NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Engine complaints
355 reportsClear category filterMileage unknown · Jun 12, 2023
Engine
I was driving on Hwy 146 at a high rate of speed and my engine died. I almost crashed with the car behind me. It was a very scary situation and I thank God no one was hurt. Traveling at that rate of speed it was a miracle. I got my car over to the side of the road and had it towed to the closest mechanic. My car just g…
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I was driving on Hwy 146 at a high rate of speed and my engine died. I almost crashed with the car behind me. It was a very scary situation and I thank God no one was hurt. Traveling at that rate of speed it was a miracle. I got my car over to the side of the road and had it towed to the closest mechanic. My car just got paid off in Feb and only had 58,000 miles on it. I thought it would be something small. I received a ph call from the mechanic saying I need a new engine that the oil pump went out and threw stuff through the engine. I had it towed over to Mac Haik Ford in Pasadena for a second opinion and they said the same thing. I have read through this site and many many people have experienced the same problem. The dealership was well aware of the issue and so was Ford when I called them. Is it going to take someone to die to get this recalled. If anyone is interested in a class action feel free to call me [XXX]. There should not be this kind of problem with an issue that is so well know and Ford has not had to correct it. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
NHTSA ODI #11526694
Mileage unknown · Jun 9, 2023
Engine
On my way to work as a travel nurse in another state from home, my car had an engine oil pressure light come on. It was the dark hours of the morning and I wasn't sure what it meant so I looked for the next place to stop safely. Not even five minutes later, I heard a large bang, almost like a gunfire sound, and large billows …
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On my way to work as a travel nurse in another state from home, my car had an engine oil pressure light come on. It was the dark hours of the morning and I wasn't sure what it meant so I looked for the next place to stop safely. Not even five minutes later, I heard a large bang, almost like a gunfire sound, and large billows of smoke came from the front part of the car. My car handling went out and I lost complete control of the car and it started to skid. I gripped the steering wheel as a way to turn into my skid to steady the car until it came to a stop. Luckily there was no one on the road and I avoided a crash. After sending it to the Ford dealer, I found out a few weeks later that the car needed a total engine replacement which astounded me on a car that had less than 32,000 miles. My car is under warranty and I had just did an oil change and 21 point inspection two months before which was checked out good and it was not due for another couple hundred miles. I am now fighting with Ford to address this issue as I now know this is a common problem with the Ford 1.0L Ecoboost Engines. The car is getting the Engine replaced (a band-aid fix to a open, bleeding wound) but it doesn't help the fact that this is an unsafe vehicle and can happen again. When, not if, that happens, safety is a huge issue as I almost crashed the car the first time. Unfortunately, my state of Florida will not buy this car back as I have owned it for over the two years, however, I still owe money on it and have no choice to keep it until I can trade it in. Ford and the NHTSA needs to address the safety issues with this vehicle. The next person that this happens too (could be me again) might not be so lucky.
NHTSA ODI #11526254
121,000 miles · Jun 6, 2023
Engine
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Ecosport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The alert sounded indicating that the oil pressure low warning light and the check engine warning light were illuminated. Several unknown warning lights then illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independ…
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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Ecosport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The alert sounded indicating that the oil pressure low warning light and the check engine warning light were illuminated. Several unknown warning lights then illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that metal shavings were found in the oil and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. An undisclosed dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in a recall and advised to call the NHTSA Hotline. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number and then transferred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 121,000.
NHTSA ODI #11525576
Mileage unknown · May 30, 2023
Engine
Just got an oil change on 5/4/23, on 5/23/23 the low oil pressure notification came on. The car almost immediately stalled out and cut itself off and will not cut back on. Had it towed to the company that performed my oil change and they informed me that it appears to be a problem related to the oil pump that I would need to spe…
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Just got an oil change on 5/4/23, on 5/23/23 the low oil pressure notification came on. The car almost immediately stalled out and cut itself off and will not cut back on. Had it towed to the company that performed my oil change and they informed me that it appears to be a problem related to the oil pump that I would need to speak to Ford about. I called Ford who informed me that there was no current recall for this type of issue but that I could have the car brought to them to be looked at. Looking online and it seems like it’s a major problem in this particular car, not sure why I should have to pay out of pocket for a known issue in these vehicles.
NHTSA ODI #11524459
Mileage unknown · May 16, 2023
Engine
*My 2018 Ford EcoSport’s entire engine needed to be replaced at 65,000 miles.* In June of 2022, I was turning right onto a busy road. During my acceleration, out of nowhere, I heard a loud bang, and my entire dash lit up with lights. I quickly pulled over and called for a tow. I towed my car to a certified Ford dealership. They…
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*My 2018 Ford EcoSport’s entire engine needed to be replaced at 65,000 miles.* In June of 2022, I was turning right onto a busy road. During my acceleration, out of nowhere, I heard a loud bang, and my entire dash lit up with lights. I quickly pulled over and called for a tow. I towed my car to a certified Ford dealership. They diagnosed my car with an oil pressure problem, and that to fix it, they needed to replace my entire engine. This is just one of MANY issues I have had with this car.
