2018 Ford EcoSport reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2018 Ford EcoSport has 726 complaints with NHTSA after 9 years, or 8 per year. That is more complaints per year than most EcoSport years here — over the median of the other years, which is 4. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Pump and Labels.

2018 Ford EcoSport SE — Photo by Elise240SX, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

Complaints

726

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (355 of 726), then Engine and engine cooling (311) and Powertrain (67). The most filings arrived in 2024 (313 of 726). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 65,000 miles, and the middle half falls between 46,850 and 81,000 miles. Those filings include 18 that report a crash, 2 that report a fire, and 7 that report an injury.

Next to 2019

The 2019 EcoSport has 460 complaints, 4 per year. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2019.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2018 Ford EcoSport. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (2)

Recall engine and cooling, engine, oil and lubrication, pump 2023-12-22 · NHTSA campaign 23V905000

Summary 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.

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.

Vehicles affected 139,730

Recall Labels 2018-05-14 · NHTSA campaign 18V312000

Summary 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."

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.

Vehicles affected 273

NHTSA's count is every vehicle in that campaign. A campaign can cover other model years and other models.

Complaints by component (726 total)

Engine

355

Engine and engine cooling

311

Powertrain

Fuel and propulsion system

Electrical system

Service brakes

Speed control

Air bags

Wheels

Structure

Fuel system, gasoline

Hydraulic brakes

Steering

Exterior lighting

Suspension

Back-over prevention

Electronic stability control (ESC)

Forward collision avoidance

Lane departure

Seat belts

Visibility

Visibility and wipers

Show 14 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Of the 267 complaints that include an odometer reading, the median is 65,000 miles. The middle half fall between 46,850 and 81,000 miles.

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"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…"
Engine · filed 2026-09-03
"1.0L EcoBoost suffered a repeat failure following Recall 23S64, Metro Ford of OKC confirmed in writing that prior dealer workmanship caused the failure, and Ford Corporate (Case # CXH-08846832) is completely…"
Engine · filed 2026-09-01
"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…"
Powertrain · filed 2026-09-01
"I had a Purge valve put in about a year ago and was told that that was the problem for my gas gauge going completely to empty while driving and losing power while driving"
Powertrain, Electrical system, Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-08-26
"The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the failure occurred a year after the…"
Engine and engine cooling · filed 2026-08-12

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2018 Ford EcoSport 4 DR AWD	4 stars	4 stars	5 stars	4 stars
2018 Ford EcoSport 4 DR FWD	4 stars	4 stars	5 stars	3 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
EcoSport all-wheel drive	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	All-wheel drive	23	29	25 MPG	$2600
EcoSport front-wheel drive	1L, 3-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	27	29	28 MPG	$2300

Specs and fitment

2nd generation (facelift, US market), 2018–2022

Body styles SUV

Oil 5W-20 synthetic blend (1.0L EcoBoost) , 4.9 qt capacity

Tire size 205/60R16 (S/SE) to 205/50R17 (SES/Titanium)

Known issues for this generation

Ford recalled 2018-2022 EcoSports built with the 1.0L EcoBoost engine and 6F15 automatic transmission (NHTSA campaign 23V-905, Ford recall 23S64) after finding the engine oil pump drive belt tensioner arm can fracture or the drive belt can degrade and shed material, causing a sudden loss of engine oil pressure. That loss of pressure can seize the engine and also cut the vacuum supply for power brake assist, so Ford's remedy replaces the oil pump belt and tensioner, with the engine assembly replaced as an interim repair on vehicles that have already failed.

Compare

Next year 2019 Ford EcoSport See every Ford EcoSport model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 Ford EcoSport reliable?

What are common problems with a 2018 Ford EcoSport?

Is the 2018 Ford EcoSport more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2019 EcoSport has 460 complaints, 4 per year. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2019.

Has the 2018 Ford EcoSport been recalled?

The 2018 Ford EcoSport has 2 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2018 Ford EcoSport?

Owners have filed 726 complaints about the 2018 Ford EcoSport with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2018 Ford EcoSport get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2018 Ford EcoSport is 26.5 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What years was the Ford EcoSport sold in the US?

The US-market EcoSport was sold for model years 2018 through 2022.

Does the Ford EcoSport have engine oil pump problems?

Yes; 2018-2022 EcoSports with the 1.0L EcoBoost were recalled after the oil pump belt tensioner could fail, cutting oil pressure (NHTSA 23V-905).