2018 Ford Escape

I have a 2018 Ford Escape with the 1.5L engine with 108k miles purchased new in 2018. Noticed the car recently stuttered at times upon vehicle start up and then would smooth out shortly after starting. Check engine light came on, checked the code and it indicated P0301 which is a misfire on cylinder 1. Since it would run I thought it was probably a spark plug misfire so I made an appointment with a dealer to change the plugs. While traveling to the dealer the car quickly overheated and issued a warning to turn the car off. Luckily I was only a half mile from home and not on the main highway yet so I did not have to deal with safety in traffic. Had the car towed to the dealer and they diagnosed coolant intrusion into cylinder 3 and that a new engine would be required to fix the car. Cost will be about $11k they quoted. I am recently retired so coming up with that amount of money is a big hit on our retirement savings. After consulting with my wife we decided we really did not have much choice but to replace the engine, given the cost of new vehicles and being on a fixed income to not create a car payment (this car was paid off two years ago). I did notice about a week before this incident happened that the car was low on coolant in the reservoir so I took it to the place I have the car serviced to top off the coolant. When they opened the reservoir the coolant returned to the bottle and showed full. I did not want to overfill it so I thought since it showed full, it must be normal on these newer engines. This had to be the beginning of the problem, wish Ford would have said something earlier so would have known what to watch out for. At any rate, I will be out of $11k to fix this problem that I am finding out Ford knew about. Ford should step up and take care of this since it apparently has been a problem for several years. We have been a Ford family for 40 years but not sure I can recommend them moving forward. Truly disappointed.

Coolant is going into the cylinder. Car was starting rough and exhaust smelled strange. No warning lights came on. Service center reproduced issue. It’s an issue Ford has been aware of but hasn’t issued a recall. Now I need a new engine on my vehicle that only has 41,000 miles on it. Estimate is $10,000.00

Ford has known about a flaw with this engine and coolant intrusion. I have owned the vehicle for 5 months and they are refusing to cover the cost of a new engine. I know there is a lawsuit going on right now with Ford (21N12) This was my daughters first purchase that she financed and now she is on the hook financially for a vehicle that is not running.

Engine light and cylinder four misfire code happened on Easter Sunday 4/5/26 while warming up in the driveway shuddered and stalled. I did not drive had vehicle towed to my mechanic the following day. Had vehicle towed 8/27 to the dealership where it was purchased (brand new 4/5/2019) at the recommendation of our mechanic due to the coolant intrusion and known defect. Was informed by the dealer today that i will need a new engine block with only 35,000 miles driven.

The vehicle experienced a severe engine failure caused by coolant intrusion into cylinder #3, which requires a complete engine short block replacement. The vehicle became entirely unsafe to drive, presenting a sudden mechanical failure that put the safety of the occupants and other drivers at risk on the road. Prior to this catastrophic failure, the timing belt and water pump were replaced. The failed components and the vehicle are currently preserved and available for inspection upon request.

My vehicle a 2018 Ford Escape has a 1.5 liter Eco-Boost engine is has been diagnosed with a coolant into cylinder leak and is in jeopardy of seizing and causing a catastrophic accident. No one should be driving these Ford vehicles due to a good possibility of serious enjury or death.

Coolant intrusion the engine is ruined by a design flaw

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start immediately but started after several attempts. The vehicle was driven to an independent mechanic, where diagnostic tests were performed, but no failure was found. While driving 10–15 minutes later at approximately 30–35 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was returned to the independent mechanic, where a it was diagnosed that the canister purge valve had failed. The canister purge valve was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the under-hood canister purge valve and the EVAP canister were replaced, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted and informed that the failure was unknown. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 120,618.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light was illuminated. A certified mechanic was contacted and diagnosed the vehicle with evaporative emission system purge flow performance failure. Additionally, the canister purge valve needed to be replaced. The contact stated that on December 24 of 2025, the vehicle was repaired by the dealer due to a failure associated with the issue, and the evaporative canister purge control valve was replaced. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired because the warranty had expired. The manufacturer was not aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 81,131.

