Owner-reported complaints naming the driver-assistance system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2018 Ford Escape submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 39 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 39, in the owner's own words
My husband bought a 2018 Ford Escape and he took it back to the dealer because it was speeding up when he did not touch the gas and it was veering off the road. I put the vin# in the website and it pulled up 4 past recalls one of which fits the description of what he experienced.
Nothing happened I just noticed I have a blind spot in both of my rearview mirrors and I am aware of this.
My car shifts into gears when in drive and I am breaking, it has locked in park, or drive, my car without emergency break has rolled down my driveway while off and in park. My local dealership claims they don’t have parts for it and I’m stuck paying on a car I don’t feel safe in. They sold it to me knowing there was an active prior recall for this. I’m worried I’ll be driving one day and the gears shift automatically and kill me.
On Sept.17, 2021 my 2018 Ford Escape rolled away. When I was leaving a driveway, I got in car, buckled my seatbelt, started the engine and put the vehicle in Reverse. I immediately realized I had not paid for the item and shifted into Park. I unbuckled my seatbelt, opened the door, got out of my vehicle, walked fully past the door. At that point, I noticed the vehicle rolling backward on the flat driveway. I ran after my car to try to get my foot on brake because I was in a neighborhood with children. I nearly got my foot on it when I was knocked down and the driver-side front wheel ran over me, crushing my pelvis and sacrum and causing other injuries to my abdomen and legs. -I believe my car was in False Park.That is why it didn’t move as soon as I took my foot off the brake and was able to clear the open door. Both my husband and I have been able to get the car back to that false park position where it might stick for 5 seconds or several minutes. I have several videos I can share. - Automatic Electronic Park Brake would have prevented this accident. - Inadequate Warnings 1.The chime for Door Open when in Park is almost identical to the Door is Open not in Park. 2.The warning on the dash is in white and Orange for Door Open In Park and All WHITE for the more dangerous Door Open Not in Park. 3. A warning in the magnitude and attention-grabbing of the Seatbelt off or Collision warning would be more appropriate. 4.Ford did not warn customers until July of 2022 that there was a transmission issue recall. However, Ford sent a technical Bulletin to their Dealer Repair shops that there was a transmission issue in March 2021. I always used my Parking brake on hills but not on flat ground. Had Ford sent me a warning in March 2021, I most certainly would have used it that day and every day. -Quick Reference Guide should include Parking Brake Information and warning not just in the long owners manual. They don't even show its location.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. While the contact's mother was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated to 45 MPH. The vehicle continued to accelerate without the accelerator pedal depressed until the brake pedal was depressed, and the vehicle stopped. On another occasion, while the vehicle was at a stoplight, the brake pedal was depressed, and the vehicle accelerated unintendedly. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was not available.
While driving on a highway the RPMS in my 2018 Ford Escape with 88,600 miles went up high without me touching the gas because I was coasting downhill & then once I pushed the gas pedal to resume normal speed it shifted real hard into gear but would not move, it just kept coasting as cars were speeding up behind me going at least 55 MPH! I was finally able to pull over and once I put the car into park & tried to move it into a parking lot the car would not go into gear at all. The car was towed is currently at the Ford Dealer & they confirmed that the transmission needs to be replaced. The only time the warning sign/light came up on the dashboard was AFTER I tried for the last time to move the car into a safe parking area. Per the Ford service this apparently is a known issue with ford & the 6F35 transmissions & they are on back order for 4-6 weeks and Ford will not give me a loaner car.
Received transmission fault error while driving the car (car was in motion). Car could not accelerate despite appkying pressure to the accelerator. Car failed to to shift while car was in motion. Vehicle stalled 3 times on the date indicated. Had vehicle diagnosed at a ford dealer. Requires a remanufactured transmission thats costs $7500 (more than the vehicle is worth). This is a known issue among 3rd gen ford escapes.
