NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2018 Ford Ecosport. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
The engine kept staling and needing to be jump started. This happended to the point where I loss all power at a light where I ended up causing traffic. This kept happening until my engine light turned on. After the engine light came on, my car could no longer start eventhough the battery was fine. I had a mobile mechanic look at the vehicle and they were unable to find what was wrong even after they had done an engine diagnostic where they had a lot of issues detected on the computer. I have been affected with this since October and as struggling college student I cant afford to have it towed to the dealership. As of January 2024 I have not been able to jump start my car at all even with a good battery. My car is now collecting dust parked on the street by my apartment.
Around the 4th of January 2024 I got into my Ford Eco sprot. I started the engine and it started shaking. I drove to the dealership that is about .3 miles from my home. As I pulled in the service area the check engine light came on. The service advisor told me they had just had a recall notice on the oil tensioner pump and she would check it out. She communicated with on March 1st that they had identified the problem as that part and it had caused the engine to seize. She stated that Ford was refusing to cover it as the recall had not yet been issued and requested I pay $8000.00. She told me there was nothing they can do until Ford releases the recall. She followed on May 8th with the same message.
Engine abruptly stopped on the freeway and then flashed low oil warning. Towed car to dealership, where it was said to have total engine failure due to oil pump failure. Safety of me and my fiance (passenger) were put at risk as car stopped on the freeway and we coasted to the shoulder, stopping on a busy freeway before tow truck arrived hours later. Car reported to be at 73695 miles by Ford. Repair was quoted for entire engine and all corresponding parts. Car has been sitting at the dealership awaiting repair for 6 months. Repair is now finally done. Oil pump recall was not applied to my car; I had been informed multiple times by corporate to wait for the next quarter and more parts, and dealership stated they cannot keep the car further and to go forward with the repair. Corporate also informed me I will not be given a refund on any of the parts in the repair. I was not provided another car during this time, where I have been unable to commute to work. Financial assistance was given to me and accounted for about half of repair price. Still, I am responsible for $3964 to replace engine and all corresponding parts.
Low oil light came on. Drove to dealer and they said need new engine. Quoted $9k
engine has siezed up waiting for Ford to issue parts for the recall. can not drive the car safely
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.
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.
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 dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
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.
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 manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that after refueling and driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact turned off the vehicle, but the vehicle failed to restart. The service and engine 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 local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine was faulty. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer again, where it was diagnosed that the battery was dead. The vehicle was not repaired. 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 failure mileage was approximately 77,224. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
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 the engine was running loudly and could be heard from inside the residence while the vehicle was outside. The dealer was contacted, and the vehicle was diagnosed and DTC: P0496 for a failure with the purge valve failed was retrieved. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not covered under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic, who was unable to confirm the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that after the vehicle was diagnosed, the abnormally loud sound coming from the engine was more noticeable. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated, and the message “Low Engine oil Pressure” was displayed on the instrument panel. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 105,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
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 manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
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.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part required for 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 the check oil light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the light was illuminated due to a frayed wire. The wire was replaced. The dealer ended up denying the repair. The dealer asked if the check engine warning light was illuminated, if the vehicle sputtered, or if there was smoke coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the remedy stated that the vehicle would be repaired immediately, without mentioning any requirements prior to the repair. The contact called another dealer, Hempstead Ford (301 N Franklin St, Hempstead, NY 11550), who confirmed the information. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed the dealer information. The manufacturer advised the contact not to drive the vehicle for over an hour. The failure mileage was approximately 49,143.
I was driving our 2018 Ford Ecosport at highway speed when the "low oil pressure" dashbord light came on. Within a minute or so, the engine stopped and I steered my vehicle to the side of the road. I was unable to restart the engine and had to have it towed to a Ford dealership. After the dealership ran a diagnistic on my vehicle, I was told that the oil pump had failed and that the engine siezed up.
