There are 25 owner-reported powertrain & transmission complaints for the 2021 Ford Ecosportin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
On December 24, 2025, I was traveling from Arizona to California when WITHOUT WARNING I lost all power from my Ford EcoSport while on the 10 freeway. At that moment I was able to navigate to the side of the road. This placed myself and others in an unsafe situation on the freeway. The vehicle was then towed to a dealership in Temecula, CA where upon inspection they stated that I would need a new engine. The vehicle has sat at the dealership since unrepairable and the weekly text from the dealership is "still waiting for parts". I have lost confidence that this vehicle will ever be safe and that my safety is at risk and that it is unrepairable as it is still sitting at the dealership it was towed to. By way of background, on May 19, 2025 I brought my Ford EcoSport for a pre-scheduled appointment to a dealership in Phoenix, AZ to have recall manufacturer number 23S64 and 25S12 completed. I was told by the service tech that they could not assess the NEED for 23S64 due to a recent oil change in the vehicle. I later learned that 23S64 is a 100% replacement rate and that a recent oil change should not matter. I won't go into the negligence of this dealer in Phoenix, AZ., but for sure this vehicle is not safe for me or anyone on the roadways.
At 40,000 Miles over a period of a few weeks, the turbocharger began to fail. This was covered under the Standard 50k Powertrain Warranty. At 45,000 Miles, the Alternator began to fail. This is not covered under Powertrain. At this rate, I fear that there will be more issues before 60k Miles
23S64-Engine Oil Pump RECALL 8/19/2025 driving from Hillsboro Beach, Florida to St. Petersburg, Florida. We had a full engine seizure, we lost oil pressure, and also lost use of the transmission. We overheated and the engine seized. With a loss of power, we had to guide the car off the road. The engine was smoking heavily. The back of the car was completely covered with motor oil. The Florida Highway Patrol called us a tow truck that took us to DeSoto Ford, 3039 Southeast Highway 70, Arcadia, Florida, 34266, 863-494-4848. DeSoto Ford ended up doing multiple repairs on the car. They did the replacement of the 23S64 recall for the oil pump belt and tensioner. The car was there for 24 days. We drove down on 9/12/25 and picked up the car. When they pulled the car out, the car was still covered in oil in the back. We found out within days that they neglected to fix the radiator. Once we got into the car and started driving, we had yet another very loud noise, forcing us to bring it to AutoNation, St. Pete, Florida. At AutoNation, we had a multitude of problems with it. We had severe vibration with the car when we brought it there 9/18/25. This was only a few days later. They changed out the radiator and replacing the full radiator because they said there was a full leak that was not fixed by DeSoto. They fixed the car and gave it back to us 9/30/25. On 10/22/25, I had the exact same experience with the car that we originally had on the highway in Arcadia. The engine fully seized in the intersection of 3rd Street South and 6th Ave south in St Petersburg just as it had done before. The car overheated and had full loss of power/motive power. I was able to restart it briefly to get out of the cross section. The car stalled two more times before I was able to bring it to a safe place. We ended up having it towed from 15th Ave S at 3rd Street S and brought to AutoNation. Vehicle broke down again 11/7 and has been in shop ever since. Much more details available.
I had the recall fixed for the oil pump drive belt tensioner on 1.0L engine. Dealership fixed it but they told me my torque converter was damaged. I read and looked up that most dealers fixed those because it affected the torque converter. But the dealership told me they would not fix it unless I pay $4789. I told them about the o the people said the recall also damaged the torque converter. But they told me no it didn’t. I’m army affiliated and I PCs to Texas and I’m in Georgia now and I’m scared it may break down while driving down there.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving 30-40 MPH, the messages "Save the Battery", "Turn off Engine", and "Restart" were displayed. The program restarted, and the screen went blank, and the instrument cluster became inoperable. Additionally, the contact was informed about NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V126000 (Power Train). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer again, where it was diagnosed and determined that the alternator, engine, transmission, and computer needed to be replaced. The mechanic informed the contact that there was no warranty coverage for the failure. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
Why isn’t FREDERICK FORD offering any solutions to BOTH my recalls. Why do I have to drive a car I pay a hefty payment each month not knowing if it will mess up at anytime, and has?!? I have many records and have been having trouble ever since I got the car. This is my 2nd complaint to y’all. When I got the 1st recall back in Jan 2024 and has yet to be fixed. This one started on <3/04/25 and I didn’t get the notice til 4/21/25.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V126000(Power Train); 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. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the gear shifter engaged independently. A dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V126000 (POWER TRAIN); 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 failure; however, the manufacturer was unable to confirm when the parts would become available. The failure mileage was 74,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
1)the engine is malfunctioning and its available for inspection 2)In the middle of the night on the highway alone I wasn't sure if my car was going to completely stop on me while driving and cause a wreak 3)About two months ago it was confirmed that I had a recall through the dealership, and it was supposed of have been repaired during that time but wasn't complete. 4)It was inspected two months ago by ford dealership 5)Yes ! the car was making a weird noise driving and engine was vibrating. I stopped at AutoZone and they plugged it up and it read the Anti braking system results said failure
The contact owns a 2021 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle lost motive power. The "Power Train Malfunction" warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was pushed to the side of the road and failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the residence and then towed to the dealer the following day. The contact was informed that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that on another occasion, while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle jerked and briefly lost motive power. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.
