24 per year. The 2018 has fewer complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2019.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2018 Ford Escape. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (4)

Recall equipment, electrical, engine block heater 2026-01-15 · NHTSA campaign 26V011000

Summary 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.

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.

Vehicles affected 116,672

Recall powertrain, automatic transmission, gear position indicator 2022-06-10 · NHTSA campaign 22V413000

Summary 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.

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.

Vehicles affected 2,925,968

Recall hydraulic brakes, foundation components, hoses and fittings 2018-02-12 · NHTSA campaign 18V104000

Summary 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.

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.

Vehicles affected 88

Recall air bags, side and window 2017-12-18 · NHTSA campaign 17V803000

Summary 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.

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.

Vehicles affected 11,113

NHTSA's count is every vehicle in that campaign. A campaign can cover other model years and other models.

Complaints by component (1792 total)

Engine

1146

Engine and engine cooling

342

Powertrain

269

Electrical system

Fuel and propulsion system

Steering

Service brakes

Speed control

Wheels

Structure

Fuel system, gasoline

Exterior lighting

Suspension

Air bags

Seat belts

Forward collision avoidance

Visibility and wipers

Back-over prevention

Lane departure

Visibility

Latches, locks, and linkages

Electronic stability control (ESC)

Equipment

Hydraulic brakes

Tires

Fire-related

Parking brake

Seats

Traction control

Show 21 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Of the 668 complaints that include an odometer reading, the median is 80,520 miles. The middle half fall between 50,000 and 102,000 miles.

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"At approximately 64,500 miles, my Ford Escape was diagnosed by a Ford dealership with coolant intrusion into 3 of 4 cylinders. At the time of diagnosis, the vehicle was still driveable, but the diagnosis indicated a…"
Engine · filed 2026-09-18
"Check Engine light turned on for misfire codes. Replaced spark plugs but noticed coolant in the cylinder. Found Ford TSB 22-2133 and TSB 22-2229. So i want to report another failure of these engines"
Engine · filed 2026-09-16
"Went to get service for a misfire and found out about a well documented issue with these engines. Coolant intrusion into the cylinders leading to complete engine failure. Ford has known about this issue since 2010 and…"
Engine · filed 2026-09-16
"My 2018 Ford Escape SEL with the 1.5L EcoBoost engine has only 12,770 miles. The vehicle experienced a misfire and coolant-related issue resulting in loss of engine power and a dashboard warning stating, “High Engine…"
Unknown or other, Engine · filed 2026-09-15
"My 2018 Ford Escape SE 1.5L EcoBoost is actively suffering from the manufacturer defect outlined in Ford TSB 19-2375 (coolant intrusion into the engine cylinders). The vehicle shakes violently on startup, emits heavy…"
Engine · filed 2026-09-14

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2018 Ford Escape SUV AWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars
2018 Ford Escape SUV FWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
Escape all-wheel drive	1.5L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	All-wheel drive	22	28	24 MPG	$2700
Escape all-wheel drive	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	All-wheel drive	20	27	23 MPG	$2800
Escape front-wheel drive	1.5L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	23	30	26 MPG	$2500
Escape front-wheel drive	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	21	28	24 MPG	$2700
Escape front-wheel drive	2.5L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	21	29	24 MPG	$2700
Escape front-wheel drive flex-fuel	2.5L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	21	29	24 MPG	$2700

Specs and fitment

3rd generation, 2013–2019

Body styles SUV

Oil 5W-20 synthetic (1.6L EcoBoost/2.5L I4); 5W-30 synthetic (2.0L EcoBoost) , 5.7 qt capacity

Tire size 235/55R17 (S/SE) to 235/50R18 (SE/Titanium)

Known issues for this generation

Early third-gen years (especially 2013) also draw NHTSA powertrain filings about the shifter-cable bushing. Recall 18V-471 covers certain 2013-2014 Escapes with six-speed automatics: the bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade and detach so the lever can show Park while the gearbox is not in Park, with no warning; dealers replace the bushing (Ford 18S20). Recall 22V-413 expands that bushing concern to certain 2013-2019 Escapes among other Ford models; dealers again replace the bushing. Separately, recall 17V-209 covered the 2014 Escape with the 1.6L GTDI: driving with low coolant could crack the cylinder head and leak oil onto hot parts, raising fire risk; dealers installed a coolant-level sensor. Recall 16V-643 covered 2013-2015 Escapes among about two million Ford/Lincoln vehicles for door-latch parts that may break so a door fails to latch or opens while moving; dealers replaced the latches.

Compare

Previous year 2017 Ford Escape Next year 2019 Ford Escape See every Ford Escape model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 Ford Escape reliable?

What are common problems with a 2018 Ford Escape?

Is the 2018 Ford Escape more reliable than the years next to it?

Has the 2018 Ford Escape been recalled?

The 2018 Ford Escape has 4 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2018 Ford Escape?

Owners have filed 1792 complaints about the 2018 Ford Escape with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2018 Ford Escape get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2018 Ford Escape is 24.2 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What generation is my Ford Escape?

2008-2012 is the 2nd generation, 2013-2019 is the 3rd generation, and 2020-onward is the 4th generation.

Should I avoid charging my Ford Escape's high-voltage battery?

If your 2020-2024 Escape is covered by recall 24V-954, Ford advises not charging the high-voltage battery until the recall remedy has been completed.