The contact's daughter 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 while her daughter was driving 50 MPH, the vehicle stalled inadvertently. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact's daughter was able to veer to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine had seized due to loss of oil pressure. The dealer determined that the failure was related to the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure occurred a week after an oil change was performed on the vehicle. 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 approximately 82,273. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
At the end of December of 2023, the low oil pressure light turned on, on my 2018 Ford Ecosport. I took it into Pepboys to have it checked and had a normal oil change completed. When the light did not turn off after having an oil change done, I took it in again and they informed me that it was beyond an oil change and would need to run diagnostics, so it was better if I took it into my dealership. After running diagnostics with Ford, I was told that I would need to replace my engine and that the cost would be up to 9k. At the time, I was unable to drive my only vehicle as I did not have the funds to repair it. A week after that, I was called from Ford letting me know that the issue my car had was actually a recall and I could bring it in, and the repairs would be completed within a month. Days prior to me learning about the recall I felt unsafe driving and being in the car. The car would rattle and shake, and the engine would produce a loud sound when driving. On January 2nd I took in the car and expected for it to be completed within a month as told. The day after, I reached out to hear updates, I was told that it could now take a year to repair my car. After multiple calls and emails with Ford, they have failed to provide me with any update aside from "you have to wait." I do not have the funds to purchase a car while I wait for my car, and my job relies on me driving from place to place. I have been denied a rental, or any update on the status of my car. I have had multiple cases opened up because I have been forced to call multiple different numbers. When I arrived at the head, they let me know that no case has been opened or documented as it has all been through calls. I have resorted to emails for documentation, and I have yet to hear back from them even after stating I prefer emails. I am tired of waiting and need information about the status of my car or at least a way to navigate.
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.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH, the low oil pressure message was displayed. The oil and engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle failed to accelerate and coasted to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the drive belt had fractured, causing the engine to seize. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and offered to help with the repairs. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was 62,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the engine oil pressure warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle periodically, the engine oil low message was displayed. 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 and performed an oil change. 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. VIN tool confirms parts not available. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
The recall on the oil pump has really put a halt in my life. I was driving home when my vehicle cut out. I lost control of the vehicle for a second. Thank goodness I was not on a highway and was able to get it going again to drive home. My dash lit up with all different lights, one being low oil. The vehicle is now sitting at a Ford Dealership where we wait for parts for the EcoSport. This was several months ago. I was told multiple times I could not get a loaner car and that I would have to pay for a loaner if that is what I needed. I ended up going to another dealership and financed another vehicle as my job requires me to travel. I have been in contact with the Ford Support and the Ford dealership and nothing seems to be getting done about it.
This issue has not been corrected and this car is unsafe to drive.
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 made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were 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.
In January 2024, Ford issued Safety Recall 23S64 / NHTSA Recall 23V905 for my 2018 Ford EcoSport for critical engine oil pump failure causing loss of engine power AND power braking assistance - a defect that has caused crashes and injuries. Parts were not available until August 2025 (19 months later). This defect caused catastrophic engine damage in my car requiring complete engine replacement. My vehicle has been out of service for over 75 days. I unknowingly drove with this life-threatening defect for over 2 YEARS since my purchase in June 2023. I purchased this Certified Pre-Owned vehicle in June 2023 for $25,000 from an authorized Ford dealer in Santa Clara, CA, plus spent on CA DMV registration ($638) and auto insurance till now ($3,000). Ford has discontinued the EcoSport due to reliability issues. I have completely lost confidence in this vehicle's safety and have formally requested Ford buy back this defective vehicle for $28,638 (purchase price + registration + insurance costs). Ford customer service and the dealership have been slow and unresponsive. With engine replacement required, this vehicle is unsafe and worthless. I am requesting NHTSA investigate this recall and Ford's resolution for such life threatening defect.
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 approximately 50-55 MPH, the low oil pressure warning light was illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the oil pump and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. 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, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the vehicle began shaking violently. The contact also stated that she observed a grinding noise emanating from the driver's side undercarriage. The vehicle was taken to a dealer but was not diagnosed, and the mechanic stated that the failure was associated with the open recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 39,000.
