Ford 1.5 & 2.0 EcoBoost Engine Problems

[@mark_bair]

I don’t even own a vehicle with one of these engines, but I always watch the videos Mayson puts out. He’s super knowledgeable, tells it like it is, and explains everything so well. I wish the dealership he worked at was in Virginia Beach because I’d take my vehicle there to have it worked on. I don’t trust anyone to touch my truck because most people don’t care about the work they put out and are simply there for the cash! I would definitely let Mayson work on my vehicles.

[@rheidtech]

Hes very good.

[@cheesecurd100s]

The old block design has the slits between the cylinders and the new block design is solid aluminum. I believe that's the main issue with the old ones

[@meade4573]

Honda has the same issue with the slits although not as bad with the L15 turbos.

[@MaverickSu-35]

The one I've changed the head gasket on for no positive results was having a crack between cyl 3 and 4 on the upper part on the block and through that crack, the coolant went down inbetween cyl 3 and 4 until it found a small hole in the cyl number 3's sleeve and entered the combustion chamber. I've finally fixed it with an expensive stuff from Rislone head block seal or something like that and the leaks have completely stopped and remained so.

[@ranckie5055]

You are half correct. That slit between cylinders was to allow coolant to pass from one side to the other. To correct that issue they removed the slit going across the top and replaced it with a small hole under the gasket surface, thus giving the head gasket the wide area it needs to seal without failing and still allowing coolant to pass from one side to the other.

[@Jscot1001]

Dodged a bullet on that. When I bought my fusion I told my salesman I wanted a plain 4-cylinder. No hybrid and no turbo. I've been very happy with the 2.5L.

[@charlesjackson9602]

Wise move....i wish they kept a non turbo and direct injection engine...i pay extra for it...dont need power ..need reialbity..

[@YaGottaLuvIt]

The 2.0L in my 2016 Edge was replaced with a brand new one in 2022. No issues now. Very happy!

[@NateDog_WDE]

One thing to note is that this issue doesn't effect the 2.0 Ecoboost in the focus ST because the block design is different. The focus STs have a closed deck instead of the open deck that you referred to earlier as an issue.

[@fastinradfordable]

Except the ones that came from factory with wrong head gaskets 😂

[@icywind32]

​@@fastinradfordable Luckily that was only the 2.3 for RS.

[@sjb2471]

@@icywind32uff, I have a 2023 Focus ST with the 2.3L so I’m hoping by now all these issues have been solved

[@SETSO-4L]

@@fastinradfordablethat was the 2.3L EcoBoost RS engines. Those are open deck blocks btw

[@cjg6364]

I just come here for the hair....🥰 No but seriously, this kid is one of the most knowledgeable and trustworthy sources of automotive information on the net - best of KZbin!

[@ghostwrench2292]

I used to love doing 1.5L short blocks when I worked at a Ford dealership. I probably did 2-3 per month.

[@CharlesCurran-m9p]

As I understand it, that slit design was the problem which they fixed on newer models. You’d think they would have tested the engine sufficiently to recognize that they had a design problem before they put it in all those cars.

[@fastinradfordable]

No you’d think a company could make a better headgasket a hundred years after making good hwadgaskets.

[@stevennunez6013]

Well the 3.5 ecoboost has the same slit In between the cylinders and does not have this problem to my knowledge.

[@CharlesCurran-m9p]

@@stevennunez6013 That’s interesting, I didn’t know that. Maybe the block was big enough on the larger engine to prevent leakage.

[@stevennunez6013]

@@CharlesCurran-m9p that’s why I was a little bit confused by the issue with the new block design in the ecoboost inline 4’s how do you think they hold up reliably wise ?

[@MrTheHillfolk]

Long term testing on automotive stuff has been dead since probably the late 90s. Now the public is the long term tester.

[@superbuttfoot]

Probably my favorite KZbinr

[@L3giT_Hax]

2.0 ecoboost in the st is a beast in reference to performance. The 2.3 in the rs is even better for power delivery. I personally love them, that being said I've never had to deal with any issues. The rs is my brother's and I had the st. Love them a lot but my svt focus will be my true love for life.

[@Chenstrapftw]

The STs have a slightly different engine design so they don't suffer with the intrusion issue. The only major problem with the STs tends to be Low Speed Pre Ignition, AKA don't floor it at low engine speed on the freeway. There seem to be issues with cracked headifolds (The Head and Exhaust manifold are one piece on the ST) popping up, but a lot of ppl tuned those engines fairly aggressively, so hard to say if it affects all of them or just the ones where ppl tried to push more power.

