FORD ECOSPORT · model year

2021 FORD ECOSPORT

311 NHTSA complaints, 3 crash reports, and 3 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

4 / 5 ★

New Car Assessment Program

The 2021FORDECOSPORT carries 311 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 3 crashes, 1 fire, 4 injuries, and 2 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall 4/5 rating, with 4/5 front crash, 5/5 side crash, and 4/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2021 ECOSPORT is engine and engine cooling with 127 filings, followed by engine (70) and power train (43). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 3 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 1 investigation file overlapping the 2021 ECOSPORT. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

311
Complaints
3
Crashes
1
Fires
4
Injuries
2
Deaths
2021 FORD ECOSPORT — NHTSA crash-test profile NHTSA NCAP crash-test star ratings for the 2021 FORD ECOSPORT. Overall composite: 4.0 of 5 stars across 3 safety dimensions. Front CrashSide CrashRollover 4.0 NHTSA NCAP of 5 stars
  • Front Crash 4.0 ★
  • Side Crash 5.0 ★
  • Rollover 4.0 ★
NHTSA overall 4.0/5 stars, with front-crash, side-crash and rollover ratings from standardized NCAP barrier and dynamic tests.

Total Complaints

311 filings

Crashes Reported

3 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

Above median complaint volume — review patterns below.

NHTSA NCAP overall: 4/5 — Strong NCAP rating · Front: 4/5 · Side: 5/5 · Rollover: 4/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING127
ENGINE70
POWER TRAIN43
UNKNOWN OR OTHER17
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM17
SERVICE BRAKES8
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM7
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL7
STEERING3
SEAT BELTS2
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC2
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:INSTRUMENT PANEL:FUEL GAUGE1
VISIBILITY/WIPER1
WHEELS1

Recalls (3)

25V12600028/02/2025

POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2022 EcoSport vehicles. The front axle half shafts may disconnect from the transmission, which can result in a loss of drive power.

25V44200027/06/2025

BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2022 Transit Connect, 2019-2020 MKZ, MKX, Edge, Continental, F-150, Nautilus, Fusion, 2019-2023 Ranger, Mustang, 2020-2021 EcoSport, Expedition, Navigator, 2020-2022 Escape, F-250 SD, Corsair, 2020-2023 Aviator, Transit, 2020-2024 Explorer, 2021-2

23V90500022/12/2023

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OIL/LUBRICATION:PUMP

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.

Recent Complaints

20260202ENGINE

Due to a lack of available parts for this recall, the vehicle repairs will take up to 30 plus days before the parts arrive. On top of that, there is a waiting list for the vehicles that need to be fixed. This means, I will be without a vehicle for a lengthy amount of time. They don’t have enough loaners vehicles and I cannot afford to purchase a new car at this time. This recall issue has caused people lots of unneeded stress, maintenance cost, and loss of wages. Ford needs to be held accountable on this issues. Additionally, I took the vehicle to a Ford Dealership (LaFayette Ford) on/about the 2 of May 2025. There were two recalls on the vehicle at that time. The fixed one recall. They informed that, there was nothing they could do with recall 23S64 until the vehicle was having issues. They did not inform me nor give me the option to get the issues corrected at the time or be placed on a waiting list once the parts were available. I would have placed the vehicle on the waiting to

20260202ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2021 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that on three separate occasions, the oil pump drive tensioner belt had failed and was replaced. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). After the repairs were performed, the failure reoccurred, and the contact was informed that the part needed to be replaced another time. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 56,000.

Mileage: 56,000

20260128AIR BAGS

The airbag service light was on prior to purchase. It wasn’t acknowledged by the dealership. When I asked about it he said “it’s because the car was sitting in the cold”. I took the car in to get looked at at a Ford dealership and they said my airbags are inoperable. My safety is at risk.

