Transmission Oil Cooler for Ford Escape 2017-2019

This is the replacement transmission oil cooler for the 2017-2019 Ford Escape, the 2015-2019 Lincoln MKC and the 2019-2021 Ford Transit Connect. It crosses to Ford part numbers EJ7Z-7A095-A and EJ7Z-7A095-B, and to the aftermarket numbers 918-979 and FO4050161. The core is aluminum, and it ships bare - no seals or gaskets are included, so plan on reusing or replacing the cooler line seals separately.

The cooler sits up front in the cooling stack where it takes road debris head on. Two things kill them: the fins pack solid with bugs, salt and gravel until airflow through the core drops off, or a tube splits and starts weeping ATF down the front crossmember. Either one drives transmission fluid temperature up, and heat is what cooks the friction material and the seals in these transaxles. If you are already in there for a rebuild or a fluid job and the old core looks crushed, stained or scaled, replacing it is cheap compared to doing the transmission twice.

Replacement is straightforward on these vehicles: get the front fascia or lower air deflector out of the way, disconnect the two cooler lines at the fittings and cap them so you are not draining fluid onto the ground, pull the mounting hardware and lift the core out of the stack. Set the new cooler in, start both line fittings by hand so you do not cross-thread the aluminum, then top the transmission back up and check the level at operating temperature. Flush or replace the lines first if the old transmission came apart and sent debris downstream - a new cooler packed with the last unit's clutch material will take out the next one.

Verify your original part number against 918-979 or EJ7Z-7A095-A before ordering. The Escape and MKC share this core across several engine and trim combinations, but Ford changed cooler designs across model years, so the number on the unit you pull is what decides fitment.