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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

Engine complaints

355 reports
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Mileage unknown · Sep 25, 2023
Engine

Oil pump failure causing damage to motor and operation of vehicle. Currently unable to drive due to oil pump manufacturer defect causing vehicle to break down on June 2 2023.

NHTSA ODI #11546290

Mileage unknown · Sep 24, 2023
Engine

On July 14, 2023 at about 1:30 PM Central time, I was driving my 2018 Ford EcoSport on I-435 in the Kansas City metropolitan area when my oil warning light illuminated, and the vehicle lost almost all power. I immediately pulled off the highway and turned off my engine. I turned the engine back on to move further off the highw…

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On July 14, 2023 at about 1:30 PM Central time, I was driving my 2018 Ford EcoSport on I-435 in the Kansas City metropolitan area when my oil warning light illuminated, and the vehicle lost almost all power. I immediately pulled off the highway and turned off my engine. I turned the engine back on to move further off the highway for my safety. When I restarted the engine, it made loud "clanking" noises. I had the vehicle towed to my local certified mechanic who diagnosed the problem as a "total engine failure", I paid to have a new, Ford Motor Company crate engine installed in the vehicle. Once the new engine was installed, my mechanic found that the turbocharger had also been damaged. I paid to have to have the turbo replaced to return the car to its original operating condition. Please note that on the repair bill, the mechanic erroneously listed my sister and father's name on the invoice, I've also attached a copy of the Missouri vehicle registration listing me as the lawful owner. Of note, the engine I had installed was actually the second one ordered by my mechanic, the local dealer cancelled the original shipment because that engine was also at risk for the same type of catastrophic failure. The second engine ordered was alleged to be an upgraded one that was not subject to the oil pump failure concerns. The shipping dealer would not tell my mechanic what the exact issue was with the Ford 1L I-3 turbo engine. I do have a repair bill for the engine and turbo replacement costs. I contacted Ford Motor Company to ask for compensation to reimburse me for the cost of the engine and turbo replacement, I have not received a reply. On September 12, 2023 I sold the EcoSport to a local dealer as I no longer felt the vehicle was safe to operate. Prior to the engine losing power and the oil warning light illuminating, there were no symptoms of an impending engine failure. In fact, I had the oil changed using OEM parts just a few days prior to the incident.

NHTSA ODI #11546270

Mileage unknown · Sep 24, 2023
Engine

On 9/17/2023, I was driving on the interstate when I got a notification telling me low engine oil pressure. After that, my car essentially shut off. I could no longer accelerate and had to carefully maneuver to the right side of the interstate so I could pull over. After being towed to the Cavalier Ford Chesapeake Square dealer…

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On 9/17/2023, I was driving on the interstate when I got a notification telling me low engine oil pressure. After that, my car essentially shut off. I could no longer accelerate and had to carefully maneuver to the right side of the interstate so I could pull over. After being towed to the Cavalier Ford Chesapeake Square dealership, I was notified that my oil pump belt tensioner had failed. The service technician working on the vehicle stated he immediately knew the issue upon starting the vehicle. In June/July 2023, I received the same notification and was told it was a sensor that needed to be replaced. We are unsure if the two incidents are related. As of 9/24/2023 the vehicle is at Cavalier Ford Chesapeake Square waiting for the engine to be replaced .

NHTSA ODI #11546238

Mileage unknown · Sep 24, 2023
Engine

My oil pump and check engine light came on, experienced loss of power, and rough riding. I took to ford dealership in dover Delaware and they told me the oil pump failed and I need a new engine.. my car only has 103000 miles on it. I just bought this car 1 year ago and still owe on it. Also they report that I need a new catalyt…

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My oil pump and check engine light came on, experienced loss of power, and rough riding. I took to ford dealership in dover Delaware and they told me the oil pump failed and I need a new engine.. my car only has 103000 miles on it. I just bought this car 1 year ago and still owe on it. Also they report that I need a new catalytic converter and the flex pipe. My car is available for inspection however I have no choice but to let them repossess it I can’t afford to pay for a car I can’t use, nor can I afford the repair bill of 10,000. I’m out of a car now and have no transportation.