NHTSA ODI #11522388
Mileage unknown · May 11, 2023
Engine
I was driving at 35 mph when the low engine oil pressure indicator came on and stayed on for approximately 15 seconds. When it shut off, the engine started a banging noise and lost engine power. It was towed to the dealer and diagnosed with a blown engine because the oil pump failed. I was also informed by the dealer that this w…
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I was driving at 35 mph when the low engine oil pressure indicator came on and stayed on for approximately 15 seconds. When it shut off, the engine started a banging noise and lost engine power. It was towed to the dealer and diagnosed with a blown engine because the oil pump failed. I was also informed by the dealer that this was the third 2018 Ford eco-sport to have this happen in the last five months. I had it towed to another automobile repair service center for a second opinion. They agreed with the dealer service department and informed me that they had done five of these engine replacements for the exact same problem in the last year. I was also informed by both the service manager at the dealership and the owner of the automotive service center , Ford motor company has been aware of this problem for a number of years. It cost me $6200 to replace the engine. I am 65 years old and now I have to work to pay this engine off. Instead of being able to finally retire, I have to pay for Ford motor companies defective engine that they have been acutely aware of for years.
NHTSA ODI #11521484
84,000 miles · May 10, 2023
Engine
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Ecosport. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle started to lose motive power, and the engine started to misfire. The contact stated that the fuel injection system warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to reach her destination however, the vehicle would not r…
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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Ecosport. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle started to lose motive power, and the engine started to misfire. The contact stated that the fuel injection system warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to reach her destination however, the vehicle would not restart. The contact was concerned about driving the vehicle. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed; however, the mechanic could not duplicate the failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000.
NHTSA ODI #11521343
Mileage unknown · May 2, 2023
Engine
I bought my Ford Ecosport June 30th 2022 with 33k miles. On March 30th 2023 coolant leaked into the cylinder head resulting in a blown gasket. This was very unexpected as the car showed no signs of any issues at all up until the day of. I was driving the car to get an oil change and brakes checked. The car began to over heat an…
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I bought my Ford Ecosport June 30th 2022 with 33k miles. On March 30th 2023 coolant leaked into the cylinder head resulting in a blown gasket. This was very unexpected as the car showed no signs of any issues at all up until the day of. I was driving the car to get an oil change and brakes checked. The car began to over heat and notify me that the engine was reducing power due to it's overheating. The car would not rise to 2 RPM and was extremely hard to make accelerate if I stopped at a redlight or stop sign. I just barely made it to the auto shop after breaking down in the middle of the busy road multiple times. I almost did not make it through a large intersection. The car has been inspected by the manufacturer and they have confirmed the issues. I am aware there was a recall where Ford identified a problem with a coolant pipe (referred to as the degas hose), on just under 45,000 Ford Focus 1.0-litre Ecoboost models sold in the UK between October 2011 and October 2013. My car has a 1L ecoboost engine with the exact same malfunction.
NHTSA ODI #11520123
66,000 miles · Apr 14, 2023
EngineEngine And Engine Cooling
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Ecosport. The contact stated that on various occasions, the check engine and low-pressure oil warning lights illuminated after starting the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving at various speeds. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed t…
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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Ecosport. The contact stated that on various occasions, the check engine and low-pressure oil warning lights illuminated after starting the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving at various speeds. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced; however, the part for the repair was on backorder. The vehicle remained with the independent mechanic and was waiting to be towed to a local dealer for further diagnostic test and repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 66,000.
NHTSA ODI #11517099
Mileage unknown · Apr 3, 2023
Engine
I bought Certified preowned 2018 Ford Ecosport SE Turbo Have not had any problems until 3/28/2023 when i was on my way back from the cemetery and my low oil pressure message came on along with my oil light and engine I have it serviced every time it needs oil change, new tires, etc. I don’t drive it hard at all. It has 112 k plu…
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I bought Certified preowned 2018 Ford Ecosport SE Turbo Have not had any problems until 3/28/2023 when i was on my way back from the cemetery and my low oil pressure message came on along with my oil light and engine I have it serviced every time it needs oil change, new tires, etc. I don’t drive it hard at all. It has 112 k plus miles on it so it is out of warranty and i sill owe on it.I have called Ford motor company to see if there has been any recalls but there has not. I did do some research on the problem and found that several Ford Ecosport owners have had the same problem and read that Ford does know about this problem. I can’t see why they can replace the motor which I found out that is what has happened to it from the certified mechanic that I took it to. Please help!!!
NHTSA ODI #11515243
NHTSA investigations
1PE23015 · 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.