Ford
Ford EcoSport years to avoid
Years to avoid: 2018. Best years: 2022.
The 2018 Ford EcoSport draws the most owner complaints for its age: 726, or 81 for each year on the road, against a median of 57 a year across the 5 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2018 is engine failure (192 reports).
- 1,842complaints
- 6recall campaigns
- 4model years with a page
Newest report Sep 24, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
Pick your model year
Owner complaints on file for each year.
Years to avoid
2018
Most reported: engine failure (192 reports, median 64,961 miles) and stalling (147 reports, median 59,565 miles).
Best years
2022
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
Complaints for each year on the road
Each model year's NHTSA complaints divided by the calendar years it has been on sale, counting this one (a 2018 model has had 9). Older cars have had longer to collect complaints, so raw totals flatter the new ones. Blue bars are the years to avoid.
Within one model, sales change less from year to year than they do between models, so a jump here is mostly a jump in problems. The call: the years to avoid are the (up to three) highest at 1.5 times the model's median rate or more, and the best are the (up to three) lowest at two thirds of it or less, from 2016 on.
Guide How much should a years-to-avoid list decide? What these lists get wrong
At a glance
- Where the complaints sit
- The 2018 has the most complaints of any Ford EcoSport year here: 726 of 1,842 (39%).
- Problem across the years
- The top problem changes over time: engine failure from 2018 to 2020; stalling in 2021. Pooled across the years, half of the 231 owners who gave a mileage for engine failure were under about 65,000 miles.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 3% of Ford EcoSport complaints report a crash, a fire or an injury, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The highest share is on the 2020, 16 of its 398 complaints.
- Recalls on the top problem
- Every model year where owners report engine failure also has a recall on the same system. A recall on the same system doesn't always cover the failure owners describe, so compare its summary with the complaints.
- When owners filed
- Filings peaked in 2024 at 787 (full calendar years only). In 2025 there were 420. So far in 2026, 146 more have come in.
Photo: Kevauto, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Second generation
| Year | Complaints | A year | Recalls | Most reported | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 avoid | 726 | 81 | 2 | Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing (192) | 63,265 |
| 2019 | 460 | 58 | 2 | Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing (107) | 66,000 |
| 2020 | 398 | 57 | 3 | Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing (86) | 67,000 |
| 2021 | 258 | 43 | 3 | Engine stalls or loses power while driving (52) | 50,000 |
Model years with too few complaints for a page of their own: 2022 (11).
Year by year
2021 Ford EcoSport
258 owner complaints, 43 for each year on the road (0.8 times the model median). Most reported: stalling (52 reports, median 54,000 miles), engine failure (37 reports, median 50,000 miles) and misfire (29 reports, median 60,688 miles). 6 reports involved a crash and 3 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 25V-126 on the transmission and drivetrain and 23V-905 on the engine.
2020 Ford EcoSport
398 owner complaints, 57 for each year on the road (1.0 times the model median). Most reported: engine failure (86 reports, median 64,444 miles), oil consumption (82 reports, median 71,670 miles) and stalling (69 reports, median 70,000 miles). 7 reports involved a crash and 26 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 23V-905 on the engine and 25V-442 on the backup camera.
2019 Ford EcoSport
460 owner complaints, 58 for each year on the road (1.0 times the model median). Most reported: engine failure (107 reports, median 69,576 miles), oil consumption (94 reports, median 70,000 miles) and stalling (88 reports, median 63,000 miles). 7 reports involved a crash and 5 people were hurt. 2 recalls, including 23V-905 on the engine and 19V-023 on the seats.
2018 Ford EcoSport avoid
726 owner complaints, 81 for each year on the road (1.4 times the model median). Most reported: engine failure (192 reports, median 64,961 miles), stalling (147 reports, median 59,565 miles) and oil consumption (139 reports, median 65,000 miles). 18 reports involved a crash and 10 people were hurt. 2 recalls, including 23V-905 on the engine and 18V-312 on the equipment.
Recalls that cover several model years
The oil pump drive belt or drive belt tensioner may fail, resulting in a loss of engine oil pressure.
A software error may cause the rearview camera to display a blank image, or the image may remain on the display after the backing event has ended.
Questions
What Ford EcoSport years should you avoid?
The 2018 Ford EcoSport draws the most owner complaints for its age: 726, or 81 for each year on the road, against a median of 57 a year across the 5 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2018 is engine failure (192 reports).
What are the best years for the Ford EcoSport?
The 2022 draws the fewest complaints for its age: 11, or 2 for each year on the road.
What is the most common problem on the Ford EcoSport?
Engine failure, with 422 reports across the 4 model years that have a page here. It's the single most reported problem on the 2018, 2019 and 2020.
How many recalls does the Ford EcoSport have?
6 recall campaigns cover the Ford EcoSport model years 2018 to 2021 on this site. The widest, 23V-905 on the engine, covers 4 model years.
How many Ford EcoSport complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
3% of them, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The 2020 has the highest share.
Is there a recall for engine failure on the Ford EcoSport?
Yes, on every model year where owners report it.