2021 Ford EcoSport: What to check before buying

Sudden engine failure is the main pattern. Reports describe a low oil pressure light, engine tapping, white smoke, overheating, or a loss of power, then a stall or seized engine and a dealer verdict that the engine needs replacing. Several dealers point to a failed oil pump drive belt tensioner, and some owners report repeat failures after repair. Failures are reported around 56,000 to 60,000 miles. Many filings are about recall repairs on hold because parts are unavailable, with some cars sitting at dealers for months. One crash report describes the car failing to stop in a driveway.

Sudden failure with little warning is the main theme. Reports describe stalling, low oil pressure, a burning oil smell, and metal in the oil, and dealers often blame a failed oil pump. A separate group reports coolant leaking into the engine before 10,000 miles, with replacement quotes of almost $9,000 to $10k. Other failures appear around 66,000 to 75,000 miles. Many filings describe long waits for recall parts and no loaner car. Some owners report overheating, shaking, stalling, or shredded belt debris after recall engine work.

Sudden loss of power is the most serious complaint, sometimes with a loud grinding noise in the middle of an intersection or a low oil pressure warning on the highway. Transmission reports include slipping, delayed shifts, the car moving backward while in drive, and a lockup at 10,000 miles. One crash report describes the car slipping out of gear and rolling down a driveway. Other reports cover a failing turbocharger near 40,000 miles, a failing alternator near 45,000, engine seizure, and repeat shutdowns after recall engine work.

Engines shut off while driving and take power steering with them, often on highways, and some owners report it happening repeatedly. One report describes black smoke, a fire, and a driver door that would not open, with a minor injury. Another describes a fatal crash after the car stopped moving on a major road. Other patterns include false coolant over-temperature warnings that put the car in limp mode, hard starts after refueling, and traction control warnings near 30,000 miles. Several problems began right after recall engine replacements.

Brakes stop working without warning in a few reports. One describes the pedal and parking brake both failing at low speed, ending in a rear-end crash. Another describes brakes releasing at a traffic light and then working again. One car rolled while in drive with the brake pedal pressed. The rest of the filings concern engine problems, such as a harsh restart and stall from auto start-stop, a fractured oil pump belt tensioner arm, and long waits for recall parts.

Engine stalls, not faults in the steering itself, drive these complaints. The engine shuts off or drops into limp mode on highways and exit ramps, leaving the car without power steering or brake assist. One report includes an injury. A low oil pressure warning comes before the stall in some cases. Several owners report the same failure returning soon after recall work, and one describes a dealer keeping the car for 11 months. Some owners went months without a rental while they waited.

Airbags may not work when needed. In one report, the airbags did not deploy when a much faster vehicle hit the car from behind on the highway, and the driver was injured. In another, the airbag warning light was on at purchase, the selling dealer dismissed it, and a Ford dealer later found the airbags inoperable. With only two filings, there is no wider pattern yet, but both reports point to a safety system that was not working.

Broken or worn parts show up in only two reports. In one, a rear cross arm snapped with no warning, which tilted the wheel and made the car undrivable until it was towed. In the other, front suspension parts and wheel bearings needed replacement, and the car vibrated heavily and made loud noises. That owner also lists transmission, engine, tire, sensor, and brake light failures. With so few complaints, these are isolated reports, not a confirmed trend.

Power cuts out suddenly in traffic, and one report describes losing all power on a busy beltway with a truck close behind. A low oil pressure light that turns on and off, along with a new engine noise, comes before a breakdown within minutes in another filing. Both cars had to be towed. The dealer told one owner the car needed a new engine but had no loaner, and that owner complained that recall parts were still not available.