2019 Ford Ecosport Problems: Engine (459 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2019 Ford Ecosport is Engine (73% of 459 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 2026-09-07 459 complaints · 2 recalls

What problems show up on the 2019 Ford Ecosport?

336 of 459 filings named Engine (73% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Transmission / driveline (32 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 2018 has 724 reports on file; this year has 459. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 2019 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 336 complaints · 73.2% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 7
  • Fires 2
  • Injuries 5
  • Deaths 1
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 336 of 459 owner complaints (73.2%) in this vehicle snapshot. Engine (ENGINE): 336 complaints, 73.2% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 2 crash reports 1 fire reports 336 · 73.2% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 32 complaints, 7.0% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 1 crash reports 32 · 7.0% Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM): 25 complaints, 5.5% of reports Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 25 · 5.5% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 8 complaints, 1.7% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 1 fire reports 8 · 1.7% Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES): 6 complaints, 1.3% of reports Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 6 · 1.3% Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL): 6 complaints, 1.3% of reports Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 6 · 1.3% Steering (STEERING): 4 complaints, 0.9% of reports Steering (STEERING) 4 · 0.9% Airbags (AIR BAGS): 3 complaints, 0.7% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 2 crash reports 3 · 0.7% Rear camera / backup safety (BACK OVER PREVENTION): 2 complaints, 0.4% of reports Rear camera / backup safety (BACK OVER PREVENTION) 2 · 0.4% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 40 complaints, 8.7% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 1 crash reports 40 · 8.7% 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) 336 73.2% 2 crashes · 1 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 32 7.0% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 25 5.5% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 8 1.7% 0 crashes · 1 fires
Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 6 1.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 6 1.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Steering (STEERING) 4 0.9% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 3 0.7% 2 crashes · 0 fires
Rear camera / backup safety (BACK OVER PREVENTION) 2 0.4% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 40 8.7% 1 crashes · 0 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 Apr 2019; the first recall shown was reported in Jan 2019. 2019-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2020-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2021-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2021-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2022-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2022-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2023-Q1: 11 owner reports 11 2023-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2023-Q3: 23 owner reports 23 2023-Q4: 61 owner reports 61 2024-Q1: 60 owner reports 60 2024-Q2: 71 owner reports 71 2024-Q3: 46 owner reports 46 2024-Q4: 22 owner reports 22 2025-Q1: 31 owner reports 31 2025-Q2: 35 owner reports 35 2025-Q3: 29 owner reports 29 2025-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2026-Q1: 16 owner reports 16 2026-Q2: 13 owner reports 13 2026-Q3: 7 owner reports 7 Owner reports Jan 2019 Jul 2026 Recall campaign 19V023000 ◆ Recall campaign 19V023000 Recall campaign 23V905000 ◆ Recall campaign 23V905000 Investigation PE23015 ● Investigation PE23015
  • Campaign 23V905000 was reported 1,673 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2019-Q2 Owner reports 1
2019-Q3 Owner reports 1
2019-Q4 Owner reports 1
2020-Q1 Owner reports 3
2020-Q3 Owner reports 3
2021-Q1 Owner reports 2
2021-Q2 Owner reports 1
2021-Q3 Owner reports 1
2022-Q1 Owner reports 1
2022-Q2 Owner reports 4
2022-Q3 Owner reports 2
2022-Q4 Owner reports 5
2023-Q1 Owner reports 11
2023-Q2 Owner reports 5
2023-Q3 Owner reports 23
2023-Q4 Owner reports 61
2024-Q1 Owner reports 60
2024-Q2 Owner reports 71
2024-Q3 Owner reports 46
2024-Q4 Owner reports 22
2025-Q1 Owner reports 31
2025-Q2 Owner reports 35
2025-Q3 Owner reports 29
2025-Q4 Owner reports 4
2026-Q1 Owner reports 16
2026-Q2 Owner reports 13
2026-Q3 Owner reports 7
Recall campaign 1 19V023000
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 19V023000

