Is the Ford Ecoboost a terrible engine?

GHendrix

I just bought a 16 Ford Focus 1 litre ecoboost with just the 1 previous owner and 110000km. Car looks great inside and out and drives really well. I was delighted with it. The car is mainly for the wife.

I must confess, I did some research and read quite a bunch of horror stories about ecoboom and basically engine failure. However, a few balanced posts and articles seemed to suggest that it happens only a very small percentage of the time and usually when regular servicing isn’t happening etc. So I decided to take a punt on it.

As I collected the car, the dealer mentioned that a bunch of the service history was in the glovebox. I thought that was fairly sound. They don’t have to provide you with that.

I was shocked to see that last year the poor owner spent 5K replacing the engine and battery! I guess this ecoboost went ecoboom.

Now I’m wondering whether I’ve bought a ticking time bomb or whether it’s a good thing that the car has quite a new engine.

Anyone got any good or bad experiences with these engines?

LIGHTNING

I know a Ford mechanic would said in the early days they had crates of replacement engines in his dealership. Early ones were not good, from what I heard they got "better"

User1998

If the engine has already been replaced, then you should be good for another 10 years past that date. As long as you can confirm it wasn’t a second hand engine that was fitted.

Funnily enough I also bought one which had a £3,000 invoice in the glovebox for a new engine, so unfortunately the horror stories are true.

-=al=-

I think after 2014 they ironed out the issues. I don't think you have much to worry about if a new engine was fitted unless it had a similar mileage but probably a good thing.

I have had access to a 2014 ecoboost focus the last few months and I like the idea behind them but they're not as economical as expected and just lack a bit of oomph even with the turbo. Comfy cars and feel pretty solid but slightly disappointed with the engine. Wouldn't kick it out of bed though it's a nice car to be in and scoot around in

colm_mcm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121512647#Comment_121512647

This one is 2016 and still needed an engine though

GHendrix

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121512618#Comment_121512618

Well the first owner seems to have gotten 6 years and 100km out of it. That’s not great at all but I’d be reasonably happy if I got similar.

I actually just assumed an engine replacement meant a brand new engine. I wonder if there is any way to verify the mileage on the new engine?

Darwin

My Father-in-law had an engine replacement in his 2015 Fiesta, the engine had only 20K Km on the clock. New one is in situ a few years now and all fine so far. OP I wouldn't worry too much if it is a genuinely new engine. I have similar in my car (mine is 2021), no problems so far but I understand it runs a "wet timing belt" which will eventually deteriorate with debris getting into the oil pump strainer leading to oil starvation. You need to be on time with your services and most importantly use the correct oil. FYI PSA group also use this type of engine tech (I'm sure there are other brands too).

sugarman20

Had one of these engines replaced, a 171 van, belt snapped. Ford covered it thankfully.

damemcd

my ford focus 2012 went and cost me north of 2 grand to fix, will be going Japanese going forward.

-=al=-

What was the mileage when it packed up?

From speaking to a mechanic about the engines he mentioned similar as above in regards to maintenance and servicing suggested every 6k miles for an oil change to avoid common issues

GHendrix

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121514082#Comment_121514082

I can’t say for sure but looking at the overall mileage and the age of the car I reckon it was between 95 - 100km or somewhere close to that.

sumo12

Sweeping generalisation... Ford engines are generally pretty soft and don't like anything other than impeccable servicing with the correct oils used. Even at that, sometimes they still dissolve.

Montage of Feck

What modern engine isn't a problem waiting to happen, as the saying goes there's no replacement for displacement.

Furze99

Avoided a car where the previous one owner was a bit casual about servicing - 18,000 before first oil change. Oil & filter changes are best done regular to minimise issues.

artanevilla

"As I collected the car, the dealer mentioned that a bunch of the service history was in the glovebox. I thought that was fairly sound. They don’t have to provide you with that."

Did you review the history or were you just happy to know that it existed?

GHendrix

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121514496#Comment_121514496

I didn’t even know it existed. I gave the car a good test drive, it just passed NCT, nothing unusual showing up on cartell and have a few months warranty.

It was only when I got home that I read through the service invoices and saw the engine replacement.

Overall, it’s actually a good thing for me.

Im just a bit spooked that the same thing could happen to this engine and if it did I probably wouldn’t bother replacing again

hellyeah

In my experience the most important thing you can do with this engine is oil changes. Only use castrol magnetic 5w20 as this oil was specifically designed for this engine and the wet belt.

My father bought a new fiesta back in 2013 and had zero issues with this car up till he traded it in last year with 90k on the clock. We changed the oil annually with the above spec.

