Used Ford Ecosport 2014-2023 reliability

The Ecosport will have been used in tight city centre car parks and on the school run so it’s worth checking for scuffs on the bodywork, and for kerb damage on the alloy wheels. Check also the condition and operation of the rear seats; they should fold down and flip up easily.

It's worth checking through the service history to make sure everything is in order, with a fully stamped book. Early cars suffered from issues with the 'wet belt' cambelt, which is a type of timing belt that runs inside the engine and is constantly lubricated by engine oil. As a result, the belt would disintegrate and weaken earlier than Ford's estimated 10-year, 150,000-mile lifespan, resulting in engine damage if it breaks. Ford eventually replaced the belt with a chain from factory in 2019 to rectify the issue.

When viewing a used car, always follow our used car buying checklist.

At the time of writing, the Ecosport has three recalls listed. If you want to check whether a recall has been rectified, you can contact your local Ford dealer. You will not need to pay for anything involving the recall.

Reason for recall

The fuel and fuel vapour lines do not have adequate corrosion-resistant protective coating. Corrosion of the fuel line may result fuel leaking.

How the manufacturer will repair: Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected and replace the fuel and fuel vapour lines with ones of revised specification.

Number of affected vehicles: 35

Date of recall: 30/04/2015

Reason for recall

The rear suspension trailing arm bolts may have not have been tightened to the correct specification during assembly. There is a possibility that the bolt/s could fail causing an underbody knocking noise.

How the manufacturer will repair: Replace the trailing arm nuts and bolts and tighten to the correct torque.

Number of affected vehicles: 1264

Date of recall: 03/09/2015

Reason for recall

The fuel tubes are not earthed correctly. If an electro static discharge occurs on the fuel tubes it may cause a pin size hole in the fuel tube and a subsequent fuel leak. If the vehicle is stationary at traffic lights this could cause a pooling underneath the vehicle which could cause the road surface to become slippery and a possible danger to two wheeled vehicles.

How the manufacturer will repair: Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected and install a new conductive clip to the fuel and brake tube bundle and attach it to the vehicle body.

Number of affected vehicles: 1023

Date of recall: 23/05/2016

The Ecosport received too few responses to feature in our Reliability Survey, but its distant relative, the Ford Puma, did feature in the small SUV section. It finished in a disappointing 19th place out of 23 cars with a score of 92.%, which places it above the Nissan Juke but below the Dacia Duster and VW T-Cross.

Ford as a brand did better in the car brand reliability section, but it still finished in a middling 14th place out of 31 manufacturers. That's a better position than Seat, Vauxhall and MG, but it's still below Renault, Citroën and Dacia.

Used Ford Ecosport reliability: the owners' view

In our latest Reliability Survey, Ford Ecosport owners reported mixed reliability with their cars. Several owners reported electrical gremlins, particularly warning lights appearing without a clear cause. A few diesel drivers noted recurring issues with the diesel particulate filter (DPF), which sometimes led to costly repairs outside of warranty.

On the plus side, some owners experienced no problems at all, praising the car’s mechanical dependability. However, experiences with Ford dealerships were inconsistent. While some owners felt their local dealer handled repairs efficiently and kept them well-informed, others were less impressed – citing long waiting times for parts and poor communication during repairs. A few mentioned having to return to the dealer multiple times to fix the same fault.

If you'd like to see the full reliability list, head to the What Car? Reliability Survey pages for more information.