[jithin23]

Hi all, I thought I'll share one important piece of info which quite a few ecosport owners have been facing in India of lately pertaining to the 4" MID speedometer.

Posting the rest of the content on his behalf

Hi Team-Bhp,

I am an avid reader of Team-Bhp.I really enjoy reading posts on different aspects of life like finance/investing, life advice, career, travelogues, and of course automobiles on TeamBHp.

I am writing this to you to highlight a peculiar issue with 2018+ facelift models of Ecosport, which has a bigger MID LCD display in top-of-the-line variants. I own an Aug 2018 Ecosport S Diesel, totally stock, with no accessories other than a dashcam powered via USB port. The warranty is over. The issue is that the MID screen goes blank/white all of a sudden one fine day anytime the vehicle crosses 4-6 years of age irrespective of kms covered. The rest of the instrument cluster—speedometer, rpm meter, fuel, and temperature gauge—works fine. A lot of customers are facing this exact same issue (reported in the Ecosport Owners Group on Facebook) once the vehicle is turning 4-6 years of age, and since now only the vehicles are crossing this age, such issues are getting reported by owners. I am surprised to see no owner has reported this on Teambhp though. One more issue that is getting reported by many owners is the failure of the Sync3 screen. However that is due to the LVDS cable and that can be resolved easily. Fortunately, I haven't faced that issue yet, but seeing how things are, I fear it can happen anytime.


Anyway, coming back to the issue, when reported to FASS, the only solution available as of now is to replace the entire instrument cluster, which costs a lot—INR 28k+. There are no child parts available. When I escalated this to Ford India Customer Care, my vehicle was kept for diagnosis with the Ford Technical Team for 5 days at FASS. FASS SA mentioned that they shared pictures, battery reports, etc. with the Technical Team. He also mentioned when another instrument cluster was connected, it was working fine, so there are no issues with wiring, etc. So later, as expected, the technical team has come up with a silly excuse blaming the non-Ford battery (Amaron). They are just trying to wash their hands off the issue. This is clearly a case of a substandard or low-quality product that is failing anytime in 4-6 years of age for multiple customers. Also, while searching online, I see that Ford clusters for other international models also have this issue; YouTube has many such videos where they replace just the LCD part. LCD is available on aliexpress however the customs costs does nit justify the part of pricing for the LCD if we import it individually. That part is not available here in India. Also, replacing the entire instrument cluster is not a viable option, firstly because it's too costly, and secondly since the same part is bound to fail again anytime in the next 4-6 years and the cycle continues.


I wish to know what our options are.

Can this be escalated further? Can higher-management folks from Ford India be involved in this?
Can we hope that Ford India owns up to this issue and does a recall or replaces the faulty part under goodwill?
Is it really fine/expected for electrical parts to fail within 5 years? I don't think electrical parts should fail so early. It's neither a wear-and-tear part nor consumable. Such LCD displays have been in use since 2010's in vehicles, and I don't think such an issue is reported in any other brand this early that too for so many customers at the same time or gather all such owners and file a case in the National Consumer Forum since their technical team is trying to wash off their hands, giving silly excuses?
Any other options?

This issue is similar to the Ford wheel lug nut case, where the product design itself is faulty, which is bound to fail after a few years, and then the customer is asked to replace it again with the same bolts. Those bolts were also costing a bomb; thankfully, there are aftermarket options available. But in the case of instrument clusters, there are no aftermarket options. Looking forward to your invaluable suggestions and opinions.

Thanks,
Firoz

Attaching a couple of pics from the OP





I believe this is a serious issue and Ford needs to address this issue which is feasible for both the OEM and the customer. There have been more than 500+ complaints across multiple Facebook groups on the same issue and there needs to be a viable solution.

[Funny]

Another reason why we need to follow manufacturer's recommendations. Stick to OEM battery guys, they last as much (if not more) as non-OEM batteries like Exide/Amaron etc. Also that would ensure that FASS cannot wash their hands off for unexpected electronic issues like the one described above.

