How safe is the Ford EcoSport?
Drivers of the 2018–2020 Ford EcoSport died at a rate of 73 per million registered vehicle years, 77% higher than the average of 38 for all vehicles. That makes it one of the riskiest vehicles on the road for its driver: it ranks 108th of 127 vehicles, safer than 15% of them, whether they're small cars, SUVs, pickups or minivans.
This is the most recent IIHS data for this model, covering 2018–2020 models. It doesn't appear in the newer 2023 study, often because it was redesigned or discontinued.
Where the Ford EcoSport sits among all 127 vehicles
Ford EcoSport (bar is the 95% range)Every other ranked vehicleDashed line: average of 38
The rate is based on a moderate amount of data, so treat small differences from nearby vehicles with caution.
2WD vs. 4WD
IIHS rates each drivetrain separately. The score above combines them, weighting the version with more data more heavily.
| Version | Deaths* | 95% range |
|---|---|---|
| Ford EcoSport 2WD | 84 | 35–132 |
| Ford EcoSport 4WD | 67 | 29–104 |
Vehicles ranked near the Ford EcoSport
These are the vehicles just above and below it on the all-class ranking. Notice they aren't all the same type: the ranking compares every vehicle against every other one. Ranks use each rate after adjusting for how much data is behind it, so a rate of 0 from a few vehicles can rank below a slightly higher rate from many. Why.
| Rank | Vehicle | Deaths* | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 105 | Ford FusionCar · Midsize | 67 | 17 |
| 106 | Honda Civic hatchbackCar · Small | 78 | 17 |
| 107 | Chrysler 300Car · Large | 69 | 16 |
| 108 | Ford EcoSportSUV · Small | 73 | 15 |
| 109 | Ford Mustang GT coupeSports car · Midsize | 77 | 13 |
| 110 | Chevrolet Camaro convertibleSports car · Large | 113 | 13 |
| 111 | Chevrolet TraxSUV · Small | 74 | 13 |
How it compares with other SUVs
Among the 37 SUVs ranked, the Ford EcoSport is 36th. The safest SUVs are below. See all SUVs.
| SUVs rank | Vehicle | Deaths* | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toyota C-HRSUV · Small | 2 | 99 |
| 2 | Nissan MuranoSUV · Midsize | 6 | 90 |
| 3 | Subaru AscentSUV · Midsize | 6 | 90 |
| 4 | Ford EdgeSUV · Midsize | 8 | 85 |
| 5 | Chevrolet TraverseSUV · Midsize | 9 | 83 |
| 36 | Ford EcoSportSUV · Small | 73 | 15 |
Common questions
Is the Ford EcoSport a safe vehicle?
By real-world driver deaths, the Ford EcoSport is one of the riskiest vehicles on the road for its driver. Its driver death rate of 73 per million registered vehicle years is 77% higher than the average, and it ranks 108th of 127 vehicles across all classes.
How does the Ford EcoSport compare with other SUVs?
It ranks 36th of 37 SUVs. The safest is the Toyota C-HR, with a rate of 2.
Is the 2WD or 4WD Ford EcoSport safer?
The 4WD version had the lower driver death rate (2WD: 84, 4WD: 67). Their ranges overlap, so the difference may be down to chance.
Why is this different from the Ford EcoSport's crash-test rating?
Crash-test stars only compare vehicles of similar size and weight, so a 5-star small car and a 5-star SUV aren't equally safe. This ranking uses real-world driver death rates, which can be compared across every class.
* Driver deaths per million registered vehicle years. A registered vehicle year is one vehicle registered for one year.