What 719 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Ford Ecosport

The low oil pressure signal came on. Car doesn’t have much power and makes brakes not work. I took car to dealership for them to look at and they said I needed to have engine replaced.

NHTSA ODI 11565276

While traveling [XXX] from Houston to Memphis on [XXX] a loud warning noise along with dashboard warning engine oil pressure message. My vehicle has been in Texarkana, Tx ever since. First with a private garage helped and with a Ford dealer for over 2 weeks now. Was relieved to hear about the recall as the cost in rentals and to pay for repairs when care is ready have broken me financially - I live on VA & SS. Yet, Ford says it is not yet a recall and I still have to pay for the repairs until it official. Just wrong as I could have lost my life. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11565277

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

NHTSA ODI 11565019

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the RPM rose to 7,000 RPM, and vehicle was making an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that the engine oil pressure message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 72,290.

NHTSA ODI 11564978

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.

NHTSA ODI 11565016

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving approximately 75 MPH, there was an abnormally loud sound in the cabin of the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was losing motive power. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal and the vehicle continued to lose motive power. The contact stated that the engine was not revving while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the turbocharger had failed and damaged the engine, causing other engine systems to fail. The contact stated that the dealer was going to email a detailed list of parts that needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The contact researched online and became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) for which the VIN was included. The contact stated that the dealer confirmed that the failure was linked to the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

NHTSA ODI 11564916

First hill start/stop assist stopped working back around may. Then the car started stalling and acting funny. Then in June it said low engine oil pressure. Took it for oil change then the engine blew on my way home on the highway. Had to get the engine fixed.

NHTSA ODI 11564532

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.

NHTSA ODI 11564374

Low oil light came on. Drove to dealer and they said need new engine. Quoted $9k

NHTSA ODI 11564053

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle started making a rattling sound. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The contact stated that the vehicle then failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and the contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 63,500.

NHTSA ODI 11563729

While driving, the oil warning light came on. I took the car to Firestone where they said the oil was very black, but it had been less than 3,000 miles since it was changed last. They changed the oil and the light went off, but after leaving, I made it barely a quarter of a mile when the engine light came on and the car began jerking. I was able to continue driving at a very low speed to pull over safely. After parking, the car shut down and would not start back up. I had to get the car towed to the nearest Ford dealership. They diagnosed the car with an engine failure due to excessive metal debris found in the oil pan as well as in the valve train assembly. Apparently this is a known issue with the EcoSport that I was unaware of until this incident occurred. The fact that Ford knew this was an issue and took no steps to inform me or other consumers is a huge problem. Not only that, I should not have been made to pay for any repairs due to this known issue. It is clear that they went forward with production on this car with faulty parts, including the windshield wiper pump. I can definitely understand why they stopped producing this vehicle and honestly they should all be off the road at this point. I tried to upload the repair invoice, but every time I press the “upload” button, it just disappears.

NHTSA ODI 11563743

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

NHTSA ODI 11563754

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.

NHTSA ODI 11563481

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.

NHTSA ODI 11563622

Engine failed at 61500 miles. It is hot garbage.

NHTSA ODI 11562698

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.

NHTSA ODI 11562692

Engine failed at 61500, regular oil changes, this vehicle is trash.

NHTSA ODI 11562699

The oil light kept coming on over the course of a couple weeks. We changed the oil, and it seem to be running better for a few hours. Then the car started beeping at the driver, the acceleration was effected . It was making clicking noises and lots of warning signs. The car would barely move forward and the driver had to pull off into a neighborhood. We then have the car towed to the Ford dealership where they told us us the engine would need to be replaced due to the timing belt fair and oil pressure issues.

NHTSA ODI 11562770

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate immediately. The transmission warning light was illuminated. The check engine warning light was later illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where an oil pressure test was performed, and determined that the long block assembly, turbocharger, and engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 65,428.

NHTSA ODI 11562572

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.

NHTSA ODI 11562658

After receiving an oil change the day before and getting the “all good,” I set out for a cross state road trip to see family. Less than halfway through our drive, about 400 miles in, my 2018 Ford EcoSport shut down on the side of the highway. I could not get my vehicle to turn on or move. I was given a warning on my dash that stated I needed service on my vehicle and less than ten seconds later the vehicle would not turn on. Considering I was on the highway, I was more than lucky that I was able to pull over in time. We sat in the vehicle for four hours waiting for a ($400) tow - when the tow got there he spent an hour getting the vehicle onto skates. The engine is locked and my wheels will not turn. I towed it to the nearest ford dealership where they told me I had complete engine failure. The dealership is charging $2,500 to figure out exactly what went wrong with the engine, and another $7,500 to fix it. The car has less than 70,000 miles on it. It’s not under warranty as the cutoff is 65,000 miles. It’s not covered by insurance. I now live across the country from where my car is, meaning I currently don’t have a vehicle (and have not for this whole 3 month process).

NHTSA ODI 11562297

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.

NHTSA ODI 11562411

My 2018 Ford Ecosport issues began at 75,048 miles. I was driving on Highway 10 in North Ridgeville, Ohio attempting to get to the speed of 65 miles per hour when my Ecosport failed to accelerate. The engine light indicating oil came on. My life flashed before my eyes when other cars on the road failed to manuver around me, almost rear ending me off the highway. I had my Ecosport towed to a Ford dealership after this incident. I was told the oil pump and the oil pump belt had malfunctioned, which resulted in engine damage. Autonation Ford in Westlake, Ohio estimated an engine repair at approximately $7,000.

NHTSA ODI 11562013

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.

NHTSA ODI 11562111

Engine failure due to known 2018 Ford Ecosport issue: While driving down the road oil pressure pump light flashed on, car slowed down to 30mph and started a ticking noise. Diagnosis: oil pump belt tensioner failed causing no oil pressure subsequently completely destroying the engine, turbo charger and vacuum pump. The Service adviser stated that the Ford company knows the problem with the oil pump tensioner exists, but will not acknowledge the problem. My cost for replacement, repairs and labor is $6,209.08 and not having a vehicle to drive as a mother of two I cannot afford these unexpected expenses on a well maintained vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11561864