AI DamageFord Ecosport: problems, complaints, bulletins
Summary for the Ford Ecosport across 6 model years: 1,861 owner complaints and 84 NHTSA service bulletins, plus repair videos. Pick a year for details.
Model years
What fails most often
- 1 Engine and cooling 45% of all complaints
- 2 Engine 43% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 12% of all complaints
- 4 Fuel/propulsion system 6% of all complaints
- 5 Electrical system 5% of all complaints
- 6 Service brakes 4% of all complaints
- 7 Vehicle speed control 3% of all complaints
- 8 Air bags 2% of all complaints
- Engine and cooling: 839 complaints (45% of all), 4 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 17.
- Engine: 809 complaints (43% of all), 11 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 6.
- Powertrain: 223 complaints (12% of all), 5 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 22.
- Fuel/propulsion system: 113 complaints (6% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 89 complaints (5% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 94.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 1 L · petrol · turbo · 3 cyl 2018–2021named in 19 complaints
- 2 L · petrol · 4 cyl 2018–2022named in 2 complaints
- automatic, 6-speed 2018–2022
Drive: AWD, FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 1,861 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and cooling | 839 | 4 | 17 |
| Engine | 809 | 11 | 6 |
| Powertrain | 223 | 5 | 22 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 113 | 2 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 89 | 3 | 94 |
| Service brakes | 76 | 14 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 50 | 1 | 1 |
| Air bags | 29 | 17 | 0 |
| Steering | 18 | 1 | 0 |
| Structure | 13 | 3 | 7 |
| Wheels | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 10 | 2 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 7 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
I've had the same recall fixed on this car three times and once again on XXX myself and my husband were in the car driving and the wrench light and engine light came on and my car went into limp mode it wouldn't go above like 35mph I actually caught this on video and my husband was trying to make a u turn in a parking…
The low brake fluid warning came on my dash as I tried to stop at a stop sign. I tried again to depress the brake pedal and the brake pedal was not moving. It was like it was locked in place. The second time I tried to push the brake, the warning flashed that I had no brake fluid.
The steering wheel airbag did not deploy and the vehicle i hit was struck twice.
Because the brakes failed, I was unable to stop at a traffic light. The vehicle entered oncoming traffic and was involved in a collision, placing my safety and the safety of other motorists at risk. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? No.
The contact further stated that the parking brake was applied but was also inoperable. The contact stated that the vehicle sustained front-end damage, including impact to the center of the bumper, radiator damage, and hood intrusion into the engine compartment.
During the crash, the airbags did not deploy as photo, video, and police witness confirm. The impact was significant enough that airbags should have deployed, and I sustained injuries as a result.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
What to check before buying
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- Customer Satisfaction Program 26L02 Certain 2014-2021 Model Year Various Vehicles 1.0L Fox Classic Engine…
- Special Field Action 25L02 Certain 2017-2024 Model Year California Emissions-Certified Vehicles…
- Certain Model Year Multiple Vehicles Ford Pass/Lincoln Way Connectivity Concerns
- Various 2019-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with SYNC 3 may experience a partially or fully black…
- CERTAIN 2018-2024 MODEL YEAR VARIOUS VEHICLES — UPDATE SYNC SOFTWARE
- Certain 2018 - 2024 Model Year Various Vehicles Update SYNC Software
- Some 2019-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with a telematics control unit module (TCU) may exhibit…
- Certain 2018 - 2024 Model Year Various Vehicles Update SYNC Software In all the affected vehicles, due to…
- Some 2019-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with SYNC3 may experience various FordPass/LincolnWay…
- Some 2019-2024 vehicles equipped with SYNC 3 may experience a programming Error - "INSTL_ERR12" while…
- Some 2019-2024 vehicles equipped with SYNC 3 may experience a programming Error - "INSTL_ERR12" while…
- This article supersedes TSB 23-2307 to update the Service Procedure and vehicle model years affected
Repair videos
We do not copy videos: these are YouTube links credited to their authors. Amounts are as stated by the author and not verified by us.
- Ford EcoSport 2016 Car S Salvage Rebuild Part 4
- Ford EcoSport 2016 Cat S Salvage Rebuild Part 2
- Ford EcoSport 2016 Cat S Salvage Rebuild Part 3 It Didn't Go To Plan Today
- Rebuilding a 2018 Ford Ecosport Titanium Part 4 | Finishing Touches |
- Ford EcoSport 2018 Salvage Rebuild Repair Part 2 Back Again From The Paint Shop But Any Better ????
- Rebuilding a 2018 Ford Ecosport Titanium | Part 1
Other models of this make
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.