The problem is people use the wrong oil or don't change it at all, the belt then degrades blocks the oil strainer and starves the top end or the belt snaps and its game over.

My dad traded his fiesta for a new focus last year with same engine( his mild hybrid) is chain driven now so hopefully will be just as reliable if he keeps up with the servicing.

Henry Ford III

Wet belt engines were upgraded to a chain a couple of years ago.

I'm running a 155bhp 1.0l Ecoboost in a Puma and it's great. Excellent performance and good economy too.

Henry Ford III

This is reasonably balanced. Some early engines suffered from wet belt degradation too.

Regular oil changes should take care of the former issue - check the service history for proof and don't buy without it..

https://www.carbuyer.co.uk/tips-and-advice/170038/ford-ecoboost-engines-what-are-they-and-should-you-buy-one

Fuel economy and performance are both good, but very hard driving will see the mpg figure drop a lot. These engines won multiple awards and faulty ones were not too numerous.

https://media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/feu/en/news/2019/05/22/ford-1-0-litre-ecoboost-wins-11th-iepoty-engine-oscar--powered-1.html

chicorytip

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058327495/is-the-ford-ecoboost-a-terrible-engine

...at least your car has a manual transmission and not the notoriously problematic "Powershift" automatic box.

GHendrix

Just wanted to bump this to say that the engine went boom after almost 4 months and just out of warranty.

Not even 8 years old and 118km on the clock and 2 failed engines.

Will scrap it and take the hit.

I really hope this thread will prevent even 1 person from buying a car with one of these engines.

Agent_47

@GHendrix sorry to hear that. Daughter has same engine in a fiesta. I service it religiously every 12k km or annually. Has 80k km on it at the moment, a 2018 model.

Wife has a 2023 Puma 125 bhp eco boost but I think it’s a a different system. Have to watch both like a hawk. Wife’s 2015 1.2 tsi 110 bhp Golf , suffered poor mechanicals. Modern cars really suck when it comes to reliability

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121954279#Comment_121954279

God that is terrible. Have you contacted the dealer? Surely you have some consumer rights here

GHendrix

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121954522#Comment_121954522

Yeah I’ll probably give it a shot but not expecting much.

mickdw

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121954279#Comment_121954279

I guess we can assume itwas a piece of **** engine that was swapped in so.

It was rather sharp for the selling garage to not mention the engine swap originally.

Mad_Lad

I'm not that up on the ecoboost but from some research it appears that these engines were fixed around 2019 and those that use the dry belt have the turbo to the rear all the bad ones have the turbo to the front.

Maybe we can establish an exact time frame when this engine was finally fixed ?

mikeecho

my understanding, is that it was a highly stressed engine, needing to be serviced within or at the timing interval.

personally , i'd avoid it.,.. and this coming from the owner of a bmw n47 .. who has had oil changes at 1/2 the recommended intervals. (cos i'm paranoid). 250k+ without issue (fingers crossed)

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121970561#Comment_121970561

You’d need the engine codes and check the logbook to see which one it has. Someone posted a comparison before of what the two engines look like. It would be hard to give an exact timeframe of when it was rectified.

Henry Ford III

The revised engines have a timing chain, not a belt.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121970845#Comment_121970845

A timing chain is no longer a guarantee of reliability - just look at the Renault engines for example.

Coincide

I have one and it's never done me wrong.

Now I did get an engine replacement at one point but it was unrelated to an engine issue.

Was because the sump got a hole in it due to a branch on the road and all the oil fell out before I realised.

Little to no engine is gonna survive such a series of unfortunate events.

_H80_GHT

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121971090#Comment_121971090

You need to qualify that with how old the car is, him many miles on the clock, how long you've had it.

mikeecho

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121971090#Comment_121971090

You got the engine replaced.. due to an unrelated engine replacement issue.. but it's not an engine replacement.

I once had a flat tyre, but it was only flat at the bottom.

trindade

It's terrible. I know a few histories about this engine. I actually do not trust Ford, my first car was a Ford Ka and I had a lot of issues. Since then I only bought Toyota, Honda or VW brands.
Ford means Fix Or Repair Daily and I confirm that was my case.

rob316

Eco-bomb as my mechanic friend calls it. Neighbour's went on his too and cost about 4k.

djan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121971990#Comment_121971990

The person never said they didn't get an engine replacement?? Just that the replacement wasn't due to inherent mechanical issues but by a branch breaking part of it.

As others have said, the newer ones are much better and comparable to other stuff out there.

GPoint

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121973437#Comment_121973437

I thought these acronyms no longer used but apparently not.
Ford Ka was at the bottom of their line up and not deserved to be called a car, even smaller than fiesta.

