2018 Ford Ecosport 1.5L Diesel · CU18 VPF

Headlamp aim defects and recurring tyre wear advisories define the mechanical record of this 2018 Ford EcoSport, with the most recent assessment on 27 November 2025 returning a clean pass and no recorded defects. The headline issue sits in the December 2024 test cycle, where the vehicle initially failed on both headlamp aim projections: the offside unit was set too high and too far to the right, while the nearside was also aimed too high. These are present-and-correctable items rather than structural defects, but they do indicate that the headlamp alignment hardware or adjusters may have been disturbed, and that subsequent adjustment may not have held. The same December 2024 test also flagged an engine oil level over full, a minor but mechanically relevant advisory that warrants checking for over-filling on the next service. The earlier tests are cleaner, with the November 2022 and November 2021 examinations both passing with only tyre-related advisories, and the December 2023 pass adding front brake pad wear to the growing picture of consumable attention needed at the front axle. Annual mileage accumulation averages around 7,379 miles per year across the eight-year life of the vehicle, which is broadly consistent with typical usage for an SUV of this age and suggests regular but moderate running rather than long periods off the road or unusually high mileage. There are no significant gaps in the testing record, with annual MOT entries from late 2021 through to late 2025, and no mileage progression concerns visible from the data provided. Given the relatively modest annual mileage, tyre wear advisories appearing on multiple occasions are not the result of extreme mileage accumulation but more likely indicate either wheel alignment geometry issues, suspension component wear altering camber or toe settings, or a pattern of fitting budget tyres with lower tread life. Front brake pads flagged as wearing thin at the December 2023 test is consistent with the typical wear pattern for the front axle on a front-driven EcoSport, where braking load bias concentrates wear forward, and the absence of further brake advisories suggests replacement has occurred. A prospective buyer should focus a test drive on the front suspension geometry, since tyre edge wear has been recorded on both the nearside and offside front tyres on two separate occasions. Listen for clonking or knocking noises from the front end over uneven road surfaces, pay particular attention to any pulling to one side under braking which could indicate worn suspension linkages or bushes allowing geometry shift, and check that the steering returns to centre without resistance. On a straight road at moderate speed, release the wheel briefly to verify the vehicle tracks straight, and inspect both inner and outer tyre shoulders for uneven wear that would confirm the camber or toe issue is ongoing. Brake pedal feel should be firm and progressive, with no judder through the pedal under hard application which would suggest warped front discs, and the pull-up handbrake should hold the vehicle on a moderate incline without creeping. The headlamp aim issue from December 2024 should be re-verified by confirming both dipped beam patterns sit symmetrically with the correct cut-off against a flat wall, and the headlamp adjuster mechanism should be physically checked to ensure it has not stripped or slipped from its set position. With the recorded oil over-full advisory, it is prudent to dip the oil on a level surface with the engine warm and confirm the level sits between the minimum and maximum marks on the gauge, checking also for any residual smell of fuel that could indicate a fuel system issue causing oil dilution. Given the front brake pad advisory from 2023, a physical inspection of pad material thickness and disc condition through the wheel is worthwhile, and any signs of a binding caliper such as a hot wheel hub after a short drive or uneven brake dust accumulation should be treated as a red flag. Finally, given the vehicle's age and the modest mileage, a general inspection of the underbody, brake pipes, and suspension arms for surface corrosion consistent with eight winters of UK road use would be a sensible precaution.