Ford EcoSport vs Subaru Crosstrek: which is more reliable?
The Ford EcoSport is ahead of the Subaru Crosstrek on the federal record, 81/100 against 77/100 — a real but narrow gap that a bad model year on either side closes.
The record, side by side
Ford EcoSport
- 5 model years scored
- 1,840 owner complaints on record
- about 55 complaints per year on the road
- 12 recall campaigns, 1 safety-critical
- best year 2022 (93/100) · worst 2018 (70/100)
Subaru Crosstrek
- 6 model years scored
- 800 owner complaints on record
- about 25 complaints per year on the road
- 14 recall campaigns, 8 safety-critical
- best year 2020 (93/100) · worst 2019 (51/100)
Mean score is the average across model years from 2013 on, where both records are comparable. How the score works.
Year by year: EcoSport against Crosstrek
The comparison that decides the purchase. A nameplate is not one car — a redesign can move the record sixty points inside two years, and the two nameplates rarely move together.
What owners actually complain about
Ford EcoSport
- Engine And Engine Cooling — 839 complaints
- Engine — 795 complaints
- Power Train — 217 complaints
Subaru Crosstrek
- Visibility/Wiper — 263 complaints
- Unknown Or Other — 169 complaints
- Electrical System — 134 complaints
They do not fail the same way: the EcoSport's complaints concentrate in Engine And Engine Cooling, the Crosstrek's in Visibility/Wiper. That difference matters more to a buyer than the score gap, because it says which repair bill you are taking on.
Years to avoid on each
Ford EcoSport: no model year scores below 45; the strongest are 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022.
Subaru Crosstrek: no model year scores below 45; the strongest are 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2025.
A year scores below 45 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. Every car’s years to avoid.
What each costs today
A recent used Ford EcoSport prices at about $23,700 and a Subaru Crosstrek at about $32,900 — the Ford EcoSport is roughly $9,200 less, and they return 25.0 against 29.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Ford EcoSport or the Subaru Crosstrek more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Ford EcoSport scores 81/100 against the Subaru Crosstrek's 77/100, averaged across every model year we hold. The gap is small enough that the model year matters more than the badge.
Which Ford EcoSport and Subaru Crosstrek years should I avoid?
Ford EcoSport: no year scores below 45. Subaru Crosstrek: no year scores below 45. Each of those scores under 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns.
What goes wrong on the Ford EcoSport and the Subaru Crosstrek?
The largest complaint group on the Ford EcoSport is Engine And Engine Cooling (839 complaints); on the Subaru Crosstrek it is Visibility/Wiper (263).
Is the Ford EcoSport or the Subaru Crosstrek cheaper to own?
A recent used Ford EcoSport prices at about $23,700 and a Subaru Crosstrek at about $32,900, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.