2020 Ford EcoSport: What to check before buying

Sudden power loss after an oil pressure warning is the dominant failure. Drivers describe the low oil pressure, check engine, and wrench lights, shaking, a car that will not go above 30 MPH, loud banging or ticking, and stalling at stops. Dealers find disintegrated oil pump drive belts and engines that need replacing, with failures cited near 33,000 and 41,376 miles. Most filings are about waiting. Owners hold a recall notice, but dealers say parts are on backorder, and one was told it could take a year. A few reports describe an abnormal odor through the vents.

A low oil pressure warning followed by a ruined motor is the main pattern. Power fades, sometimes on the highway or an on-ramp, followed by knocking and metal-on-metal noise. Dealers report metal shavings in the oil and a failed oil pump or chain, and the usual fix is a full engine replacement, quoted in one case at $6,800. Many failures land around 60,000 miles, just past warranty. Three reports involve fire under the hood or car, and some drivers say the brakes stiffened once the motor quit.

Loss of motive power at speed accounts for most of these reports. The engine revs without pulling, limp mode caps speed near 30 to 35 MPH, and the oil pressure light comes on. Dealers trace many cases to a broken oil pump belt or tensioner that ruins the engine, at mileages such as 72,000 and 90,000. Several owners say problems return after an engine replacement or recall repair, citing belt debris and a failed turbocharger. Two reports describe fires under the car after the engine seized. Engine backorders leave some cars parked for months.

Backup camera and screen glitches are the most common complaint. The camera switches on while driving, the screen goes blue or black, and radio and GPS stop working. Some owners say the screen shuts off to save battery and takes the dash and climate controls with it. Others report the car losing power or shutting off in park around 35k miles, instrument cluster lamp warnings, and one case of surging to 5,000 rpm in park. Water under the passenger seat from a clogged sunroof drain also appears.

Squeaking, groaning, or other abnormal noise when braking in reverse is the main brake-specific pattern. It shows up at 8,600 and 19,736 miles and returns after rear brake work. Several other filings tie brake trouble to engine failure: when the engine seizes or loses power, the pedal turns very hard and the car is slow to stop. One filing lists only a pending recall with parts unavailable and no failure.

Airbags that fail to deploy in a crash are the main concern, across four crash reports and two injuries. Drivers describe front impacts into trees and a rear-end collision with no deployment, plus a side impact where the curtain bags fired but the front bags did not. One report describes both front airbags deploying on their own at about 45 MPH, near 79,000 miles. Another owner saw an airbag warning light at about 90,000 miles that was never diagnosed.

Sudden loss of power when pulling away or passing is the main pattern. The check engine and wrench lights come on, and speed drops to a crawl in traffic. Some owners also see low oil pressure warnings or have trouble starting, and dealers often cannot find the cause. One report describes the opposite problem happening twice: the car surges forward while nearly stopped on a slight incline, with no warning lights, and the driver has to stomp the brake.

Few of these filings concern the suspension itself. Two describe the engine oil pump belt tensioner breaking. The result is lost speed control on the interstate, a no-start, and engine damage, followed by waits of months for repair. The third describes a crash in which a box truck hit the stopped car at about 45 MPH and the seat bent, leaving the occupant with a concussion and other injuries.

Belts that fail to retract or hold firmly are the common thread. Owners describe a stretched driver's belt that feels loose, and passenger belts that click abnormally and will not retract, which leaves the passenger unsecured. In one case at 84,000 miles, the dealer said the belt needed replacement. None of these reports mention warning lights.