2018 Ford ECOSPORT - Ratings, Complaints and Recalls

The 2018 Ford EcoSport received an overall safety rating of 4 out of 5, indicating above-average safety features. The vehicle excelled in side crash tests with a perfect 5-star rating for both the driver and passenger sides. Additionally, it received a top score for the combined side barrier and pole ratings, highlighting its strong safety performance in different collision scenarios.

One notable safety feature of the Ford EcoSport is the standard electronic stability control, which helps the driver maintain control of the vehicle during sudden maneuvers or slippery road conditions. However, the car does not come with forward collision warning or lane departure warning systems, which could be considered as drawbacks for some buyers.

In terms of complaints and recalls, the vehicle has had 274 complaints and 2 recalls reported. While the number of complaints is on the higher side, the manufacturer's response to recalls indicates a proactive approach to addressing potential safety issues. Overall, the Ford EcoSport presents a solid safety profile with room for improvement in certain advanced safety technologies.

auto generated summary, may be inaccurate.

Top stats at a glance

Complaint Count

274

Recall Count

2

Investigation Count

1

Safety Rating

4/5

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Safety Features

2018 Ford EcoSport 4 DR FWD Safety Features

Here are the safety features that come as standard on the 2018 Ford EcoSport 4 DR FWD

Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

ESC is an advanced safety feature in vehicles designed to help drivers maintain control during challenging driving conditions. By continuously monitoring various factors such as steering angle, vehicle speed, and individual wheel speeds, ESC can detect and reduce the risk of skidding or loss of control. It achieves this by automatically applying brakes to specific wheels to stabilize the vehicle.

Standard
Forward Collision Warning (FCW)

Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is a safety feature in vehicles that helps prevent frontal collisions by alerting the driver of an imminent collision with a vehicle or obstacle ahead. Using sensors such as radar or cameras, FCW monitors the distance and speed of vehicles in front, and if it detects a potential collision, it provides visual and/or auditory warnings to prompt the driver to take evasive action.

No
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)

Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is a safety feature in vehicles that alerts drivers when their vehicle unintentionally drifts out of its lane without signaling. Utilizing cameras or sensors to monitor lane markings on the road, LDW detects when the vehicle crosses these lines and triggers visual, auditory, or haptic alerts to notify the driver of potential lane departure.

No

2018 Ford EcoSport 4 DR FWD Safety Ratings

Here we have the crash and rollover ratings for the 2018 Ford EcoSport 4 DR FWD Where possible we've included the ratings for the oldest and latest models of this car so you can compare how the safety ratings have changed over time.

Frontal Crash Ratings

Combines Driver and Passenger star ratings into a single frontal rating. The frontal barrier test simulates a head-on collision between two similar vehicles, each moving at 35 mph.

Test 2018 Score 2022 Score
Overall Front Crash Rating 4 4
Front Crash Driver Side Rating 4 4
Front Crash Passenger Side Rating 4 4

Side Crash Ratings

Combines Side Barrier and Side Pole Star Ratings into a single side rating.

Test 2018 Score 2022 Score
Overall Side Crash Rating 5 5
Side Crash Drivers Side Rating 5 5
Side Crash Passenger Side Rating 5 5
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Front 5 5
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Rear 5 5
Overall Side Barrier Rating 5 5

Rollover Ratings

The Rollover Resistance test measures the risk of rollover in a single-vehicle, loss-of-control scenario.

Test 2018 Score 2022 Score
Rollover Rating 3 3
Rollover Possibility % 0% 0%
Dynamic Tip Result No Tip No Tip
Side Pole Crash Rating 5 5

Complaints for the 2018 Ford ECOSPORT

This chart show the number of complaints for each car component. A Higher number of complaints could indicate that this car might have a common fault. Something to look out for when purchasing one.

Component Complaints

Choose a component to see what complaints people have made about them.