20260113ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2021 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated. The contact heard an abnormally tapping sound coming from the engine compartment, and there was white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe and under the hood. The contact pulled over and turned off the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the oil drive belt tensioner arm had failed and caused the engine to seize. The dealer informed the contact that the engine and oil pump needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) and had been placed on a waiting list by another dealer for the recall repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and advised the contact that the engine and oil pump for the year and the model vehicle were on back order. The contact stated

Mileage: 69,000

20251223ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2021 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA 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 made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

20251221UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I bought a new 2021 Ford ecosport with several recalls. I've reported previous one on the recall list. However the following two are not on recall list. First, the back up camera is malfunctioning. It turns black when reversing. Secondly, within a week of purchasing brand new the vehicle had loose rail covering on top of vehicle. Not sure of the proper name. It fell off on highway SH 99. I had to pull over on shoulder lane and pickup the long black strip or rail from road. Only one strip malfunctioned. It could have caused an accident and hit car behind me as length of strip was one car size. I did not know what to do as I've never own a recall vehicle ever. The only thing I did was tell multiple dealerships nearby and ask for advice. They instructed me the cost to replace and that was it.

20251220ENGINE

The engine died in an unexpected earlier timeframe than recall notice. I had to get vehicle towed at my expense as no offers existed for recalls yet to the nearest Ford. This means it sat longer with a dead engine and battery not in use. The battery was brand new before the engine died. After Ford installed a new engine I picked up my vehicle. I now had a new problem. The battery light came on. It was late when I picked up my car and the dealership was closing. I notified Ford c/s the next day and they approved to take it back to ANY dealership. There are several Ford dealerships near my home. My 2nd option was Bill Fick Ford. In short I told them my story listed above + recall final engine repair due. Initially there was a female that approved towing and said Ford would help me with towing cost up to $250. The tow truck driver never showed up. I called the tow truck driver the next day and he said he is willing to pickup but will call Ford to confirm. I called Bill Fick Ford several m

20251219ENGINE

The contact owns a 2021 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that the engine seized while driving at an undisclosed speed. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer after several months, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). Upon retrieval of the vehicle, the battery light started flickering. The contact called another dealer, Gullo Ford of Conroe (925 Interstate 45 S #2, Conroe, TX 77301), but no further assistance was provided. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 124,000.

Mileage: 124,000

20251219ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2021 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that the engine seized while driving at an undisclosed speed. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer after several months, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). Upon retrieval of the vehicle, the battery light started flickering. The contact called another dealer, Gullo Ford of Conroe (925 Interstate 45 S #2, Conroe, TX 77301), but no further assistance was provided. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 124,000.

Mileage: 124,000

20251219ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2021 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that the engine seized while driving at an undisclosed speed. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer after several months, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). Upon retrieval of the vehicle, the battery light started flickering. The contact called another dealer, Gullo Ford of Conroe (925 Interstate 45 S #2, Conroe, TX 77301), but no further assistance was provided. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 124,000.

Mileage: 124,000

20251216BACK OVER PREVENTION

The contact owns a 2021 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while reversing, the rearview camera image was blue. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving forward, the rearview camera image erroneously displayed intermittently. The local dealer was notified of the failures and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V442000(Back Over Prevention). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the same failure described in the recall. Additionally, the contact stated that the warning message "Front Drive Shaft" was displayed while driving. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 80,000.

Mileage: 80,000

20251210ENGINE

Oil light and check engine light came on and notification for poor oil pressure out of nowhere. Car started making weird sounds and acceleration was poor. One minute the car was fine and the next I had to tow it to the dealership to get it looked at. Over 2 months now and the issue isn’t resolved as the dealership hasn’t received the parts that they need to repair it.

20251201ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2021 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving 20 MPH, the vehicle unintendedly decelerated to 5MPH while the accelerator pedal was depressed. No warning light was illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted; however, parts were not available. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. 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 31,000.

