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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

Fuel/propulsion System complaints

40 reports
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Mileage unknown · May 18, 2024
EngineFuel/propulsion System

On or about October 2023, as I was driving my car it started to lose power. I had to pull over, out of traffic, into a parking lot. The car then stalled out and would not start. I had to call AAA to have it towed to SunAuto in North Las Vegas to have it inspected as to the problem. The manager subsequently called me to tell …

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On or about October 2023, as I was driving my car it started to lose power. I had to pull over, out of traffic, into a parking lot. The car then stalled out and would not start. I had to call AAA to have it towed to SunAuto in North Las Vegas to have it inspected as to the problem. The manager subsequently called me to tell me the engine would have to be replaced as they found metal fragments in the engine cause by the oil pump. The car was out of warranty. I had to replace the engine at an out of pocket cost of $7,300!! Luckly I wasn't driving on the highway at 65 MPH when the engine died!!

NHTSA ODI #11589465

Mileage unknown · Apr 3, 2024
EngineFuel/propulsion System

UNKNOWN I was taking my car in for an oil change and to ask about the recall when it died in the middle of a very busy intersection at a red light. Right before the car died the engine light, oil light, and battery light all flashed and dinged. I got towed to ford. NOW HERES THE KICKER they said the problems my car is having is…

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UNKNOWN I was taking my car in for an oil change and to ask about the recall when it died in the middle of a very busy intersection at a red light. Right before the car died the engine light, oil light, and battery light all flashed and dinged. I got towed to ford. NOW HERES THE KICKER they said the problems my car is having is 100% due to the recall as my oil pump was failing, BUT because my engine wasnt getting enough oil it possibly shot my engine. So they told me since the recall was so new and not "official" yet that i had one of two options. 1) leave my car there for god knows how long until the recal is "official" which could take a year 2) pay a ball park of 8000$ to just replace my engine now and have my car back in a few weeks. Now i dont know about you. But i dont have 8000$ just in my back pocket. So as a one car family household we are now without a car. BUT I was also told that if the recall doesn't cover my engine damage or any other damage that these failing parts THAT MY CAR NEEDS TO FUNCTION i have to pay for everything out of pocket. Honestly i am devastated and dont understand how a recall for something so major and important for the car to function isnt being handled more quickly. And the longer you run your car "because the recall said its fine" the more you are damaging your engine. I am out of a vehicle that nothing can be done about as well as i will never have 8000$ to just spare...

NHTSA ODI #11580878

Mileage unknown · Mar 6, 2024
EngineFuel/propulsion SystemService BrakesCrashInjury

In June 2023 I got into a rear end accident with another vehicle. On my way to work. It was an accident where my brakes failed to stop my car. It was the weirdest accident, because I actually saw myself going into the back of the car in front of me but it was like my car failed to stop. I told Geico that my foot went through the…

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In June 2023 I got into a rear end accident with another vehicle. On my way to work. It was an accident where my brakes failed to stop my car. It was the weirdest accident, because I actually saw myself going into the back of the car in front of me but it was like my car failed to stop. I told Geico that my foot went through the break. And I have pictures of where my break pedal, broken half. The dealership had my car for close to two months and they never fixed it. They ignored my calls. I ended up going to the dealership and picking up my car. They gave excuse after excuse, and they never returned my calls. I took it to a local place to have my car fixed. The brake pedal is still half of what it used to be. I have an engine leak and when I saw the email about the recall on Ford Ecosports for brake problems and engine leaks, I knew that this was the exact issues with my car and issues that my dealership was trying to avoid

NHTSA ODI #11575833

Mileage unknown · Feb 6, 2024
EngineFuel/propulsion System

I bought this car 6 months ago and on December 13 While my daughter driving the car suddenli Low oil engine pressure popped on and strange noise came from the car. She stopped the car and towed the car to the dealership. They informed us to pay $1025 to open the engine for the diagnose and we had to agreed they told us once they…

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I bought this car 6 months ago and on December 13 While my daughter driving the car suddenli Low oil engine pressure popped on and strange noise came from the car. She stopped the car and towed the car to the dealership. They informed us to pay $1025 to open the engine for the diagnose and we had to agreed they told us once they pulled down the engine oil pan they found plastic and metal pieces. they first thought this was the timing belt tensioner that had come apart. later learned that it was the oil pump tensioner that gave out causing belt to come apart. The small pieces of belt clogged the oil pick up and starved the engine of oil. They told me my extended warranty doesn't cover the charges that I owe which is $1025 plus tax and replacement cost $7500 . I bought this car for my daughter with loan amount of $13,000 and this mechanical issue happened and cost us around $10,000 which is we cannot afford this . Thank you.