Car sometimes has trouble accelerating Does not want to go over 65 on cruise control for a very long time. Cruise control was shut off by itself. Car doesn’t want to accelerate over steep hills rPMs go up to four
Engine burns alot of coolant. Break time is not where it should be for a car with only 38k miles. The engine intake valves in affected vehicles may crack and break, causing the vehicle to lose motive power. Prior to losing motive power, an engine malfunction indicator lamp may illuminate in the cluster and the driver may notice that the vehicle is running rough. A loss of motive power can increase the risk of a crash.
Transmission failed in the middle of me turning and a car almost hit me. Their Transmissions should be recalled on ALL ford escapes this is ridiculous.
When the transmission gets warm, the car stops driving. It goes into all the gears fine. The vehicle has 102 thousand miles and I’m told the transmission needs to be replaced already. There are no recalls on the vehicle, but from what I have been reading, the Ford Escapes are known for transmission concerns. How is there no recall on the transmissions.
Cracked header, electric emergency parking brake says to release the parking brake when it's not even engaged
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked while attempting to start the vehicle, the infotainment system failed to display the rear-view camera, and the contact was unable to view the image behind the vehicle. The contact stated that the radio was also inoperable. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic and all the vehicle fuses were checked for proper functionality. The dealer was contacted and provided an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 96,000.
Needing Throttle Body replace though the car is 6 years old. Car will not get up to speed and engine fault light comes on. Got diagnosis and need to replaced. Also motor mounts have deteriorated despite lack of miles on car. Numerous complaints.
I bought a 2018 Ford Escape 1.5L ecoboost as the 2 or 3rd owner. There were no recalls I checked and also did a carfax when I bought the car 7/4/2024. I was driving the car and all of a sudden the car slows itself down from 50mph to 5mph and give me a warning car is overheating. Got to side of road safely and took to the mechanic he then told me about fords customer satisfaction program but since I have 95k miles my car does not qualifiy as they only gave 4 months to people with 84k miles to get fixed free if you are over they will nto fix. I did not own the car when they sent this out in 2022 and there was nothing made public about this engine isssue they are aware of. I am still sore from the seat belts locking up and have neck issues. this car sits in my garage as a paperweight now.
2018 Ford escape titanium. I have kept current on all the maintenance on this car. All of a sudden I get a check engine light also it shook and weakened. I drove straight home and left it parked untouched. I called Ford they came and picked it up because I was too scared to drive it. I haven't even had this car for a year and the dealership called to tell me the engine is gone due to coolant leaking inshaft etc.. a list of problems I don't understand. About $9000. In repair cost. My warranty doesn't want to cover. I need help. I do not know where to turn Ford is well aware of these issues and failed to tell us consumers. This is a complete scam on there part and they need to be held accountable. I am still paying for that car always take care of it which they charge alot for simple maintenance. Please help and let me know what to do . I can not pay $ 9000 for repairs. I'll never feel safe again in that car. Also the blind spot and collision sensors keep going off when nothing is around. I took it in twice and they have not fixed it but I was charged for the repair.
My car, 2018 Ford Escape is in need of an entirely new engine due to coolant leaking into the engine. This is a KNOWN ISSUE. My car suddenly started overheating and my car became undrivable. This is a widely reported issue and I believe there is clear evidence that it is a known defect and that Ford has the absolute responsibility to repair it .
I have ford escape 2018 S and I bought the car from koons ford silver spring MD. It is unfortunate whenever I drive the car for long hours ; suddenly the acceleration declines and the vehicle loose its power. And a strange click sound comes up and the check engine light on. Once I parked the car and the car cool down --the warning system disappear. I tried to contact the dealership and I was told my vehicle is not on recall list despite my vehicle have the same symptom--I bought this car very expensive and handle it with care and the car has only 5900 miles on it. Appreciate if you guys could investigate the case .