Mileage: 31,000

20251121ENGINE

23S64-Engine Oil Pump RECALL 8/19/2025 driving from Hillsboro Beach, Florida to St. Petersburg, Florida. We had a full engine seizure, we lost oil pressure, and also lost use of the transmission. We overheated and the engine seized. With a loss of power, we had to guide the car off the road. The engine was smoking heavily. The back of the car was completely covered with motor oil. The Florida Highway Patrol called us a tow truck that took us to DeSoto Ford, 3039 Southeast Highway 70, Arcadia, Florida, 34266, 863-494-4848. DeSoto Ford ended up doing multiple repairs on the car. They did the replacement of the 23S64 recall for the oil pump belt and tensioner. The car was there for 24 days. We drove down on 9/12/25 and picked up the car. When they pulled the car out, the car was still covered in oil in the back. We found out within days that they neglected to fix the radiator. Once we got into the car and started driving, we had yet another very loud noise, forcing us to bring it to Au

20251121POWER TRAIN

23S64-Engine Oil Pump RECALL 8/19/2025 driving from Hillsboro Beach, Florida to St. Petersburg, Florida. We had a full engine seizure, we lost oil pressure, and also lost use of the transmission. We overheated and the engine seized. With a loss of power, we had to guide the car off the road. The engine was smoking heavily. The back of the car was completely covered with motor oil. The Florida Highway Patrol called us a tow truck that took us to DeSoto Ford, 3039 Southeast Highway 70, Arcadia, Florida, 34266, 863-494-4848. DeSoto Ford ended up doing multiple repairs on the car. They did the replacement of the 23S64 recall for the oil pump belt and tensioner. The car was there for 24 days. We drove down on 9/12/25 and picked up the car. When they pulled the car out, the car was still covered in oil in the back. We found out within days that they neglected to fix the radiator. Once we got into the car and started driving, we had yet another very loud noise, forcing us to bring it to Au

20251118ENGINE

The contact owns a 2021 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving 30-40 MPH, the messages "Save the Battery", "Turn off Engine", and "Restart" were displayed. The program restarted, and the screen went blank, and the instrument cluster became inoperable. Additionally, the contact was informed about NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V126000 (Power Train). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer again, where it was diagnosed and determined that the alternator, engine, transmission, and computer needed to be replaced. The mechanic informed the contact that there was no warranty coverage for the failure. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

Mileage: 50,000

20251118POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2021 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving 30-40 MPH, the messages "Save the Battery", "Turn off Engine", and "Restart" were displayed. The program restarted, and the screen went blank, and the instrument cluster became inoperable. Additionally, the contact was informed about NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V126000 (Power Train). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer again, where it was diagnosed and determined that the alternator, engine, transmission, and computer needed to be replaced. The mechanic informed the contact that there was no warranty coverage for the failure. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

Mileage: 50,000

20251118ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL

The contact owns a 2021 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving 30-40 MPH, the messages "Save the Battery", "Turn off Engine", and "Restart" were displayed. The program restarted, and the screen went blank, and the instrument cluster became inoperable. Additionally, the contact was informed about NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V126000 (Power Train). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer again, where it was diagnosed and determined that the alternator, engine, transmission, and computer needed to be replaced. The mechanic informed the contact that there was no warranty coverage for the failure. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

Mileage: 50,000

20251107ENGINE

This is the third time the engine has broken down, twice in two months now

20251106ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2021 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the message "Charge System Fault" displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that the vehicle almost stalled, and the vehicle was running rough. The contact was aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the oil pump had failed and damaged the engine. The contact was informed that several parts needed to complete the repair were on a national back order. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 56,971.

Mileage: 56,971

Compare 2021FORDECOSPORT to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2021 FORD ECOSPORT have?
The 2021 FORD ECOSPORT has 311 NHTSA complaints, 3 crashes, 1 fires, 4 injuries, and 2 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2021 FORD ECOSPORT?
The 2021 FORD ECOSPORT received an overall NHTSA safety rating of 4/5, front crash rating of 4/5, side crash rating of 5/5, and rollover rating of 4/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2021 FORD ECOSPORT?
Yes, the 2021 FORD ECOSPORT has 3 recall(s). The most common affected component is POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2021 FORD ECOSPORT?
The most-complained component for the 2021 FORD ECOSPORT is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING with 127 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE and POWER TRAIN.
Is the 2021 FORD ECOSPORT safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. The 2021 FORD ECOSPORT has an NHTSA safety rating of 4/5. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.