What 719 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Ford Ecosport

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.

NHTSA ODI 11748439

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The braking system failed, preventing the vehicle from stopping properly. The vehicle is currently at a tow yard and is available for inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Because the brakes failed, I was unable to stop at a traffic light. The vehicle entered oncoming traffic and was involved in a collision, placing my safety and the safety of other motorists at risk. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? No. I previously took the vehicle to the dealership several times for misfire and powertrain-related issues. The dealership was unable to identify the underlying problem and advised that the spark plugs were not tightened properly. Similar issues have occurred multiple times over the past few years. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others? The vehicle is currently at a tow yard and is awaiting inspection by the insurance company. Additional inspections may be conducted as part of the claim investigation. Were there any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Yes. Warning lights appeared earlier this week, and I brought the vehicle to the dealership for diagnosis. The dealership was unable to determine the cause of the warnings. I picked up the vehicle on June 11, 2026. On June 12, 2026, the brakes failed, resulting in the accident.

NHTSA ODI 11743832

My Ford EcoSport had safety recall 23S64 performed at Diamond Ford in Lancaster, California. The recall involved the oil pump drive belt system. After the recall repair was completed, the vehicle began displaying a low oil pressure warning and the engine started shaking. These symptoms involve the same oil system addressed in the recall. Because the vehicle is now experiencing low oil pressure and engine vibration after the recall repair, I am concerned that the recall remedy did not correct the defect and that engine damage may have occurred as a result of the recalled component.

NHTSA ODI 11723056

The affected systems are the engine and powertrain. After completion of Safety Recall 23S64 (NHTSA #23V905) in November 2025, my vehicle began experiencing repeated loss of power, stalling, and reduced-power “limp mode” events. The check engine light illuminated and diagnostic trouble code P0299 (Turbocharger Underboost Condition) was identified. The vehicle remains available for inspection upon request. My safety and the safety of others were put at risk due to sudden loss of engine power while driving, including hesitation and reduced acceleration in traffic. The vehicle has stalled and entered limp mode unexpectedly, creating a risk of being unable to maintain speed or safely merge. The problem has been reproduced and documented through multiple return visits to the same Ford dealership following the recall repair. The dealership attempted repairs including spark plug replacement and battery replacement, which did not resolve the issue. On the most recent visit, the dealership stated the issue was “unable to duplicate” and returned the vehicle without repair, despite prior documented limp mode behavior. The vehicle has been inspected by the manufacturer’s authorized dealership multiple times. Additionally, an independent diagnostic scan confirmed P0299 turbocharger underboost. Warning indicators included the check engine light, reduced engine power, and limp mode behavior, which first appeared after the recall repair was completed. These symptoms have continued despite repeated service visits. Given the vehicle’s history of prior engine failure at approximately 29, 313 miles, and the fact that Recall 23S64 involves oil pump belt failure and oil pressure loss, I am concerned that the recall repair was incomplete or ineffective, potentially allowing residual oil starvation damage affecting the turbocharger and related components.

NHTSA ODI 11715348

Three days after I purchased the vehicle from ideal cars, I went to Showlow, Arizona and the car on the hill started spitting and sputtering lost power and shut off and I had to pull over to the side about 20 minutes later. It was able to start again and we went Then a week later I went to Payson, Arizona and my vehicle again lost power on the hill and shut off and I had to pull over to the side and wait for it to start again that’s when I called Ford and the car lot I purchased it from which they don’t want anything to do with me, but Ford told me about the recall and how that’s what my car is going to do or could do but I’m telling you it already did it. It’s already made. The transmission sounds whiny, and clunky, and the motor shifting is not better. This is all after the recall repairs.

NHTSA ODI 11706336

I got my engine replaced during the summer of 2024 since the oil drive belt failed in my engine. This was due to the recall. I took my car to Baumann Ford in Genoa. I got my car back in August of 2024 after this occurred in June of 2024. I went 2.5 months without my car. Once I got it back the check engine light has come on several times for various issues pertaining to the engine. In the last couple of months, my car has stalled twice and it has been refusing to start. I took my car to Tuffy's in Perrysburg to get inspected and they said my starter was going out, my transmission is going out and is leaking fluid, and my coolant is leaking too. All of these components were part of the engine that was put into my vehicle in August of 2024. Another issue is that the gas valve that detects vapors causes my check engine light to come on as well. I do not feel that this vehicle is safe to drive. I was told that the recall was to be fixed by the end of the first quarter of 2025. It is now the last quarter of the year and I just was called to get the recall fixed. The first dealership (Baumann Genoa) said they had no time to fix the issue even though they called me to get me scheduled. This has been over a year of stress with this vehicle and I do not feel like this is safe to be on the road. Ford has taken their time fixing this issue and I do not feel like they have taken this recall seriously when it comes to their consumer safety.

NHTSA ODI 11703454

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated and jerked abnormally while the transmission was shifting gear. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed there were metal shavings found inside the transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission and torque converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 83,000.

