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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
17,000 miles · Jul 14, 2025
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving 80 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway and turned off the vehicle. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occ…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving 80 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway and turned off the vehicle. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The check engine warning light was illuminated but had since turned off. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The contact was advised to bring the vehicle back if the check engine warning light became illuminated again. 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 not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 17,000.

NHTSA ODI #11673472

8,200 miles · Jul 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 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 #11673341

Mileage unknown · Jul 12, 2025
Engine

ON YOUR VEHICLE, IT MAY BE POSSIBLE FOR THE ENGINE OIL PUMP DRIVE BELT TENSIONER ARM TO FRACTURE, SEPARATE FROM THE TENSIONER BACKING PLATE, ANDOR THE OIL PUMP DRIVE BELT MATERIAL MAY DEGRADE AND LOSE TEETH, RESULTING IN A LOSS OF ENGINE OIL PRESSURE.

NHTSA ODI #11673077

Mileage unknown · Jul 10, 2025
Fuel/propulsion System

RECALL IS OVER A YEAR AND A HALF OLD WITH NO REMEDY

NHTSA ODI #11672443

Mileage unknown · Jul 8, 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 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 at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated and jerked while attempting to accelerate. There were no warning lights illuminated. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI #11672005

76,000 miles · Jul 8, 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 contact stated that whil…

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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 contact stated that while idling at a stop sign or a stop light and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle failed to accelerate, and the transmission shifted into neutral. The contact manually restarted the vehicle to continue driving. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the head gasket needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, and another unknown repair was completed. The dealer confirmed that parts for the recall repair was not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 76,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI #11671906

106,000 miles · Jul 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 contact stated while driving 40 MPH, there was an abnormal hissing sound coming from the engine and then a popping sound. I…

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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 while driving 40 MPH, there was an abnormal hissing sound coming from the engine and then a popping sound. In addition, the accelerator pedal involuntarily moved, and the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. Additionally, there was an abnormal squeaking sound coming from the vehicle. The contact drove slowly to the residence. The contact stated that the oil engine pressure warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that at the residence, a family friend opened the hood and noticed oil intrusion into various parts of the engine. 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 failure mileage was approximately 106,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI #11671634

Mileage unknown · Jul 2, 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…

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

NHTSA ODI #11670770

32,000 miles · Jul 2, 2025
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Ecosport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was restarted after several attempts. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had occurred twice. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. …

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Ecosport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was restarted after several attempts. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had occurred twice. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. 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 manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 32,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI #11670720

Mileage unknown · Jun 25, 2025
Engine

My 2018 Ford EcoSport is subject to Safety Recall 23S64, concerning a defective oil pump belt and/or tensioner that can lead to engine failure. My VIN is listed in this recall. The engine has symptoms consistent with this recall, including performance loss, mechanical noise, and diagnostic codes such as P0014 (camshaft timing ov…

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My 2018 Ford EcoSport is subject to Safety Recall 23S64, concerning a defective oil pump belt and/or tensioner that can lead to engine failure. My VIN is listed in this recall. The engine has symptoms consistent with this recall, including performance loss, mechanical noise, and diagnostic codes such as P0014 (camshaft timing over-advanced), P0303 (cylinder misfire), and U0100 (lost communication with ECM/PCM). The vehicle is currently located at an authorized Ford dealership (Sunrise Ford of North Hollywood). However, the dealer has refused to perform the required diagnostic inspection unless I pay $1,084. This is a direct violation of federal law under 49 U.S.C. § 30120, which mandates that both diagnosis and remedy of safety-related recalls must be provided free of charge. I have also documented communication from the dealership and a written inspection from an independent licensed repair shop showing the engine is in as-found condition and that no repairs were attempted. I am seeking enforcement action to ensure that the recall is honored as required by law. Dealership: Sunrise Ford of North Hollywood Address: 5500 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood, CA 91601 Service Advisor Name: Bruno Rivero

NHTSA ODI #11669147

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.