vinkodex.

Ford Kuga 2.0 TDCi 180hp 4WD Titanium common faults.

2013–2016, SUV, diesel, 180 HP.

The fault list covers: T8MA, T8MB engine, 6F35, MPS6 transmission.

What you save stays on this device only. My saves

5 fault write-ups. All are important. 5 recalls.

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

Before you buy

Known faults

5 important faults

critical2

1.6 EcoBoost: cylinder head cracking on low coolant

critical

If the car is started and driven with an insufficient level of coolant, the cylinder head can overheat, crack and leak oil. According to the authority the leaking oil can ignite on a hot engine or exhaust component. If the coolant level was kept up, this crack is not typical.

What to check

  • Check the expansion tank level when cold: a level below MIN means a coolant shortage
  • Ask whether the coolant light has ever been on, and how long it was driven that way
  • After starting, watch the temperature gauge: it should settle evenly
2 more steps in the write-up

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.

Show the rest

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

expensive3

Injector copper washer: the carbon glues the injector into the head

expensive

The copper washer under the injector is a one-time seal: it is permanently crushed when torqued, so once refitted it can no longer seal. If the seal goes, combustion gas escapes past the injector at over 2000 degrees and over 300 bar, carbonises the engine oil and eats into the seat of the injector. The fault appears at around 150 000 kilometres, but an early failure can also be caused by incorrect torque, a dirty seat and a reused washer.

Show the rest

The escaping gas mixes the unburnt hydrocarbons with the engine oil under the rocker cover, and a hard, coal-like crust bakes out of that. This deposit surrounds the injector and over time glues it into the cylinder head.

The symptoms are easy to recognise. At idle a rhythmic chuffing noise is audible, one per combustion event. A diesel smell comes from the engine bay, and through the ventilation into the cabin as well. Black, oily deposits are visible at the base of the injector. The engine oil becomes diluted with fuel, and whitish-blue smoke can appear too.

If things are taken past this point, the carbon literally welds the injector into place, and a dedicated injector puller or a slide hammer is needed to get it out. Prying damages the body of the injector. If the seat has already been eaten away, the cylinder head has to be machined or replaced.

The quality of the repair decides matters here. A new copper washer is needed, the old one can never be reused, the seat has to be cleaned with a hand-turned seat cutter, and the torque has to follow the factory figure. Cleaning the seat is the most important step and the one most often done wrong. If one injector needs replacing, typically all four do, because their state of wear is similar, and a new one alongside worn ones does not give the right metering.

above 150,000 km

What to check

  • Listen at idle: a rhythmic chuffing noise means a leaking copper washer
  • Look at the base of the injectors: black, oily, hard deposits belong here
  • Smell the cabin and the engine bay: a diesel smell points to the same thing
3 more steps in the write-up

High pressure pump: metal debris throughout the whole system

expensive

The high pressure fuel pump wears from the inside, and metal dust forms in the friction pairs. The debris gets into the system and blocks everything there. The wear is reported above 160 000 kilometres, and the upper limit of the pump's life is around 200 000 kilometres, beyond which an overhaul is needed.

Show the rest

The metal dust travels on to the injectors and destroys those too, so a pump fault easily turns into a repair of the whole injection system: the system has to be flushed and the injectors replaced. The pump can also give up suddenly, even on a motorway, and the engine then stops while driving.

The injectors themselves also give up at around 200 000 kilometres, and their symptoms are easy to recognise. The most characteristic is difficult starting on a warm engine. With it comes damaged atomisation at the nozzle, a back-leak through the worn nozzle which makes starting worse still, and fuel getting into the crankcase and raising the oil level.

