VehicleVerdict

2018 Ford Ecosport engine problems

The 2018 Ford Ecosport has 664 engine complaints filed with NHTSA — 69% of the year's total, and the first year with meaningful reports in this category.

664

Engine complaints

69%

Share of year

10

Crash-involved

1

Related recalls

Engine complaints by year

Ecosport engine complaints by model year664 complaints2018: 664 complaints2019: 400 complaints2020: 338 complaints2021: 216 complaints2022: 2 complaints
Ecosport engine complaints by model year. Red bars are years to avoid.

Related recalls

23V905000EngineDecember 22, 2023 · 139,730 units

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.

Consequence

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.

What owners report

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AFTER A SHORT DRIVE, VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF AND PARKED A SHORT TIME LATER IN A PARKING LOT. A FEW MINUTES AFTER THAT, THE VEHICLE ENGINE COMPARTMENT CAUGHT FIRE. VEHICLE WAS AT THE DEALER A FEW DAYS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT FOR REPAIR WORK (COIL, SPARK PLUG)

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Engine · July 27, 2019 · fire

Common questions

How many engine complaints does the 2018 Ford Ecosport have?

NHTSA has 664 complaints about the 2018 Ford Ecosport engine — 69% of all complaints filed for that model year.

Are there recalls for the 2018 Ford Ecosport engine?

Yes — 1 NHTSA recall campaign for this model year is tied to the engine: 23V905000.

Related

Based on NHTSA ODI data through June 2026. Complaints are consumer-reported and unverified. Updated July 5, 2026.

Compiled by Sharon Ben-Moshe, Founder.