NHTSA ODI #11570244

Mileage unknown · Jan 26, 2024
EngineFuel/propulsion SystemPower Train

Vehicle was seemingly losing power speedometer was registering 70 on the highway but car was Not doing that. Also, there were no warning lights or any indicators of a problem inside or outside of the vehicle. Immediately pulled over to wait for tow truck that never showed and vehicle was driven to and dropped off at nearest Ford…

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Vehicle was seemingly losing power speedometer was registering 70 on the highway but car was Not doing that. Also, there were no warning lights or any indicators of a problem inside or outside of the vehicle. Immediately pulled over to wait for tow truck that never showed and vehicle was driven to and dropped off at nearest Ford dealership. (Which was literally right across the street ) Immediately upon drop off service advisor said they already had several other of the same vehicles in the shop and it was probably the drive/tensioner belt this was back on the FIRST CONTACT on [XXX]. After being torn down for multiple insurance inspections the dealer confirmed & advised the failure of this belt subsequently blew the engine & since the engine was then blow there is NO remedy other than a replacement engine (even though even the dealership confirmed verbally & via email my vehicle was fully operational at drop off so I believe they blew my engine while in their care). My extended warranty holds me accountable for the initial cause of failure being the tensioner belt (which Ford is now issuing a recall on) and will only offer a betterment towards the replacement engine. Ford has yet to take accountability for anything as they still want me to pay out the remaining balance on the engine (approx 3800) and have The warranty company pay about 3600 for something that Ford should now be taking fault for since it’s a manufacturing issue. Which is now blatantly obvious with the recall. How dangerous it was at a low speed on a Texas highway! We could of been hit or worse! It is now the end of January and they still have my car neither co has helped with a rental in the last 6 months AND Ford now wants me to call the insurance co yet again so they can be paid. Icing on the cake is Ford has reassured me even with a new engine this problem will inevitably happen AGAIN! Please help! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI #11567922

Mileage unknown · Jan 5, 2024
EngineFuel/propulsion System

While driving, the oil warning light came on. I took the car to Firestone where they said the oil was very black, but it had been less than 3,000 miles since it was changed last. They changed the oil and the light went off, but after leaving, I made it barely a quarter of a mile when the engine light came on and the car began je…

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While driving, the oil warning light came on. I took the car to Firestone where they said the oil was very black, but it had been less than 3,000 miles since it was changed last. They changed the oil and the light went off, but after leaving, I made it barely a quarter of a mile when the engine light came on and the car began jerking. I was able to continue driving at a very low speed to pull over safely. After parking, the car shut down and would not start back up. I had to get the car towed to the nearest Ford dealership. They diagnosed the car with an engine failure due to excessive metal debris found in the oil pan as well as in the valve train assembly. Apparently this is a known issue with the EcoSport that I was unaware of until this incident occurred. The fact that Ford knew this was an issue and took no steps to inform me or other consumers is a huge problem. Not only that, I should not have been made to pay for any repairs due to this known issue. It is clear that they went forward with production on this car with faulty parts, including the windshield wiper pump. I can definitely understand why they stopped producing this vehicle and honestly they should all be off the road at this point. I tried to upload the repair invoice, but every time I press the “upload” button, it just disappears.

