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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
100,000 miles · Aug 19, 2025
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated the vehicle was idling roughly. While checking around the engine, the temperature coming off the engine was significantly hotter than the other temperatures around the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed th…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated the vehicle was idling roughly. While checking around the engine, the temperature coming off the engine was significantly hotter than the other temperatures around the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that there was coolant intrusion into the engine, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the failure was a known failure; however, there was no recall related to the failure. The vehicle was no longer operable. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and opened a case regarding the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA ODI #11681580

49,143 miles · Aug 18, 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 required for 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 th…

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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 required for 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 check oil light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the light was illuminated due to a frayed wire. The wire was replaced. The dealer ended up denying the repair. The dealer asked if the check engine warning light was illuminated, if the vehicle sputtered, or if there was smoke coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the remedy stated that the vehicle would be repaired immediately, without mentioning any requirements prior to the repair. The contact called another dealer, Hempstead Ford (301 N Franklin St, Hempstead, NY 11550), who confirmed the information. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed the dealer information. The manufacturer advised the contact not to drive the vehicle for over an hour. The failure mileage was approximately 49,143.

NHTSA ODI #11681256

Mileage unknown · Aug 15, 2025
Engine

The car suddenly lost oil pressure and the engine light came on. I immediately pulled to the side of the road and my vehicle was trailered to a Ford service center. They termined that the engine needed to be replaced. Now I receive a recall for this same issue but we already paid fir a new engine replacement.

NHTSA ODI #11680839

Mileage unknown · Aug 8, 2025
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the vehicle jerked abnormally. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle would…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the vehicle jerked abnormally. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle would not be serviced under the recall if the engine had not failed or seized. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was not available.

NHTSA ODI #11679332

Mileage unknown · Aug 5, 2025
EngineFuel/propulsion System

As I was driving in the highway the car began to loose power... it began to slip, it speeds up then goes down etc, once I slowed down but before coming to a complete stop the car shut down while I was exiting the highway. We could have been hit from behind if it wasn't that i had already been slowing down because the car didn't…

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As I was driving in the highway the car began to loose power... it began to slip, it speeds up then goes down etc, once I slowed down but before coming to a complete stop the car shut down while I was exiting the highway. We could have been hit from behind if it wasn't that i had already been slowing down because the car didn't feel right. It has happened more than once, the slippage of power is constant. According to the codes and the diagnostic it was the turbo that needed replacement along with other things I have a video summary of the issues. However, this began right after my warranty expired and the engine had already been replaced due to another issue not even a year before. This car seems to be nothing but problems. You get the check engine light that comes and goes amd the "see manual" light which doesn't tell you anything other than it could be anything. This car is not even 10 years old... it's not high mileage. They seem to know that the turbocharge is an issue but nothing is done about it.

NHTSA ODI #11678502

Mileage unknown · Jul 23, 2025
Electrical System

Diagnostic tool says "Loss of Communication with steering wheel column" "loss of connection with ABS module" and "loss of connection with power steering module"

NHTSA ODI #11675723

Mileage unknown · Jul 22, 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 dealer was made aw…

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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 dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI #11675376

Mileage unknown · Jul 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 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. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI #11675139

Mileage unknown · Jul 21, 2025
EngineEngine 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. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who dia…

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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. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the turbo charger. The contact was informed that the turbo charger need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that a failure with the turbo charger had occurred less than a year prior and was replaced. 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 unknown. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ODI #11675135

Mileage unknown · Jul 20, 2025
Wheels

After reviewing the latest service and inspection report was informed that the lug nuts are swollen and need to be replaced at a cost of $195.00 USD. After inspecting the vehicle lug nuts myself the marks on the outside of the nut show the pattern from the use of a twelve point socket when a six point socket should have been us…

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After reviewing the latest service and inspection report was informed that the lug nuts are swollen and need to be replaced at a cost of $195.00 USD. After inspecting the vehicle lug nuts myself the marks on the outside of the nut show the pattern from the use of a twelve point socket when a six point socket should have been used. I replaced 14 of the 16 lug nuts on this vehicle but was unable to get 2 of them off; one on the left rear and the other on the right rear wheel. This style of lug nut; ie. 2-piece is a safety hazard as the two remaining wheels cannot be easily changed by the owner in the event of a flat or other issue. The information from the dealership was not totally correct as I was told they other portion was alumninum when my testing shows it to be steel. They said that they swell due to corrorsion of which there was none. How do I trust they are giving their customers the correct information when I hear this. Subjectively, I believe the original damage was caused by the service staff using a twelve point socket instead of the correct 19mm six point socket. You can see the marks left on the lug nuts in the include image.

NHTSA ODI #11674811

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.