Car has experienced loss of power randomly. Dealership wray ford of bossier city Louisiana sold car without disclosing recalls or defects. Unwilling to help in situation
The contact owns a 2021 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle decelerated to 50 MPH. The vehicle was shaking abnormally. The phone App alerted the contact that there was a powertrain malfunction and reduced power. The "Service Engine Soon" message was displayed. The oil and maintenance warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer previously, where it was diagnosed with engine and powertrain failures. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the local dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 101,000.
Car looses power mid drive since (has happened since Sept 2024.) Powertrain light sensor comes on and car throttles low, cuts completely off sometimes. Numerous Powertrain malfunction/ reduced power notifications on My ford app.
This is the second time this has happened resulting in loss of my reliable transportation to/work, major repair while still in warrenty, WITHOUT vehicle loaner, rental or replacement during that time. I was again at the top of a steep hill- this time heading onto the highway- but midway into one of the busiest intersections in town. I heard a loud sound followed by mechanical spinning/winding when I try to accelerate on the green light. When I tried to drive or remove my food from the break, my car went backward down the hill and into oncoming traffic. Restarting my car didn’t help as park and drive didn’t engage. The only control I now had was the steering wheel and brake system. There were no warning signs before, during or after the ordeal. I’m not certain my lighting system worked on the outside of my vehicle as cars continued to approach the line I was in to turn left despite my hazard lights. My lights and electrical system did however work internally. I called Ford’s roadside helpline and told them I was trapped on a hill with limited control, with piles of cars behind me and I was afraid my brakes were also at risk of failing. I emphasized the emergency I was in. However, Ford Roadside was only allowed to dispatched a tow truck from 73 minutes away because the company located just 10 minutes away was not in contract with them. I also called the police to assist with traffic build up behind me as I was blocking traffic and in serious danger because I couldn’t exit the car without it rolling. I also called the out of contract tow company and paid the $200 out of pocket. I spent over an hour holding my foot on the break before help arrived.
Sudden loss of engine power and the loss of oil pressure indicator came on.
A low engine oil pressure notification popped up on my screen while driving on the interstate and then my car slowly stopped letting me accelerate over 65 mph. I had to get to the nearest exist because the car felt as if it was losing power. The car is now at a dealership waiting to be checked out. Nothing showed before this message and it came suddenly on Tuesday 12.12.23
Several times now my engine has shut off while driving and in the middle of coming to a stop. Luckily my breaks still worked with the vehicle shut down. I'd have to put in park and manually restart the vehicle to continue driving. This is something that puts myself and others on the road at risk.
Check engine light came on at 24k miles. Alert on Ford Pass app said the engine wasn't heating up to operating temperature fast enough. Had a second Alert come up the next time I drove the car saying there was an electrical issue in the vehicle causing anti lock breaks and other important driver assistance features to not work including traction control.
According to the dealership, the axle seal tore and leaked transmission fluid. No lights, warnings or messages ever appeared in the days leading up to or following the incident. I noticed a mechanical whining sound about 24hrs prior to the incident (what the dealership later explained was transmission pump) however my car still drove normally otherwise. On my way to work, in a busy intersection with a steep hill, I heard a loud mechanical grinding sound when I tried to accelerate. After which, my card jerked backward and started to drive in reverse instead of forward despite being in drive. I was able to break before hitting oncoming cars. Luckily no one was injured by my moving in the wrong direction or suddenly stopping in an intersection. I was scared to drive my car and took it to the dealership the following Monday. They diagnosed the torn axle seal several days later. I have approximately 13,000 miles on this vehicle and have meticulously maintained it at the dealership of purchase.
I started my vehicle and got out to finish loading up my stuff and it slipped out of gear and flew down my mainly flat driveway backwards. My passenger door was open still and my car hit my husband's truck and peeled back the passenger door all the way to the fender. Since the incident , my car will randomly chime warning lights while driving (ex: road hill assist, service brake system, phone volume when my phone wasn't connected ). I took it to the dealership and they done tests, but the conclusion was not based on the truth because they stated I had an aftermarket product plugged in that never shut off but it does after an amount of time and its just a charger/fm transmitter because i cant connect to the car by bluetooth anymore... Luckily no one was behind it or got hurt, but honestly terrified to drive it because it's so unpredictable.
Showing 1–20 of 25 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026