Why some Ford engines score below 68/100
Ford's EcoBoost revolution brought impressive performance-per-litre — but also introduced new failure modes that the older Duratec engines never had. The timeline matters: early EcoBoost units are significantly less reliable than post-2018 revisions.
The pattern
Ford's avoid list is split by a clear timeline: pre-2018 EcoBoost engines (especially the 1.0 three-cylinder and early 1.5/1.6 units) vs the revised post-2018 versions. The older Duratec naturally aspirated engines and the Duratorq TDCi diesels from the pre-DPF era remain solid choices. For EcoBoost: model year matters.
EcoBoost 1.6 — 32/100 (AVOID)
1.6L Turbo I4
Found in: Fiesta, Focus
Known problems
| Issue | Severity | Typical cost | Onset |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cylinder head cracking | critical | €5.000 | 60.000 km |
| Coolant intrusion into cylinders | critical | €8.000 | 50.000 km |
Full EcoBoost 1.6 reliability report →
EcoBoost 1.5 4-cyl — 40/100 (AVOID)
1.5L Turbo I4
Found in: Focus 1.5 EcoBoost 4-cyl, Kuga, Kuga 1.5 EcoBoost, Mondeo, Mondeo 1.5 EcoBoost
Known problems
| Issue | Severity | Typical cost | Onset |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coolant intrusion (inherited from 1.6) | critical | €7.000 | 50.000 km |
Full EcoBoost 1.5 4-cyl reliability report →
EcoBoost 1.0 (pre-2018) — 48/100 (CAUTION)
1.0L Turbo I3
Found in: Fiesta 1.0 EcoBoost, Focus, Focus 1.0 EcoBoost, Mondeo
Known problems
| Issue | Severity | Typical cost | Onset |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wet timing belt — catastrophic failure risk | critical | €6.000 | 50.000 km |
| Coolant hose failure — head gasket risk | high | €1.500 | 50.000 km |
Full EcoBoost 1.0 (pre-2018) reliability report →
Duratorq 3.0 TDCi — 58/100 (CAUTION)
3.0 V6 TDCi (LION)
Found in: Ranger
Known problems
| Issue | Severity | Typical cost | Onset |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turbo failure (V6 diesel) | high | €2.500 | 80.000 km |
| Timing chain concerns | high | €3.000 | 100.000 km |
Full Duratorq 3.0 TDCi reliability report →
1.8 TDCi — 60/100 (CAUTION)
Duratorq 1.8 TDCi
Found in: Fiesta, Focus, Mondeo
Known problems
| Issue | Severity | Typical cost | Onset |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dual-mass flywheel failure | high | €1.200 | 80.000 km |
| Turbo failure | high | €1.500 | 100.000 km |
Full 1.8 TDCi reliability report →
What to buy instead
Not all Ford engines are problematic. These score well:
- Duratec 2.0 — 88/100 (BEST)
- Duratec 2.5 — 82/100 (BUY)
- Coyote 5.0 V8 — 82/100 (BUY)
- Zetec-SE — 80/100 (BUY)
Generated from EngineScope's reliability database. Reviewed by the editorial team. Methodology →