See attached document for complaint
The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. In addition, the contact stated that an abnormal sound was coming from the engine. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled into a gas station, turned off the vehicle, and after a while, the vehicle was restarted; however, the abnormal sound coming from the engine had worsened. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed, and there were metal shards inside the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The engine was replaced. 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 81,658. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
I have 69,800 miles on my car that is not even 5 years old. When driving to work this morning, I receiving an alert on my dashboard saying “low engine oil pressure”. I have heard about this issue and pulled over at a gas station to get my car towed to a Ford dealership. It is going to cost me about $8,000 to get a brand new engine in my fairly new car that is in great condition. This issue is a hazard to all owners and drivers on the road.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45–55 MPH, the low-pressure oil warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the engine had failed, and that the vehicle was not drivable. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact called an unknown local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.
Engine failed at 61500, regular oil changes, this vehicle is trash.
Engine failed at 61500 miles. It is hot garbage.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, the vehicle was idling unusually loud and shaking. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a failed engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 53,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated while driving at approximately 40 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from under the hood. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer to be diagnosed, but no failure was found. The contact stated several warning lights were illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact stated that after several days, the vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
1. The oil pump is belt driven and located inside the engine. The belt frayed and clogged the oil pump leading to low oil pressure. The car stalled on the interstate and is currently available for inspection at an out of state dealership. 2. The car gave no previous warning before abruptly decreasing in speed while we were driving on the interstate. 3. There have been other incidents, an employee at the dealer insinuated there might be a recall as this issue has been well reported and is under investigation. 4. The dealership has inspected the vehicle and said the engine was damaged due to an oil pump failure. They are requesting $6,500 dollars to repair the engine as it’s 5,000 miles over their powertrain warranty. The car is currently out of state so we had to rent a car to get home from visiting family for Christmas. 5. The first warning was when the car quickly decelerated on the interstate and it said low oil pressure.
Oil pump failure.
I was driving home on Christmas Eve with my daughter when my Check Engine light came on. Then the Low Oil Pressure alarm started going off and the car was driving sluggish. Any time I used the accelerator, the alarm came on. I parked the car and had it towed to an independent shop. They advised it was the oil pump and that the engine was not receiving any oil. Upon inspection, there was metal on metal in the engine. Now they have advised that I will need a new engine.
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.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the low oil level warning light illuminated, and the engine started knocking. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 76,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine oil pressure warning light illuminated, and the vehicle lost motive power. The Police arrived on the scene and had the vehicle towed to a parking lot. The contact's son, an independent mechanic, later arrived and determined that the engine was faulty. The contact stated that the engine had been replaced twice, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was then towed to the contact's son's body shop, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced for the third time. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 147,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
While driving on the interstate going 70mph, my Ford EcoSport's Engine oil pump light illuminated. Shortly after, the car began to slow down even though I was attempting to accelerate. This put me at a safety danger due to being in front of another vehicle who was also going around the same speed as I was. I was fortunate enough to be able to get off the road without getting in danger. When taken to Ford, they indicated that there was an issue with the motor and that it would need to be replaced.
My car first came on with a check engine light at 53,000 miles. Got it coded that the car prompted and it was reading P015B which indicates bank 1 sensor 1 of O2 sensors experiencing a lean to rich response issue. I scheduled an appointment with a mechanic to have it looked at. It drove fine for 24 hours. The next day my car started to run rough and the oil light came on as well with an error message reporting low oil pressure. I recently got an oil change done a week prior. I did take the car back to where I got the oil change. The company did not find any issues with the oil change but proceeded to change it anyway again. They advised me at that point to not drive the car till diagnosed at a dealership. At this point I have had the car towed to a local dealership. I am told over the phone that it may be due to a know issue with my car of a bad oil pump and could risk blowing the engine. I am awaiting further diagnosis after the holidays.
Oil pump belt failed and caused engine to be bad, per independent service center. I have copy of the invoice, but it would not let me upload. Car drove like normal, then one day got in the car and "engine oil pressure low" message came on and the check engine light came on. Drove a couple blocks to get gas, car broke down on the way back from gas station (less than half a mile) all warning lights on dash came on and engine shut off. Towed to repair shop, estimated repair cost (engine ruined) is $6,419
I was driving approximately 60 mph on the freeway for only 2 or 3 miles when my engine suddenly started to stall & white smoke came out of the tailpipe. i immediately pulled onto the emergency side lane and was towed
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.