Used Ford EcoSport review and buying guide (2014 to 2023): which one to buy and what to check

Which used Ford EcoSport should you buy?

Go for a manual EcoSport with paperwork for the timing belt and a steady coolant level, whatever the year, since there's just the one generation, the Mk2 from 2014 to 2022. The 1.0 EcoBoost carries two High severity known faults, a wet belt that can break down between 60,000 and 80,000 miles and, on 2014 to 2017 cars, a nylon degas hose that can crack between 40,000 and 70,000 miles, so the car in front of you has to prove itself.

The automatic's the version to be wary of. Several reports describe the Powershift dry clutch gearbox shuddering and jerking as it pulls away, owners' complaints about it on EcoSports, Fiestas and Focuses ended up in court, and one owner's EcoSport began refusing first and second gear. Unless the car shifts cleanly in slow traffic, a manual's the safer bet.

Late cars don't get a pass on age alone. The 1.0 EcoBoost's belt runs in oil, and its change interval is now 100,000 miles or 72 months, which the older cars have already passed on age. The known fault puts belt trouble as early as 60,000 miles, so a newer EcoSport that's covered big miles needs an answer on the belt too.

Which EcoSport engines and gearboxes are the safe choices?

The 1.0 EcoBoost petrol is the one engine the record says anything about, and it isn't a safe choice without paperwork. Ford first set its wet belt change at 10 years or 150,000 miles and it's now 100,000 miles or 72 months, yet the known fault has the belt degrading between 60,000 and 80,000 miles, clogging the oil pickup and starving the engine of oil. A low oil pressure light, heavy brakes and lost power are the signs.

The other High fault hits 2014 to 2017 cars: the nylon coolant degas hose turns brittle and can crack or snap between 40,000 and 70,000 miles, often at speed. The engine holds very little coolant, so it can empty in moments and crack the cylinder head. That's why a steady coolant level and a temperature gauge that never spikes matter as much as the belt receipt.

Pick the manual gearbox over the Powershift automatic. The Powershift is a six-speed dry clutch unit, and the reports on it describe shudder and jerking when accelerating; one owner's car also stopped taking first and second as it slowed to a crawl, and then reverse too. Nothing on record covers the other engines, so there's no evidence either way on them.

What should you check when viewing a used EcoSport?

Ask for a receipt showing the 1.0 EcoBoost's wet timing belt has been replaced, dated and with the mileage on it, and set it against the 100,000 miles or 72 months limit. A stamp for an ordinary service isn't the same thing. If there's no receipt on a car near or past either figure, factor the belt job into what you offer.

With the bonnet up and the engine cold, check the coolant's at the right level and look over the degas hose for cracks, then watch the temperature gauge for the whole drive; a sudden climb means lost coolant. A low oil pressure warning, a heavy brake pedal or a flat spot in the power points to the belt clogging the oil pickup.

On a Powershift automatic, spend the test drive in slow traffic. Let it roll almost to a stop and pull away again several times, feeling for a shudder or jerk, and check first, second and reverse all engage without a pause. One owner's gears stuck only now and then before it got worse, so a single clean drive doesn't clear it.

Try the ignition several times, from cold and once it's warm. One owner's EcoSport jammed its steering lock just five days after it was bought new, stopping the engine from starting. That's one car, but a lock that's stiff to release on the viewing is reason to look at another EcoSport instead.

Paste the advert into the free check and it runs these against the listing, the MOT history and the DVLA record before you travel.

Should you buy a Ford EcoSport Mk2 (2014 to 2022)?

Buy one as a manual with its belt and coolant history in order, because every EcoSport falls in this single generation and the Powershift automatic is the version the reports warn about. It's practical, with back seats that tip and fold forward to open out a useful boot, though the handling falls short of what Ford usually manages and the spare wheel sits on the back.

The 1.0 EcoBoost's degas hose can fail between 40,000 and 70,000 miles on 2014 to 2017 cars, and its wet belt between 60,000 and 80,000 miles on any year, and either can ruin the engine. The Powershift drew legal action in Australia over shuddering and jerking, and one 2016 EcoSport's gearbox began refusing first and second as it slowed, then reverse too.

What does a used Ford EcoSport cost to run?