Home · 2020 Ford Ecosport · Complaints

What 390 owners told NHTSA about the 2020 Ford Ecosport

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (390)Crash / fire / injury (14)Engine & cooling (178)Engine (163)Transmission & drivetrain (51)Fuel system (24)Electrical system (13)Speed control (12)Brakes (11)Airbags (8)Suspension (4)Body & structure (3)

178 of 390 complaints match · Engine & cooling · clear filters · page 1 of 8

Jun 2, 2026Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Ecosport. 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 the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of drive power. The engine oil, check engine, and transmission warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to drive the residence. The dealer's mobile service technician performed an oil change at the contact's residence. After the oil change, the vehicle lost motive power while driving, with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who related the failure to the recall but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 49,950.

NHTSA ODI 11741464

May 20, 2026Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Ecosport. The contact stated while starting the vehicle up she noticed that it hesitate was turning on and noticed the oil pressure warning light illuminated, and stated while accelerating the vehicle starts to shake and would not go above 30 MPH, and while trying to stop at a red light the vehicle struggles to brake although the brakes are applied, after coming to a full stop the vehicle shutdowns and would have restart. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed to have a broken intake camshaft and bank 1, causing the engine block to be repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: (23V905000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) however, the dealer would not repair the recall due to the extensive issues caused by the pending recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 57,000.

NHTSA ODI 11739040

Apr 1, 2026Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2020 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start up. After several attempts, the vehicle still failed to start up. 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 contact was informed that the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The vehicle remained at the dealer unrepaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact requested a buyback three times, but the manufacturer denied the request. The failure mileage was 41,376.

NHTSA ODI 11728515

Mar 24, 2026Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2020 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a loud banging coming from the engine, and the low oil warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and it was determined that the engine and transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, there was a loud banging sound coming from the engine, and the low oil warning light illuminated. Due to the failure, the steering wheel seized, and the brake pedal failed to function properly. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was determined that the engine had seized. The dealer referred the contact to the manufacturer for further assistance related to the failure, and to confirm if the failure was associated with the recall. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 82,264.

NHTSA ODI 11726697

Mar 17, 2026Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2020 Ford EcoSport. 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 local dealer was made aware of the issue several times and it was confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact received a notification that parts were available; however, upon contacting the dealer, the contact was informed that parts were still on backorder. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and informed the contact that parts were available. The contact had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA ODI 11724938

Feb 23, 2026Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2020 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that when the vehicle was taken to a dealer for the recall repair, it was determined that the oil pump drive belt had disintegrated and needed to be replaced; however, the part to complete the recall repair was not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 33,000.

NHTSA ODI 11719800

Jan 27, 2026Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2020 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the dealer where the vehicle was recently purchased. The dealer had not yet diagnosed the vehicle. The contact was aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) from the Manufacturer App. However, when the contact asked the dealer about the recall, she was advised that the part to complete the recall repair was on a national back order. The contact called the manufacturer and was informed that parts were available, and the dealer only needed to order the parts. The contact stated that the dealer was not cooperating to get the vehicle repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.

NHTSA ODI 11713746

Jan 26, 2026Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2020 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal odor entering the cabin of the vehicle. The contact stated that the odor was entering the vehicle through the vents. The contact stated that the odor caused headaches and was stuck in the contact’s clothing. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with manifold failure. The contact was informed that the manifold needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with purge valve failure. The contact was informed that the purge valve needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that due to the odor inside the interior of the vehicle, the contact had to drive the vehicle with the windows open. The contact stated that the odor smelled like carbon dioxide inside the vehicle. In addition, the contact stated that the failure was noticed in the winter of the year. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was unavailable.

NHTSA ODI 11713481

Jan 16, 2026Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2020 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the low oil warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was sluggish while driving. The contact had previously received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to a dealer, but was not diagnosed. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle did not require the recall remedy because no failures related to the recall had been identified at that time. The contact later noticed that while the vehicle was parked, oil was leaking from the rear of the vehicle. The contact stated that a significant amount of oil located near the transmission was leaking, and the low oil warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the oil pan was off-center, creating a gap that allowed oil to leak. The dealer informed the contact that the oil pan needed to be repositioned, oil added, and the catalytic converter needed to be removed to complete the repair. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that while the vehicle was later parked and turned off, the engine overheated, with an abnormally loud sound coming from the engine compartment, and smoke coming from the oil fill cap. After allowing the vehicle to cool down, the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer informed the contact that no oil loss was found and that the failure could not be duplicated after a test drive. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 57,831.

