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2018 Ford Ecosport: engine knocking or ticking

26 of the 728 complaints about the 2018 Ford Ecosport describe engine knocking or ticking.

owner complaints
26
of this car's complaints
4%
typical mileage
65,000
recalls
1
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall and 12 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below

Engine knocking or ticking by model year

What owners say

Filed Jul 21, 2026 · Engine · 106,000 miles · IL

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine, and the vehicle lost automotive power. The contact stated that while slowing down, the RPM became extremely elevated, and the low oil pressure warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle failed to accelerate, and the contact pulled over into a nearby parking lot and parked the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 106,000.

Filed Jul 6, 2026 · Transmission · KY

There was a recall on these cars do to timing chain issues but mine was not in the recall with the others but ones not in recall are having same issues. Car is a ticking time bomb I want fixed under the recall.

Filed Feb 19, 2025 · Engine · 49,000 miles · GA

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the oil pressure warning light illuminated with an abnormal, knocking sound coming from the vehicle. The contact's husband immediately pulled over and left the vehicle on the side of the highway. The vehicle was later towed to a local dealer where it was confirmed that the failure was related to the recall; the vehicle remained with the dealer. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 49,000.

Filed Jan 14, 2025 · Engine · 30,546 miles · CA

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of 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 contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle started making a ticking sound. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was driven to Midas to be diagnosed; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed, and the contact was informed to take the vehicle to the dealer for assistance. The local dealer was contacted, and the vehicle was diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired with the same recalled parts and the engine was replaced. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,546. VIN tool confirms part not available.

Filed Oct 2, 2024 · Engine · 65,000 miles · TX

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware of a knocking sound coming from the engine with the low oil warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the oil pump tensioner assembly and oil pump drive belt had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the parts not being available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Filed Jul 25, 2024 · Engine · 55,000 miles · GA

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact's son stated that while driving 50 MPH, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from under the hood, and the "Low Engine Oil Pressure" message was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact's son was able to pull over to the shoulder and check the oil level. The oil level was normal, and the vehicle was driven to a local dealer, but the vehicle stalled before arriving. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer to be diagnosed but the result was not available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.

Filed Apr 30, 2024 · Engine · 93,000 miles · FL

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of 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 made aware of the issue. The contact had experienced a failure. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the contact heard an abnormal knocking sound from the engine compartment. The contact stated that several warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was able to pull off the roadway. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to a dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the oil pump had failed, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Filed Apr 29, 2024 · Engine · 65,000 miles · KS

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while his wife was driving approximately 55 MPH, the "Oil" warning light illuminated, and there was a knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was immediately parked and later towed to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the engine oil pump had failed. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer who confirmed the diagnosis. The contact was informed that the failure was related to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) but the parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 65,000. The VIN was not available.

Filed Feb 6, 2024 · Engine · 80,000 miles · TX

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of 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 made aware of the issue. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 65 MPH, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment and then the "Low Oil Pressure" warning light illuminated, and the vehicle started losing motive power. The driver exited the highway and was able to stop the vehicle in a parking lot. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to a local dealer. The contact stated that the dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that Part Number: SSM49918 which was related to the oil pump had failed and caused the engine to seize. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Filed Jan 22, 2024 · Engine · NY

When driving to work one day my car suddenly started to lose power and then made a knocking/ticking noise from the engine area. I proceeded to try and pull off the road as safely as I could (was in a mild traffic area) the vehicle ended up quitting running as I got off the road and now had a low oil pressure warning on the dash and would not run anymore.

Filed Jan 11, 2024 · Electrical, Engine · MI

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of 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 contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and continue driving. Approximately two and a half years later, while driving approximately 40 MPH, there was a knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The low oil pressure warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over, parked the vehicle, and had the vehicle towed. The dealer was contacted, and the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the battery cable had melted after the first failure. The vehicle was returned to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed. The battery, engine, and catalytic converter had been replaced; however, the recall repair had not been completed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Filed Jan 4, 2024 · Engine · 76,000 miles · NC

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the low oil level warning light illuminated, and the engine started knocking. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 76,000.

Service bulletins that may apply

Related recalls

Engine and engine cooling: engine: oil/lubrication: pumpReported December 22, 2023 · 139,730 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Ford Focus and 2018-2022 Ford EcoSport vehicles. The oil pump drive belt or drive belt tensioner may fail, resulting in a loss of engine oil pressure.
Risk
A loss of oil pressure can result in an engine stall and a loss of power braking assist, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the oil pump tensioner assembly and oil pump drive belt, free of charge. If engine failure occurs due to a damaged oil pump belt and/or oil pump belt tensioner, Ford has authorized dealers to replace the engine assembly as an interim repair before the availability of remedy parts for the final repair. This repair will be free of charge (parts and labor). Owner notification letters were mailed August 11, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23S64.

Recall number 23V905000 · Recall details

Questions about the 2018 Ford Ecosport knocking

Is engine knocking or ticking a common problem on the 2018 Ford Ecosport?

26 of 728 owner complaints about the 2018 Ford Ecosport (4%) mention engine knocking or ticking. The model year with the most reports is 2018.

Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2018 Ford Ecosport?

There is 1 recall and 12 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.

Other symptoms on the 2018 Ford Ecosport

Engine failure 169Check engine light 142Stalling 87Loss of power 52Won't start 16Jerking 14Oil consumption 14Misfire 12Hesitation 11Grinding brakes 10Fire or smoke 10Overheating 8Won't shift 8Brake failure 7Start-stop 7Warning lights 7Harsh shifting 5Transmission failure 5

All model years of the Ford Ecosport

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