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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
25,000 miles · Jan 31, 2022
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Ecosport. The contact stated while the vehicle was stationary and cleaning the snow off the vehicle, he started smelling an abnormally strong exhaust odor. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had been info…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Ecosport. The contact stated while the vehicle was stationary and cleaning the snow off the vehicle, he started smelling an abnormally strong exhaust odor. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000.

NHTSA ODI #11449601

Mileage unknown · Jan 9, 2022
Wheels

Purchased 4 new tires for my car only to be told that the lug nuts were all swollen and had to be replaced. from what I have read this is an ongoing problem with Ford and I don't feel it should be MY responsibility to pay for their mistakes. It also could have been a major problem had they broke loose while I was driving. Thi…

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Purchased 4 new tires for my car only to be told that the lug nuts were all swollen and had to be replaced. from what I have read this is an ongoing problem with Ford and I don't feel it should be MY responsibility to pay for their mistakes. It also could have been a major problem had they broke loose while I was driving. This is unacceptable!

NHTSA ODI #11446767

45,000 miles · Dec 30, 2021
Exterior Lighting

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Ecosport. The contact stated that the gasket on the rear tailgate allowed water to enter the vehicle during rainfall. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and was awaiting a response. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.

NHTSA ODI #11445581

Mileage unknown · Nov 18, 2021
Engine

Driving back to North Carolina from Oklahoma my cars Low Oil Pressure light came on and dinged continuously. I was in the middle of Tennessee when this happened. The car lost all acceleration. I took it to a dealer the next morning and was told there is metal shavings in my oil. My oil level was fine. They removed the oil pan an…

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Driving back to North Carolina from Oklahoma my cars Low Oil Pressure light came on and dinged continuously. I was in the middle of Tennessee when this happened. The car lost all acceleration. I took it to a dealer the next morning and was told there is metal shavings in my oil. My oil level was fine. They removed the oil pan and found that pieces of my timing belt were in the oil. I was also told I needed a new engine and long block. My car has 64k miles on it. Talked to my dealer back here in NC and was told that Ford has issued a Special Service Message concerning the engine in my car with the dates qualifying. The message number is 49918. Stating that the engine can fail and you will get a low oil pressure light and lose acceleration. I call the Ford Motor Company and they said this was not a recall but for the dealers to do what they think is best for the customer and vehicle. I talked to Ford and they are willing to provide some assistance but not 100% because it is not a recall. My dealer also had an EcoSport in his service dept when he called me with the same issue.

NHTSA ODI #11440950

Mileage unknown · Aug 16, 2021
Electrical System

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Ecosport. The contact stated while the vehicle was stationary, the contact was unable to start the vehicle. The contact stated that no warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaire…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Ecosport. The contact stated while the vehicle was stationary, the contact was unable to start the vehicle. The contact stated that no warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure recurred. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI #11429290

Mileage unknown · Jul 6, 2021
Engine

Engine replaced once, not even 1,000 of driving it the oil is leaking

NHTSA ODI #11423607

38,000 miles · Jun 8, 2021
Engine

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Ecosport. The contact stated while driving 55 mph, the engine oil pressure light illuminated with a knocking sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the engine had failed due to a lack of oil pressure. The contact was informed that the engine needed …

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Ecosport. The contact stated while driving 55 mph, the engine oil pressure light illuminated with a knocking sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the engine had failed due to a lack of oil pressure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The engine was replaced however, turbocharger malfunctioned. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 38,000.

NHTSA ODI #11420108

5,086 miles · Mar 13, 2021
Service BrakesCrash

WENT THROUGH CAR WASH HEADING TO VACCUM AREA. PRESSED BRAKE PEDAL TO STOP AND PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO FLOOR. HIT POLE CAUSING $3110 IN DAMAGE TO MY CAR.

NHTSA ODI #11402746

Mileage unknown · Mar 5, 2021
Electrical SystemExterior LightingUnknown Or Other

REAR CAMERA, RADIO AND USB STOPPED WORKING 10/020

NHTSA ODI #11399371

69,564 miles · Feb 25, 2021
Engine

LOW OIL PRESSURE LIGHT CAME ON -- DEALER HAD TO KEEP CAR FOR 10 DAYS TO TAKE CARE OF PROBLEM BY REPLACING PARTS IN ENGINE. ACCORDING TO DEALER THIS MODEL VEHICLE HAS THIS PROBLEM BUT NO RECALL-- DEALER MADE ME PAY DEDUCTIBLE .

NHTSA ODI #11397947

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.