Complaint:
"oil pump belt tensioner arm is fractured on my 2018 ford ecosport and my engine failed as of january 8th 2024. the oil pressure warning light is on as well as the check engine light. i have had this issue inspected and there is a recall for this problem, but parts are not expected to be ready until the 2nd quarter of the year! i am currently unable to drive my vehicle, and anywhere i need to take it has to be towed. ive spoken with several ford dealerships as well as ford customer service, and all of them said they would not offer me a loaner vehicle in the meantime! i have asked for them to temporarily fix the issue by for now putting in the original part just to get me by, but i was told it could cost upwards of $3000 and i likely would not be refunded, because technically the recall is just an advanced notice! i am now going to be paying on a vehicle that i cannot drive or get fixed until april-june and i've been declined getting a loaner vehicle because it is simply not part of the recall. my only current option is to continue paying on this car, but to not drive it until it gets fixed 2-5 months from now."
Components Involved: ENGINE
Date of incident: 2024-08-01
Complaint:
"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."
Components Involved: ENGINE
Date of incident: 2024-07-01
Complaint:
"engine locked up and full of oil but low oil pressure. internal mechanical fault of engine assy. turbo also locked up. my safety was put at risk whenever my while i was driving and my car locked up on me on the highway, blocking incoming traffic. i have taken the vehicle to a ford dealership that has given me a diagnosis of the issues and the repairs. i was leaving work on night and had an "low engine oil pressure" and a check engine light come on. i stopped driving the vehicle and had it towed to the dealership."
Components Involved: ENGINE
Date of incident: 2025-06-01
Complaint:
"when driving to work one day my car suddenly started to lose power and then made a knocking/ticking noise from the engine area. i proceeded to try and pull off the road as safely as i could (was in a mild traffic area) the vehicle ended up quitting running as i got off the road and now had a low oil pressure warning on the dash and would not run anymore."
Components Involved: ENGINE
Date of incident: 2025-06-11
Complaint:
"complete engine failure on highway. towed to ford dealership requires new engine replacement due to low oil pressure issue at cost of $7,800. car has 71,058 total miles 2018 year. called ford, said out of warranty nothing they can do. help please! jan 04,2024 manufacturer recall number23s64 nhtsa recall number23v905 recall statusrecall incomplete, remedy not yet available summary on your vehicle, it may be possible for the engine oil pump drive belt tensioner arm to fracture, separate from the tensioner backing plate, andor the oil pump drive belt material may degrade and lose teeth, resulting in a loss of engine oil pressure."
Components Involved: ENGINE
Date of incident: 2024-07-01
Complaint:
"the low oil pressure signal came on. car doesn’t have much power and makes brakes not work. i took car to dealership for them to look at and they said i needed to have engine replaced."
Components Involved: ENGINE
Date of incident: 2023-03-12
Complaint:
"while traveling [xxx] from houston to memphis on [xxx] a loud warning noise along with dashboard warning engine oil pressure message. my vehicle has been in texarkana, tx ever since. first with a private garage helped and with a ford dealer for over 2 weeks now. was relieved to hear about the recall as the cost in rentals and to pay for repairs when care is ready have broken me financially - i live on va & ss. yet, ford says it is not yet a recall and i still have to pay for the repairs until it official. just wrong as i could have lost my life. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)"
Components Involved: ENGINE
Date of incident: 2023-04-12
Complaint:
"i was driving approximately 60 mph on the freeway for only 2 or 3 miles when my engine suddenly started to stall & white smoke came out of the tailpipe. i immediately pulled onto the emergency side lane and was towed"
Components Involved: ENGINE
Date of incident: 2024-10-12
Complaint:
"the contact owns a 2018 ford ecosport. the contact stated while driving 50 mph, the rpm rose to 7,000 rpm, and vehicle was making an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment. the contact stated that the engine oil pressure message was displayed. the vehicle was taken to the residence. the dealer was contacted. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 72,290."
Components Involved: ENGINE
Date of incident: 2024-07-09
Complaint:
"the engine kept staling and needing to be jump started. this happended to the point where i loss all power at a light where i ended up causing traffic. this kept happening until my engine light turned on. after the engine light came on, my car could no longer start eventhough the battery was fine. i had a mobile mechanic look at the vehicle and they were unable to find what was wrong even after they had done an engine diagnostic where they had a lot of issues detected on the computer. i have been affected with this since october and as struggling college student i cant afford to have it towed to the dealership. as of january 2024 i have not been able to jump start my car at all even with a good battery. my car is now collecting dust parked on the street by my apartment."
Components Involved: ENGINE
Date of incident: 2024-06-01

Recalls for the 2018 Ford ECOSPORT

Component Recalls

Choose a component to see what recalls people have made about them.

Recall:
"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.""
Consequence:
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.

Component(s) Involved: EQUIPMENT > OTHER > LABELS
Date of incident: 2018-05-14

FORD Overall Complaint Ranking

This table shows the ranking of car manufacturers when it comes to most complaints and recalls. The manufacturer with the most complaints is at the top. However this doesn't necassarily mean they should be avoided. Some manufacturers might just have more popular or affordable cars which a lot of people have bought. Which means there's more scope for a complaint to be made. Use the ranking table below as a part your wider research into buying a car.

FORD ranks 1 out of 44 in the complaints ranking table.

Manufacturer Complaint Count Recall Count Ranking
FORD 208,358 3,259 1
CHEVROLET 111,306 2,082 2
TOYOTA 81,019 1,852 3
HONDA 61,937 1,268 4
NISSAN 56,226 930 5
DODGE 45,756 827 6
HYUNDAI 44,150 649 7
GMC 34,441 1,410 8
KIA 29,832 501 9
CHRYSLER 27,698 254 10
TESLA 26,230 730 11
BMW 24,890 1,877 12
VOLKSWAGEN 23,125 829 13
MERCEDES-BENZ 19,066 2,925 14
SUBARU 18,513 703 15
MAZDA 10,599 364 16
PONTIAC 10,430 138 17
CADILLAC 9,434 444 18
AUDI 7,865 1,093 19
BUICK 7,851 279 20
SATURN 7,672 84 21
MERCURY 7,374 135 22
LEXUS 6,373 408 23
LINCOLN 5,897 423 24
ACURA 5,722 382 25
MINI 5,585 366 26
INFINITI 4,000 187 27
MITSUBISHI 3,912 397 28
VOLVO 3,875 727 29
PORSCHE 2,646 1,231 30
SUZUKI 2,272 123 31
FIAT 2,205 80 32
SAAB 1,536 76 33
JAGUAR 1,195 198 34
SMART 528 17 35
GENESIS 436 42 36
ISUZU 249 37 37
ALFA ROMEO 161 37 38
MASERATI 76 46 39
BENTLEY 46 159 40
POLESTAR 42 2 41
LUCID 14 6 42
CODA 4 2 43
MAYBACH 0 0 44

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