2018 Ford Ecosport Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Ecosport years
- Far more complaints than other years 1st of 6 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 4 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 726 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Ford Ecosport. That is the most of any Ecosport model year in the database (6 years). The most reported problem area is engine (355 complaints, 49%), typically at around 65,000 miles. Complaints mention 18 crashes, 2 fires, 10 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
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- 726owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 18complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2018 Ford Ecosport problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine problems | 355 | 49% | 65,000 | “oil pressure” (48%) | $7,000 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 311 | 43% | 70,000 | “oil pressure” (31%) | — |
| Power Train problems | 67 | 9% | 77,977 | “oil pressure” (39%) | — |
| Unknown or Other | 61 | 8% | 18,500 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 40 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Electrical System | 35 | 5% | 43,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 29 | 4% | 12,629 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 19 | 3% | 62,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 10 | 1% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 9 | 1% | 21,108 | — | — |
| Structure | 5 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 4 | 1% | 50,500 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 4 | 1% | 70,466 | — | — |
| Steering | 4 | 1% | 35 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 0% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 2 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 0% | 4,000 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 1 | 0% | 60 | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 1 | 0% | 60 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 0% | 53,600 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2018 Ford Ecosport recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Engine and engine cooling:engine:oil/lubrication:pump
Problem: 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.
Risk: A loss of oil pressure can result in an engine stall and a loss of power braking assist, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Service brakes; equipment:other:labels
Problem: 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."
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Oil Pump Failure (PE23015) — opened Sep 20, 2023, closed Feb 14, 2024, led to recall 23V905.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
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.
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.
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…
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
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…
Other Ford Ecosport years
← 2005 Ecosport · 2019 Ecosport →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 Ecosport | 12 | 2 |
| 2021 Ecosport | 261 | 3 |
| 2020 Ecosport | 400 | 3 |
| 2019 Ecosport | 460 | 2 |
| 2018 | 726 | 2 |
| 2005 Ecosport | 1 | 0 |
See all Ford Ecosport problems by year, every Ford model, or the Ford VIN decoder.
Similar Ford models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2018 Ford Ecosport?
Owners most often report engine, engine and engine cooling, power train problems. The top one, engine, accounts for 355 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2018 Ford Ecosport?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2018 Ford Ecosport a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Ecosport model years, the 2018 has far more complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 4 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.