2018 Ford Ecosport: start-stop system problems

Filed Feb 14, 2025 · Transmission · CA

1. The vehicle jumps when being put into gear and sometimes slips or is delayed as well. It also has a sound that goes along with it. This has been a problem since the first started driving the vehicle. Like many issues with this vehicle it is not consistent, however I estimate that this happens 75% of the time. 2. I have bumped are in my car port multiple times. I've stayed very vigilant as, it has jumped a couple times when I'm in a parking lot at a busy shopping area and people are walking in the lot. It feels very unstable and unpredictable. The whole car jerks. 3. I have been to the dealership for other issues related to the auto start stop not working and engine failure from the 23V905 recall. I am not sure if this was part of the inspections. 4. There are no warning indicators for this. It happens and is jarring. Note below, it is not one incident date, it is constant.

Filed Jan 21, 2025 · Electrical, Engine · 125,000 miles · CA

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH and attempting to complete a turn, the Auto START/STOP feature activated and turned the vehicle off, with the message "Shift to Park(P) to Manually Restart" was displayed. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The battery warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with a piston, resulting in damages to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); the VIN was included, but parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 125,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Filed Jul 18, 2024 · Engine · 50,000 miles · CA

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH and attempting to depress the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. As a result of the failure, the contact drove in neutral a short distance to the residence. The contact also stated that the Auto Start/Stop warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or local dealer. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Filed Nov 20, 2023 · Electrical, Engine · 42,000 miles · TX

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Ecosport. The contact stated while driving 35-40 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the thermostat had failed. The vehicle was then taken to another independent mechanic, who made the same assessment and informed the contact that the failure could be covered under warranty. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer replaced the engine under warranty; however, the failure recurred within 24 hours. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where the thermostat and the starter were replaced. The contact stated that while pulling out of a Walmart parking lot the following day, the vehicle shut off. The contact jumpstarted the vehicle, and the battery was replaced at Walmart; however, the vehicle shut off several times within an hour of replacing the battery. The contact stated that while coming to a complete stop in the highway, the vehicle shut off. The contact was unable to pull to the side of the road. The contact stated that she pushed the vehicle to the side of the road with the assistance of bystanders. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was being diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the auto Start/Stop feature seemed to malfunction with the engine turning off when coming to a stop, but the vehicle failed to restart as needed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 42,0000.

Filed Jun 21, 2023 · Airbags, Seat belts · GA

car failed to accelerate then lost power then stopped running. my app gave me these messages occupant classification system module is present but not configured, airbag warning is on due to electrical issue with vehicle and poertrain malfunctio powertrain fault. After turning the car off an disabling auto start stop the vehicle got me home. but due to the airbag issue my app advised me to not drive the vehicle. 2 months ago the auto start stop failed to restart and car would not automatically recrank. i usually turn auto start stop off due to the failure to auto restart. I did not disable the auto start stop today until i had had ghe acceleration and power failure.

Filed Jan 6, 2020 · Electrical, Engine · 34,000 miles · CA

I purchase a new 2018 ford ecosport. On 12/22/19 the vehicle would not start. There was auxiliary power inside but no response from the engine even after receiving a jump. After approximately 30 minutes the car started. On 12/23/19 I had a ford dealer check the vehicle. They claimed it was the battery and replaced it. However, on 1/3/20 (11 days later) while sitting at a light in traffic the vehicle stopped and would not restart. Once again there was auxiliary power but no engine response. I had to get pushed out of the middle of the street in traffic. I took the vehicle to a different dealer (I was out of town) they insisted that it was the battery (eventhough it was replaced only days prior) and suggested I disable the auto stop/start feature and turn off the automatic headlights. I am concerned that ford is missing something. After reading other similar accounts I was compelled to report my experiences. I am afraid that there is a safety hazard in this vehicle which may cause bodily injury and/or death. Please help us prevent a tragedy

Filed Jul 23, 2018 · Engine · 2,849 miles · TX

The engine will randomly shut off when in park mode due the auto-stop start feature not disengaging correctly. Ford has not been able to reproduce the problem and doesn't have a solution.