NHTSA ODI 11711406

Jan 5, 2026Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2020 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked. Most recently, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not inspected or diagnosed. The contact was informed that the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact was informed that parts would possibly be available within one year and that there was a long waiting list. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure was worsening. 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 85,000.

NHTSA ODI 11708789

Dec 22, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2020 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), and the vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall repair. The contact stated that a month later, the dealer informed the contact that the recall repair had been performed and the vehicle was ready for pick up. The contact stated that the vehicle was picked up and driven to the residence; however, the vehicle later failed to start. A mobile technician from the dealer arrived at the residence and continuously pushed the START button until the vehicle started. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where the spark plugs were replaced; however, the failure recurred upon retrieving the vehicle. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where the battery was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The dealer determined that the failure was occurring due to a coolant leak. The vehicle was being repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 82,800.

NHTSA ODI 11706545

Dec 11, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2020 Ford EcoSport. The contact received a recall notification letter for NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact called the local dealer, who confirmed that parts were not available and were on back order. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The contact had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA ODI 11704534

Nov 17, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2020 Ford EcoSport. 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 local dealer was contacted. 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 contact had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA ODI 11699864

Nov 7, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2020 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, there was an abnormal loud ticking sound coming from the front of the vehicle. The contact stated that the wrench symbol was displayed. The contact drove the vehicle back to the residence and then had the vehicle towed to a dealer. The contact called the dealer and was informed that the vehicle had not yet been diagnosed, and the dealer was unable to advise when the vehicle would be repaired. The contact was aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000(Engine and Engine Cooling) and related the failure to the recall. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000.

NHTSA ODI 11698125

Oct 15, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2020 Ford EcoSport. 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 while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered. The check engine oil warning light was illuminated. An unknown message related to the engine oil pump was displayed. In addition, the contact stated that while at a stop light that then turned green, while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The vehicle was taken to a local service center; however, no cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, waiting for parts to become available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000.

NHTSA ODI 11693636

Oct 9, 2025Engine & cooling

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA ODI 11692256

Sep 24, 2025Engine & cooling

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA ODI 11689451

Sep 23, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2020 Ford EcoSport. 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 check engine warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was contacted. 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 failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,272.

NHTSA ODI 11689208

Sep 18, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2020 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30-35 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The oil light was illuminated. The message “Oil Engine Pressure Failure” was displayed. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with an oil tension pulley failure. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

NHTSA ODI 11688100

Sep 18, 2025Engine & cooling

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA ODI 11688164

Sep 12, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2020 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact observed smoke coming from the engine compartment, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not able to restart. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the fuel pump tensioner assembly and oil pump drive belt had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer confirmed that the parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and the contact was informed that parts were on back order, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.

NHTSA ODI 11686898

Aug 22, 2025Engine & cooling

See attached document for complaint. Text from document: After that encounter I called the dealership inquiring as to the availability of the specific repair parts for the recall I was told that unless I was already experiencing a problem they would not even look into the matter. This sounded ridiculous to me so I left messages for management but my calls were not returned.

NHTSA ODI 11682321

Aug 18, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2020 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that after the idle stop feature engaged, the vehicle failed to restart. The engine light was illuminated. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that there was no warranty coverage on the VIN and was unsure if the failure was related to the recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but there was no response to the call. The failure mileage was approximately 44,000.

NHTSA ODI 11681273

Aug 5, 2025BrakesEngine & coolingSpeed control

The contact owns a 2020 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. Additionally, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The vehicle was driven to a nearby independent mechanic to be diagnosed, and several unknown DTCs were retrieved. The vehicle remained with an independent mechanic. The vehicle was then towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed, and the failure was linked to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that the vehicle was serviced at the dealer six days prior to the failure. The contact stated that the failure occurred while the contact was traveling out of town. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000.

NHTSA ODI 11678540

Jul 24, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2020 Ford EcoSport. 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 while driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to respond as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The low oil pressure warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was contacted. 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 failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11675870

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Working with the data? Download all 390 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 15, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2020 Ford Ecosport verdict →