One of the smallest and cheapest offerings from Ford would be the 2018 Ford EcoSport. Its main advantages include good space utilization and low price, making it a good car for city usage. But with its reliability coming to question with a total of 78 complaints and only 1 recall, buyers are getting skeptical. Starting at an MSRP of $19,995, it can be cheap but also feels that way when you look at its interiors. Its competition includes cars like the Kia Soul, the Hyundai Kona, and the Honda HR-V. Through this article, we explore 2018 Ford Ecosport problems in detail.
2018 Ford EcoSport User Complaints and Problems
Mechanical problems:
- Many owners have reported oil pump issues with the car. The oil pressure seems low in many cars and this can cause lubrication problems and can even result in engine seizure. This seems to be the most common one in the list of Ford Ecosport engine problems.
- Multiple owners have also reported issues in which the brake pedal locked and failed to operate as designed. In other instances, the pedal goes completely down to the floor because the vacuum pump fails. This can leave the owner no choice apart from using the parking brake to stop the vehicle.
- In another unrelated engine issue, many owners have had problems with the timing failing. This is also catastrophic and can damage several parts of the engine. Several owners have reported power loss and Ford Ecosport acceleration problems are not uncommon.
- Although it seems to be an uncommon issue, one user noticed a strong heat smell. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. However, another user had the engine completely going up in flames.
- Many users have complained about the tires that come in the car from the factory. They suffer blowouts and such regularly, while the manufacturer refuses to acknowledge the situation.
- Few owners have complained about the car having delayed acceleration or being jerky while shifting gears. These could be due to multiple Ford Ecosport transmission problems.
Electrical system problems:
- One user has experienced several malfunctions including the car shutting down completely and requiring to be restarted. However, sometimes this does not work and the car needs to be towed to the dealership. During other times, there are issues with the hill assist and the traction control.
- Other owners have should complaints about the digital displays and radio settings being changed without any input, the car reducing in speed and accelerating on its own, to name a few.
- A few owners have also faced issues with the battery discharging even after being replaced multiple times.
Interior problems:
- One user states that the sunroof shattered without any impact. This can be the reason for serious safety concerns if not solved urgently.
Miscellaneous problems:
- One owner has complained that the lug nuts of the vehicle do not come off easily because they are designed in such a way that they do not keep out debris or moisture. This can make the caps swell, and distort until the wrench does not fit properly. This problem has occurred for multiple users.
- There have been many complaints about the gasket on the rear tailgate leaking water inside the vehicle during rains.
- Some users have felt that the headlights of the car did not illuminate enough stretch of the road to drive safely.
- Many people have also reported issues with the door locks of the car. They randomly lock and unlock in some cases while they are completely inoperable in others.
Safety problems:
- One user reported an incident in which the car was totaled due to being involved in a freeway accident which resulted in a frontal collision for the vehicle. The upper airbags failed to deploy in this situation, while the knee airbags did deploy. Other users have been less fortunate, with airbags not deploying at all.
2018 Ford EcoSport Recalls
|
S. No. |
Date |
NHTSA Campaign Number |
Issues Noticed |
Additional Remarks |
Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
May 14, 2018 |
18V312000 |
Incorrect brake fluid cap |
The label on the brake fluid cap can be wrong and users might top up with the wrong grade of fluid. |
Dealers will replace the brake fluid cap and owner’s manual kit, free of charge. |
Should you buy the 2018 Ford EcoSport?
The Ford EcoSport has a few strengths but most of them are ones offered by its rivals. There have been a lot of Ford Ecosport common problems, many of them being catastrophic. Since oil starvation issues are quite common and the car has a lot of other electrical faults as well, we cannot recommend it to someone planning to buy a car. Our suggestion in the segment would be the Honda HR-V which happens to be a better all-rounder car and costs pretty much the same.
