2018 Ford Escape Fuse Box Diagram: Full Fuse and Relay Guide
Your 2018 Ford Escape has three fuse boxes: a passenger compartment panel below the glove box, a power distribution box in the engine bay, and a luggage compartment panel behind the passenger side wheel well. The cigar lighter and front power point run on fuse F61, rated 20A, in the passenger compartment panel.
This is the second year of the 2017 mid-cycle refresh, and two positions moved again for 2018: the luggage compartment’s rear power outlet fuse jumps from 20A to 40A, and one relay in the power distribution box exists only in this single model year.
Where are the fuse boxes on a 2018 Ford Escape?
This is a third-generation Escape, chassis code C520, built 2013 to 2019. Ford refreshed the lineup at the 2017 model year with a new 1.5L EcoBoost engine option, forward-looking radar for adaptive cruise and collision warning, and SYNC 3. The 2018 model carries that refresh forward, but it is not a carbon copy of 2017.
Passenger compartment fuse panel. Right side, below the glove box. Remove the glove box bottom to reach it. Holds fuses F56 through F89.
Power distribution box. Engine compartment, left side, near the battery. Holds fuses F7 through F48 plus sixteen relay positions.
Luggage compartment fuse panel. Behind the passenger side wheel well in the cargo area. Pop the cover to reach fuses F1 through F46.
Do not reuse a 2017 chart on a 2018 Escape without checking it first. Three positions changed: F68 in the passenger panel drops the electronic steering column lock function it carried in 2017 and becomes a plain spare, F26 in the luggage compartment jumps from a 20A to a 40A rear power outlet fuse, and relay position R8 in the power distribution box exists only on the 2018 build, carrying the high-current front power window relay. Ford’s own chart lists R8 as not used in both 2017 and 2019. If you have a 2013 to 2016 Escape instead, use the 2014 Ford Escape fuse box diagram, which carries the pre-refresh table.
2018 Ford Escape passenger compartment fuse chart
Right side, below the glove box. All mini fuses.
| Fuse | Amps | Circuit protected |
|---|---|---|
| F56 | 20A | Fuel pump supply |
| F57 | – | Not used |
| F58 | 5A | Interior lights relay |
| F59 | 5A | Passive anti-theft transceiver |
| F60 | 10A | Interior light, driver door switch pack, glove box light, overhead console switch bank |
| F61 | 20A | Cigar lighter, power point |
| F62 | 5A | Rain sensor module, light sensor module |
| F63 | 10A | Front sensing module, forward-looking radar |
| F64 | – | Not used |
| F65 | 10A | Liftgate release |
| F66 | 20A | Driver door unlock |
| F67 | 7.5A | SYNC, multifunction display, global positioning system module |
| F68 | 15A | Not used (spare). Carried the electronic steering column lock on some 2017 builds; see the note below |
| F69 | 5A | Instrument cluster |
| F70 | 20A | Central lock and unlock supply |
| F71 | 7.5A | Heating control head (manual air conditioner), dual electronic automatic temperature control |
| F72 | 7.5A | Data link connector |
| F73 | 7.5A | Steering wheel module |
| F74 | 15A | Headlamp supply |
| F75 | 15A | Fog lamp |
| F76 | 10A | Reversing lamp |
| F77 | 20A | Washer pump |
| F78 | 5A | Ignition switch, start button, keyless vehicle module |
| F79 | 15A | Radio, electronic finish panel, hazard light switch, door lock switch |
| F80 | 20A | Moonroof supply |
| F81 | 5A | Interior motion sensor supply, radio frequency receiver supply, panorama roof power/open |
| F82 | 20A | Washer pump |
| F83 | 20A | Central locking |
| F84 | 20A | Lock/unlock relay, liftgate relay |
| F85 | 7.5A | Electronic 15 feed |
| F86 | 10A | Airbag module, occupant classification system, passenger airbag deactivation indicator |
| F87 | 15A | Heated steering wheel |
| F88 | – | Not used |
| F89 | – | Not used |
F68 changed function between 2017 and 2018. On some 2017 builds with push-button start and passive entry, F68 carries the electronic steering column lock at 15A. Three independent 2018 sources, fuse-box.info’s year-split table, fuseboxinfo.com’s dedicated 2018 page, and StartMyCar’s 2018 diagram citing the Ford Escape 2018 Owner’s Manual, all agree F68 reverts to an unused 15A spare for 2018. F88 also changed: it carried a 25A KL30 feed in 2017 and is not used at all in the 2018 chart.