NHTSA ODI 11665746

Ford still does not have a fix for this issue and my check engine light is now illuminated.

NHTSA ODI 11662392

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle shut off as the oil pressure and check engine warning lights were displayed on the instrument panel. The contact initially restarted the vehicle; however, the vehicle shut off again after driving several miles and failed to restart. Due to the failure, the vehicle was first towed to an independent mechanic and the contact was unable to restart the vehicle and diagnosed the vehicle with engine failure. The dealer was notified of the failure and the vehicle was towed to the dealer. A diagnostic test was performed that confirmed that the engine had failed. The engine was then replaced by the dealer under warranty. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that recently after starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light reappeared on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where a code reader was used to scan the vehicle. The code reader showed codes for issues for both low oil pressure and transmission. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that the parts used for the initial engine replacement were the same parts that were currently under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. 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 failure mileage was approximately 73,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11645485

1. The vehicle jumps when being put into gear and sometimes slips or is delayed as well. It also has a sound that goes along with it. This has been a problem since the first started driving the vehicle. Like many issues with this vehicle it is not consistent, however I estimate that this happens 75% of the time. 2. I have bumped are in my car port multiple times. I've stayed very vigilant as, it has jumped a couple times when I'm in a parking lot at a busy shopping area and people are walking in the lot. It feels very unstable and unpredictable. The whole car jerks. 3. I have been to the dealership for other issues related to the auto start stop not working and engine failure from the 23V905 recall. I am not sure if this was part of the inspections. 4. There are no warning indicators for this. It happens and is jarring. Note below, it is not one incident date, it is constant.

NHTSA ODI 11642842

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine seized with the low oil pressure warning light illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 82,954. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11640495

My engine light came on in September 2024. I took it to the Ford dealership and they told me it was my purge valve. I had my mechanic replace my purge valve and my engine light went off. 24 hours later my engine light came back on. I took it to the Ford dealership and they said the valve was loose and they fixed it. My engine light was off when they gave me my vehicle back. 2 fays layer my engine light came back on. While driving on I-45 my car shut off and stalled. I talked with the Ford corporate office and they informed me about my car's safety recall and that they will not have the parts until next year. I wanted to have my car be a total loss and purchase a 2024 Ford Escape. I was not approved and Ford is trying to give me my car back. I no longer feel safe driving behind the wheel of a car that has an increasing chance of shutting off and causing a crash.

NHTSA ODI 11624569

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle was intermittently sluggish and failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that the vehicle then lost motive power. The contact was unable to pull over to the side of the roadway. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle experienced a rough start. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the sparks plugs and ignition coils were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated while driving to the residence and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle decelerated to 40 MPH and slowly accelerated to 50 MPH continuously. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that a diagnostic test and repair cost would be charged because the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 104,490.

NHTSA ODI 11615615

While driving down the road the car started to make a weird clunking sound and started to jerk when I made a turns and continued to jerk until stopped. * Independent service removed and replaced the rear differential * There were no warning signs

NHTSA ODI 11610519

My car stop running completely. It's at the dealership for about 3 months and they have fix but the engine are on backorder. Looking at the 2nd quarter of next year to be fixed. My family and I will be without a vehicle for almost an year. I don't have the money for a rental which they said they would reimburse me which isn't an option for me at this time

NHTSA ODI 11596614

While daughter was driving vehicle, the vehicle lost complete power. There is no drive power and almost put my daughter in an accident. We have taken the vehicle to where we purchased it from, and they advised it needed a new engine, after several months, we found out it was due to this engine recall on the ECO Sport and was told it had to be taken to a certified Ford dealer to handle the recall, since the recall superseded the warranty we purchased on the vehicle. It is now sitting at Bob Thomas Ford in Fort Wayne Indiana since February/March, and Ford is not taking responsibility for this. They only offered a rental vehicle on April 15th, which was 5 months into us not having the vehicle, because they have had nothing further on this recall and no parts. I have put in several claims with Ford asking for them to buy back the vehicle at what we owe, since we had to replace the car. Now, they are stating that parts are anticipated to be available 1st quarter of 2025. I am asking that Ford pay off the balance of the vehicle and buy it back. They cannot expect people to pay on a loan for a car when it is not drivable, for over a year.

NHTSA ODI 11596095

The recall on the oil pump has really put a halt in my life. I was driving home when my vehicle cut out. I lost control of the vehicle for a second. Thank goodness I was not on a highway and was able to get it going again to drive home. My dash lit up with all different lights, one being low oil. The vehicle is now sitting at a Ford Dealership where we wait for parts for the EcoSport. This was several months ago. I was told multiple times I could not get a loaner car and that I would have to pay for a loaner if that is what I needed. I ended up going to another dealership and financed another vehicle as my job requires me to travel. I have been in contact with the Ford Support and the Ford dealership and nothing seems to be getting done about it.

