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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

What owners actually said

726 reports
76,000 miles · May 2, 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. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an inde…

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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. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who was unable to diagnose the failure, but informed the contact that there was no pressure in the engine. 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, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 76,000.

NHTSA ODI #11658476

Mileage unknown · May 1, 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 unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not mad…

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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 unavailable. 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. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI #11658109

50,000 miles · Apr 30, 2025
Air BagsEngine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); but the recall repair failed to repair the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated, and the engine failed after the …

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); but the recall repair failed to repair the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated, and the engine failed after the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 50,000.

NHTSA ODI #11657900

81,658 miles · Apr 29, 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 while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. In addition, the contact stated that an abnormal sound was coming …

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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 while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. In addition, the contact stated that an abnormal sound was coming from the engine. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled into a gas station, turned off the vehicle, and after a while, the vehicle was restarted; however, the abnormal sound coming from the engine had worsened. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed, and there were metal shards inside the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The engine was replaced. 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 failure mileage was 81,658. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI #11657487

70,000 miles · Apr 28, 2025
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that upon attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that the engine had experienced coolant intru…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that upon attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that the engine had experienced coolant intrusion and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, several weeks later, while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the same dealer a second time, and the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that the coolant hoses were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.

NHTSA ODI #11657297

Mileage unknown · Apr 23, 2025
EngineFuel/propulsion SystemVehicle Speed Control

To Whom It May Concern, I am submitting this complaint regarding my 2018 Ford EcoSport, which is affected by Recall 23S64 related to a serious engine defect. I am currently making payments on this vehicle, yet it continues to be unsafe and unreliable, with repeated engine issues that have not been resolved despite temporary repa…

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To Whom It May Concern, I am submitting this complaint regarding my 2018 Ford EcoSport, which is affected by Recall 23S64 related to a serious engine defect. I am currently making payments on this vehicle, yet it continues to be unsafe and unreliable, with repeated engine issues that have not been resolved despite temporary repairs. I purchased the car in May 2024 from a dealership. Within two hours of driving it off the lot, the car began to shake, and the check engine light started flashing. It could not accelerate properly or keep up with traffic, and I had to return it for repairs, where it stayed for approximately two weeks. More recently, while driving two hours away from home, I experienced another severe incident. The car again began to shake, and multiple warning lights appeared on the dash: the check engine light, engine oil pressure light, and the "See Manual" warning. Once again, the vehicle was unable to accelerate safely, putting me and others on the road at serious risk. I was told this was connected to Recall 23S64, and an interim engine replacement was performed. However, even after this, I am still experiencing ongoing engine issues, including shaking, poor acceleration, and a flashing check engine light. This recall has been open since December 2023, and Ford initially stated that remedy parts would be available by the end of Q1 2025. It is now late April 2025, and there are still no parts available and no updated timeline. I have reached out to Ford and the dealership multiple times, and both have refused to offer a buyback or permanent solution, even though I have explicitly stated that I no longer feel safe in the vehicle. I fear that Ford is waiting for someone to be seriously injured before taking meaningful action. Meanwhile, I am stuck making monthly payments on a car that I cannot rely on and do not feel safe driving. I am requesting that the NHTSA investigate this matter and pressure Ford to take responsibility.

NHTSA ODI #11656283

105,000 miles · Apr 22, 2025
Engine And Engine CoolingFuel System, Gasoline

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 unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that 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); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the engine was running loudly and could be heard from inside the residence while the vehicle was outside. The dealer was contacted, and the vehicle was diagnosed and DTC: P0496 for a failure with the purge valve failed was retrieved. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not covered under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic, who was unable to confirm the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that after the vehicle was diagnosed, the abnormally loud sound coming from the engine was more noticeable. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated, and the message “Low Engine oil Pressure” was displayed on the instrument panel. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 105,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI #11655996

128,000 miles · Apr 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, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the "Engine Oil Pressure Low - Stop Safely" message was displayed on the instrument pa…

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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 while driving 20 MPH, the "Engine Oil Pressure Low - Stop Safely" message was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that the vehicle became inoperable due to the failure. 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 failure mileage was approximately 128,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI #11655756

Mileage unknown · Apr 18, 2025
EngineService BrakesVehicle Speed Control

My vehicle was identified as part of the safety recall in 2023. In 2024 my car started struggling and the low engine oil pressure warning started showing on my dash. The check engine light and service soon indicator lights started showing on the dash as well. The car was just past 71,000mi. When I purchased the car it was at abo…

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My vehicle was identified as part of the safety recall in 2023. In 2024 my car started struggling and the low engine oil pressure warning started showing on my dash. The check engine light and service soon indicator lights started showing on the dash as well. The car was just past 71,000mi. When I purchased the car it was at about 60,000mi. Since the issues seemed related to the recall I went to a Ford dealer. My car was checked with the dealer and I was given a loaner vehicle. I was told that my car’s engine needed to be replaced. I drove a loaner car from September 2024 to April 2025 as my car waited for an engine to be sent to my dealer. Once the engine was replaced I was told that I also would have to purchase a battery since my car hadn’t been driven for so long. I now have my car returned to me but I am nervous to drive it with the same recall issue still outstanding. Parts for the recall remedy were announced to be available by the end of the first quarter of 2025 but they are not. There is also not any updates to when parts will be available.

NHTSA ODI #11655551

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

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.