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Ford

2021 Ford ECOSPORT

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Avoid This Year

Quick Summary

The 2021 Ford ECOSPORT has 350 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 4.4x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is engine problems (61% of all complaints), specifically: the contact owns a 2021 ford ecosport. the contact stated while driving 65 mph, the vehicle stalled. the contact stated that a message to shift to park(p) and restart the vehicle was displayed. the contact pulled over and restarted the vehicle however, the failure recurred. the vehicle was taken to . ⚠️ 1 fire report filed.

1 fire report 8 crash reports 5 injuries

350

Total Complaints

0

Recalls Issued

/5

Safety Stars

4.4x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

ENGINE

213 complaints
61%
  • The contact owns a 2021 Ford Ecosport. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that a message to shift to park(P) and restart the vehicle was displayed. The contact pulled over and restarted the vehicle however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to
  • My vehicle has the 4 cylinder (non eco boost) engine. It started having an emissions system fault which has been causing exhaust and fuel fumes to not only be very strong under the hood, but has become very strong inside the cab when the climate control is on. Since this started, my wife and I have
  • The contact owns a 2021 Ford Ecosport. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, the low-pressure oil message appeared on the instrument panel. The contact pulled the vehicle off to the shoulder of the highway and had the vehicle towed to the dealer. Once at the dealer, a diagnostic test was
Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 2 crashes

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Ecosport. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that a message to shift to park(P) and restart the vehicle was displayed. The contact pulled over and restarted the vehicle however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to

— NHTSA complaint filing

TRANSMISSION

47 complaints
13%
  • Upon normal acceleration at a stop light, the car accelerated normally for about 2 seconds and then a loud grinding sound followed and I lost all acceleration in the middle of a busy intersection unexpectedly with cars having to slam their brakes behind me and steer into other oncoming traffic to av
  • The vehicle locked up and would't move at 10,000 miles. We were lucky that the car was in someone's driveway instead of on the road. The vehicle was new at the time of purchase. I have a relative who is an auto technician and he said that he has experienced this problem with Ford transmissions many
  • According to the dealership, the axle seal tore and leaked transmission fluid. No lights, warnings or messages ever appeared in the days leading up to or following the incident. I noticed a mechanical whining sound about 24hrs prior to the incident (what the dealership later explained was transmissi
Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 1 crashes

Upon normal acceleration at a stop light, the car accelerated normally for about 2 seconds and then a loud grinding sound followed and I lost all acceleration in the middle of a busy intersection unexpectedly with cars having to slam their brakes behind me and steer into other oncoming traffic to av

— NHTSA complaint filing

ELECTRICAL

23 complaints
7%
  • The contact owns a 2021 Ford Ecosport. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that a message to shift to park(P) and restart the vehicle was displayed. The contact pulled over and restarted the vehicle however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to
  • Faulty sensors that appeared to have been fixed with more faulty sensors. The car's sensors result in the car thinking it is in park, locking up the wheel, and losing some of the drive assist and controls.
  • On 7/18/2023, this vehicle was involved in a fatal crash. The vehicle stopped moving and would not proceed forward after stopping major roadway. A motorcycle struck the vehicle from behind and the two occupants were killed. The owner of the vehicle contacted the dealership where she bought it from
Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 1 fire reports💥 1 crashes

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Ecosport. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that a message to shift to park(P) and restart the vehicle was displayed. The contact pulled over and restarted the vehicle however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

21 complaints
6%
  • While driving I have experienced an issue 3 times since buying my vehicle in April 2021. The issue pertains the vehicle shutting down while in motion and following a message on the screen stating to put the vehicle in "park" and restart the vehicle. I am afraid this will happen while i am in the hig
  • The car has more than once accelerated on its own without any cruise control or pressing of the gas pedal. Usually just a short burst in low speed areas like parking lots. The engine almost retroactively overreacts to a light tap on the gas pedal. So far have caught it every time and been able to hi
  • EcoSport. Lease [XXX]. Car broke down at 6900 miles [XXX], was fixed and broke down again at 10,300 miles ([XXX]-towed to North Brothers Ford. same problem. (oil pump and engine issues). Apparently a fix won't be available until 2nd quarter in 2024, probably looking at June. I've been told that I ca
Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 2 crashes

While driving I have experienced an issue 3 times since buying my vehicle in April 2021. The issue pertains the vehicle shutting down while in motion and following a message on the screen stating to put the vehicle in "park" and restart the vehicle. I am afraid this will happen while i am in the hig

— NHTSA complaint filing

BRAKES

13 complaints
4%
  • Upon normal acceleration at a stop light, the car accelerated normally for about 2 seconds and then a loud grinding sound followed and I lost all acceleration in the middle of a busy intersection unexpectedly with cars having to slam their brakes behind me and steer into other oncoming traffic to av
  • My brakes let go while I was stopped at a traffic light almost causing me to rear end the car in front of me. Luckily the light turned green and the car in front of me moved before I ran into them. Went to try pull off the road to check what was going on and my brakes started working again. This inc
  • The contact owns a 2021 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road and contacted her son. The contact's son inspected the oil pump and oil filter but could not determine the cause of the failure.
Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 2 crashes

Upon normal acceleration at a stop light, the car accelerated normally for about 2 seconds and then a loud grinding sound followed and I lost all acceleration in the middle of a busy intersection unexpectedly with cars having to slam their brakes behind me and steer into other oncoming traffic to av

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

ENGINE(~50K mi)
$500
TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)
$500
ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)
$500
OTHER(~50K mi)
$500
BRAKES(~50K mi)
$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 350 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

  • ENGINE: The contact owns a 2021 Ford Ecosport. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that a message to shift to park(P) and restart the vehicle was displayed. The contact pulled over and restarted the vehicle however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to

    Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500

  • TRANSMISSION: Upon normal acceleration at a stop light, the car accelerated normally for about 2 seconds and then a loud grinding sound followed and I lost all acceleration in the middle of a busy intersection unexpectedly with cars having to slam their brakes behind me and steer into other oncoming traffic to av

    Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500

  • ELECTRICAL: The contact owns a 2021 Ford Ecosport. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that a message to shift to park(P) and restart the vehicle was displayed. The contact pulled over and restarted the vehicle however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to

    Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500

  • OTHER: While driving I have experienced an issue 3 times since buying my vehicle in April 2021. The issue pertains the vehicle shutting down while in motion and following a message on the screen stating to put the vehicle in "park" and restart the vehicle. I am afraid this will happen while i am in the hig

    Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500

  • General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)

Ford ECOSPORT — Year Comparison

How does 2021 compare to other years? Fewer complaints = more reliable.

Full years-to-avoid analysis →

NHTSA Safety Rating

No NHTSA safety rating available

At a Glance

Complaints
350
Recalls
0
Fire reports
1
Crash reports
8
Injury reports
5
Segment avg
80

Check a Specific VIN

See recalls for YOUR 2021 Ford ECOSPORT