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Ford Kuga 1.5 EcoBoost 182hp 4WD Titanium common faults.

2016–2019, SUV, petrol, 182 HP.

The fault list covers: M9MA engine, 6F35, MPS6I transmission.

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2 fault write-ups. Both are important. 3 recalls.

If you know the year, pick it. Faults for other years drop out of the list.

Before you buy

Known faults

2 important faults

critical1

6-speed automatic: detaching shifter cable bushing, rollaway

critical

The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission ages over time and can detach. The transmission may not engage the selected gear, and the car can move in an unexpected direction. It can also happen that the driver puts the lever in Park and can remove the key while the transmission is not in Park: there is no warning message and no chime. If they get out like that without applying the parking brake, the car rolls away.

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Ford issued four campaigns between 2018 and 2022, covering an ever wider range: the 2022 one (22V413000) already includes the 2013–2019 Escape and the 2013–2016 Fusion. The factory repair also adds a protective cap over the bushing.

What to check

  • With the car stationary and the parking brake on, run through all the gear positions: each must engage precisely, with no free play in the lever
  • Put it in Park and try to remove the key: if the transmission is not in Park, the key must not come out
  • On a slight slope, in Park and without the parking brake, check that the car holds. Do this carefully, not standing outside it
2 more steps in the write-up

expensive1

MPS6i PowerShift: stripped spline connection, limp mode

expensive

The weak point is the spline connection of the even-gear hub: repeated abrupt starts can strip the splines, and the gearbox goes into limp mode, holding only one or two gears.

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The remaining faults come from clutch wear and contamination of the mechatronic unit, and clutch wear is accelerated by oil seeping past the seal. The dual-mass flywheel has a short life, sometimes under 150,000 km.

What to check

  • Run through all the gears while rolling: none should be skipped, and it must not drop into limp mode
  • Pull away briskly too: the clutch must not slip and the shift must not hesitate
  • With the engine idling in neutral, listen: a worn dual-mass flywheel rattles
2 more steps in the write-up

Checklist

Ford Kuga 1.5 EcoBoost 182hp 4WD Titanium

First what you would check on any car. Then the faults of this model.

Before you buy

Checklist

The printed sheet starts with what you would check on any car. What you tick stays on this device only.

On every car

Ask the owner

Faults of this model

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Official recall3 recallsShow

The manufacturer fixes these for free at a franchised dealer. Ask with the VIN whether it was done.

Most recent: 9 June 2026

26V374000VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLSVISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS9 June 2026 · NHTSA (USA)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017 Escape vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall number 16V617. The power-operated windows may exert excessive force when encountering an object, before they automatically reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 118, "Power-Operated Window Systems."

Risk: A closing window that does not reverse direction as expected can pinch a driver or passenger before retracting, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: Dealers will update the power window operating system software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 22, 2026. Owners may contact customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C29. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 6, 2026.

The authority's notice

26V011000EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:ENGINE BLOCK HEATEREQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:ENGINE BLOCK HEATER15 January 2026 · NHTSA (USA)

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: 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.

The authority's notice

16V617000VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLSVISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS24 August 2016 · NHTSA (USA)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2017 Ford Escape Titanium and SE vehicles manufactured October 5, 2015, to May 12, 2016. The settings for the closing-force of the power-operated windows may allow the windows to close on an object such as a body part and injure it before the windows auto-reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 118, "Power-Operated Window Systems."

Risk: If a window closes on a body part, it can increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: Ford has notified owners, and dealers will update the power window operating system software, free of charge. The recall began on September 6, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16C12.

The authority's notice

Engine and transmission

1 engines · 2 transmissions

M9MA · 1.5 Allrad

134 kW (182 HP) · petrol

6F35 · 6-speed automatic

automatic · 6 speed

Torque limit380 Nm
MakerFord/GM

We built the code from the model and the gear count. The factory sheet does not state it. More than one transmission is possible. The gear count does not tell them apart. The code is on the side of the transmission.

Variant data

What is in this version

Factory data

Trim
Titanium
Body
SUV
Fuel
petrol
Transmission
automatic
Engine size
1498 cc
Power
134 kW (182 HP)
Drive
AWD
Production
2016–2019

Factory service interval

The manufacturer specifies this for this version. Of the mileage and the time, the one that comes first is the one that counts.

  • Air filter

    • 60,000 km or 4 years

  • Cabin (pollen) filter

    • 30,000 km or 2 years

  • Brake fluid change

    • first: 3 years, then 2 years(first change at 3 years, then every two years)

  • Spark plugs, petrol

    • 60,000 km or 6 years
All Mk2.5 versions

Information, not an expert opinion

We write the descriptions, and we put the source next to them. A person reviews them before they go out. They are still information, not a technical expert opinion.

  • A fault on the list does not mean the car you are looking at has it.
  • A fault missing from the list does not mean the model is fault-free. Write-ups are made model by model. Not all of them are done.
  • You decide whether to buy. This is no substitute for an inspection. That needs a workshop and a history check.
Details in the terms