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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 And Engine Cooling complaints

311 reports
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Mileage unknown · Oct 28, 2025
Engine 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 manufacturer was m…

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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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA ODI #11696107

60,000 miles · Oct 8, 2025
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). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the recall repair was performed. The vehicle was returned to the contact; however, the contact was informed that the alternator was not spinning. The…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the recall repair was performed. The vehicle was returned to the contact; however, the contact was informed that the alternator was not spinning. The contact was informed that the alternator had seized and needed to be replaced. The dealer ordered the replacement alternator; however, the repair was denied by the manufacturer. The dealer then applied a lubricant to the alternator, and the alternator unseized; however, the contact was that the lubrication was a temporary fix. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

NHTSA ODI #11692136

55,000 miles · Oct 6, 2025
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Ecosport. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power, shook and vibrated, and then stalled. During the failure, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the oil pressure message was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, who diagnos…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Ecosport. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power, shook and vibrated, and then stalled. During the failure, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the oil pressure message was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the engine had failed due to a faulty oil pump drive belt tensioner. The engine was replaced, but later the replacement engine experienced an oil pressure failure. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer but had not yet been repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.

NHTSA ODI #11691551

Mileage unknown · Sep 24, 2025
Engine 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 dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded…

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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 dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA ODI #11689434

Mileage unknown · Sep 23, 2025
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reason…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA ODI #11689207

400 miles · Sep 15, 2025
Engine 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 while the transmission was shifted into reverse, or while diving during rainy weather, there was an abn…

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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 while the transmission was shifted into reverse, or while diving during rainy weather, there was an abnormal sound coming from the rear wheels. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired out-of-pocket. The local dealer was contacted on several occasions about the recall repair; however, parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 400.

NHTSA ODI #11687319

53,600 miles · Sep 10, 2025
Engine And Engine CoolingVisibility

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light wa…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the oil pump drive belt material had degraded and lost teeth. The engine was replaced; however, the compressor for the A/C failed to function as intended once the new engine was installed. The dealer informed the contact that the failure of the compressor was not related to the recall. The contact disagreed with the assessment. The vehicle remained at the dealer unrepaired due to the compressor failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 53,600.

NHTSA ODI #11686451

Mileage unknown · Aug 26, 2025
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that two dealers were contacted, and the contact was informed that the manufacturer would not approve the repair if the vehicle was not actively experiencing the failure ass…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that two dealers were contacted, and the contact was informed that the manufacturer would not approve the repair if the vehicle was not actively experiencing the failure associated with the recall. The contact was also informed by a dealer that if the repair was performed, the vehicle might still experience the failure because the dealer had seen other vehicle with the failure after the repair was performed. However, the contact was informed that 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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that the repair would not be repaired without a failure being experienced. The contact had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA ODI #11683088

70,000 miles · Aug 21, 2025
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power and was unable to accelerate above 40 MPH. The “Low Oil Pressure” warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the engi…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power and was unable to accelerate above 40 MPH. The “Low Oil Pressure” warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the engine oil pump. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact attributed it to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The VIN was included, but the vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was 70,000.

NHTSA ODI #11682190

Mileage unknown · Aug 21, 2025
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, after contacting several local dealers, the contact was advised that the vehicle would not be inspected unless a failure had occurred that was related to the recall, and then the reca…

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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, after contacting several local dealers, the contact was advised that the vehicle would not be inspected unless a failure had occurred that was related to the recall, and then the recall repair would be provided. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA ODI #11682054

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.