I had mondeo for 9 years and changed when it was 14 years old and never had issues with it apart from known alternator problem and some minor things and service. I changed oil every 10 k twice a year and it served me well. Best value for money of all cars that I owned.

First ecoboost engines need good maintenance and if you are not into cars or don’t have mechanic and you drive in in busy city traffic best avoid it.

As if Toyotas never break or never have rust everywhere.

boardz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121954279#Comment_121954279

Fair play for updating the post 👌

Mad_Lad

I got this from hear, this is from 2018

https://www.fordownersclub.com/forums/topic/100066-10-ecoboost-vs-15-ecoboost-which-to-get/

The newer builds of the EB 1.0 have an uprated coolant pipe fitted and also an extra pump that keeps pumping coolant through the turbo when required, even if the engine has been turned off.  The 125 BHP version of the engine comes with the 6 speed box is lovely to drive although like all turbo petrol engines it can't deliver performance AND economy at the same time.

The 1.5 EB has had it's own issues in relation to an apparently rather irritating rattle (there have been at least 2 threads on here about the issue), Ford reckoned it was "by design".  It's also not a particularly modern engine so isn't great on the old economy front and isn't as keen to rev out as the 1.0 EB so can feel a little sluggish/strangled.

Personally I'd go for the 125 BHP 1.0 EB IF it's a late enough version that it has the additional pump circuit to ensure everything gets cooled down properly even after the engine if shut down.  I personally think it's much nicer to drive (when you want to have fun) and on a steady motorway run on cruise control, will still deliver 50(ish) MPG.

rob316

They sorted the engine after 2019 I believe, the biggest problem was overheating due to a nylon coolant pipe. The 1.6 diesel is plagued with thermostat problems too, housing need to be constantly replaced but thats a tiny thing compared to your engine going.

trindade

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121975237#Comment_121975237

I did not want to hurt your feelings, I just wanted to share my experience and what I've heard from friends, etc…

Every person has a different experience with cars, that's why we still see Peugeot, Citroen and Ford around even with terrible quality cars…

Tech_Head

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121977209#Comment_121977209

Have a 2016 Fiesta Red Edition which was mapped to give it 155hp like the UK spec. 45,000km and running like new. Serviced annually with the exception of a year during lockdown when it wasn’t used.

lawred2

Have a 2014 focus ecoboost. 160k on it.

Runs very well and owes me very little. It's due a belt change which is upwards of 2k job. Engine replacement isn't much more than that.

Few dealers I've spoken to about a trade run away when I mention it in exchange.

Don't know what to do with it. Half tempted to see how long it runs.

Mad_Lad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121981774#Comment_121981774

Wow, that's a lot for a belt change.

Maybe time to get a cheap Dacia ?

GHendrix

None of the Ecoboost issues are fixed. Go to the Facebook page Ecoboost Nightmares and there are literally posts daily about engine failures. The group has over 20k members. Even 2019s are still failing.

I’m learning the hard way that nobody wants to touch these cars. Mechanics don’t want to fix them once they have problems and nobody wants to buy one.

I’ll never buy a car with a wet belt again

From 2019 onwards, they moved to a timing chain but still using a wet belt for the oil pump. And still Ecobooms

Montage of Feck

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121977209#Comment_121977209

The majority of my cars have been from Peugeot and Ford, never had any serious trouble with them. The issues with current "eco" engines is across all brands.

Mad_Lad

Just bring back the 1.4 and 1.6 naturally aspirated 4 pot engines even turbo ones or the option of turbo. with proper engine design that's easy to fix.

The mad thing is that Ford can get away with it while people suffer the financial loss.

Does insurance cover engine failures ?

GHendrix

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121983462#Comment_121983462

No, not unless it was caused by an accident or something.

BorneTobyWilde

It's crazy that the issues are obvious and easily solved, but that they keep building them the same. That makes it sound like it's a money spinner.

hellyeah

Agreed on the old 1.4/1.6. I have a 2008 focus with the old 1.6 petrol unit. Have the car 14 years and passed nct again only last week. Tester told me to hang on to it. Imo this generation of car was peak ford. Ultra reliable with very little tech to go wrong and cheap to fix.

The wet belt set up is a nightmare unless you are meticulous with your servicing. We have had 2 ford's with this setup in the family. A fiesta from new for 9 years, no trouble at all. Got rid as the belt was due, replaced with a new focus 2022 with the chain set up. Time will tell.

Both of the ecoboost always serviced before schedule with the castrol 5w 20 oil as per manufacturer.

Mad_Lad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121984551#Comment_121984551

Roll it off a cliff ?