Ford EcoSport review - Reliability and safety

While the low-grade feel in the cabin might have you worried about the long-term durability of the EcoSport, there should be no questioning the mechanical components.

Ford has been using the EcoBoost petrol engine for a few years across a number of models in its range, and no major issues have been reported in that time. The same is true of the six-speed manual gearbox. 

Reliability is an area where the car’s Brazilian origins should help: the EcoSport was designed from the outset to be rugged and stand up to use on poor-quality South American roads, and developed to be easy to fix if anything does break.

The EcoSport received a solid 88.95 per cent score in our Driver Power customer satisfaction survey, which meant it finished in 26th place on a 75-car list. Ford as a manufacturer ranked 25th out of 29 automakers in the best brands poll.

On the safety front, it’s a case of not bad, but could do better, with the EcoSport awarded a four-star crash test rating by Euro NCAP . Its adult protection score is quite good, at 93 per cent, but a score of 77 per cent for child occupant protection is not great for a family car, and a 55 per cent score in the safety assist category of the test shows just how much safety kit is either left on the options list or simply not available at all.

The Driver Assistance Pack is available for an extra £650 and includes a Driver Impairment Monitor (Driver Alert), Blind Spot Monitoring (BLIS) with Cross Traffic Alert, Front Parking Sensors and a Auto High Beam function.

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Warranty

Ford supplies the EcoSport with a three-year/60,000-mile warranty as standard, and the package includes a year’s paint defect cover and a 12-year anti-perforation guarantee.

As with many rivals, the company also allows buyers to extend the standard warranty: it can be boosted to four years and 80,000 miles, or five years and 100,000 miles for a one-off payment.

Servicing

It’s recommended that the EcoSport is serviced every 12,500 miles or once a year, and Ford offers the option of a three-year fixed-price maintenance package. Buyers who choose this also benefit from an extension to the one-year roadside recovery and assistance package that comes as standard with the car.