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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

Engine And Engine Cooling complaints

311 reports
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85,000 miles · Feb 2, 2024
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle unintendedly decelerated to 20 MPH. The contact was uncertain there were any warning lights illuminated. Despite the failure, the contact managed to pull off to the shoulder of the highway and slowly drove the vehicle to the residence. Th…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle unintendedly decelerated to 20 MPH. The contact was uncertain there were any warning lights illuminated. Despite the failure, the contact managed to pull off to the shoulder of the highway and slowly drove the vehicle to the residence. The next day, the vehicle was towed to the dealer and the failure was linked to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooler) 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 failure mileage was approximately 85,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI #11569472

98,000 miles · Jan 29, 2024
EngineEngine 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 ma…

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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 made aware of the issue. The contact stated while driving at approximately 40 MPH, the "Low Oil Pressure" warning light illuminated. The contact drove to the residence and parked the vehicle. The contact called a dealer and was advised to take the vehicle in to the Service Department. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start and was towed to the dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the timing belt had failed and caused the oil pump to fail, causing the engine to seize. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI #11568445

57,557 miles · Jan 22, 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). The contact stated that while driving at approximately 10 MPH, the low engine oil pressure warning light illuminated. The contact stated that she observed an audible alert but was unaware of w…

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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 that while driving at approximately 10 MPH, the low engine oil pressure warning light illuminated. The contact stated that she observed an audible alert but was unaware of where the sound came from. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 57,557.

NHTSA ODI #11566967

99,300 miles · Jan 19, 2024
Engine And Engine CoolingPower TrainVehicle Speed Control

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving at unknown speeds for several hours, the vehicle lost acceleration. The driver was able to coast off the freeway. The oil warning light was flashing. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who advised that the cam shaft position sensor needed to b…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving at unknown speeds for several hours, the vehicle lost acceleration. The driver was able to coast off the freeway. The oil warning light was flashing. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who advised that the cam shaft position sensor needed to be replaced. The computer failed to communicate properly with the vehicle. The vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact called several unknown local dealers, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 99,300.

NHTSA ODI #11566474

73,897 miles · Jan 12, 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 contact stated that…

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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 contact stated that while the contact's granddaughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started making abnormal sounds. The contact's granddaughter then parked the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed with a failed engine oil pump and that the engine oil pump needed to be replaced. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 73,897.

NHTSA ODI #11565177

56,000 miles · Jan 12, 2024
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated on the instrument panel, after which the contact heard an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who was unable to dete…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated on the instrument panel, after which the contact heard an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the oil pump belt, resulting in damage to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, parts were not yet available. The failure mileage was 56,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI #11565072

75,000 miles · Jan 11, 2024
EngineEngine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving approximately 75 MPH, there was an abnormally loud sound in the cabin of the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was losing motive power. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal and the vehicle continued to lose motive power. The contact stated …

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving approximately 75 MPH, there was an abnormally loud sound in the cabin of the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was losing motive power. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal and the vehicle continued to lose motive power. The contact stated that the engine was not revving while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the turbocharger had failed and damaged the engine, causing other engine systems to fail. The contact stated that the dealer was going to email a detailed list of parts that needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The contact researched online and became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) for which the VIN was included. The contact stated that the dealer confirmed that the failure was linked to the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

NHTSA ODI #11564916

Mileage unknown · Jan 11, 2024
Electrical SystemEngine 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 contact stated that…

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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 contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and continue driving. Approximately two and a half years later, while driving approximately 40 MPH, there was a knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The low oil pressure warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over, parked the vehicle, and had the vehicle towed. The dealer was contacted, and the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the battery cable had melted after the first failure. The vehicle was returned to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed. The battery, engine, and catalytic converter had been replaced; however, the recall repair had not been completed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI #11564845

76,000 miles · Jan 3, 2024
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact's wife owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 45-50 MPH, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated, and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact's wife was able to veer to the side of the roadway. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed th…

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The contact's wife owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 45-50 MPH, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated, and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact's wife was able to veer to the side of the roadway. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the oil pump had seized, causing the engine to seize due to the presence of metal shavings in the engine. The mechanic determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed the contact that he would be charged for the repair because the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: PE23015 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 76,000.

NHTSA ODI #11563296

52,608 miles · Dec 29, 2023
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact's wife owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving approximately 75-77 MPH, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated, and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the oil pump tensioner h…

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The contact's wife owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving approximately 75-77 MPH, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated, and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the oil pump tensioner had failed, causing the engine failure. The dealer determined that the engine and turbo needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: PE23015 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 52,608.

NHTSA ODI #11562558

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.