NHTSA ODI #11546231

Mileage unknown · Sep 23, 2023
EnginePower TrainService Brakes

I got in the car one morning and got a low pressure oil light so I thought it needed more oil so I put more oil in the car and then as I was driving I had low acceleration. Then my brakes started to go out Then my brakes started to go out. Not like they needed to be replaced but they were very hard to press and you needed to pre…

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I got in the car one morning and got a low pressure oil light so I thought it needed more oil so I put more oil in the car and then as I was driving I had low acceleration. Then my brakes started to go out Then my brakes started to go out. Not like they needed to be replaced but they were very hard to press and you needed to press them all the way to the floor but you still didn't have any breaks. My safety and other people safety was put at risk when I was driving the car and my brake started to go out because I didn't have any way to stop my car. The issue has been confirmed by an independent mechanic that I took the car too that I was told I needed to take it to buy my warranty company. It has been taken to a mechanic it's been at the mechanic for 2 plus weeks. I It is currently available to look at but the mechanic is fighting with my warranty company to get a new engine to replace the one I currently have because that's a conclusion that they have come to that i need a new engine. I was told on Thursday the 21st than an inspector from the warranty company was coming out to look at the car to determine whether or not they would approve for me to get a new engine. My check oil light and my check engine light came on as soon as I started having issues and Soon as the check engine light came on as when I started looking in to getting it fixed.

NHTSA ODI #11546170

Mileage unknown · Sep 23, 2023
Engine

The oil pump failure lead to complete engine failure without any warning while driving

NHTSA ODI #11546159

Mileage unknown · Sep 22, 2023
EngineFuel/propulsion System

Oil Pump has failed. Has taken the car to 2 different dealerships and was told the repair would be over $8,000 to repair or replace the engine. Prior to oil pump failure I had no issues in fact I had just gotten an oil change 2 weeks previously. When they check the oil pump the had oil in it however there was no flow to the engi…

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Oil Pump has failed. Has taken the car to 2 different dealerships and was told the repair would be over $8,000 to repair or replace the engine. Prior to oil pump failure I had no issues in fact I had just gotten an oil change 2 weeks previously. When they check the oil pump the had oil in it however there was no flow to the engine it had low oil pressure.

NHTSA ODI #11546117

Mileage unknown · Sep 22, 2023
Engine

The oil pump belt tensioner locked up and caused an oil pump failure. The low oil pressure light was the only indication of a problem. I had the car toed to a Ford dealer. The extended warranty paid for most of the repair. I had to pay about $300 out of pocket and was without a vehicle for about three weeks due to having to figh…

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The oil pump belt tensioner locked up and caused an oil pump failure. The low oil pressure light was the only indication of a problem. I had the car toed to a Ford dealer. The extended warranty paid for most of the repair. I had to pay about $300 out of pocket and was without a vehicle for about three weeks due to having to fight with warranty company.

NHTSA ODI #11546052

46,700 miles · Sep 20, 2023
Engine

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment, and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated that the accelerator pedal was depressed to the floorboard however, the vehicle struggled to reach 40 MPH while driving. Th…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment, and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated that the accelerator pedal was depressed to the floorboard however, the vehicle struggled to reach 40 MPH while driving. The low oil pressure warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 46,700.

NHTSA ODI #11545690

54,600 miles · Sep 20, 2023
Engine

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to slow down, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment before the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle failed to restart. No warning lights were illuminated. The…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to slow down, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment before the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle failed to restart. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the oil pump, resulting in damage 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 it to SSM 48093. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 54,600. The contact stated he is being charged $7500 for a new engine because the warranty for the vehicle expired a couple of months previous and leaving his daughter stranded on the side of the road.

NHTSA ODI #11545638

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.