I would suggest the owner to contact other owners who are facing similar issue and see if they have non-OEM battery installed at any point of time to ensure that it's not a consistent pattern with those using non-OEM battery. I don't think this is widespread issue, there are many EcoSports with the 4" MID that have crossed more than 5 years already, if it was happening to many users then we would've known about it by now. Electronic devices like LCD/LED screens can go faulty even with minute variations in electrical currents, so battery can have a role here unless the specs of the non-OEM battery are exactly the same as OEM battery.

By the way, didn't the 4" MID cost less than 20K something? @Jithin

[jithin23]

Originally Posted by Funny

Another reason why we need to follow manufacturer's recommendations. Stick to OEM battery guys, they last as much (if not more) as non-OEM batteries like Exide/Amaron etc. Also that would ensure that FASS cannot wash their hands off for unexpected electronic issues like the one described above.

I would suggest the owner to contact other owners who are facing similar issue and see if they have non-OEM battery installed at any point of time to ensure that it's not a consistent pattern with those using non-OEM battery. I don't think this is widespread issue, there are many EcoSports with the 4" MID that have crossed more than 5 years already, if it was happening to many users then we would've known about it by now. Electronic devices like LCD/LED screens can go faulty even with minute variations in electrical currents, so battery can have a role here unless the specs of the non-OEM battery are exactly the same as OEM battery.

By the way, didn't the 4" MID cost less than 20K something? @Jithin

I've checked and verified across multiple owners groups on Facebook and some have the OEM battery itself and yet are facing issues. The 4" MID has this issue especially once it crosses 4-6 years. Moreover, Exide is the battery supplier for Ford.

A brand new diesel cluster with box costs 25k FYI.

[narmad]

Originally Posted by jithin23

Hi all, I thought I'll share one important piece of info which quite a few ecosport owners have been facing in India of lately pertaining to the 4" MID speedometer.

Posting the rest of the content on his behalf

I had this in the 5th year of warranty fortunately and the whole cluster was replaced for no charge.

[Aditya]

Ford EcoSport 2018+ Facelift | 4-inch MID Display Issue - Posts moved to a new thread.

[Aditya]

Thanks to Firoz Khan for sending this information in. Heartfelt gratitude for sharing it with other enthusiasts via this Team-BHP share page!

Hi Team-BHP,

I have attached screenshots of multiple owners reporting the same issue in various EcoSport Owners Facebook Groups for your reference.

Issue: Multiple owners of EcoSport 2018+ models with the 4-inch MID are facing the same issue as early as 2-3 years and mostly around 4-6 years of vehicle purchase. This seems entirely due to the sub-standard quality of the LCD display and Ford India seems to be well aware of it, but is not acknowledging the issue. The details of this issue have already been posted by one of your members, Jithin on my request, but I would request you to move the post to the home page for better visibility.

Further, I see someone has commented on the Team-BHP thread that it could be because of the non-OEM battery and it's not a widespread issue. That is not correct.

1. I am using an OEM spec battery, just that the brand is different.
2. There are multiple owners having Ford batteries themselves, but are still facing the same issue. Ford India is just ignoring them.
3. There are also a few other owners who are using non-OEM batteries who haven't had this issue. So, it's clearly not because of the non-OEM battery.
4. Then, there are multiple people who have had this issue within 2-5 years and Ford India is quietly replacing them under standard warranty. Hence, there is not much noise online.
5. Also, majority of the sales of the EcoSport or cars of any other brand are for mid-variants. Those variants have a smaller LCD MID, which does not have the same issue. Since now only the higher variants of the 2018-2019 models are crossing the age of 4-5 years, such issues are getting reported online.

I really hope that you post this issue on your respected home page so that Ford India acknowledges the issue and do something about this.

[hondaford]

Our Ford Figo had a similar LCD panel issue. While it did not go white, part of it went black as if the liquid inside the panel had leaked.

