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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 · Oct 2, 2023
Engine

Vehicle lost power on the highway. Low oil, pressure light came on check engine light came on car has a very loud knocking. Noise was told from fire stone that this car is known for an oil tension pulley to snap in the engine and cause the engine to need to be replaced. Only 40k miles

NHTSA ODI #11547741

Mileage unknown · Oct 2, 2023
Engine

In January 2020 we suffered our 1st engune failure at 30k miles and it was replaced under warranty due to oil pump failure which resulted in a sudden failure at 75mph. My wife panicked when it happened and almost took oput the cars around when the car suddenly dropped to approx 30mph on the highway. Although the oil light came o…

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In January 2020 we suffered our 1st engune failure at 30k miles and it was replaced under warranty due to oil pump failure which resulted in a sudden failure at 75mph. My wife panicked when it happened and almost took oput the cars around when the car suddenly dropped to approx 30mph on the highway. Although the oil light came on and the sounder went off it happened so fast there was no time to react. The repair took approx 2 months to complete. In July of 2023 we suffered a 2nd engine failure at 67K miles. The oile light came on while traveling at 55mph and within seconds the car dropped to 30mph and failed. Wewere told by our dealer it would cost 10K to repair and not under warranty which was unacceptable. This resulted in my still owing my bank $7000 on a dead car. We were required to purchase a new car and the Ecosport sits in my driveway and we are still paying on it.

NHTSA ODI #11547684

Mileage unknown · Sep 29, 2023
Engine

2018 Ford Ecosport with 57k miles - no issues or sounds from the engine up until day of engine failure. On 9/26/23, the low oil pressure light came on while driving. Immediately took to a shop for an oil change (even though just had one 1k miles before) thinking oil was the problem. Then 30 minutes later the entire car seized up…

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2018 Ford Ecosport with 57k miles - no issues or sounds from the engine up until day of engine failure. On 9/26/23, the low oil pressure light came on while driving. Immediately took to a shop for an oil change (even though just had one 1k miles before) thinking oil was the problem. Then 30 minutes later the entire car seized up and the check engine light came on. Was not able to turn engine and had the car towed. The engine is completely destroyed and matches other complaints exactly about the faulty oil pump then causing issues with belt and ultimately the engine. Looking for any help to move this forward to protect other Ecosport drivers. I did everything correctly, constant 3k mile oil changes, no accidents - and this happened after less then 60k miles. Because over 4 months since powertrain warranty expired - Ford is refusing to help.

NHTSA ODI #11547428

Mileage unknown · Sep 28, 2023
Engine

At 60500 miles the engine oil pressor stops and engine went into limp mode while in traffic. This caused the engine to blow and required a new engine.

NHTSA ODI #11547158

67,000 miles · Sep 28, 2023
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact's daughter owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while his daughter was driving approximately 35-40 MPH in the rain, the vehicle made an abnormal knocking sound and lost motive power. The low oil pressure warning light was illuminated. The contact's daughter was able to veer to the side of the road. The vehic…

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The contact's daughter owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while his daughter was driving approximately 35-40 MPH in the rain, the vehicle made an abnormal knocking sound and lost motive power. The low oil pressure warning light was illuminated. The contact's daughter was able to veer to the side of the road. The vehicle was able to be restarted but continued to make an abnormal knocking sound. The vehicle was towed to an unknown dealer who determined that the short block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was towed to another dealer, where it was diagnosed that the oil pump pretensioner belt had failed, and the engine long block needed to be replaced; however, the part was on back order. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: PE23015 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised that they would partially cover the repair cost. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.

NHTSA ODI #11547091

Mileage unknown · Sep 27, 2023
Engine

I am writing to report a serious safety issue related to an engine failure in my 2018 Ford EcoSport Titanium. The incident occurred on August 2nd, 2023, at approximately 8:17am. I bought the vehicle in July 2020 from a well-known Ford dealer in the area. I was about to go shopping that morning. I started the engine as usual, and…

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I am writing to report a serious safety issue related to an engine failure in my 2018 Ford EcoSport Titanium. The incident occurred on August 2nd, 2023, at approximately 8:17am. I bought the vehicle in July 2020 from a well-known Ford dealer in the area. I was about to go shopping that morning. I started the engine as usual, and I got the message on the dashboard that said "Low Engine Oil Pressure" with a little oil lamp on the up left front of the board. As soon as I saw it, I stopped the engine and called the dealership. I scheduled an appointment. The closest appointment was one week away. I did not drive the car that day till the day of the dealership's appointment. After diagnosis, the dealership told me that the engine died, and my warranty expired one month ago. (July 2023 or 60000 miles). My car was at the dealer for a routine service 3 months ago and there was not a problem. The car died without any prior sign of oil leakage or any other signs. I have read other people with the same small SUV that had the same problem. I think the NHTSA needs to investigate the engine failure of Ford EcoSport.

