Is your car affected?
Check by VIN to confirm the
exact model and see every recall for it.
Recalls are issued for a make, model and model year. Whether the repair has already been done on one specific car is known only to its manufacturer and dealers. Check your vehicle's official status at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a dealer.
US recalls (4)
Equipment: electrical, engine block heater
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.
Risk and remedy
Risk: An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
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.
Power train: shift linkage/cable/rod
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.
Risk and remedy
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.
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.
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components, hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
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.
Risk and remedy
Risk: A brake fluid leak may lengthen the distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
Air bags: side/window
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.
Risk and remedy
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.
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.
Canadian recalls (4)
Show 4 Canadian recalls
Electrical
2026-01-09 · campaign 2026-004
Issue:
On certain vehicles, the engine block heater could leak coolant. If this happens, the block heater could short circuit when it's plugged in.
Note: This recall only affects certain vehicles equipped with a 2.0 L engine.
Safety Risk:
A short circuit can create the risk of a fire.
Corrective Actions:
To reduce the safety risk, Ford advises you not to use the engine block heater until the recall repairs have been completed. Ford will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to replace the block heater. Alternatively, owners can choose to have the dealership permanently disable the engine block heater.
Powertrain
2022-06-13 · campaign 2022-311
Issue:
On certain vehicles, the shift cable may detach from the transmission. This could cause the transmission not to shift gears when the shifter is moved. As a result, the transmission could be in a different gear than the gear shifter indicates. If a driver attempts to exit the vehicle while the transmission is not in Park, and the parking brake is not applied, the vehicle could move suddenly.
Safety Risk:
Sudden and unexpected movement of the vehicle could increase the risk of a crash.
Corrective Actions:
Ford will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealership to replace the transmission shifter cable bushing and install a protective service cap. Ford advises that you should apply the parking brake each time the vehicle is parked.
Brakes
2018-02-12 · campaign 2018-087 · 4 vehicles
On certain vehicles, incorrect front brake hoses may have been installed and could cause the hoses to contact adjacent components while the vehicle is being driven. This could result in premature wear to the hoses and potentially lead to a brake fluid leak, which could increase stopping distances and increase the risk of a crash causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will inspect the front right hand and left hand brake hoses to determine whether they are from the suspect population, and replace as necessary.
Airbag
2017-12-19 · campaign 2017-653 · 496 vehicles
On certain vehicles, the inflator diffuser installed in certain side curtain air bag modules may not have been manufactured correctly. If the vehicle were involved in a crash that warranted side curtain airbag deployment, this could potentially lead to the diffuser detaching. If the diffuser were to detach, it could become a projectile in the occupant compartment, and could cause a tear that could result in the side curtain airbag to not fully inflate. Both of these conditions could increase the risk of injury in a crash. Correction: Dealers will inspect both the right and left hand side curtain airbags to determine whether they are from the suspect population, and replace as necessary.
Owner complaints (1,824)
Owners filed 1,824 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Ford Escape (26 crashes, 6 fires, 30 injuries reported). Among 27 model years of this model, it ranks #6 for the most complaints (median 996).
| Most-reported problem | Complaints | |
|---|
| Engine | 1,170 | |
| Engine and engine cooling | 345 | |
| Power train | 276 | |
| Unknown or other | 107 | |
| Electrical system | 57 | |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 45 | |
| Steering | 32 | |
| Service brakes | 25 | |
Crash test ratings
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2018 Ford Escape.
| Version | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover |
|---|
| 2018 Ford Escape SUV FWD | 5★ | 5★ | 5★ | 4★ |
| 2018 Ford Escape SUV AWD | 5★ | 5★ | 5★ | 4★ |
Fuel economy
EPA ratings for each 2018 Ford Escape version.
| Version | City MPG | Highway MPG | Combined | Yearly fuel cost |
|---|
| Escape AWD 1.5 L Automatic (S6) | 22 | 28 | 24 | $2,800 |
| Escape AWD 2.0 L Automatic (S6) | 20 | 27 | 23 | $2,900 |
| Escape FWD 1.5 L Automatic (S6) | 23 | 30 | 26 | $2,600 |
| Escape FWD 2.0 L Automatic (S6) | 21 | 28 | 24 | $2,800 |
| Escape FWD 2.5 L Automatic (S6) | 21 | 29 | 24 | $2,800 |
| Escape FWD FFV 2.5 L Automatic (S6) | 21 | 29 | 24 | $2,800 |
Need this data in your app?
Recalls, complaints, crash ratings and fuel economy as a JSON API. Decode up to 50 VINs per call and get a daily feed of new recalls.
Explore the API →Sources: NHTSA recalls, complaints and 5-Star Safety Ratings, US EPA fuel economy and Transport
Canada's Vehicle Recalls Database (contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada).
Recalls updated 2026-10-30.