2018 Ford Escape power distribution box chart
Engine compartment, left side, near the battery. Cartridge fuses are marked with two asterisks below, mini fuses with one. Several positions carry two values because they depend on your engine or cooling fan option; both are shown.
| Fuse | Amps | Circuit protected |
|---|---|---|
| F7 | 50A** | Anti-lock brake system and electronic stability program pump |
| F8 | 30A** | Electronic stability program valve |
| F9 | 40A** / 50A** | Cooling fan, 600W / cooling fan, 390W and 750W |
| F10 | 40A** | Heater blower motor |
| F11 | 30A** | Body control module power feed, voltage quality module |
| F12 | 30A** | Powertrain control module relay |
| F13 | 30A** | Starter relay |
| F14 | 25A** | Cooling fan, 600W and 750W |
| F15 | 20A** | Front cigar lighter or power outlet |
| F16 | 25A** | Front power window (without door control unit) |
| F17 | 40A** / 50A** | Cooling fan, 600W / cooling fan, 750W |
| F18 | 20A** | Center power outlet |
| F19 | 5A* | Anti-lock brake system and electronic stability program 15 feed |
| F20 | 15A* | Horn |
| F21 | 5A* | Stop light switch |
| F22 | 15A* | Battery monitor system |
| F23 | 5A* | Relay coils |
| F24 | 5A* | Light switch module |
| F25 | 10A* | Occupant classification system |
| F26 | 25A* | Oil pump |
| F27 | 15A* | Air conditioner clutch |
| F28 | 10A* | Vehicle power, fuel injector (2.5L engine), blind spot information system and rear view camera on stop/start equipped vehicles |
| F29 | – | Not used |
| F30 | 10A* | Partially heated windshield |
| F31 | 5A* | Powertrain control relay coil |
| F32 | 15A* / 10A* | Vehicle power, 2.0L and 2.5L engine / vehicle power, 1.5L engine |
| F33 | 10A* / 15A* | Vehicle power 2, 2.0L and 2.5L engine / vehicle power 2, 1.5L engine |
| F34 | 10A* | Vehicle power 3 |
| F35 | 15A* / 10A* | Vehicle power 4, 2.0L and 2.5L engine / vehicle power 4, 1.5L engine |
| F36 | 5A* | Active grille shutters |
| F37 | 10A* | Passenger airbag deactivation indicator |
| F38 | 5A* | Engine control module and transmission control module ignition feed |
| F39 | 20A* | Heated driver seat |
| F40 | 5A* | Electronic power assist steering 15 feed |
| F41 | 20A* | Body control module 15 feed |
| F42 | 15A* | Rear wiper |
| F43 | 15A* | Headlamp control module supply |
| F44 | 5A* | Forward-looking radar |
| F45 | 20A* | Heated passenger seat |
| F46 | 40A** | Smart wiper motor modules |
| F47 | – | Not used |
| F48 | 5A* | Keypad |
Relay R8 is the number a generic chart will not have. It carries the high-current front power window relay, and it only exists for the 2018 model year. Ford’s own chart, matched by fuse-box.info and fuseboxinfo.com, marks R8 as not used in 2017 and again not used in 2019. A merged 2013-2019 table that shows one relay list for the whole generation cannot show a relay that comes and goes for a single year.
Other relays in this box: R2 horn, R7 partially heated windshield, R11 A/C clutch, R12 cooling fan. Also R1, R5 and R6 cooling fan, R10 starter, R13 heater blower, R14 engine control, R15 cooling fan, R16 ignition 15. R3, R4 and R9 are not used on this generation.