NHTSA ODI #11546922

Mileage unknown · Sep 27, 2023
EngineEngine And Engine CoolingPower Train

I came on the on ramp of the interstate, gained speed up to 65 and began passing a slower vehicle, with another vehicle behind me passing them also. Suddenly my speed slowed, my oil light illuminated and digitally said LOW OIL PRESSURE WARNING. I barely made it into the breakdown lane as my vehicle lost all power and the steer…

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I came on the on ramp of the interstate, gained speed up to 65 and began passing a slower vehicle, with another vehicle behind me passing them also. Suddenly my speed slowed, my oil light illuminated and digitally said LOW OIL PRESSURE WARNING. I barely made it into the breakdown lane as my vehicle lost all power and the steering wheel seemed to lose power steering also. I had no prior warning of this at all. My mechanic said the engine will have to be replaced due to a broken engine oil pump tensioner belt. There are bits of metal in the engine now so it is unusable. I cannot afford a new motor so the vehicle is sitting on my property currently, since I have 3 more years of payments to make. I have called Ford and was told my VIN number is not included in the current recalls for this issue, even though this is the exact same year and issue I have experienced. My 5 year warranty ended on July 30 2023, and this occurred on September 3 2023, 34 days out of warranty, with 57,365 miles on it. I did cite SSM48093 and SSM49726 which I read to Ford but they will do nothing to issue any sort of recall. I was stuck on the interstate for over 6 hours on a busy Labor Day weekend with the back end of my vehicle within a foot of the white line, every large vehicle coming by would shake the car. It was 94 degrees out, and the vehicle wouldn't run so there was no place to go to get out of the sun or get cooler, and no drink or food for that matter either. I'm so disappointed in Ford for not standing behind their product, now I have seen their are hundreds of people this has happened to also, without a recall.

NHTSA ODI #11546852

Mileage unknown · Sep 27, 2023
EngineEngine And Engine Cooling

Oil pump caused engine failure. Quote from Ford dealer for engine replacement was $6,000.

NHTSA ODI #11546791

Mileage unknown · Sep 26, 2023
Engine

While driving in a construction zone on I-75, the low engine oil pressure warning light came on. Pulled off edge of i-75, checked oil level, OK. Oil and filter was changed 350 miles earlier the day before. 101,561 miles, 1.561 outside extended warranty. Still have 4 payments. Car has been at Ford dealer since August 21. W…

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While driving in a construction zone on I-75, the low engine oil pressure warning light came on. Pulled off edge of i-75, checked oil level, OK. Oil and filter was changed 350 miles earlier the day before. 101,561 miles, 1.561 outside extended warranty. Still have 4 payments. Car has been at Ford dealer since August 21. Waiting for an assessment. There is a service bulletin from FORD that says engine must be replaced. I filed a claim XXXXXXXXXX at Ford Motor Company, but claim was denied. Still waiting on damage assessment from Fernilus Ford Dealer in Cheboygan Michigan. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI #11546709

Mileage unknown · Sep 26, 2023
EnginePower Train

I drove 2 hours to see family. As I was leaving my oil pressure light came on, the first time ever. I pulled over and checked my oil and checked for leaks and everything was okay. I started driving it back and only got around the corner when my car stalled and the engine light, low oil pressure light, and battery light turned on…

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I drove 2 hours to see family. As I was leaving my oil pressure light came on, the first time ever. I pulled over and checked my oil and checked for leaks and everything was okay. I started driving it back and only got around the corner when my car stalled and the engine light, low oil pressure light, and battery light turned on. I had it towed to a dealership and the service mechanic says it needs a new engine. The car is 5 years old and only has 54,000 miles on it.

NHTSA ODI #11546686

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.