2018+ Ford EcoSport banner

Hello Fellow EcoSporters.

914 Views 13 Replies 4 Participants Last post by  earlmader
I traded in my Escape for a real tire scorching Race Red, 2020 Ecosport (VA). I’m happy with it so far, but can already see there is very little aftermarket support. I hope people here can help in that area. The mods/upgrades I’ve made so far are some vinyl carbon fiber adhesive covering on parts where my foot traffic likes to leave dirt and scrapes, a steering wheel cover, two horrible, cheap, universal Wally World seat covers and two Gil Elvgren pin up girl decals on the rear window.
Planned mods: a bull bar, roof bars, towing hitch , diy spare tire carrier, window tinting, beefier tires, K&N drop in red filters, chambered muffler and throttle response enhancer.

2.0l SE
  • Like
Reactions: 1
1 - 14 of 14 Posts
Welcome! You can see that this site doesn't get a lot of traffic, but I like it. I just recently got my SES and I'm very happy with it. I enjoy it more than I thought I would. It came from Canada with the winter package and has all the goodies except the B&O sound system. I don't really crank the tunes much, anyway. The 7 speaker is adequate for my needs.

Solid engine, solid tranny. I expect it to last a long time.
I traded in my Escape for a real tire scorching Race Red, 2020 Ecosport (VA). I’m happy with it so far, but can already see there is very little aftermarket support. I hope people here can help in that area. The mods/upgrades I’ve made so far are some vinyl carbon fiber adhesive covering on parts where my foot traffic likes to leave dirt and scrapes, a steering wheel cover, two horrible, cheap, universal Wally World seat covers and two Gil Elvgren pin up girl decals on the rear window.
Planned mods: a bull bar, roof bars, towing hitch , diy spare tire carrier, window tinting, beefier tires, K&N drop in red filters, chambered muffler and throttle response enhancer.

2.0l SE
I have a bull bar on mine The installation is not hard, but the directions that come with it flat out stink.... If you have a front license plate, you do have too modify the bracket some, and move the bracket down some. Wish I would have recorded the installation of it.... (I know my license plate is crooked in the pic. One of the screws came loose... It is fixed now)

And a side note, the bar is mainly stylish and is not mounted to the car solid enough to be very useful for anything other than mounting lights on...


Car Land vehicle Tire Wheel Vehicle
See less See more
  • Like
Reactions: 2
Welcome! You can see that this site doesn't get a lot of traffic, but I like it. I just recently got my SES and I'm very happy with it. I enjoy it more than I thought I would. It came from Canada with the winter package and has all the goodies except the B&O sound system. I don't really crank the tunes much, anyway. The 7 speaker is adequate for my needs.

Solid engine, solid tranny. I expect it to last a long time.
Thanks. I believe it’s basically the same engine in a 2010 Ficus I ended up giving to my parents at approx. 150,000 miles. It was nearing 250k when the car got totaled. The engine was still going strong. In either 2011 or 2012 Ford did the DCT route and I didn’t get another Focus.
  • Like
Reactions: 1
Thanks. I believe it’s basically the same engine in a 2010 Focus I ended up giving to my parents at approx. 150,000 miles. It was nearing 250k when the car got totaled. The engine was still going strong. In either 2011 or 2012 Ford did the DCT route and I didn’t get another Focus.
I have a bull bar on mine The installation is not hard, but the directions that come with it flat out stink.... If you have a front license plate, you do have too modify the bracket some, and move the bracket down some. Wish I would have recorded the installation of it.... (I know my license plate is crooked in the pic. One of the screws came loose... It is fixed now)

And a side note, the bar is mainly stylish and is not mounted to the car solid enough to be very useful for anything other than mounting lights on...


View attachment 241
The bar really makes it loook tougher. I like the blue better than my Race Red, but I got a good deal on it.
The bar really makes it look tougher. I like the blue better than my Race Red, but I got a good deal on it.
Thanks. I believe it’s basically the same engine in a 2010 Ficus I ended up giving to my parents at approx. 150,000 miles. It was nearing 250k when the car got totaled. The engine was still going strong. In either 2011 or 2012 Ford did the DCT route and I didn’t get another Focus.
That's what I like about the Eco. A solid (if not fast,) engine and a transmission that can tow 2000 lbs. It doesn't get great mileage, but it's OK for what it is.
Change the oil with good synthetic every 5000, and flush the tranny every 30,000. It will last my lifetime, and still work for whoever gets it next as long as you can put gas in it.
That's what I like about the Eco. A solid (if not fast,) engine and a transmission that can tow 2000 lbs. It doesn't get great mileage, but it's OK for what it is.
Change the oil with good synthetic every 5000, and flush the tranny every 30,000. It will last my lifetime, and still work for whoever gets it next as long as you can put gas in it.
Ok, you have instructions on a tranny flush? I see there is a drain plug, but the only way I can see too fill it is via the vent tube on the top of the tranny... then the next question is, which fluid and how much?
Ok, you have instructions on a tranny flush? I see there is a drain plug, but the only way I can see too fill it is via the vent tube on the top of the tranny... then the next question is, which fluid and how much?
I've looked and looked, but I can't find any info. The owner's manual says to change it at 150,000, or every 30,000 if you use it for towing or heavy use.
If I were doing it myself, I'd measure what comes out and put the same amount back in. That won't be all of it, but at least you've got some fresh fluid in there.
Looks like it takes the ULV fluid listed here: 2018 Ford EcoSport Transmission Fluids, Oils, Additives — CARiD.com
I would imagine the synthetic would be OK too.

This guy shows where to fill it, but is a little unclear on how much to use. His comments in the comments aren't precise.
I deliver newspapers with it, so I am doing constant start / stop driving with some highway use as well. With my POS (2016 Chevy cruze) I always serviced the tranny every 40k and the fluid would come out black...
  • Like
Reactions: 1
Yeah, the idea that the fluid is "lifetime" is a joke. What lifetime? The transmission's? :LOL:
Yeah just like Ford says the timing belt is a lifetime belt... sorry, I don't even trust a timing chain like that.... which I did eventually stretch and jumped a tooth in my 5.0 thunderbird years ago.
  • Like
Reactions: 1
1 - 14 of 14 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top