NHTSA ODI 11593969

Kept getting a message on the dash saying low oil pressure then the car just completely stopped on me and wouldn't start no longer

NHTSA ODI 11589670

I was driving when the Low Engine Oil Pressure alert came on the dash without the check engine light. The engine turned off minutes later after turning into a quick oil change garage so I was towed to the Ford dealer. Two weeks later I am told the oil pump was reading zero psi (not working) and therefore the engine seized and now needs to be replaced without even addressing the oil pump issue that caused the engine to seize. I had no warning or indication about any issue while driving. Also, a recall letter from Ford states how this vehicle's engine can stop running when driving. How is anyone supposed to know? Any guidance will be gladly embraced. Thank you.

NHTSA ODI 11587765

In February of 2024, the transmission on this vehicle was bucking and jerking. I took it to Ford and they assessed it as transmission failure. I had the transmission replaced. On Thursday May 2, 2024, having only driven approximately 3,000 miles in the interim, the new transmission went while I was driving 50 mph on a highway. The vehicle had a loud bang and jerk and would not go more than 10 mph. Nothing on the dash lit up to warn of any problem. Thankfully it was very early in the morning so there was little traffic. I was able to turn around and drive on the shoulder back to my house. During that time I could hear what sounded like parts bouncing around and the vehicle sounded like it was stuck in 2nd gear. I had it taken by flatbed to my mechanic, who confirmed that the transmission is again damaged beyond repair. This vehicle has the same defective transmission as the Focus. It is a lemon and should be subject to recall or at the very least the extension of warranty made by Ford for the Focus. They know that this is a defect in the design and they should be held accountable for their error. Had it been rush hour, I could have been killed or at the very least grievously injured.

NHTSA ODI 11587464

In Jan 2024 my car started running rough. In Feb 2024 I was mailed the 23V-905 recall notice. Late Feb I had the oil changed in my car. This didn't help the rough running. Mar 4 2024 a warning came on indicating "low engine oil pressure". I took it back to the oil change shop, who looked at everything, showed me it had a safe oil level...it was not dripping oil on my driveway. I was then told about the recall notice and to have it diagnosed at a dealership. Every dealer I called advised it an advance notice only, it's okay to drive my car, until parts are available - In July. I called Ford who gave me a service ticket CAS48387851. My dealership did a diagnosis and said there is metal in the oil with coes P0012, Intake camshaft position timing over re-tarded P0014, low or contaminated oil P0299, Turbo under boost condition P0303, cylinder 3 misfire detected P0316, Engine misfire Detected on start up P0340, camshaft position sensor A circuit P0344." They said I need my engine replaced for $7266.XX - and that this isn't recall related. I need NHTSA to upgrade the Ford recall to expedite repairs. There are many people without use of their vehicles, still making payments, and no replacement car due to Ford's inadequate response to a problem known since Feb 2022 when Critical Concern Reviewed the oil pump issue. Thank you

NHTSA ODI 11579824

My engine had blown under warranty. They had replaced the engine, which took two weeks once I got my car back, about a week or two later, check engine, lights and warnings pops back on. I return to Ford to assess the problem and they reassured me that the warnings were just because they replaced the engine and they should disappear shortly. Two weeks have gone by and the warnings were still there and my car had started driving awkwardly again. I returned to forward to get my car, repaired under warranty and receive a loaner vehicle to remain doing my every day job with. They did not have any loaner cars and did not have availability to work on my vehicle for three months. They called me with availability. My warranty was up and they were unable to fix my engine since I have lost the house I was living in. Became homeless. And now I’ve got myself back in a house and working to get my car repaired. This is caused a lot of damage for me and my family as we have still been unable to get the car repaired and it has been almost 4 years since I took my car into ford for the repair. Now that it is recalled, they still do not have a solution, and they will not allow me to return the car to them for a loaner car until they do fix the vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11578587

Known Ford recall for 2nd quarter fix planned. My vehicle is broken down now due to issue and Ford not willing to assist with fix due to no plan yet? Engine oil pump and drive belt faulty causing oil pressure to drop and undriveable vehicle due to this issue.

NHTSA ODI 11574469

wife was driving in rush hour traffic about 8am , noticed the warning light low engine oil pressure light on the dash, from the left lane she made her way to the right of the 4 lane highway to the breakdown lane due, to the traffic it took her a couple of mins to make it to the right at which time the car stopped running.car,it was towed. to a ford dealership in Lees Summit missouri it appears that the oil pump failed, the car is at that dealership for inspection .the wife's safety was put at risk due to this oil pump failure in rush hour traffic the dealership has stated that the engine is locked up we have a extended warranty with fidelity warranty services,inc and someone from there has to inspect the motor first before the ford dealer can made any repairs Bob Sight ford is the dealership in Lees Summit MO, there was no advance warning of the problem until the warning light came on

NHTSA ODI 11572181

My vehicle stopped accelerating in the middle of the road in traffic & completely shutdown...it would not crank & I couldn't get it out of the road...the check engine light & auto start button started to flash really fast & then the low oil pressure message came on

NHTSA ODI 11572232