Motor Almanac

Ford / EcoSport / 2018

2018 Ford Ecosport

Family: EcoSport · filed with NHTSA as ECOSPORT

Summary

  • Of the 708 complaints that name a component, 91% concern Engine (642).
  • These are complaint counts, not failure rates: they are not divided by how many cars were sold, because no public source reports U.S. sales by model year.
  • Not enough history to compare this year with the rest of its generation.
  • 2 recalls filed for this model year.
  • 1 federal defect investigation covers this model year.

In the news

At a glance

Owner complaints
727
Recalls
2
Investigations
1
NCAP overall
4 of 5 stars
Combined MPG
25–28
Annual fuel cost
$2,250–$2,500
Median mileage at complaint
65,000 mi (n = 267)
Crashes / fires / injuries / deaths
18 / 2 / 10 / 0

What owners report

Engine

642 complaints · 91% of complaints that name a component · median 67,000 mi (n = 244)

Owner report Vehicle equipped with 1.0 L eco-boost engine suffered a catastrophic internal cylinder head fracture leading to antifreeze flooding two cylinders income, complete engine failure. This is a known widespread manufacturing defect that mirrors, Fords large eco-booth, coolant intrusion crisis.
Owner report 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.

Powertrain

67 complaints · 9% of complaints that name a component · median 82,954 mi (n = 10)

Owner report 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 completely out as I was ab…
Owner report 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.

Fuel & Propulsion

44 complaints · 6% of complaints that name a component · median 59,000 mi (n = 4)

Owner report After fueling, codes P0496 will show and car will not start or struggle to start. Stalling when on freeway and rough idle. My vehicle shut off on the freeway causing me to almost crash and had to stop immediatly. In my investigation, it seems I am not the only one suffering this issue. I am on my 2nd engine replacement…
Owner report The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated upon the depression of the accelerator pedal with the check engine warning light flashing on the instrument panel. The failure persisted, and the check engine warning light remained solid on the instrum…

3% of complaints name no specific component and are left out of the shares above.

Across the generation (2018–2022)

To compare years fairly, each year is counted over the same span: complaints received up to two calendar years after its model year. A year is compared only when that span is over and it holds at least 50 complaints.

Model yearAll complaintsFirst three yearsNote
201872725not compared
201946113not compared
202040112not compared
202126127not compared
2022126not compared

Recalls

Whether a recall has been fixed on a specific car depends on its VIN; check it at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

23V905000 · ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OIL/LUBRICATION:PUMP

Filed 2023-12-22 · 139,730 vehicles

Defect: 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.

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.

18V312000 · SERVICE BRAKES | EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

Filed 2018-05-14 · 273 vehicles

Defect: 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.

Remedy: 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.

Federal investigations

ActionComponentOpenedClosedRecall
PE23015ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OIL/LUBRICATION:PUMP2023-09-202024-02-1423V905

PE23015: Oil Pump Failure

Engines and fuel economy

VersionEngineTransmissionDriveCityHwyCombinedFuel cost / yr
EcoSport AWD2.0L 4cylAutomatic (S6)All-Wheel Drive232925$2500
EcoSport FWD1.0L 3cylAutomatic (S6)Front-Wheel Drive272928$2250

Fuel cost is EPA's estimate at the fuel prices of its last update, not today's.

Crash test ratings (NCAP)

VariantOverallFrontalSideRollover
2018 Ford EcoSport 4 DR AWD★★★★☆★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆
2018 Ford EcoSport 4 DR FWD★★★★☆★★★★☆★★★★★★★★☆☆

Service bulletins

Ford issued 95 service bulletins listed against this model year, most often about electrical system.

A bulletin tells dealers how to fix a known condition. It is not a recall and not a defect finding. Most bulletins cover several model years at once, so one listed here may not be specific to this year. The number of bulletins tracks how long and how widely a model was sold, so it is not a measure of reliability.

DateComponentSummary
2026-08-25UNKNOWN OR OTHERCustomer Satisfaction Program 26L02 Certain 2014-2021 Model Year Various Vehicles 1.0L Fox Classic Engine Timing Belt and Oil Pump Belt Interval Change
2024-05-27UNKNOWN OR OTHERThis article supersedes TSB 21-2175 to update the TSB Service Procedure. Some 2016 MKS, 2016-2017 Navigator, 2016-2018 F-150/Focus/C-MAX/Edge/Fiesta/MKX/Transit Connect/Mustang, 2017-2018 Continental/Fusion/MKZ, 2017-2019 Explorer, 2016-201…
2024-04-24EQUIPMENTAll accessory stick-on keyless entry keypads come with a wallet card containing the master code. If the accessory keypad was factory installed, this card will be placed in the glove box and should be handed to the vehicles owner during ini…
2024-03-01POWER TRAINDuring service and repair requiring removal and replacement of a crankshaft bolt and/or crankshaft damper, achieving proper torque of the crankshaft pulley bolt is critical. Incorrect torque may allow the bolt to loosen resulting in the tim…
2023-06-08EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUALThe Service Awareness Newsletter is an informal communication that contains information that may not be presently available in a TSB, SSM, GSB, or other electronic communication. This article includes information on warranty, technical serv…
2023-04-04STRUCTUREFor 2000-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, swapping a module from a vehicle for diagnosis purposes is likely to cause errors and is not recommended. It is also not recommended to order a replacement module using a vehicle identification numbe…
2022-06-21ELECTRICAL SYSTEMSome 2017-2022 Ford and Lincoln vehicle owners may experience a condition of missing authorization, command and control, battery charging details or phone-as-a-key setup buttons/selections in their FordPass or LincolnWay App. This condition…
2022-04-27COMMUNICATION:MANUFACTURER TELEMATICSSome 2017-2021 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with a TCU may exhibit inoperative remote features via Ford Pass/Lincoln Way mobile app, incomplete user authorization and/or no modem electronic serial number (ESN) displayed. To correct th…
2022-04-05COMMUNICATION:MANUFACTURER TELEMATICSIn various 2017-2022 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, customers may receive a message in the FordPass or LincolnWay App stating "Feature Unavailable. Since this is a fleet vehicle, it cannot access the (SYNC Connect) FordPass or LincolnWay app th…
2022-03-21EQUIPMENTThis article supersedes TSB 21-2236 to update the models and year affected. Some 2013-2018 C-Max, 2013-2020 Fusion/MKZ, 2013-2022 Escape, 2015-2018 Focus, 2015-2019 MKC, 2015-2022 Edge/F150/Mustang, 2016-2018 MKX, 2016-2019 Explorer, 2017-2…

How to read this page

Complaint counts are not failure rates. A model that sells more cars draws more complaints, and owners file more often after news coverage or a recall. That is why this page compares a model year only with other years of the same generation, never with other models.

Each complaint is counted once, even when it names several components; a complaint that names several systems appears under each of them. Owner reports are quoted as filed and have not been verified by NHTSA or by us.

Every model year of this EcoSport, including the ones without a page of their own, is listed on the Ford EcoSport model page.

Sources

  • NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation: complaints, recalls and investigations (bulk files, data as of 2026-10-28).
  • NHTSA New Car Assessment Program: crash test ratings.
  • U.S. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov: engines, transmissions and fuel economy.

MotorAlmanac is independent and not affiliated with NHTSA, EPA or any manufacturer. This page summarises public records; it is not a mechanical inspection. Before buying a used car, check its VIN for open recalls and have it inspected.