A warning light illuminated, so the vehicle was taken to the dealership for inspection. The vehicle has a history of receiving routine maintenance and repairs at this dealership. The 2.0L EcoBoost engine is known to experience coolant intrusion associated with its open-deck engine-block design, which includes narrow, slotted cooling channels—or grooves—between the cylinder bores. After inspecting the vehicle, the dealership determined that the engine block should be replaced. The estimated out-of-pocket repair cost exceeds the vehicle’s current market value.

I purchased my vehicle [XXX] from Suburban Chevrolet Cadillac in Ann Arbor, MI. Less than two weeks after purchasing the vehicle, my vehicle information screen informed me that the engine was overheating. My mechanic was able to replicate the issue and informed me I was the victim of a common issue with the 1.5L Ford EcoBoost Ford Escape engine that caused a coolant intrusion. I learned that Ford extended the factory warranty on the vehicle because of this issue, so they are clearly aware of it, but my vehicle was not under warranty when I purchased it used. The dealership told me they were unable to help me because I did not buy an extended warranty from them. Continuing to drive without repairing this issue could have resulted in severe engine damage, stalling, or complete mechanical failure, potentially endangering lives if it occurred while on the road. Because Ford has not issued a recall for this issue, I had to pay I had to pay $5,765.39 to replace the engine short block, inclusive of parts and labor, on top of what I paid for the car. The work was completed 11/23/2023. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, a message was displayed to exit the vehicle immediately. The contact pulled over and called someone to add coolant to the vehicle, but the failure persisted. The contact was constantly adding coolant to the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that coolant was leaking into the engine and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000.

2018 Ford Escape 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 without an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL). Diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) may include P0300, P0301-P0304, P0316, P0217, P1285 and/or P1299 stored in powertrain control module (PCM). This may be due to coolant intrusion into the cylinder. To correct the condition, follow the Service Procedure to replace the long block engine assembly. THis is a known issue with a Techinal service bulletin issued on 6/9/2022. My car has only 87,000 miles on it and will need a new motor because coolant is leaking into the piston and causing a missfire.

Transmission spudder when accelerates only at 75K miles

Engine coolant in the oil. The engine needs to be replaced. The cost is greater than the value of the car.. it is a known defect that Ford knows about, but will not do anything to repair or replace the engine problem….

Coolant is leaking into the head causing engine failure. This car has fewer than 60,00 miles. From what I have read this is a common problem and is due to a manufacturer’s design flaw. Ford refused to help me in any way when I contacted them. When I took the vehicle to the dealership they informed me that the engine would need to be replaced. The bill would be $13,000.

Check engine light would come on vehicle was not running well, seemed to stall. When I turned off the car I could hear liquid moving around from inside the vehicle. I am a Mom so I am driving with my 2 small children constantly and worried about their safety. The problem was confirmed by the dealership as well as an independent service center.

The vehicle has a 1.5L Ecoboost system which has a design flaw allowing coolant to leak into the engine. I was driving and the temperature went eradically high for no known reason and then instantly dropped. It began repeating this over and over. My mechanic told me it was a cracked head gasket and the coolant was below minimum levels because it was leaking into the engine. He told me it is a known mechanical design flaw with 2012-2019 Ford Escapes. Some were recalled some were not. Ford dealerships told me it is a known problem also. Ford will not stand behind their product and since my vehicle was not randomly picked for a recall, even though it is a known design flaw, they offer no assistance. I went online and read so very many others who have had this happen and that the reason all were not recalled was that there weren't enough complaints. So I wanted to speak out for those who didn't know how to as well as myself. I feel Ford should be held accountable for their actions. I thank God I was not stranded on a highway somewhere due to this issue or worse yet in an accicent.

Check engine light came on 3 weeks ago. Misfire codes on start up and cylinder 3. Mechanic replaced spark plugs, cleaned injectors. One week after repairs, check engine light came back on. Took vehicle back to the shop and after more tests, my engine showed it had suffered coolant intrusion and I was told a total replacement of the engine was needed.

Engine has been replaced three times already. Now, the engine has a constant cylinder 2 misfire with coolant level significantly decreasing. Car is shuddering real bad now. This is not the first time it happened. Before the third engine replacement, the car was moving on its own even with foot on the brakes. Very dangerous vehicle and unsafe.