That last sign is the one that can be caught on the dipstick: if the oil has risen above MAX and smells of diesel, it belongs to the injection system.

above 160,000 km

What to check

  • Look at the oil on the dipstick: oil risen above MAX and smelling of diesel belongs to the injection system
  • Start it with a warm engine too: difficulty starting warm is the most characteristic symptom
  • Ask for the last fuel filter change and ask whether the filter was checked for metal debris
3 more steps in the write-up

MPS6 PowerShift: disintegrating clutch damper, clogged valve body

expensive

The springs in the clutch damper sag and the plastic retainers break up, and the fragments get into the oil circuit. Debris from the two oil-bathed clutch packs adds to this, and the contamination clogs the channels in the valve body and the solenoids, which makes shifting jerky. This is why this gearbox needs frequent oil and filter changes.

Show the rest

The shift forks have plastic tips that cannot take abrupt starts: they can break off and the gearbox can seize. At high mileage the input shaft bearing starts to vibrate, the gearbox cover seal leaks, and the input shaft speed sensor fails.

What to check

  • Pull away from a standstill several times, gently and briskly: shifts must not jerk or thump
  • Rolling slowly, shift up and down: the gearbox must not hesitate or drop into neutral
  • Ask for the oil and filter change invoices: on this gearbox they cannot be skipped
3 more steps in the write-up

Checklist

Ford Kuga 2.0 TDCi 180hp 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

vinkodex.com · Before you buy it, see what can go wrong.

Official recall5 recallsShow

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

Most recent: 15 January 2026

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

22V254000POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)14 April 2022 · NHTSA (USA)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015 Escape vehicles equipped with 2.0L engines. The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach.

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 shifter bushing and add a protective cap over the shift cable bushing, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 27, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S25.

The authority's notice

17V472000SEAT BELTSSEAT BELTS25 July 2017 · NHTSA (USA)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014 Ford F-150 and E-350, 2014-2015 Ford Escape, and 2015 Lincoln MKC vehicles. Improperly manufactured bolts may have been used to install certain seats, seatbacks, seatbelt buckles, or seatbelt anchors on these vehicles.

Risk: The improperly manufactured bolts may fracture. If a seat, seatback, or seatbelt anchor attaching bolt fractures, the affected component may not be properly secured, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected bolts, free of charge. Interim notices informing owners of the safety risk were mailed September 8, 2017. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available in the fourth quarter of 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S17.

The authority's notice

15V436000ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITIONELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION8 July 2015 · NHTSA (USA)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2015 Ford Escape vehicles manufactured April 1, 2014, to June 12, 2015, Ford Focus vehicles manufactured June 17, 2014, to June 12, 2015, and Ford C-Max vehicles manufactured April 22, 2014, to June 12, 2015. In the affected vehicles, the engine may continue to run after the key or the START/STOP engine button is turned to off. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."

Risk: If the engine does not turn off as expected, someone could move the transmission shifter out of park and the vehicle may move unintentionally, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the body control module software, free of charge. The recall began on July 27, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15C06.

The authority's notice

15V406000ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANELELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL24 June 2015 · NHTSA (USA)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Ford Escape vehicles manufactured May 19, 2014, to February 6, 2015, and Transit Connect vehicles manufactured May 11, 2014, to July 2, 2015. Due to a software incompatibility issue, the instrument panel cluster be inoperative including a blank multiple functional display (MFD), and non-functional warning chimes, messages and warning lights. Specific warning chimes, messages and warning lights. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 101, "Control and Displays."

Risk: If the instrument cluster is inoperative, the driver of may not be warned of safety related issues such as low tire pressures or disabled air bags, increasing the risk of personal injury or a crash.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the instrument panel software, free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15C03.

The authority's notice

Engine and transmission

2 engines · 2 transmissions

T8MA · 2.0 TDCI Allrad

132 kW (179 HP) · diesel

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 engine code is possible. The fault list shows the faults of each. 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
diesel
Transmission
automatic
Engine size
1997 cc
Power
132 kW (179 HP)
Drive
AWD
Production
2013–2016

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)

  • Fuel filter, diesel

    • 60,000 km or 2 years
All Mk2 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