2018 Ford EcoSport Reliability Report

The most common report is a low oil pressure warning followed by stalling or shutoff, at stoplights or on highways. Repairs include new engines, oil pumps, and turbos. Several excerpts describe dealers giving conflicting answers about recall coverage, and one owner says subframe bolts were missing after a recall engine replacement. Other reports include cam and crank correlation codes with sluggish acceleration, and a fire in the engine compartment of a parked car days after coil and spark plug work. Owners also describe harsh clunking shifts into first gear, windows that stick, and a failing backup camera.

Stalling is the most serious pattern. The auto stop-start shuts the engine off at lights and it fails to restart, and one stall on an off-ramp led to a crash that deployed the airbags. Owners also describe power loss while merging, misfires that needed new ignition coils and plugs again and again, and engine shutdown after a low oil pressure warning. The rest are screen faults: the instrument cluster goes dark, and the backup camera, radio, and USB freeze or go black. One dealer traced the dead screen to the APIM module.

The brake pedal goes hard, sinks to the floor, or stops slowing the car, often right as the engine loses oil pressure and stalls. These reports cluster between 65,000 and 77,301 miles, and some drivers had to use the parking brake to stop. Four complaints involve crashes. Two describe a brake pedal that broke, with the driver's foot going through it. Separately, one owner reports a loud squeal in reverse that three dealer repair attempts did not fix.

Acceleration fades after a low oil pressure warning, and most of these cases end in an engine replacement. At least one report also mentions a stiff brake pedal. Several owners describe open recalls with no parts available, no loaner cars, and cars left at dealers for months. Other complaints cover an auto stop-start fault linked to a crash and a gas pedal stuck to the floor on the highway. Owners also report a dashboard that goes dark in the sun and a broken air duct that buzzes under throttle.

Swollen lug nuts are the clear pattern. The two-piece nuts swell until a standard wrench will not fit, so changing a tire by the road becomes hard or impossible. Shops often recommend replacing the whole set at the owner's cost, and one owner quotes a $195.00 charge. Owners also worry that damaged nuts could loosen. A separate complaint describes two sidewall blowouts on the original tires after a pothole and a light curb strike. That car had no spare, and the sealant kit did not seal the hole.

Airbags that stay folded in serious crashes are the central concern. Five complaints involve crashes and three record injuries. They include totaled cars where the side, curtain, or steering wheel airbags stayed off and only a lower airbag deployed. Another crash report describes the car surging forward while parking. Separate complaints describe the airbag warning light staying on for months, often with a check engine light that never goes off.

Sudden power loss on the highway leads these few reports. One car dropped from 75 to 40 MPH because of a broken throttle body. Another stalled or struggled to start after refueling, with code P0496. Two owners report low oil pressure warnings. One of them heard rattling, and a mechanic pointed to the high pressure fuel pump drive unit. Another owner is on a second replacement engine. One complaint says a recall has been open for over a year and a half with no remedy.