Owner-reported complaints naming the visibility system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors. 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. 13 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.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked and occupied, the windshield wipers activated independently. Neither an independent mechanic nor the dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 95,845.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that on January 11th, 2026, the vehicle was purchased and the contact discovered later that the heater was inoperable. The vehicle was returned to the dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the actuator and heater core had failed and might cause engine failure. The contact was informed that the heater core and actuator needed to be replaced. The contact stated that while researching, the contact learned that the engine and heater core were known to fail. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed about the failure. The failure mileage was 86,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. While the contact's daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver became aware of an extremely loud sound coming from the vehicle. The contact's daughter stopped and parked the vehicle. The contact's daughter performed an inspection of the vehicle. The contact's daughter attempted to roll down the front driver's window and noticed that the glass had fractured inside the door panel. The vehicle was not taken to an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,111.
On 01/25/2025 I discovered on my vehicle that my windshield weatherstripping and cowl was coming loose from the windshield. I contacted Ford Motor company of the issue after speaking with a glass repair company. I called Ford because my vehicle may have a manufacturing defect on the cowl (bottom seal of the windshield, as well as the side and top weather stripping used to seal the windshield in place). They informed me there were no recalls at the time however to fix the issue the entire windshield will have to be removed from the car in order to replace the cowl seal, weather stripping and seal coming off. If I am not to get this repaired this could cause leaking in my vehicle from rain or worse the eventual separation of the windshield unexpectedly which could be a safety issue. Please see the attached photos below as well as others online who have posted this issue, had it fixed, and it kept occurring. I believe it is a manufacturer defect either with the weatherstripping, sealing procedure or the overall windshield itself. The pictures of the other escape in the same area is showing that what I am describing is happening to others, this can be deemed a hazard or potential recall.
Rear window employed two times within 9 months. First time car was parked in garage second time parked at daughter home. Nothing hit it.
I bought the vehicle in July of 2019 with approximately 20,000 mi on it. I have never touched or adjusted the steering wheel, and I'm the only one to drive the vehicle. My daughter has gotten her temps and I allowed her to drive the vehicle last night. She adjusted the steering column as she is a bit shorter than I am. When I got back into the driver seat, and move the steering wheel back into the position that I keep it in, and then proceeded to turn out of the driveway And it felt as if all the tires were flat and it was very hard to steer. I assume I lost my power steering abilities. Also the windshield wipers started going off and the washer fluid just started flying out onto the windshield and would not stop. I immediately put the car into park and turn the vehicle off. I turned on the car, proceeded to make the turn again, and the car did the same thing. The only thing I could think of was possibly something got pinched inside the steering column with the wiring harness because that is the only thing that changed between her and I driving. When I started the car up this morning and went to turn out of the driveway it did the same thing. I loosened up the lock on the steering wheel and I moved it up and down and relocked it, and got to my destination without any more issue, but concerned there is something going on with the wiring harness now.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact discovered a vertical crack in the middle bottom section of the windshield. The contact stated that the crack had formed without incident and was likely caused by a design defect. The contact stated that the crack obstructed her vision while driving. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The windshield was not repaired or replaced. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED, THE REAR WINDOW FRACTURED FROM TOP TO BOTTOM AND LEFT TO RIGHT. THE REAR WINDOW THEN SHATTERED WITHOUT IMPACT NEAR THE LIFTGATE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF AN IMPACT TO THE WINDOW. THE FAILURE HAD OCCURRED TWICE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE AND HAD THE GLASS REPLACED BY A CERTIFIED GLASS COMPANY THROUGH THE INSURANCE THE FIRST TIME THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE SECOND TIME THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000.
COMPLAINT REAR WINDOW SHATTER OF 2018 FORD ESCAPE: REAR WINDOW GLASS SHATTERED ON LIFTGATE PANEL DOOR, (UNKNOWN REASON) TWICE SINCE BOUGHT FROM FORD DEALERSHIP, FEBRUARY 2020. GLASS SHATTERED ON 11/28/20 (WAS REPLACED) AND AGAIN, ON 2/17/21. CAR WAS PARKED AND UNDISTURBED IN MY DRIVE WAY, BOTH OCCURRENCES. NOTHING AROUND IT OR IN IT TO POSSIBLY CAUSE ANY SHATTERING. THERE MUST BE SOME SORT OF ISSUE GOING ON WITH THE GLASS OR INTERIOR CABIN PRESSURE TO THE GLASS OF THIS MODEL, FORD DEFECT POSSIBLY?? BRAND NEW WINDOW INSTALLED ON 11/28/20, AND 2 1/2 MONTHS LATER, SAME TYPE OF SHATTER TO WINDOW, WHEN CLOSED MY CAR DOOR, HEARD THE NOISE OF GLASS SHATTERING, MOST ALL OF IT ALL CAVED IN AND FELL INTO THE CAR IN TINY PIECES, JUST LIKE THE FIRST OCCURRENCE.
COMPLAINT REAR WINDOW SHATTER OF 2018 FORD ESCAPE: REAR WINDOW GLASS SHATTERED ON LIFTGATE PANEL DOOR, (UNKNOWN REASON) TWICE SINCE BOUGHT FROM FORD DEALERSHIP, FEBRUARY 2020. GLASS SHATTERED ON 11/28/20 (WAS REPLACED) AND AGAIN, ON 2/17/21. CAR WAS PARKED AND UNDISTURBED IN MY DRIVE WAY, BOTH OCCURRENCES. NOTHING AROUND IT OR IN IT TO POSSIBLY CAUSE ANY SHATTERING. THERE MUST BE SOME SORT OF ISSUE GOING ON WITH THE GLASS OR INTERIOR CABIN PRESSURE TO THE GLASS OF THIS MODEL, FORD DEFECT?? BRAND NEW WINDOW INSTALLED ON 11/28/20, AND 2 1/2 MONTHS LATER, SAME TYPE OF SHATTER TO WINDOW, WHEN CLOSED MY CAR DOOR, HEARD THE NOISE OF GLASS SHATTERING, MOST ALL OF IT ALL CAVED IN AND FELL INTO THE CAR IN TINY PIECES, JUST LIKE THE FIRST OCCURRENCE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 FORD ESCAPE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, AN EXPLOSIVE NOISE WAS HEARD COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE SUN ROOF EXPLODED WITHOUT WARNING OR AN IMPACT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ROBINSON BROTHERS FORD (225-293-8900, LOCATED AT 11455 AIRLINE HWY, BATON ROUGE, LA 70816) WHERE IT WAS STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS AN UNKNOWN ISSUE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROPRIATELY 24,900. *TR
WINDSHIELD (FORD #2215 CARLEX ACOUSTIC) CRACKED UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS ON HIGHWAY. 2 WINDSHIELDS REPLACED/REPAIRED IN 2 WEEKS.
WHILE DIVING DOWN 8 MILE RD IN FARMINGTON HILLS, MI AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MILES PER HOUR, MY VISTA ROOF EXPLODED. THE GLASS DID NOT FALL ON ME BECAUSE I HAD THE SHADE PULLED AT THE TIME.
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
Data on this page last refreshed .