NHTSA ODI #11563743

Mileage unknown · Dec 27, 2023
EngineFuel/propulsion System

My 2018 Ford Ecosport issues began at 75,048 miles. I was driving on Highway 10 in North Ridgeville, Ohio attempting to get to the speed of 65 miles per hour when my Ecosport failed to accelerate. The engine light indicating oil came on. My life flashed before my eyes when other cars on the road failed to manuver around me, almo…

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My 2018 Ford Ecosport issues began at 75,048 miles. I was driving on Highway 10 in North Ridgeville, Ohio attempting to get to the speed of 65 miles per hour when my Ecosport failed to accelerate. The engine light indicating oil came on. My life flashed before my eyes when other cars on the road failed to manuver around me, almost rear ending me off the highway. I had my Ecosport towed to a Ford dealership after this incident. I was told the oil pump and the oil pump belt had malfunctioned, which resulted in engine damage. Autonation Ford in Westlake, Ohio estimated an engine repair at approximately $7,000.

NHTSA ODI #11562013

Mileage unknown · Dec 23, 2023
EngineFuel/propulsion SystemUnknown Or Other

My car first came on with a check engine light at 53,000 miles. Got it coded that the car prompted and it was reading P015B which indicates bank 1 sensor 1 of O2 sensors experiencing a lean to rich response issue. I scheduled an appointment with a mechanic to have it looked at. It drove fine for 24 hours. The next day my car sta…

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My car first came on with a check engine light at 53,000 miles. Got it coded that the car prompted and it was reading P015B which indicates bank 1 sensor 1 of O2 sensors experiencing a lean to rich response issue. I scheduled an appointment with a mechanic to have it looked at. It drove fine for 24 hours. The next day my car started to run rough and the oil light came on as well with an error message reporting low oil pressure. I recently got an oil change done a week prior. I did take the car back to where I got the oil change. The company did not find any issues with the oil change but proceeded to change it anyway again. They advised me at that point to not drive the car till diagnosed at a dealership. At this point I have had the car towed to a local dealership. I am told over the phone that it may be due to a know issue with my car of a bad oil pump and could risk blowing the engine. I am awaiting further diagnosis after the holidays.

NHTSA ODI #11561652

Mileage unknown · Dec 20, 2023
EngineFuel/propulsion SystemPower Train

Car went into limp mode then shut off while driving. Towed to mechanic, who tried to fix the codes that popped up. After fixing the codes, still didn’t turn on. Towed it to ford, it’s still there. They have told me it’s the oil pump and that it fell off. They have also said it just happens with these cars. They are waiting on o…

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Car went into limp mode then shut off while driving. Towed to mechanic, who tried to fix the codes that popped up. After fixing the codes, still didn’t turn on. Towed it to ford, it’s still there. They have told me it’s the oil pump and that it fell off. They have also said it just happens with these cars. They are waiting on one last test to confirm, but have told me I need a new engine, and there was nothing I could do to prevent this, that I was lucky to get to 72k miles, as other cars oil pumps fell off at 50k.

NHTSA ODI #11561042

Mileage unknown · Dec 12, 2023
EngineFuel/propulsion System

I have purchased this vehicle in June 2019 and the engine went out while I was driving out of town on 07/02/2021; I have had to replace the engine and the turbo, I had to pay a tow of $340 to the nearest Ford dealership (Marietta, Ga-Gary Service Advisor.) They told me the belt jumped the internal valve timing in the engine. I h…

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I have purchased this vehicle in June 2019 and the engine went out while I was driving out of town on 07/02/2021; I have had to replace the engine and the turbo, I had to pay a tow of $340 to the nearest Ford dealership (Marietta, Ga-Gary Service Advisor.) They told me the belt jumped the internal valve timing in the engine. I had to call FORD CORPORATE to beg someone to help me replace the engine because I was at 60,101 miles and the warranty only covered engine repair up to 60K. I was able to get a case manager John Ashley (866-631-3788 ext 79212) and she was able to get ford to cover majority of the $6800 cost of the repairs which I had to wait till November 12 to pick up my car because they said since it was covid the engines and turbos were on back order. At that time I made a payment to Ford for 1875$ for my portion of the repairs. The Warranty that they gave after repairs was for 2 year which the date was 10/10/2023, the car as of 11/27/2023 is back in the shop with the same engine and turbo problem, this time there is oil leaking out of the engine and turbo which need to be replaced. The engine continues to go out while I am driving, it slows down while driving on the interstate and will not allow you to accelerate over 60 mph. There are never any warning lights that come on and my car has been Maintenace at dealerships with receipts.

NHTSA ODI #11559798

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.