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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
Mileage unknown · Mar 1, 2024
Engine

I was driving my 2018 Ford Ecosport to the grocery store when the warning light came on with "Low Oil Pressure Warning". My vehicle lost power in the middle of a very busy road, causing me to have to pull over immediately. I had it towed to a garage that happened to be a few blocks from this incident. After assessing the vehi…

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I was driving my 2018 Ford Ecosport to the grocery store when the warning light came on with "Low Oil Pressure Warning". My vehicle lost power in the middle of a very busy road, causing me to have to pull over immediately. I had it towed to a garage that happened to be a few blocks from this incident. After assessing the vehicle, I was told that no oil was going through the engine and that the tensioner belt along with other parts from the engine, were in the oil pan causing the engine to lock up. After being "scoped" by Hagerstown Ford dealership on 2/29/24, I was told that it would cost $5,700.00 for a new engine but there was no guarantee that this could not happen again. This is the 2nd incident on this vehicle that has caused issues that were extremely pricy and dangerous. This vehicle is close to being a lemon and should not even be on the road. Ford needs to recall the entire vehicle, not just the oil pump drive belt or tensioner. There are too many problems with this make and model!

NHTSA ODI #11574851

55,000 miles · Feb 29, 2024
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the engine oil pressure warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repai…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the engine oil pressure warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.

NHTSA ODI #11574723

120,000 miles · Feb 29, 2024
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 no…

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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 not made aware of the issue. The contact stated while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle was losing motive power. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal but the vehicle continued losing motive power. The contact stated that the check engine and low oil pressure warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to exit the highway and stopped the vehicle in a parking lot. The contact observed that white smoke was being coming from the exhaust pipe. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and the engine was idling rough. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine had failed due to the oil pump failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI #11574655

Mileage unknown · Feb 28, 2024
EnginePower Train

Known Ford recall for 2nd quarter fix planned. My vehicle is broken down now due to issue and Ford not willing to assist with fix due to no plan yet? Engine oil pump and drive belt faulty causing oil pressure to drop and undriveable vehicle due to this issue.

NHTSA ODI #11574469

57,000 miles · Feb 28, 2024
Engine

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine seized. The contact stated that the failure had become persistent. The contact stated that during the failure, all electrical functions were turned off and the vehicle was restarted. The contact stated that the vehicl…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine seized. The contact stated that the failure had become persistent. The contact stated that during the failure, all electrical functions were turned off and the vehicle was restarted. The contact stated that the vehicle had been taken to the dealer three times however, the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 57,000.

NHTSA ODI #11574466

60,000 miles · Feb 28, 2024
Engine

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the oil warning light illuminated along with the message "Oil Pressure Low", and the vehicle started to hesitate while pulling into a fuel station to stop. The contact depressed the brake pedal however, the brake pedal was difficult to depress while …

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the oil warning light illuminated along with the message "Oil Pressure Low", and the vehicle started to hesitate while pulling into a fuel station to stop. The contact depressed the brake pedal however, the brake pedal was difficult to depress while the vehicle was coming to a stop. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer. The dealer diagnosed the failure as a faulty engine that needed a replacement with the turbo. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was relating the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer stated no timeline for the recall remedy was available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that the remedy was not yet available. The manufacturer was unable to relate the failure to the recall since the remedy was not available. A case was not opened with the manufacturer. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000. VIN tool confirms part not available.

NHTSA ODI #11574450

147,000 miles · Feb 27, 2024
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine oil pressure warning light illuminated, and the vehicle lost motive power. The Police arrived on the scene and had the vehicle towed to a parking lot. The contact's son, an independent mechanic, later arrived and dete…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine oil pressure warning light illuminated, and the vehicle lost motive power. The Police arrived on the scene and had the vehicle towed to a parking lot. The contact's son, an independent mechanic, later arrived and determined that the engine was faulty. The contact stated that the engine had been replaced twice, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was then towed to the contact's son's body shop, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced for the third time. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 147,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI #11574223

36,000 miles · Feb 27, 2024
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the vehicle shut off. The vehicle restarted but shut off again. The check engine and oil warning lights illuminated upon restarting the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who informed the contact that the failure was related to NHTSA…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the vehicle shut off. The vehicle restarted but shut off again. The check engine and oil warning lights illuminated upon restarting the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who informed the contact that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000.

NHTSA ODI #11574215

Mileage unknown · Feb 27, 2024
Engine

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER GOING INTO SORT OF A LIMP MODE / LOW POWER MODE, INDICATED LOW ENGINE OIL PRESSURE ON THE DASH STATUS DISPLAY WITH A WRENCH LIGHT AND INCREASED ENGINE NOISE. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD WITHOUT AN ACCIDENT OCCURING. THE ENGINE CODES SCANNED VIA THE OBDII PORT DIRECTLY AFTE…

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VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER GOING INTO SORT OF A LIMP MODE / LOW POWER MODE, INDICATED LOW ENGINE OIL PRESSURE ON THE DASH STATUS DISPLAY WITH A WRENCH LIGHT AND INCREASED ENGINE NOISE. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD WITHOUT AN ACCIDENT OCCURING. THE ENGINE CODES SCANNED VIA THE OBDII PORT DIRECTLY AFTER ARE AS FOLLOWS: P051B, P0299, P0340, P0344, P0365 AND P0369. THE TAG/STICKER ON THE TOP OF THE MOTOR HAS THE FOLLOWING NUMBERS, DATE AND INFORMATION ON IT: H2BG 6L084 AA 1,01 427 CRAIOVA ENGINE PLANT 19JUL17 FWSTA19071410474H2BG 6L084 AA FE AFTER FINDING OUT ABOUT THE CURRENT RECALL CAMPAIGN 23S64 / 23V905 AND SPEAKING WITH A FORD REPRESENATIVE WHO RECOMENDED GETTING THE VEHICLE TO A SERVICE CENTER AS SOON AS POSSIBLER, THE CAR WAS TRAILERED TO OUR LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP (MULLINAX FORD, MOBILE, ALABAMA) ON 26FEB24 AND THEY TOOK THE VEHICLE IN FOR EVALUATION.

NHTSA ODI #11574165

79,663 miles · Feb 26, 2024
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. While the contact's wife was driving at a moderate rate of speed, the check engine warning light initially flashed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where a diagnostic test was performed which showed several defective engine sensors. As the contact's …

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. While the contact's wife was driving at a moderate rate of speed, the check engine warning light initially flashed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where a diagnostic test was performed which showed several defective engine sensors. As the contact's wife proceeded to drive home, several additional messages appeared on the instrument panel. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer where metal shavings were found inside the engine. The contact was then notified 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 failure mileage was 79,663. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI #11573934

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.