[@criSOME1]

Yea these KZbin mechanics really need to tell the difference between the non st types. They like to think that they share the same issues

[@CotyBasa-Oahustate808]

Luckily, i didnt experience any of this with my 2017 2.0 escape. I read about the problems before buying it so i made sure maintenance is done on time and whatever needs fix gets fixed immediately

[@michaeltutty1540]

Well done and very informative. Good job, Mayson. You have certainly reinforced why I will not be buying a newer vehicle. Ever.

[@markrich3271]

I own a Lincoln mkc 79,000 miles . I replace an engine at 32,000 miles and now I'm replacing its 2nd for a 3rd engine at 79k. IM amazed. I have a few ram cummins trucks. WE always oring the heads at a minimum. I'm considering doing the same to this engine using a thin wire on each cylinder bore. It works great with diesel engines. It's really easy to do with a knee mill and boring bar.

[@grandmasmalibu]

Had the 1.5 short block replaced in my 2018 Fusion a few months back. I have an extended warranty but it was actually covered as a recall. Didn't spend a dime and got a free rental car while they were working on it. Will it last? No idea. Not like I beat on this thing- it's just my daily driver. But I doubt these are the engines/cars that people are going to brag about years from now getting hundreds of thousands of miles out of them with just scheduled maintenance and regular oil changes.

[@charlesjackson9602]

How did you get Ford to do this.? i have escape with 1.5..

[@grandmasmalibu]

@@charlesjackson9602 Not sure what years/models might be covered but it would let out a big puff of smoke on cold start and it was eating coolant, so I guess the symptoms fit and they did the replacement. And I had about 70K on the odometer (I'm sure they won't do it over a certain mileage).

[@charlesjackson9602]

@@grandmasmalibu You mention recall...do you have a recall number?...i had a tsb done...that was related said they did a reprogram of computer..for seemly this issue...

[@EverydayCars]

Never heard of this being a 2.3 problem. Those are pretty solid motors. My 16 explorer 2.3 had 113k on it with 0 issues when i got rid of it.

[@rheidtech]

Great, thorough no bs vid. Very watchable. 👍👍🎩

[@jeffhowell3310]

I'm glad I have a 2014 ecoboost, that design, someone someone had their head up their but designing it, worst ever, it is pretty bad when the car owners end up fixing the design issues because normally of late just wants to bandaid fix the problems, so I'm glad they have came out with a replacement redesign

[@stephenlord8719]

Based on your info, my 2013 Ford Focus ST 2.0 Ecoboost is not affected. Whew!

[@MaverickSu-35]

Well, I've just finished changing the head gasket on a 1.5 Ecoboost of a Focus 3 with 220k miles on it after constantly getting a cyl 3 misfire and rough idle. There is a crack in the block inbetween cylinders 3 and 4 and I've understood that this was a manufacturing problem on gen 1. The head gasket change only stopped the coolant from leaking into cyl 3 only for a day, after which the leaking came back to it's usual ritm. I had 2 options: 1. Another block 2. Somehow fix the block I have now tried the last option and bought a leaks block solution from Rislone. Yeap, it costed 60 euros, but after following the steps in there, in less than 10.minutes at idle, the rough idle has gone away. I've left the engine run for more than half an hour with that thing in the coolant system then stopped the engine and allowed it to cool as the steps required. From then on, not a single drop of coolant has ever been entering the combustion chamber anymore. That thingis a good shot and does it pretty well. It says on the bottle that you can leave it in the cooling system, but just to make sure that nothing can clog up in the future (just like to be sure), I have completely drained the cooling system, put new distilled water and anti-freeze, done some racing style tests on the engine again, re-added coolant mix after the system was bleeded of air well enough, tested it a few more days with high load high revs high temps. Nothing. Not a single drop of leak into cyl 3 anymore. That Rislone saved this engine from being thrown off. So even without remaining in the system anymore, it has done it's job. So if you own a coolant gulping Ecoboost, don't just give up on that remarkable engine until you try fixing it with something cheaper which can save it from day one of coolant leaks, instead of wasting time and lots of money on replacing the head gasket which won't even keep the problem from repeating for long.

[@Bigmay85]

So glad that all the supervisors fleet vehicles were 2018 1.5 ecoboosts! Not like we have enough issues with all the 6.0s and 6.4s in the fleet. 😂

[@patrickconroy8729]

Thank you sir, good info. Too bad, otherwise the Edge is a good car

[@Delgwah]

Thank you.

