Is my 2018 Ford Escape affected by a recall?
NHTSA lists 4 safety recall campaigns covering this vehicle. A campaign covers a production range, so only your own VIN can answer it for your car.
NHTSA lists 4 safety recall campaigns covering the 2018 Ford Escape, the most recent reported January 15, 2026. A campaign covers a range of vehicles rather than every one built, so the only way to know whether yours is included is to check your VIN against NHTSA's own lookup. Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer, whatever the car is worth and however old it is.
- Recall campaigns
- 4
- Most recent
- January 15, 2026
- Do not drive
- None
- Park outside
- None
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, as ingested August 17, 2026
All 4 campaigns, newest first
Every summary, consequence and remedy below is NHTSA's own wording, printed unedited. The campaign number is what a dealer needs if you call to ask whether yours is covered.
- Equipment:electrical:engine block heaterNHTSA 26V011000 · reported January 15, 2026
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.
- The risk
- An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
- The 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.
- Manufacturer
- Ford Motor Company
- Potentially affected
- 116,672 vehicles
- Manufacturer number
- 26S01
- Power train:shift linkage/cable/rodNHTSA 22V413000 · reported June 10, 2022
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.
- The 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.
- The 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.
- Manufacturer
- Ford Motor Company
- Potentially affected
- 2,925,968 vehicles
- Owners notified
- October 27, 2022
- Manufacturer number
- 22S43
- Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:hoses, lines/piping, and fittingsNHTSA 18V104000 · reported February 12, 2018
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.
- The risk
- A brake fluid leak may lengthen the distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- The 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.
- Manufacturer
- Ford Motor Company
- Potentially affected
- 88 vehicles
- Owners notified
- March 14, 2018
- Manufacturer number
- 18S04
- Air bags:side/windowNHTSA 17V803000 · reported December 18, 2017
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.
- The 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.
- The 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.
- Manufacturer
- Ford Motor Company
- Potentially affected
- 11,113 vehicles
- Owners notified
- February 2, 2018
- Manufacturer number
- 17S44
How to check whether yours is one of them.
Take the VIN off the driver's-side windshield or the door jamb sticker and put it into NHTSA's own recall lookup. It answers for that exact car, which no list on a page can. Recall work is free at a franchised dealer of that make, and it stays free however old the car is.
- 1. Find the 17-character VIN, lower corner of the windshield on the driver's side, or on the door jamb sticker.
- 2. Check it at nhtsa.gov/recalls, the agency's own lookup. Our decoder will tell you what the number means, but NHTSA is the one that knows whether your car is in a campaign.
- 3. If it is, call a franchised Ford dealer and give them the campaign number. The repair is free.
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, safety recall campaigns. Summary, consequence and remedy are NHTSA's own wording, unedited. A recall is a manufacturer or agency decision that a vehicle does not meet a safety standard or contains a defect posing an unreasonable risk. It is not a complaint, and it is not an opinion about the car as a whole.
Registration counts: New York State DMV registration file, five New York City counties, August 17, 2026 snapshot. A registration is a record in a state database, not a car on the road, and the borough is where the registrant receives mail rather than where the car is driven. How we counted.
Fuel economy: EPA and DOE ratings published at FuelEconomy.gov, unaveraged, so each configuration is its own row. Recalls and complaints: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, the agency's own wording, as ingested August 17, 2026. Complaints are reports members of the public filed, not confirmed defects. The NYC registration study is the analysis these counts sit on top of.
234 vehicles in this directory, covering 520,848 registered cars. Data as of August 17, 2026.