2018 Ford Escape luggage compartment fuse chart
Behind the passenger side wheel well, in the cargo area. Several positions split by whether your Escape has one-touch-up power windows on every door or not.
| Fuse | Amps | Circuit protected |
|---|---|---|
| F1 | 5A | Hands-free liftgate entry module |
| F2 | 15A | Heated outside mirror (without door control unit), heated wiper park |
| F3 | 5A | Keyless vehicle door handles |
| F4 | 25A | Door control unit, front left |
| F5 | 25A | Door control unit, front right |
| F6 | 25A | Door control unit, rear left |
| F7 | 25A | Door control unit, rear right |
| F8 | 25A | Passenger seat |
| F9 | 25A | Driver seat |
| F10 | 5A | Driver seat memory module logic feed |
| F11 | 5A | Rear ignition coil feed |
| F12, F13 | – | Not used |
| F14 | 5A | High current power windows, front relay feed |
| F15 | – | Not used (vehicles with one-touch up power windows) |
| F16 to F19 | – | Not used |
| F20 | 5A | Embedded modem |
| F21 | – | Not used |
| F22 | 25A | Heated rear window |
| F23 | 25A | Audio amplifier |
| F24 | 30A / 40A | DC/AC power converter (one-touch-up trims) / trailer tow (trims without one-touch up power windows) |
| F25 | 25A / 40A | Power liftgate (one-touch-up trims) / trailer tow (trims without one-touch up power windows) |
| F26 | 40A | Rear power outlet |
| F27 | 20A | Luggage compartment power outlet |
| F28 | 40A / 25A | Trailer tow (one-touch-up trims) / driver and passenger high current power windows (trims without one-touch up power windows) |
| F29 | 5A | Blind spot detection system, rear view camera with park assist |
| F30 | 5A | Parking aid module |
| F31 | – | Not used |
| F32 | 5A | DC/AC power converter |
| F33 | 10A | High current power window switch |
| F34 to F45 | – | Not used |
| F46 | 5A | Heated outside mirror relay coil |
F26 is the single biggest year-to-year trap in this chart. The rear power outlet fuse is 20A on a 2017 Escape and 40A on a 2018. All three 2018 sources agree, and fuse-box.info’s own 2017 table confirms the 20A figure for that year, so this is a genuine change Ford made, not a typo carried by one site. F14 and F15 also moved: 2017 puts a direct 25A power window fuse on both positions, while 2018 turns F14 into a 5A relay feed and marks F15 unused on one-touch-up trims. Check your fuse box cover label to confirm which power window trim your Escape has before you pull F24, F25 or F28.
Relays: R1 delay accessory relay, R2 rear 15 relay, R3 heated rear window relay, R6 heated outside mirror relay. R4 and R5 are not used.
Which fuse is the cigar lighter and power outlets?
The main cigar lighter and front power point is fuse F61, rated 20A, in the passenger compartment panel below the glove box.
The rest of the outlets split across the other two boxes:
- F15, 20A, engine bay. Front cigar lighter or power outlet, a second point on the same circuit type.
- F18, 20A, engine bay. Center power outlet.
- F26, 40A, luggage compartment. Rear power outlet. This is the fuse that changed amperage for 2018.
- F27, 20A, luggage compartment. Cargo area power outlet.
If the front 12V socket in the console is dead, check F61 first. If a rear or cargo outlet is dead but the front one still works, the fault is isolated to F18, F26 or F27.
Which fuse controls the radio and SYNC 3?
Fuse F79, 15A, passenger compartment panel is the direct radio fuse on this generation. It also carries the electronic finish panel, hazard light switch and door lock switch.
Two other fuses affect the infotainment system:
- F67, 7.5A. SYNC, the multifunction display and the GPS module.
- F23, 25A, luggage compartment. Audio amplifier. If the head unit powers on and shows its screen but no sound comes out of any speaker, this is the fuse to check, not F79.
Symptom-to-fuse quick lookup
| Symptom | Check this fuse | Box |
|---|---|---|
| Radio powers on, no sound from speakers | F23, 25A | Luggage compartment |
| Front 12V socket dead | F61, 20A | Passenger compartment |
| Rear or cargo 12V outlet dead, front works | F18, F26 or F27 | Engine bay or luggage |
| Heater blower does not run at any speed | F10, 40A | Engine bay |
| A/C compressor will not engage | F27, 15A | Engine bay |
| Adaptive cruise control or collision warning disabled | F44 or F63 | Engine bay and passenger compartment |
| Oil pump circuit fault code | F26, 25A | Engine bay |
| Liftgate will not release from the button | F65, 10A | Passenger compartment |
| Power liftgate will not open under power | F25, one-touch trims | Luggage compartment |
| Front power windows dead, others work | R8 relay or F14 | Engine bay or luggage |
| Heated seat, driver or passenger, not warming | F39 or F45, 20A | Engine bay |
| Moonroof will not move | F80, 20A | Passenger compartment |
| Rear wiper does not run | F42, 15A | Engine bay |
| No crank at the key | F13, 30A | Engine bay |
| SYNC screen frozen or blank, everything else fine | F67, 7.5A | Passenger compartment |
How do you tell if a fuse is actually blown?