[@jetwrench2854]

Very good information sir and I like your moniker Flying Wrenches 😊

[@tinytattoomike7943]

Just sold our 2018 escape with a bad transmission at 147k miles and was using coolant we just paid it off too we got $2800 and I was so glad to see that pos go

[@robertmcgee3602]

Went through this with my wifes 2017 escape and had to change the longblock.

[@LukeWarmwater-yb5lx]

Good Video Flying Wrenches, Thank You.

[@sofakingsmawsome718]

2013 2.0L escape 168k going strong

[@Dougxj]

Yea he failed to mention the first gen 2.0 wasn’t affected by this.

[@AAB371]

Good info. thanks

[@Catayst-123]

Great Video Great information Peace too Brother Take Care

[@dennisgarcia3704]

2013 fusion with 2.0 with 212K no issues, except for a water pump at 180k!!

[@the308capital]

The problem started in 2017 model year.

[@ibaranykov]

I wanted to buy Bronco Sport Badlands but after viewing a lot of complaints for ecoboost engine I will not buy it. That's why the Ford dealerships are flooded by new cars and nobody wants to buy them.

[@RobsNeighbor]

Great Video!

[@floydwilliams3321]

Nice work

[@robertdevoy3119]

In 2010, basically a Mazda engine with no issues. Then Ford redesigned it for 2015 and, of course, they screwed it up. The revised engine for 2020 seems to have corrected these issues.... hopefully. I say hopefully because I just bought a 2024 Bronco Sport Badlands with the 2.0 ecoboost engine.

[@Havok135]

I thought the problem was the small cuts they put in between the cylinders? There was hardly any meat on the sealing surfaces to keep the water from intruding into the cylinders. The revised engines instead had no cuts up top between the cylinders but located toward the middle of them. So the top had more meat to help the head gasket seal better.

[@rogerrabbit8756]

I got a 2014 2.0 fusion titanium, absolutely zero issue. Not sure on build date but has 170,000km

[@samholdsworth420]

Congratulations you've got a woman's car lol

[@rogerrabbit8756]

@samholdsworth420 Yes, it's the wife's car lol. I drive a 2018 f150 lariat. What do you got? You strike me as a smart car guy.

[@Bigmay85]

2017-2019, how many times does your wife have to repeat things to you?!

[@rogerrabbit8756]

@Bigmay85 guessing you didn't watch the full video did you turnip.. 0:39 muppet.

[@Bigmay85]

​@@rogerrabbit8756waca waca waca

[@Apollo-bw3hv]

Excellent!

[@randellgribben9772]

I have no issues with my 2.0 Ecoboost engine, in my 14 fusion, uses no oil or coolant after 194500 miles, no carbon build up on the intake e, but i added a ovs a week after i bought my car. Still get 34/36 on the highway at 70 in cruise control. Lots of fun power. Can crest donner summit at any speed i want to, and love passing 3 type BMW car up there, but i do have the vep( Spanish made engine) not the American built engine

[@myz06rocks]

TSB in this case is code for “customer funded recall”.

[@crazyman8472]

Don’t forget to change yer damn awl. 😎

[@Crazytomm]

I just got a ford Edge 2018 off caravana 2L. I took it straight to a caravana repair center and they replaced the engine for free bc it was burning coolant in 2 Woot. Also, they said the new engine is the 3rd model fix

[@DixieGeezer]

Look at that smile...I'm looking at a FUTURE POLITICIAN. 🤣🤣😂😂

[@f150bft]

We have a 2019 Edge with the 2.0 and had some coolant loss but it turned out to be EGR cooler. Unless the TSB has been updated or changed, the 2019 Edge was not included.

[@arielmateojesusdelacruz5186]

Fellas, the easiest way to tell if you have a closed block first Gen 2.0 is by looking at the turbo manifold if it's a single 90-degree bend like a tube Where as the 2nd gen will have the 90 degree pipe but it will be funky looking and wide as if it has multiple pipes it's for the twin scroll turbo design witch the 2nd gen block uses. You can look up the first gen turbo 2013-14 and then second gen 2015 and above.. Also if you look at the side of your engines head valve cover, if you see a tag that has 2 barcodes, VEP, you have the valecia engine block (spain block 1st gen) The ohio 2nd Gen Block will have a similar sticker, but say ohio on it, and it will have a QR tag instead of barcodes stay AWAY from those engines. This information is specifically for the 2.0

[@blackericdenice]

1:49 Honda engines are open deck blocks and they don't have a problem with blown head gaskets. Maybe Ford torque spec for the heads is too high. I found out this is the problem with the Cadillac Northstar engines. Techs are pulling out the threads because the torque spec is too high.

