Ford EcoSport owners filed 1,850 complaints with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for model years 2015–2025 (see the Car Problem Index for all 60 models), and NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for the same years. The 2018 Ford EcoSport drew the most complaints (726); across all years, owners complain most about engine and cooling (45% of complaints).
Key findings
- Worst model year: 2018, with 726 complaints, led by engine (355) and 2 recalls.
- Complaints vs recalls: Engine and cooling drew 839 complaints but one recall, so for most of these owners the repair falls to warranty or their own pocket, not a free recall fix.
- Spike years, compared with a typical model year: 2018 (1.8 times as many complaints).
- Earliest-failing area: brakes complaints came at a median 9k mi.
- Fire and crash reports: 13 complaints mention a fire and 38 a crash, with 24 injuries and 3 deaths reported.
Ford EcoSport complaints and recalls by model year
| Model year | Complaints | Top problem areas |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 2 recalls | 726 | Engine (355), Engine and cooling (311), Transmission / powertrain (67) median 65k mi · 18 crashes · 2 fires |
| 2019 2 recalls | 460 | Engine and cooling (215), Engine (193), Transmission / powertrain (50) median 67k mi · 7 crashes · 2 fires |
| 2020 3 recalls | 396 | Engine and cooling (179), Engine (168), Transmission / powertrain (53) median 70k mi · 5 crashes · 8 fires |
| 2021 3 recalls | 258 | Engine and cooling (134), Engine (85), Transmission / powertrain (50) median 55k mi · 6 crashes · 1 fire |
| 2022 2 recalls | 10 | Air bags (2), Body structure (2), Engine (2) median 35k mi · 2 crashes |
One recall campaign often covers several model years, so the recall column adds up to 12, more than the 6 separate campaigns. Newer years have had less time to collect reports.
Most-reported Ford EcoSport problems, and what they cost to fix
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Recalls | Median mileage | Estimate the repair |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and cooling | 839 | 45% | 1 | 67k mi | Engine overhaul cost |
| Engine | 803 | 43% | 1 | 65k mi | Engine overhaul cost |
| Transmission / powertrain | 221 | 12% | 1 | 61k mi | Transmission repair cost |
| Fuel system | 112 | 6% | 0 | 124k mi | Fuel pump repair cost |
| Electrical system | 89 | 5% | 0 | 42k mi | Alternator / electrical repair cost |
| Brakes | 63 | 3% | 0 | 9k mi | Brake repair cost |
| Speed control / acceleration | 50 | 3% | 0 | 74k mi | — |
| Air bags | 28 | 2% | 1 | 30k mi | — |
Top problem areas only; one complaint can count twice.
What Ford EcoSport owners report
Owners’ own words; dollar figures are what they reported.
Engine and cooling
Started with the oil pressure engine light coming on and off always told it's a sensor then 2 days it wasn't putting any oil to one of the rocker arms and told by a dealership that it's going to cost ME$7500 for a whole new engine when all they did was their diagnostic test.
2018 model-year owner, NHTSA complaint 11473126
Oil pump failure because of Ford recall on broken oil pump belt- driving down the interstate with no place to pull over about getting ran over by semi bc the car suddenly stopped with any warning or anything. Ford won’t even look at my vehicle because over 60,000 miles warranty with vehicle have 66,000 miles on it I purchased the car brand new with 25 miles on it ..
2020 model-year owner, NHTSA complaint 11566048
Related recalls: 23V905000 (2018–2022): A loss of oil pressure can result in an engine stall and a loss of power braking assist, increasing the risk of a crash.
839 owners reported engine and cooling problems; the engine overhaul cost calculator shows what the fix costs where you live.
Engine
The engine shut down after five minutes of driving, and only then the oil and check engine warning lights illuminated. We had the car towed to the dealer, the service department said "the entire engine needs to be replaced due to a failed oil pump causing bearing failure. This is at 63,000 miles. Cost to replace engine is $10,000. Talked to Ford dealership said nothing they can do.
2018 model-year owner, NHTSA complaint 11568039
The low engine oil pressure light was flashing, and the car would not drive any faster than 40 mph. By the time I got home the brakes were extremely hard to push so I had to use emergency brake to stop. My engine was seized. Ford had my vehicle from november 13, 2024-JANUARY 29, 2025. The dealership told me they replaced my engine, and over time this will happen again.
2020 model-year owner, NHTSA complaint 11647801
Related recalls: 23V905000 (2018–2022, described above).
803 owners reported engine problems; the engine overhaul cost calculator shows what the fix costs where you live.
Transmission / powertrain
Engine and transmission failed at 46,000 miles even though under a extended warranty Ford short changed US to where we had to pay $7200.00 to get the car fixed. This car is the worst for failures of the powertrain. Never will buy another Ford ever.
2019 model-year owner, NHTSA complaint 11732785
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.
2018 model-year owner, NHTSA complaint 11642842
Related recalls: 25V126000 (2021–2022): A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash. In addition, a disconnected half shaft can result in a vehicle rollaway if the parking brake is not applied, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
221 owners reported transmission / powertrain problems; the transmission repair cost calculator shows what the fix costs where you live.
Ford EcoSport recalls
Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls for your car’s open recalls.
| Campaign | Announced | Model years | System | Risk (NHTSA's wording) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25V442000 | 2025-06-27 | 2020–2021 | Backup camera / rear sensors | A rearview camera that displays a blank image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle. A rearview image that continues to be displayed after the vehicle is shifted out of reverse may distract the driver. Both of these situations can increase the risk of a crash. |
| 25V126000 | 2025-02-28 | 2021–2022 | Transmission / powertrain | A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash. In addition, a disconnected half shaft can result in a vehicle rollaway if the parking brake is not applied, increasing the risk of a crash or injury. |
| 23V905000 | 2023-12-22 | 2018–2022 | Engine and cooling | A loss of oil pressure can result in an engine stall and a loss of power braking assist, increasing the risk of a crash. |
| 20V791000 | 2020-12-17 | 2020 | Air bags | Air bag modules missing the first-stage booster propellant will not deploy as intended in a crash, increasing the risk of injury. |
| 19V023000 | 2019-01-02 | 2019 | Seats | A loose seat back can increase the risk of injury in a crash. |
| 18V312000 | 2018-05-14 | 2018 | Equipment / accessories | 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. |
What this data can and can't tell you
1,850 unverified owner reports, not adjusted for sales. Method.
Other Ford models in the index
- Ford F-150 (11,842)
- Ford Escape (9,632)
- Ford Explorer (9,079)
- Ford Edge (5,190)
- Ford Fusion (4,656)
- Ford F-250 SD (3,942)
- Ford Focus (3,929)
- Ford Expedition (2,537)
- Ford F-350 SD (2,147)
- Ford Mustang (1,750)
Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation consumer complaint files (nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-09-25; NHTSA recalls database (nhtsa.gov/recalls), retrieved 2026-09-23. Model years 2015–2025. Free to cite with a link to this page.