2018 Ford Ecosport Problems: Engine (724 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2018 Ford Ecosport is Engine (72% of 724 owner reports). There are 2 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Engine — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 724 complaints · 2 recalls

What problems show up on the 2018 Ford Ecosport?

519 of 724 filings named Engine (72% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Transmission / driveline (41 reports).

There are 2 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Engine. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The previous year is not published here. Use the year list to jump around.

What to check before you buy a 2018 Ford Ecosport

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 2 campaigns on file below.
  2. Engine. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise.
  3. Transmission / driveline. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped.
  4. Fuel system. Check for fuel smell, leaks and whether it starts and idles cleanly.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Engine. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Engine 519 complaints · 71.7% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 18
  • Fires 2
  • Injuries 10
  • Deaths 0
All Ford Ecosport years →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Which systems owners named

Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.

Which systems owners named Engine (ENGINE) appears in 519 of 724 owner complaints (71.7%) in this vehicle snapshot. Engine (ENGINE): 519 complaints, 71.7% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 5 crash reports 1 fire reports 519 · 71.7% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 41 complaints, 5.7% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 3 crash reports 41 · 5.7% Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM): 31 complaints, 4.3% of reports Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 2 crash reports 31 · 4.3% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 21 complaints, 2.9% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 21 · 2.9% Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES): 17 complaints, 2.4% of reports Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 2 crash reports 17 · 2.4% Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL): 11 complaints, 1.5% of reports Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 1 crash reports 11 · 1.5% Wheels (WHEELS): 8 complaints, 1.1% of reports Wheels (WHEELS) 8 · 1.1% Airbags (AIR BAGS): 5 complaints, 0.7% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 4 crash reports 5 · 0.7% Body / frame (STRUCTURE): 4 complaints, 0.6% of reports Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 4 · 0.6% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 92 complaints, 12.7% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 2 crash reports 1 fire reports 92 · 12.7% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
Engine (ENGINE) 519 71.7% 5 crashes · 1 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 41 5.7% 3 crashes · 0 fires
Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 31 4.3% 2 crashes · 0 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 21 2.9% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 17 2.4% 2 crashes · 0 fires
Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 11 1.5% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Wheels (WHEELS) 8 1.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 5 0.7% 4 crashes · 0 fires
Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 4 0.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 92 12.7% 2 crashes · 1 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

When reports and recalls showed up

When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jul 2018; the first recall shown was reported in May 2018. 2018-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2019-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2019-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2019-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2019-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2020-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2021-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2021-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2021-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2022-Q1: 10 owner reports 10 2022-Q2: 11 owner reports 11 2022-Q3: 17 owner reports 17 2022-Q4: 9 owner reports 9 2023-Q1: 11 owner reports 11 2023-Q2: 17 owner reports 17 2023-Q3: 44 owner reports 44 2023-Q4: 97 owner reports 97 2024-Q1: 108 owner reports 108 2024-Q2: 117 owner reports 117 2024-Q3: 62 owner reports 62 2024-Q4: 25 owner reports 25 2025-Q1: 33 owner reports 33 2025-Q2: 50 owner reports 50 2025-Q3: 30 owner reports 30 2025-Q4: 18 owner reports 18 2026-Q1: 16 owner reports 16 2026-Q2: 7 owner reports 7 2026-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 Owner reports May 2018 Jul 2026 Recall campaign 18V312000 ◆ Recall campaign 18V312000 Recall campaign 23V905000 ◆ Recall campaign 23V905000 Investigation PE23015 ● Investigation PE23015
  • Campaign 23V905000 was reported 1,978 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2018-Q3 Owner reports 5
2019-Q1 Owner reports 4
2019-Q2 Owner reports 3
2019-Q3 Owner reports 3
2019-Q4 Owner reports 1
2020-Q1 Owner reports 1
2020-Q2 Owner reports 2
2020-Q3 Owner reports 1
2020-Q4 Owner reports 5
2021-Q1 Owner reports 4
2021-Q2 Owner reports 1
2021-Q3 Owner reports 2
2021-Q4 Owner reports 2
2022-Q1 Owner reports 10
2022-Q2 Owner reports 11
2022-Q3 Owner reports 17
2022-Q4 Owner reports 9
2023-Q1 Owner reports 11
2023-Q2 Owner reports 17
2023-Q3 Owner reports 44
2023-Q4 Owner reports 97
2024-Q1 Owner reports 108
2024-Q2 Owner reports 117
2024-Q3 Owner reports 62
2024-Q4 Owner reports 25
2025-Q1 Owner reports 33
2025-Q2 Owner reports 50
2025-Q3 Owner reports 30
2025-Q4 Owner reports 18
2026-Q1 Owner reports 16
2026-Q2 Owner reports 7
2026-Q3 Owner reports 8
Recall campaign 1 18V312000
Recall campaign 1 23V905000
Defect investigation 1 PE23015
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (2)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

In short, these campaigns were filed about Engine.