Pull it and check the metal element through the plastic window. A good fuse shows an unbroken strip. A blown one shows a visible gap or a window smoked brown or black.
A hairline crack can still look intact under normal light. If you are not sure, test continuity with a multimeter set to ohms. Near zero ohms means the fuse is good. The cartridge fuses in the power distribution box, marked with two asterisks above, need a puller, not pliers, or you crack the housing. A mixed ATO/ATC fuse assortment kit usually includes one and costs less than a single dealer fuse.
Why does the same fuse keep blowing?
A fuse that blows once is usually a surge. One that blows again within days means the fault sits upstream. Replacing it on repeat just treats the symptom, not the cause.
- Unplug anything added recently. A phone charger left in the power point, an aftermarket stereo, or trailer wiring are the most common repeat blows on this generation.
- Check where the harness flexes. The liftgate harness and the door jambs take the most wear on an Escape this age, since both move every time they are used.
- Look for water intrusion. A damp connector shorts intermittently, so the fuse can survive a dry week and fail after rain.
- Consider the load itself. A binding power window motor keeps tripping its fuse. A failing blower motor resistor does the same to F10.
If a fuse blows the instant you seat it, that is a hard short, not a surge. Stop replacing fuses and read live data instead. Our Ford diagnostic tool comparison covers scan tools that read circuit-level data on this generation rather than just pulling trouble codes.
Where most 2018 Escape fuse charts get it wrong
I cross-checked three sources for this chart: fuse-box.info’s year-split table, which separates 2013, 2014-2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018-2019 into their own tables, fuseboxinfo.com’s dedicated 2018 page, and StartMyCar’s 2018-specific diagram, which states it is built from the Ford Escape 2018 Owner’s Manual. All three agree on every fuse in every box.
Two real problems turned up elsewhere. Ford’s own service content site, fordservicecontent.com, indexes a “Fuse Specification Chart” page that search engines return for 2018 Escape queries, but the page itself still serves the 2014-2015 table verbatim: F25 as a power exterior mirror fuse instead of the occupant classification system, F81 as a radio frequency receiver instead of the 2018 wording, and no F63 entry at all, because the forward-looking radar module did not exist until the 2017 refresh. A popular independently written fuse guide site also carries an extra “Rear Junction Box” and a “High Current Fuse Box” of MEGA fuses that do not appear on any of the three matching sources’ 2018 charts, and its power distribution box table swaps the F25 and F26 circuit descriptions against what the Ford manual and both aggregators show. Neither error is a rounding difference. Trust the three-source consensus above over either one.
2018 Ford Escape fuse quick reference
The positions owners look up most, in one place. P is passenger compartment, E is engine bay, L is luggage compartment.
| What you want | Fuse | Amps | Box |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cigar lighter, front power point | F61 | 20A | P |
| Radio | F79 | 15A | P |
| Audio amplifier | F23 | 25A | L |
| Rear power outlet | F26 | 40A | L |
| Heater blower | F10 | 40A | E |
| A/C clutch | F27 | 15A | E |
| Oil pump | F26 | 25A | E |
| Forward-looking radar | F44 / F63 | 5A / 10A | E / P |
| Liftgate release button | F65 | 10A | P |
| Power liftgate motor | F25 | 25A | L |
| Heated seats | F39 / F45 | 20A | E |
| Moonroof | F80 | 20A | P |
| Rear wiper | F42 | 15A | E |
| Starter relay | F13 | 30A | E |
| Instrument cluster | F69 | 5A | P |
| SYNC / multifunction display | F67 | 7.5A | P |
| Front power windows relay (2018 only) | R8 | – | E |
If your Escape needs its oil life monitor reset too, our 2017 Ford Escape oil reset guide covers a button sequence that carries over to this generation’s IOLM hardware. For adjacent years in this same fuse box family, the 2017 Ford Escape fuse box diagram covers the refresh year directly before this one, and the 2013 Ford Escape fuse box diagram covers the first year of this generation.