We could not clearly see the mileage done, distance to empty and distance since last refueling.

It was always serviced at Ford so no question of third party battery.

They basically told us to get a new cluster panel at around 15k. Since the Speedo was working fine, we did not bother.

Sold the car couple of months back, and since it had full Ford service history the new owner didn’t bother about the mileage since it is mentioned in Ford service records.

[DevendraG]

I noticed that all the images show the big screen. Mine is also 2018 June model but I have a smaller screen & going fine so far (touch wood).

Unfortunately without warranty an after market workaround (teambhp community suggestion) or an official fix is the only way forward. Expectations could be anything but things on ground won’t change much.

By the way, I hear a lot of owners upgrading to bigger screen version in their cars.. searching for their older screens can be a cheaper option.
P.S. I am not one of them currently

[Blow Horn Ok]

My brother in law is also facing the same issue in his 2018 ecosport titanium plus petrol. Few days ago, the screen went white. The major issue is the glare it creates especially during the night.

It would be great, If anyone could bring the screens from AliExpress through different country. How is the connection behind? Is it a straight forward swap?

[revmaxx]

My 2019 Ecosport Diesel S cluster was replaced twice already under warranty. I am on the 3rd one in 5 years. Seems to be a common issue, but the fix is a rather expensive if the vehicle is out of warranty.

[hellraiser_yank]

Originally Posted by jithin23

Hi all, I thought I'll share one important piece of info which quite a few ecosport owners have been facing in India of lately pertaining to the 4" MID speedometer......

While we can debate on the cause and the fix, how about making lemonade out of these lemons?

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/diy-d...r-upgrade.html (DIY: Ford EcoSport Full Digital Instrument Cluster / Speedometer Upgrade)

I'm not an ecosport owner but an ardent fan of OEM upgrades.

The above linked upgrade seems the way to go if no option exists for you besides replacement of cluster.

[jithin23]

Originally Posted by hellraiser_yank

While we can debate on the cause and the fix, how about making lemonade out of these lemons?

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/diy-d...r-upgrade.html (DIY: Ford EcoSport Full Digital Instrument Cluster / Speedometer Upgrade)

I'm not an ecosport owner but an ardent fan of OEM upgrades.

The above linked upgrade seems the way to go if no option exists for you besides replacement of cluster.

I agree as well but not all will go that extra mile to get such mods done. I have done several such stuff in my car as well and put my car to good use! Plus if people have paid for warranty they'll definitely need to claim their money's worth as well right?


Here's some insights and the depth I've gone in my car.
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-...cosport-4.html (How my 1st car ended up being a Used Ford EcoSport!)

[itsbaman]

Originally Posted by jithin23

He also mentioned when another instrument cluster was connected, it was working fine, so there are no issues with wiring, etc. So later, as expected, the technical team has come up with a silly excuse blaming the non-Ford battery (Amaron).

The stock battery on my December-2017 facelift Ecosport was also Amaron, with Ford branding. You can tell this by just looking at the battery.
So, this excuse is really silly.

[jithin23]

Originally Posted by itsbaman

The stock battery on my December-2017 facelift Ecosport was also Amaron, with Ford branding. You can tell this by just looking at the battery.
So, this excuse is really silly.

I have no clue why the technical team at Ford is responding this way. However, I believe these owners need justice and if we all collate and question Ford about it and request them for a swap, then we can expect at least a positive change. There was a major issue with the 17" tyre size on the facelift Titanium + and after users started complaining they acknowledged it and later downsized to 16" in May 2018.

[Faf]

Hello everyone. First of all, thanks to moderators for approving my membership.

Just wanted to update the thread on what has happened till now and how unethical and unfair Ford India has been treating this serious and widespread issue. FYI, I have been a Ford fan since a long time until now, and this is my third Ford vehicle, the previous two being the Ford Fiestas 1.6. Honestly speaking, I have been really happy with their service even after their exit, but this episode has certainly shaken my trust in Ford India, not because this issue happened, but because of the way Ford India has been handling and treating this issue.

