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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.

About this comparison →

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 · Feb 7, 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 local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recal…

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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 local dealer was contacted. 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 #11641262

Mileage unknown · Feb 4, 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 unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted and…

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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 unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle would not be serviced under recall unless the vehicle had experienced an engine failure related to the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI #11640663

82,954 miles · Feb 3, 2025
Engine And Engine CoolingPower Train

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine seized with the low oil pressure warning light illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine seized with the low oil pressure warning light illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 82,954. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI #11640495

125,000 miles · Jan 21, 2025
Electrical SystemEngine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH and attempting to complete a turn, the Auto START/STOP feature activated and turned the vehicle off, with the message "Shift to Park(P) to Manually Restart" was displayed. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the veh…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH and attempting to complete a turn, the Auto START/STOP feature activated and turned the vehicle off, with the message "Shift to Park(P) to Manually Restart" was displayed. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The battery warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with a piston, resulting in damages 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); the VIN was included, but parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 125,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI #11637494

Mileage unknown · Jan 14, 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 manufacturer was m…

Read full complaint

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 had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI #11635878

30,546 miles · Jan 14, 2025
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 contact stated whi…

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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 while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle started making a ticking sound. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was driven to Midas to be diagnosed; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed, and the contact was informed to take the vehicle to the dealer for assistance. The local dealer was contacted, and the vehicle was diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired with the same recalled parts and the engine was replaced. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,546. VIN tool confirms part not available.

NHTSA ODI #11635872

38,000 miles · Jan 13, 2025
Engine And Engine CoolingService Brakes

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving at approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle became difficult to maneuver. The brake pedal was depressed; however, the brakes failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact received notification of N…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving at approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle became difficult to maneuver. The brake pedal was depressed; however, the brakes failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. 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 vehicle was towed to a dealer to be diagnosed; however, the diagnostic result was not provided. The vehicle was repaired. 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 38,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI #11635647

Mileage unknown · Jan 10, 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 parts were not available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer n…

Read full complaint

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) however parts were not available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA ODI #11635255

85,000 miles · Jan 9, 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 repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of t…

Read full complaint

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 repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer 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, she observed that the low oil pressure light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was losing forward momentum and she applied the accelerator pedal, however, the vehicle was still losing forward momentum. The contact stopped the vehicle and turned the vehicle off, but she was unable to restart the vehicle. The contact had her vehicle towed to her residence. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed and was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI #11635074

Mileage unknown · Jan 7, 2025
Air BagsEngineStructureCrashInjury

I was involved in a front end collision [XXX] that caused my vehicle to be totaled and me to be transported to the hospital via an ambulance. I purchased the vehicle with the understanding that it had numerous safety features including airbags throughout. During this accident my impact completely crumpled my engine compartment…

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I was involved in a front end collision [XXX] that caused my vehicle to be totaled and me to be transported to the hospital via an ambulance. I purchased the vehicle with the understanding that it had numerous safety features including airbags throughout. During this accident my impact completely crumpled my engine compartment and left portions of my engine were left lying around. The only airbag to deploy was the skirt one below the steering wheel column. The curtain one over my driver door and the steering wheel one did not deploy. I sustained a concussion, post concussion syndrome, chest wall injury, hematoma and abrasions to my left arm and both legs. The bruises sustained to my abdomen make it look like I am still wearing my seatbelt. The post concussion syndrome has caused me memory loss for the entire day, before and after the accident other than a moment here or there. I cannot remember the accident or what led up to it. I continue to have headaches and nausea. I am really just looking for answers on why my other airbags did not deploy. Ford has declined to inspect the airbags unless I agree to have the vehicle brought to one of their inspection locations. Thank you [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI #11634730

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.