  1. Recall campaign 18V312000

    Safety recall 18V312000

    Report date
    Component:
    Unclassified NHTSA leftover
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Recall campaign 23V905000

    Engine

    Report date
    Component:
    Engine (ENGINE)
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

What owners actually wrote

Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Safety incident filters
Showing 8 of 724 complaints · page 1 of 29
2026-09-03Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11761983
CrashFireInjuryDeath
While having oil changed at the Ford dealership, I was told there was a small oil leak. I made an appt for a diagnostic test for the following week. I was told the diagnostic test showed a cracked valve cover. I had it repaired while they had the vehicle.
2026-09-01Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11761477
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I have had issues in the past with the transmission of this car for the past few months, it initially started to give me issues around 49k miles in this car, so I got it flushed out by a mechanic and it ran fine for a few months. Just a few days ago, I was headed home and my transmission went completely out as I was about to enter a state highway and I had to pull over into a neighborhood to get it towed. I had to send it over to my mechanic again, and he said the transmission is completely done for. My car could've almost went out on me completely if I kept pushing it, but I knew it was a hazard. I've heard from multiple other sources as I checked online to see if this was an issue with other Ecosports as well, and it seems like there's multiple complaints of this issue. I had no idea this car had an issue, at there was no warning light or anything indicating there was something wrong with it, until I noticed the acceleration wasn't quite right.
2026-09-01Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11761274
CrashFireInjuryDeath
1.0L EcoBoost suffered a repeat failure following Recall 23S64, Metro Ford of OKC confirmed in writing that prior dealer workmanship caused the failure, and Ford Corporate (Case # CXH-08846832) is completely unresponsive, leaving the vehicle inoperable and unsafe.
2026-08-26Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11759879
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I had a Purge valve put in about a year ago and was told that that was the problem for my gas gauge going completely to empty while driving and losing power while driving
2026-08-12Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11756562
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the failure occurred a year after the recall repair was performed. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence and then to the dealer, where it was determined that the engine and turbocharger needed to be replaced due to internal bearing failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 71,000.
2026-07-31Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11754007
CrashFireInjuryDeath
On XXX, my 2018 Ford EcoSport experienced a sudden loss of engine oil pressure and loss of power while driving on [XXX], consistent with the failure mode described in Ford Safety Recall 23S64 / NHTSA Recall 23V905 (engine oil pump drive belt tensioner arm fracture and/or oil pump drive belt degradation). The vehicle lost motive power on a public highway and had to be towed to Olathe Ford Lincoln, Olathe, KS for repair. The dealer has confirmed the failure is covered under this recall, but has stated repair parts are backordered with an estimated repair time of 2–3 months. I am filing this complaint to document that the defect described in this recall has actually manifested in my vehicle — a loss of engine power on a highway — which per Ford's own notice also results in loss of the mechanical vacuum pump required for power brake assist, creating a serious crash risk. I am requesting NHTSA log this incident against Recall 23V905 and evaluate whether a 2–3 month repair timeline meets the "reasonable time" remedy standard under 49 U.S.C. § 30120. I also did not receive and notice of the recall before the event occured, so that I could be proactive with the repair before the dangerous situation. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
2026-07-21Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11751843
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine, and the vehicle lost automotive power. The contact stated that while slowing down, the RPM became extremely elevated, and the low oil pressure warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle failed to accelerate, and the contact pulled over into a nearby parking lot and parked the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 106,000.
2026-07-06Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11748439
CrashFireInjuryDeath
There was a recall on these cars do to timing chain issues but mine was not in the recall with the others but ones not in recall are having same issues. Car is a ticking time bomb I want fixed under the recall.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2018 Ford Ecosport?

Owners named Engine most often — 519 of 724 reports (72%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2018 Ford Ecosport?

NHTSA lists 2 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Engine. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.

What should I inspect before buying a 2018 Ford Ecosport?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.

Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?

No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources