Fault File
All models / All cars / Small SUVs / Ford EcoSport

Ford EcoSport

All generations and engines together · 103,597 MOT tests in the 2025 data · typical mileage at age 7: 47k

Reliability verdict
DBy age
EBy miles

Graded against its peers

Worse than most small SUVs for its age, though one of the worst per mile driven. Watch suspension and lights & electrics. A used buy worth some caution. Check the MOT history for repeating suspension advisories before you go.

First-time failure at age 7
24.8%
Across 14,367 tests. The average for small SUVs is 20.5%.
First-time failure at 50-60k miles
29.4%
Across 12,872 tests. The average for small SUVs is 21.1%.
Rank in its class
40 of 52
1 = lowest failure rate among the 52 small SUVs we can rank.
Typical mileage at age 7
47k miles
How far the average car has gone by seven years old. Low-mileage models can look better by age than they are.

What owners report

Reported

Owner folklore from forums and the motoring press, with how well each report stands up. Most of it never shows up in an MOT, which is why this section exists at all.

Powershift automatic clutch pack and judder

Confirmed patternPre-2018 Powershift automatics only

The 6-speed dry-clutch Powershift auto, fitted to 1.5 petrol Titanium models up to March 2018, is the one to be wary of. Owners report a shudder on pull-away and gears sticking or 'freezing' in 1st and 2nd when crawling in traffic, and the usual fix is a new clutch pack or, in worse cases, the mechatronic control unit, typically £800-1,500 or more. Ford's handling of complaints about this same gearbox drew regulatory action abroad, though there's no UK recall on file. From 2018 the EcoSport switched to a conventional torque-converter auto, which doesn't show this pattern.

Reported on pre-2018 1.5 Powershift autos · sources: Honest John, Ford Australia ACCC case (via Honest John)

Choppy, unsettled ride and suspension knocks

Partly in the MOT data

Reviewers and owners agree the EcoSport rides badly for its class on every trim, crashing and thumping over ruts and potholes, with ST-Line's stiffer setup making it worse without adding any real handling gain. Suspension is the standout measured fault for small SUVs generally, and a car that's working this hard over bumps from new is a reasonable candidate for wearing through by MOT time. Listen for knocks from the front struts and rear beam on a rough road and don't dismiss a lumpy ride as 'just how they are'.

Reported from new, all model years · sources: Honest John road test and owner reports

Cheap-feeling interior trim and rattles

Disputed

Owners and reviewers both flag interior plastics that feel flimsy and mark easily, plus rattles from trim panels and door cards, most often on the Indian-built cars sold in the UK from 2013 to 2017. It won't strand you and isn't a safety issue, but it's a recurring complaint in owner satisfaction surveys and it dents resale value. Quality is reported to be noticeably better on the Romanian-built facelift from 2018 onwards.

Reported across ownership, worse pre-2018 · sources: Honest John, Auto Express Driver Power owner feedback

1.5 TDCi diesel EGR and DPF clogging

DisputedDiesel only

Like most small-capacity diesels doing mostly short runs, the 1.5 TDCi is prone to a clogged EGR valve and a diesel particulate filter that won't regenerate if the car rarely gets a proper motorway run. Symptoms are a warning light, rough idle and a flat feeling under load; a forced DPF regen or an EGR clean or replacement can run to a few hundred pounds. Buy this engine only if you can give it the motorway miles it needs.

General small-diesel wear pattern, mileage varies · sources: Honest John

Electrical gremlins: locks, windows and the steering lock

Emerging

A scatter of owner reports cover electric windows that stop working, central locking that ignores the fob, and at least one case of the steering lock jamming solid and refusing to let the engine start on a car only days old. None of it is common enough to call a settled pattern, but it comes up often enough in owner questions that it's worth testing everything electrical before handing over money.

Isolated but recurring reports · sources: Honest John Ask HJ

What to check on this car

Ranked from this model’s own MOT record, then from what owners report.

Saveable checklist

From this model’s MOT record

The physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.

Coil springsRuns high on this model Look through the wheel spokes at the bottom coil of each spring; when springs snap it is usually there, and the break is visible. Step back and check the car sits level too. A dropped corner is often a broken spring.Recorded on 19.4% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 1.3%
Lights and horn walkroundRuns high on this model With a helper, run every light: dipped, main beam, indicators, brake lights including the high-level one, reverse, fog, and the horn. On newer cars a dead LED section can mean replacing the whole lamp unit rather than a bulb.Recorded on 7.3% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.8%
Bushes and ball jointsRuns high on this model Drive slowly over broken tarmac with the windows down and listen for clonks from either end. Back at the car, have someone rock the steering wheel while you rest a hand on each front wheel; play you can feel through the tyre is a worn joint.Recorded on 4.5% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.2%
Rubber boots and gaitersRuns high on this model On full steering lock, look in behind each front wheel at the concertina rubber boots on the driveshafts and steering rack. Splits, or grease flung around the arch, mean dirt is getting into a joint that costs far more than the boot protecting it.Recorded on 3.9% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.6%
Headlamp lensesRuns high on this model Check for condensation inside the headlamps and for cloudy or yellowed lenses. Both attract MOT trouble, and moisture inside a sealed LED unit generally means a whole new lamp.Recorded on 3.5% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.3%
ExhaustRuns high on this model Listen along the exhaust at cold idle for blowing or chuffing, and give the tailpipe a push to check nothing hangs loose. Small blows only get louder.Recorded on 3.5% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.6%
Handbrake holdRuns high on this model Stop on a hill and put the handbrake on. It should hold the car firmly within a few clicks, or straight away on the button if it is electronic. Roll-back means adjustment at best, new cables or a caliper motor at worst.Recorded on 1.9% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.3%

Worth doing on any used car

These judge the seller’s upkeep rather than the model, and they are where the haggling money is.

Tyres, all fourRuns high on this model Check the tread across the full width of each tyre, inner edge included, and look for cracking and mismatched brands. A set of decent tyres is £500 or more on most cars, which makes this the easiest money to take off a price. If the pressure warning light is on, budget for sensors too.Recorded on 22.8% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 11.1%
Pads and discs Look through the wheel spokes at the brake disc. A pronounced lip on its outer edge, or a rusty and scored face, means discs and pads are due all round, a few hundred pounds on most cars. A haggling point rather than a reason to walk away.Recorded on 7.3% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 8.7%
Windscreen and wipers Scan the glass in daylight for chips, especially in the driver's line of sight where even a small one can fail the MOT. Run the washers and check the wipers clear without smearing.Recorded on 2.1% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 1.7%

Because of what owners report

Drawn from the reports above rather than the MOT data. These are the model-specific ones.

Drive it over a rough road or speed bumps and listen for knocks from the front struts and rear suspension. Knocking or crashing over bumps beyond a generally firm ride points to worn suspension components.
If it's an automatic, pull away repeatedly from a dead stop and crawl in traffic if you can. Hesitation, shudder, or gears that seem to stick in 1st or 2nd is the Powershift clutch pack wearing.
Ask for service history and check whether the clutch pack or mechatronic unit has ever been replaced on a Powershift auto. No mention of either on a high-mileage auto means it's probably still to come.
Press on interior trim panels, door cards and the dash for rattles or looseness. Loose trim is common but worse on pre-2018 Indian-built cars; heavy rattling suggests a tired example.
Check the build date or VIN to see if it's Indian-built (pre-2018) or Romanian-built (2018 on). The later cars are reported to have noticeably better fit and finish.
On a TDCi diesel, check the MOT history for exhaust or emissions advisories and ask about recent driving patterns. Advisories plus a life of short school-run trips points to a DPF or EGR heading for trouble.
Test every window, the central locking, and the steering lock with the engine off and on, more than once. Any hesitation or failure to respond is worth walking away from, since these faults have been reported from new.

Open the saveable checklist, tick it off at the car

The MOT data

Measured

Computed from DVSA MOT results, all of Great Britain, 2025. Nothing here is opinion.

How this model wears

Ford EcoSportClass average, all tracked models

What testers flag

Share of tests where each item was recorded. The dark tick is the class average across all tracked models; bars are scaled within each group.

Faults with the car itself

The rows that judge the model rather than its keeper. 64,536 tests in this band.

A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
Advisory
19.4%class 1.3%
Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
Fail
7.3%class 0.8%
A stub axle swivel pin and/or bush excessively worn
Advisory
4.5%class 0.2%
A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated
Minor
3.9%class 0.6%
Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements
Advisory
3.5%class 0.3%
Exhaust system leaking or insecure
Advisory
3.5%class 0.6%
A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED
Fail
3.0%class 0.8%
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
Advisory
2.8%class 5.9%
Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement
Fail
1.9%class 0.3%
A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage
Advisory
1.5%class 2.3%

Wear, upkeep and luck

Tyres, pads and stone chips say more about how the car was driven and maintained than about how it was built.

A tyre seriously damaged
Advisory
24.3%class 12.7%
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
Advisory
20.8%class 22.9%
A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
Advisory
7.3%class 8.7%
Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured
Advisory
6.7%class 10.1%
Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt
Advisory
2.9%class 2.2%
Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn
Advisory
2.6%class 3.4%
Nail in tyre
Advisory
2.5%class 1.6%
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
Fail
2.1%class 1.7%

Others in its class

Same segment (Small SUVs), best MOT record first. Compare before you shortlist.

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