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2018 Ford Ecosport

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2018 Ford Ecosport do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 395.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

267 reports with mileage · 459 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Engine. Review the 355 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 311 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 67 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

18 crash reports2 fire reports7 injury reports

Electrical System complaints

35 reports
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Mileage unknown · Apr 16, 2025
Electrical SystemUnknown Or Other

Ever since I purchased the vehicle, the screen that shows the system warnings and the speed that is right in front of the steering wheel goes out and turns completely dark and it will do this at weird moments. I haven’t noticed anything to cause this. I have replaced the battery and gone for an inspection and they can’t seem to …

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Ever since I purchased the vehicle, the screen that shows the system warnings and the speed that is right in front of the steering wheel goes out and turns completely dark and it will do this at weird moments. I haven’t noticed anything to cause this. I have replaced the battery and gone for an inspection and they can’t seem to figure out why it’s doing this other than the vehicle should be recalled. As this only happens every now and then but can be dangerous as if it goes out while driving home I supposed to know my speed or anything if I’m looking at the screen obviously I know that there is another speedometer on the right for speed, but either way it should not be happening. I am not sure if it would show if I went in for another inspection as I said it kind of does it on its own and at weird times. My safety is put at risk due to the fact that I cannot see what speed I’m going if that screen goes out other than looking at the speedometer that they give you in the car on the right side in front of the steering wheel. I wouldn’t be able to tell what kind of system warning I have because it pops up on that screen. There’s a lot of things that could happen where safety is concerned when that screen does go out. As I said before when I did go to a Ford dealership and got it inspected, they did notice that that happened but weren’t able to figure it out at the time and we were able to confirm it was not a battery issue as they did replace the battery in the vehicle. The vehicle has been inspected by a Ford dealership and again they could not figure out the reason and did not provide me with any answers other than it could be an electrical recall. There were no warning lamps or messages as that would be the screen that it would pop up on, and I can’t see it as it goes completely dark.

NHTSA ODI #11655041

Mileage unknown · Feb 14, 2025
Electrical System

1. The back up camera and screen glitch, freeze, go black unpredictably. 2. I've backed into objects, thankfully so far nothing that has caused major damage. It is potentially very dangerous, as sometimes it freezes mid back-up and there is an optical illusion. 3. I'm not quite sure what the question is. The problem is intermit…

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1. The back up camera and screen glitch, freeze, go black unpredictably. 2. I've backed into objects, thankfully so far nothing that has caused major damage. It is potentially very dangerous, as sometimes it freezes mid back-up and there is an optical illusion. 3. I'm not quite sure what the question is. The problem is intermittent, and to have all of the issues with the vehicle checked is cost prohibitive and time prohibitive. It malfunctions out of nowhere. 4. I do not know if the dealership inspected when they replaced my engine and turbo , then 3 days later vacuum hose as a "temporary" band aid to the unresolved safety recall 23V905. 5. There is no warning which is dangerous.

NHTSA ODI #11642845

125,000 miles · Jan 21, 2025
Electrical SystemEngine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH and attempting to complete a turn, the Auto START/STOP feature activated and turned the vehicle off, with the message "Shift to Park(P) to Manually Restart" was displayed. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the veh…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH and attempting to complete a turn, the Auto START/STOP feature activated and turned the vehicle off, with the message "Shift to Park(P) to Manually Restart" was displayed. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The battery warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with a piston, resulting in damages to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); the VIN was included, but parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 125,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI #11637494

Mileage unknown · Jun 26, 2024
Electrical SystemEngineFuel/propulsion System

the vehicle flashed a light regarding the oil pressure and then as i began to make a right turn the car puttered and wouldn’t allow me to accelerate and began to turn off in traffic.

NHTSA ODI #11596931

Mileage unknown · Apr 29, 2024
Electrical SystemEngine

Engine inconsistently stutters and stalls. Ignition coils, fuel injector, and spark plugs all had to be replaced multiple times. Problem has been reproduced by repair places but not fixed and the source of the problem has not been found. The vehicle has been inspected by the dealership, they advise to replace ignition coils agai…

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Engine inconsistently stutters and stalls. Ignition coils, fuel injector, and spark plugs all had to be replaced multiple times. Problem has been reproduced by repair places but not fixed and the source of the problem has not been found. The vehicle has been inspected by the dealership, they advise to replace ignition coils again for the fourth time and still do not know what is causing the problem or how to fix it. Problem is inconsistent and happens at random, engine light turns on an blinks also at random, not when problems and stalling happens. UNKNOWN cause

NHTSA ODI #11585763

47,000 miles · Apr 19, 2024
Electrical SystemEngine

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated the vehicle failed to start. The contact had to depress the Push-to-Start button three times before the vehicle would start. After driving for 15 minutes, the engine overheated. The contact pulled over. The vehicle was restarted, but there was smoke detected. There were n…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated the vehicle failed to start. The contact had to depress the Push-to-Start button three times before the vehicle would start. After driving for 15 minutes, the engine overheated. The contact pulled over. The vehicle was restarted, but there was smoke detected. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 47,000.

