2018 Ford Ecosport: jerking or lurching

Filed Aug 8, 2025 · Engine · FL

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the vehicle jerked abnormally. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle would not be serviced under the recall if the engine had not failed or seized. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was not available.

Filed Jul 8, 2025 · Engine · OH

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 at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated and jerked while attempting to accelerate. There were no warning lights illuminated. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Filed Jun 9, 2025 · Transmission · 83,000 miles · FL

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated and jerked abnormally while the transmission was shifting gear. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed there were metal shavings found inside the transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission and torque converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 83,000.

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 Dec 20, 2024 · Engine · 21,000 miles · AZ

The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while pulling into the garage and depressing the brake pedal, the engine revved significantly. The contact stated upon shifting to park(P), the vehicle jerked and remained parked. The contact then turned off the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated while at a complete stop and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle rolled forward unintendedly. The contact parked and turned off the vehicle temporarily. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Additionally, 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. 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 21,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Filed Aug 23, 2024 · Transmission · VA

While driving down the road the car started to make a weird clunking sound and started to jerk when I made a turns and continued to jerk until stopped. * Independent service removed and replaced the rear differential * There were no warning signs

Filed May 28, 2024 · Engine · OH

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Ecosport. The contact stated while driving at approximately 40–55 MPH, the vehicle began to jerk, and there was an abnormally loud sound coming from the vehicle. The low oil pressure message was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was unknown.

Filed May 7, 2024 · Transmission · NJ

In February of 2024, the transmission on this vehicle was bucking and jerking. I took it to Ford and they assessed it as transmission failure. I had the transmission replaced. On Thursday May 2, 2024, having only driven approximately 3,000 miles in the interim, the new transmission went while I was driving 50 mph on a highway. The vehicle had a loud bang and jerk and would not go more than 10 mph. Nothing on the dash lit up to warn of any problem. Thankfully it was very early in the morning so there was little traffic. I was able to turn around and drive on the shoulder back to my house. During that time I could hear what sounded like parts bouncing around and the vehicle sounded like it was stuck in 2nd gear. I had it taken by flatbed to my mechanic, who confirmed that the transmission is again damaged beyond repair. This vehicle has the same defective transmission as the Focus. It is a lemon and should be subject to recall or at the very least the extension of warranty made by Ford for the Focus. They know that this is a defect in the design and they should be held accountable for their error. Had it been rush hour, I could have been killed or at the very least grievously injured.

Filed Apr 19, 2024 · Engine · GA

Oil light came on, then 10 mins later engine light came on. Car started to jerk back and forth. Engine was making a loud rough noise.

Filed Jan 8, 2024 · Electrical, Steering · VA

This has happened several times. While driving, the dashboard goes completely black. No gauges, no radio, no turn signals, no power steering, sometimes the wipers will work, no heat, no defrost. As suddenly as it went away everything comes back and the power steering causes the steering wheel to jerk in your hand. I’ve called Ford Customer Relations twice and they are not concerned that that is a safety issue. However, all the gauges went out last night and now won’t come back. I have video of the incident happening while driving but your website won’t allow me to upload it.

Filed Jan 5, 2024 · Engine, Fuel system · TX

While driving, the oil warning light came on. I took the car to Firestone where they said the oil was very black, but it had been less than 3,000 miles since it was changed last. They changed the oil and the light went off, but after leaving, I made it barely a quarter of a mile when the engine light came on and the car began jerking. I was able to continue driving at a very low speed to pull over safely. After parking, the car shut down and would not start back up. I had to get the car towed to the nearest Ford dealership. They diagnosed the car with an engine failure due to excessive metal debris found in the oil pan as well as in the valve train assembly. Apparently this is a known issue with the EcoSport that I was unaware of until this incident occurred. The fact that Ford knew this was an issue and took no steps to inform me or other consumers is a huge problem. Not only that, I should not have been made to pay for any repairs due to this known issue. It is clear that they went forward with production on this car with faulty parts, including the windshield wiper pump. I can definitely understand why they stopped producing this vehicle and honestly they should all be off the road at this point. I tried to upload the repair invoice, but every time I press the “upload” button, it just disappears.

Filed Jul 13, 2023 · Engine · 93,000 miles · AR

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Ecosport. The contact stated that when the vehicle was shifted to drive or reverse, the vehicle started to jerk. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 - 55 MPH, the engine started to overheat with the "Low Engine Oil Pressure" message and the oil lamp warning light illuminated. The vehicle stalled and the contact coasted to the side of the road. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The failure recurred 3 times on that day. The contact became aware of white smoke coming from the rear of the vehicle near the exhaust pipe which dissipated after the vehicle was shut off. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact notified that vehicle had experienced engine failure; however, the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 93,000.