    Safety recall 19V023000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    A loose seat back can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
    Remedy:
    Ford has notified owners, and dealers will replace the front seat assemblies, free of charge. The recall began May 8, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18C08.
    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 6 of 459 complaints · page 1 of 19
2026-09-03Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11761789
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Engine shut off while driving a vibration sounded prior to shut off so I turned off a/c then restarted engine again
2026-09-02Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11761519
CrashFireInjuryDeath
My 2019 Ford EcoSport suffered sudden low oil pressure and catastrophic engine failure 10 months after receiving service under Safety Recall 23S64. NHTSA Campaign 23V905. The Authorized dealership is refusing to inspect the vehicle or honor Ford's engine replacement remedy, claiming the recall is closed and too much time has passed. This leaves me with an un-remedied safety hazard.
2026-08-24Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11759201
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2019 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact called another dealer, Shottenkirk Ford Jasper (868 GA-515, Jasper, GA 30143); and the contact was informed that the vehicle had to experience the failure before the recall repair would be performed. The manufacturer was contacted by email, but was unable to assist with having the vehicle serviced. The contact had not experienced a failure.
2026-08-24Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11759174
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2019 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while stopped at a red light, the vehicle stalled and failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the starter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the catalytic converter, a cracked flex pipe, exhaust clamps, turbo connection, and a vacuum pump assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact was then informed of an unknown recall. The contact stated that on another occasion while driving, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the following day while driving the vehicle, the check engine warning light was flashing, and the low oil pressure message was displayed. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was determined that the engine long block and the turbo needed to be replaced, and coolant needed to be added to the coolant reservoir. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was repaired, but after a while, the A/C became inoperable. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and it was determined that the A/C was unplugged, the wires were stuck in the clutch pulley, the amp micro fuse, the wiring, and amp fuse needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 37,028.
2026-08-05Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11755154
CrashFireInjuryDeath
A young teenage driver faced a terrifying highway emergency when her vehicle suffered an abrupt, dangerous loss of motive power at 70+ MPH on the interstate due to sudden turbocharger failure. Moving at high speeds in heavy traffic, the sudden drop in acceleration left the driver vulnerable to rear-end collisions from oncoming semi-trucks. The vehicle was driven into the shop with a failed turbocharger and a completely contaminated oil ecosystem. The engine block has not seized yet, but all components are highly contaminated. The affected components are preserved and available for federal inspection. The root cause is a completely choked oil pump pick up tube screen. After a week-long standoff where the consumer had to escalate the case to Ford Corporate to force the dealership to drop the oil pan, teardown photos revealed the intake mesh was blanketed and impacted by a thick, suffocating mat of degraded wet belt fibers. This debris choked off oil pressure, proving the dealer fraudulently certified Safety Recall 23S64 as complete while leaving the lethal hazard trapped inside. In addition to this extreme debris, internal Ford OASIS logs admit the technician snapped a tensioner bolt during the recall. They drilled it out but failed to clean the engine, trapping sharp metallic shards that circulated into the oil system, destroying the turbocharger seals and scorching the gaskets. The dealer was given urgent warnings on April 7, 2026, when the driver reported interstate stalling ("limp mode at 70+ mph") and an AutoZone turbo pressure code. The dealer treated this severe safety risk as a low-priority task, failed to check the oil pressure, and released the car. After the forced pan drop in July, Ford Corporate denied coverage for a new long block and turbocharger, instructing the consumer to pay over $8,000 out of pocket for repairs caused entirely by their own botched recall.
2026-08-05Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11754921
CrashFireInjuryDeath
For a month, every time I put gas in my car whether I filled up or just put half a tank my car will not start for 10-15 minutes. I took it to the ford place and my extended warranty wouldn't cover it. It seems like an evap valve would be covered. I have only had my car 11 months. This is going to cost over $1,000 to fix. It seems like ford should be responsible for the repairs.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2019 Ford Ecosport?

Owners named Engine most often — 336 of 459 reports (73%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2019 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 2019 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