Subject: Complaint Regarding Electrical Malfunction in 2018 Ford Escape To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to report a concerning electrical malfunction that occurred in my 2018 Ford Escape, resulting in a critical safety issue. At 55,000 miles, the Accessory Protocol Interface Module (APIM) failed, subsequently causing the touch screen, navigation system, voice command functionality, and hands-free communication features to cease operation. Additionally, this failure disabled the phone charging capabilities, posing a safety concern due to the loss of essential functionalities. The malfunction of the APIM at such a relatively low mileage directly impacted the navigation system, voice commands, and the hands-free communication system, rendering them non-functional. As a consequence, this electrical issue posed safety risks, particularly concerning the failure of the navigation system and voice commands, which are crucial for safe driving practices. The incident occurred, and subsequent repair cost of $1,163.72, were serviced at SERRA Ford dealership in Farmington Hills, MI. The nature of this electrical failure not only incurred financial costs but also posed potential safety hazards, especially with the impairment of critical functionalities like the rear-view camera, navigation, and hands-free communication. I urge the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to investigate this matter promptly, as it not only caused inconvenience and financial burden but also compromised the safety features of the vehicle. This complaint aims to highlight the serious implications of electrical failures in Ford Escape vehicles, emphasizing the potential risks it poses to drivers, passengers, and others on the road. Please consider this complaint as a formal report to address and rectify these safety concerns, preventing similar incidents in other vehicles. Your attention to this matter is highly appreciated.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at slower speeds, the vehicle was shaking abnormally. While depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond. The accelerator pedal was depressed to the floorboard. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The engine overheated. The contact checked the coolant level but found no leaks. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
While driving at night at a speed of approximately 45 mph, the car started grinding and there was a smell of metallic material burning and it was difficult to accelerate. Within seconds the automobile came to a complete stop in the middle of a moderately traveled road in the left hand turning lane. There were no messages or warning lamps that would indicate that there was a problem prior to this complete stoppage. The safety of the driver as well as others is put at risk due to the fact that there were no prior indications or symptoms to this malfunction. Had this happened on a high traffic area while traveling at higher speed, there would have indeed been numerous accidents given the sudden stoppage without any safety lamps or alerts being exhibited on the dashboard that would alert the driver to get to a safer location or pull over. Waiting for a tow at night is dangerous and the safety of a lone driver is at stake. After three days at the dealer, we were advised that the vehicle has complete Transmission Failure. There is a safety recall (22S43) NHTSA 22V413 that deals with a transmission issue. The vehicle now needs a whole new transmission and is only 5 years old. Perhaps this initial recall may eventually lead to complete transmission failure. It was not described as what exactly the failure of the transmission.
I had my adaptive cruise control on while driving on a highway and suddenly lost power/acceleration. I was able to limp the car back home and the check engine light came on. I took it in to get the error code read, which prompted that there was an issue with the high pressure fuel pump. I got that replaced by our normal service provider and picked up my vehicle. While driving the vehicle again (with adaptive cruise on), I lost acceleration/power. Since I wasn't in the area, I had the vehicle towed back to the service provider where the replaced fuel pump had "collapsed onto itself and broke", which luckily didn't cause serious injury. In this state, the service provider told me it was unsafe to drive. With the newest fuel pump, everything seemed fine for a few days in my daily travels. We were on our way to a vacation stay (highway speeds, adaptive cruise, driving for 2+ hours, etc.) when the issue presented itself again. This time when we returned to the service center, they stated that the engine had sludge which was causing the damage to the fuel pump and we would need to replace the engine. Since owning this vehicle, I have had it serviced as stated in the Ford service schedule (90,000 mile service, oil changes, etc.) and have always kept an eye on the temperature gauge. The fact that I have maintained this vehicle well and the engine now needs replacing doesn't seem to add up. I feel like there is a serious flaw with these engines and luckily, they didn't cause any accidents or harm in this instance.
Sync is having issues... No rear camera, only 1 station on radio available, radio stays on when engine off and door is opened. Horn beeps on its own. Doors lock themselves, Sync screen goes blank etc
Transmission fault notification appeared on the screen while on the highway. Vehicle unable to maintain speed and has "bumping" when attempting to drive it. Poses a safety threat because I was unable to maintain speed while driving. Ford has not found remedy and it has been a month without ability to use vehicle.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle emitted an abnormal winding sound. The vehicle decelerated independently, failed to accelerate and stalled without warning. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The contact had to push the vehicle out of the highway. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 61,294.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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