NHTSA ODI #11584085

Mileage unknown · Mar 8, 2024
Back Over PreventionElectrical System

C/S RADIO/HEAD UNIT NOT WORKING, VEHICLE NEEDS APIM MODULE-per auto service at dealership. The screen is completely black so the backup camera either isn't functioning or it simply can't project onto the screen. Confirmed by dealer It has not been inspected by anyone but the auto dealership The system was off and on for a few d…

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C/S RADIO/HEAD UNIT NOT WORKING, VEHICLE NEEDS APIM MODULE-per auto service at dealership. The screen is completely black so the backup camera either isn't functioning or it simply can't project onto the screen. Confirmed by dealer It has not been inspected by anyone but the auto dealership The system was off and on for a few days, then went completely out. Started in January, 2024 There was no incident leading to this problem

NHTSA ODI #11576184

24,000 miles · Feb 16, 2024
Electrical System

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact was stopped at a stop light and the vehicle shut off. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed starter. The vehicle was currently being r…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact was stopped at a stop light and the vehicle shut off. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed starter. The vehicle was currently being repaired. The contact stated that the failure had occurred before and the starter had been replaced by the dealer twice within 6-months. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 24,000.

NHTSA ODI #11572284

Mileage unknown · Jan 11, 2024
Electrical SystemEngine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and continue driving. Approximately two and a half years later, while driving approximately 40 MPH, there was a knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The low oil pressure warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over, parked the vehicle, and had the vehicle towed. The dealer was contacted, and the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the battery cable had melted after the first failure. The vehicle was returned to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed. The battery, engine, and catalytic converter had been replaced; however, the recall repair had not been completed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI #11564845

Mileage unknown · Jan 8, 2024
Electrical SystemSteeringVisibility/wiper

This has happened several times. While driving, the dashboard goes completely black. No gauges, no radio, no turn signals, no power steering, sometimes the wipers will work, no heat, no defrost. As suddenly as it went away everything comes back and the power steering causes the steering wheel to jerk in your hand. I’ve called Fo…

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This has happened several times. While driving, the dashboard goes completely black. No gauges, no radio, no turn signals, no power steering, sometimes the wipers will work, no heat, no defrost. As suddenly as it went away everything comes back and the power steering causes the steering wheel to jerk in your hand. I’ve called Ford Customer Relations twice and they are not concerned that that is a safety issue. However, all the gauges went out last night and now won’t come back. I have video of the incident happening while driving but your website won’t allow me to upload it.

NHTSA ODI #11564233

Official recalls

2

23V905000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:oil/lubrication:pump

Dec 22, 2023

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Ford Focus and 2018-2022 Ford EcoSport vehicles. The oil pump drive belt or drive belt tensioner may fail, resulting in a loss of engine oil pressure.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A loss of oil pressure can result in an engine stall and a loss of power braking assist, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the oil pump tensioner assembly and oil pump drive belt, free of charge. If engine failure occurs due to a damaged oil pump belt and/or oil pump belt tensioner, Ford has authorized dealers to replace the engine assembly as an interim repair before the availability of remedy parts for the final repair. This repair will be free of charge (parts and labor). Owner notification letters were mailed August 11, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23S64.

18V312000 · Equipment:other:labels; Service Brakes

May 14, 2018

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 Ford Ecosport vehicles sold in the United States Federal Territiories. These vehicles were shipped with the European brake reservoir pictogram cap label and the European English language owner's manual kits. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Owners could be confused by the incorrect label on the brake fluid cap, potentially causing them to replace the brake fluid with an incorrect fluid which could affect brake performance, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake fluid cap and owner's manual kit, free of charge. The recall began on June 21, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18C04.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Service Brakes

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 Ford Ecosport vehicles sold in the United States Federal Territiories. These vehicles were shipped with the European brake reservoir pictogram cap label and the European English language owner's manual kits. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."

Consequence: Owners could be confused by the incorrect label on the brake fluid cap, potentially causing them to replace the brake fluid with an incorrect fluid which could affect brake performance, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake fluid cap and owner's manual kit, free of charge. The recall began on June 21, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18C04.

Equipment:other:labels

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 Ford Ecosport vehicles sold in the United States Federal Territiories. These vehicles were shipped with the European brake reservoir pictogram cap label and the European English language owner's manual kits. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."

Consequence: Owners could be confused by the incorrect label on the brake fluid cap, potentially causing them to replace the brake fluid with an incorrect fluid which could affect brake performance, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake fluid cap and owner's manual kit, free of charge. The recall began on June 21, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18C04.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

1

PE23015 · Oil Pump Failure

Opened Sep 20, 2023 · Closed Feb 14, 2024

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:oil/lubrication:pump

On September 20, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE23-015 to investigate instances of engine failure due to loss of oil pressure in model year (MY) 2018-2021 Ford EcoSport vehicles. Some consumers reported a low engine oil pressure warning lamp immediately preceding a complete loss or reduction of motive power while the vehicle was in motion. The investigation revealed that the engine oil pump drive belt tensioner arm may fracture, separate from the tensioner backing plate, and/or the oil pump drive belt may degrade and lose teeth, resulting in a loss of engine oil pressure. A loss of engine oil pressure can result in engine seizure, which can result in a loss of motive power and a loss of mechanical vacuum pump required to provide power braking assist, increase the risk of a crash. On December 22, 2023, Ford filed recall 23V-905 for certain MY 2016-2018 Ford Focus and 2018-2022 Ford EcoSport vehicles. The recall remedy provides the replacement of the oil pump drive belt tensioner assembly and oil pump drive belt with redesigned parts to improve robustness. In view of the recall action being taken by Ford, ODI is closing this Preliminary Evaluation. The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.