I used to see EcoSport owners in the Facebook groups reporting this same issue and really thought it was a one-off case. And one fine day it happened to me. When I had parked the car the previous day, there were no issues at all, no early symptoms like lines across the display or any blurs. And the next day I was welcomed to this white screen with an oval patch (which amusingly resembles the blue oval logo!) in between. So then I reported this in the Facebook group and tried finding more information about this and saw that there were many, many owners reporting the same issue with the exact same oval patch and white screen with vehicles age ranging from as early as 2-3 years and mostly with 2018-2019 models.

Here is the brief timeline of what has happened in the last one+ month:

1. Reported the issue to Ford India. Shared all screenshots mentioning it is impacting a lot of owners at the same/similar age of vehicle and requested they look into it seriously considering the sheer number of owners it is impacting.
2. Vehicle was kept with them for 5 days across two occasions. They did the previously mentioned tests and concluded the reason was a non-OEM battery.
3. No response to questions till now why it is happening to owners using Ford batteries themselves and why it is happening despite following OEM specifications and at similar age of vehicle.
After that, they completely started ignoring my emails, social media tags, etc. for a few weeks.
4. Only after I escalated it to one of the Ford US management executives, Ford India contacted me again and opened a new ticket, which is still open.
After multiple back and forth emails and telephonic discussions, they still denied acknowledging the issue and dismissed it, saying it was not a widespread issue despite being completely aware of the hundreds and hundreds of replacements they themselves have done for the same very part in the standard warranty period for the affected owners.
5. Only after further discussions, Ford India, instead of owning up the issue, pushed it to their dealer partner to handle it, and they are offering me a 40% goodwill discount on the part, which I declined for two reasons. First, I want them to acknowledge the issue and do an official investigation/recall for the part since there are many others like me who are affected. Just providing a solution for me does not fix the issue for multiple other owners, and even after replacement, there is no guarantee the same part will not again fail prematurely. Second, I offered them to pay 25% out of my pocket despite this being an expensive, faulty, subpar quality, or prematurely failing part for multiple owners, which of course Ford India declined.

I have been extremely disappointed with the way Ford India is handling this issue. If this was a one-off case, I would have paid from my pocket, but any layman can understand this part is failing prematurely at a similar age, and the quality of the part itself is questionable. This is not a wear and tear part or any consumable, or there are any accidental damages to it. I have vehicles in my family, running on non-OEM batteries, from the top two market leaders in our country, having such LCD displays, which in fact provide much more information and graphics than the EcoSport MID LCD, and no such issues exist in them. Issues can happen with any brand, but what makes them stand out is how they handle them to maintain customers trust, especially when it is impacting hundreds and hundreds of owners. I believe they are fully aware of the situation, but the scale is so overwhelming that they've struggled to acknowledge it, especially since it involves replacing it for hundreds of owners.

Originally Posted by revmaxx

My 2019 Ecosport Diesel S cluster was replaced twice already under warranty. I am on the 3rd one in 5 years. Seems to be a common issue, but the fix is a rather expensive if the vehicle is out of warranty.

This proves the very fact that the part itself is faulty, and there is no surety that even after paying INR 30K, the same part will not fail again in 2-3 years.

Originally Posted by hellraiser_yank

While we can debate on the cause and the fix, how about making lemonade out of these lemons?

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/diy-d...r-upgrade.html (DIY: Ford EcoSport Full Digital Instrument Cluster / Speedometer Upgrade)

I'm not an ecosport owner but an ardent fan of OEM upgrades.

The above linked upgrade seems the way to go if no option exists for you besides replacement of cluster.

Not everyone has the appetite, budget, or technical knowledge to do such things. However, when one has paid for a product no one wants, it fails prematurely, especially for multiple owners. Further, a few people like me like to keep their vehicles in stock condition and prefer analog dials.