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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 · Apr 30, 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 local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the re…

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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 not 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 #11586093

93,000 miles · Apr 30, 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 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 had experienced a failure. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the contact heard an abnormal knocking sound from the engine compartment. The contact stated that several warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was able to pull off the roadway. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to a dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the oil pump had failed, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI #11586021

Mileage unknown · Apr 30, 2024
EngineEngine And Engine Cooling

See attached document for complaint

NHTSA ODI #11586011

125,000 miles · Apr 29, 2024
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. While the contact's wife was driving at undisclosed speeds, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated. The contact's wife stopped the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with an oil pump drive belt failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The …

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. While the contact's wife was driving at undisclosed speeds, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated. The contact's wife stopped the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with an oil pump drive belt failure. The vehicle was not repaired. 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 made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.

NHTSA ODI #11585925

78,000 miles · Apr 29, 2024
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the engine and oil pressure warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was making an abnormal sound. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine and oil pump tensioner had failed, and an engine replacement was needed…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the engine and oil pressure warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was making an abnormal sound. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine and oil pump tensioner had failed, and an engine replacement was needed. The vehicle was not 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 78,000.

NHTSA ODI #11585919

Mileage unknown · Apr 29, 2024
Electrical SystemEngine

Engine inconsistently stutters and stalls. Ignition coils, fuel injector, and spark plugs all had to be replaced multiple times. Problem has been reproduced by repair places but not fixed and the source of the problem has not been found. The vehicle has been inspected by the dealership, they advise to replace ignition coils agai…

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Engine inconsistently stutters and stalls. Ignition coils, fuel injector, and spark plugs all had to be replaced multiple times. Problem has been reproduced by repair places but not fixed and the source of the problem has not been found. The vehicle has been inspected by the dealership, they advise to replace ignition coils again for the fourth time and still do not know what is causing the problem or how to fix it. Problem is inconsistent and happens at random, engine light turns on an blinks also at random, not when problems and stalling happens. UNKNOWN cause

NHTSA ODI #11585763

65,000 miles · Apr 29, 2024
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while his wife was driving approximately 55 MPH, the "Oil" warning light illuminated, and there was a knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was immediately parked and later towed to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the engine oil pump had fai…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while his wife was driving approximately 55 MPH, the "Oil" warning light illuminated, and there was a knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was immediately parked and later towed to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the engine oil pump had failed. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer who confirmed the diagnosis. The contact was informed that the failure was related to the NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) but the parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 65,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ODI #11585757

Mileage unknown · Apr 27, 2024
EngineUnknown Or Other

I purchased this car on [XXX] and the car ran good for two weeks. On [XXX] I drove the car from Fort Worth Tx to Houston which is roughly 290 miles. I got 30 mins to my destination and and the oil pressure light came on. I thought it was maybe because of the long drive so I pulled over at a Mcdonalds and let the car sit for abou…

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I purchased this car on [XXX] and the car ran good for two weeks. On [XXX] I drove the car from Fort Worth Tx to Houston which is roughly 290 miles. I got 30 mins to my destination and and the oil pressure light came on. I thought it was maybe because of the long drive so I pulled over at a Mcdonalds and let the car sit for about 15 mins. I turned the car back on and now both the oil pressure light and check engine light was on. I got back on the road but decided not to get back on the highway after about 5 mins of driving the car shut off at a light and would not cut back on. My family was stuck on side of the road for over 3 hours with the car in the middle of the street waiting for a tow truck. I had the car towed to my destination and called a mobile mechanic to come out the next morning to stated the timing chain or belt bad broken in the engine. I called the dealership and they were rude and would not allow me to speak to the owner. I called the bank and they said nothing could do. I called Ford and was informed of the recall but there was no parts available. I was told that the recall would not be fully in effect until the second quarter ; May or June. I am a [XXX] student working part time who saved up enough money for a down payment. Now I am on the hook for paying over $700 a month for insurance and a car I cannot drive. I am back to paying for daily ride shares. This was my first time buying a car and what a terrible experience it has been. I am stuck between ruining my credit or waiting on Ford to fix the problem. I filed a report to Ford and received a case #[XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI #11585596

59,565 miles · Apr 26, 2024
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the failure was diagnosed as a blown engine and that the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the failure was diagnosed as a blown engine and that the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the failure was due to a lack of oil changes. The vehicle was not repaired. 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 failure. The failure mileage was 59,565. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI #11585402

Mileage unknown · Apr 24, 2024
Engine

THE ENGINE STARTED TO SPUTTER AND THE LOW OIL PRESSURE LIGHT CAME ON, CAUSING THE CAR TO NOT ACCELERATE

NHTSA ODI #11584906

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.