[@dorianleclair7390]

Those big coolant passages are for emissions too.

[@geogmz8277]

I believe the 2.0 Open deck wasn't in the Fusion until 2016..

[@fastinradfordable]

2:00 When 3 guys pretend the torque converter didn’t pull out of the trans😂

[@Checkmate_actual]

It's not necessarily the sealing surface in all cases if you closely inspect the coolant passage between #3 and #4 cylinders and the top of the cylinder wall in many cases you will find small cracks

[@1976axerhand]

If you Google the lifespan of a new 1.5 Ecoboost engine it says maybe 100k miles....lol

[@seana806]

Not a surprise since you can literally pick it up right out of the box, literally a engine that’s designed to be thrown away. Or, a oversized door stop/paper weight.

[@aamechanic8154]

$1,215 for a short block is actually a pretty good deal

[@STEVO_8181]

I'm a day 1 Ford guy, but I stayed far away from those vehicles. I did however repair a bunch plus program those clunky ass gearboxes. I mean, shamefully I would put a Dodge Neon above it.

[@GDOG520]

Did a head gasket on a fusion 3yrs ago before this was really out... Sad

[@donneezyracing5756]

My fiance 2017 fusion just went into the shop for coolant intrusion in cylinder 3. It only had 40000 miles.

[@cheesecurd100s]

This should be a recall issue

[@lamartya.4042]

Thanks, but too late. I just bought a 2017 2.0 Fusion 6 months ago. Wish I had known about this before. I new I should have got a F150 5.0.... oh well. Hey, can you recommend a good dealership service center in the Long Beach/Orange County California area?

[@josephputtie2900]

Can you use the 2.0 out of a 2020 ford edge in a 2017 ford edge. Plus when did the switch to new block in 2020

[@garyforestier1118]

Ford needs to step up and issue a recall.

[@chiefordnance]

My 2020 2.0L was made in SPAIN 🇪🇸 😅

[@randellgribben9772]

As my 2014 2.0, 1945000 miles on it no oil usage or coolant issues, and still lots of power and 34/36 on the highway at 70 cruise control

[@robertdevoy3119]

Supposedly, these Spanish made engines are the better built engines. 2020 will have the mods that make it even better. I just bought a 2024 Bronco Sport with the Spanish 2.0 engine so I hope I'm good.

[@richardromagnoli8075]

Has he done any videos on the Bronco Sport 1.5 liter dragon engines?

[@sandyenzweiler8559]

I’m looking to buy a ford high roof transit what is the best engine choice that you could recommend. I do enjoy your videos. My current van is a 99 e350 with a 5.4 256k on the original motor and transmission

[@karlbaumann708]

I'd keep the E350!

[@daninva6458]

Funny enough, I have a 1.5 ecoboost Fusion that is getting coolant in #2 in my bay right now. Do the 1.5’s all have the updated flex plates? My shop got burned a few times with flex plates breaking on the 2.0 and the 1.6, after that we always order them if we are doing engine/trans replacement on one.

[@secionut4329]

Hello. Do you have any idea which engine model is M8DD15X (5cdbbamc), date of manufacture 22.03.2018. thank you very much!

[@stevennunez6013]

With the new block how would you judge the reliability of the ecoboost?

[@Tony-tk4ht]

my sister's 2017 ford edge has the 2.0 ecoboost and it has coolant intrusion in cyl 3. she does not have warranty left and has to pay out of pocket

[@Crazytomm]

Dude I got lucky. I got a edge 2l off carvana. Took it straight to the repair center and they replaced the engine for free for the same thing. Maybe carVana will buy it

[@RyanEmeryLovesCars]

Has Ford not actually solved the coolant intrusion problem despite "supposedly" redesigning the block starting around the 2020-ish model year in my case? The 2.0 in our '18 MKC failed at 37K miles due to coolant intrusion, the dealer replaced the engine in MAY 2023 (assembled in March 2023), and this July, it ALSO failed from coolant intrusion after only 4,000 miles. The second replacement engine in it right now was manufactured this April and has the SAME exact block part number (J2GE 6006 AC) as the failed first replacement engine. The block part number on the original engine (assembled in December 2017) has the block part number HV 206 AA.

[@charlesk7687]

so when did they update the current 2.0?

[@GabrielGreen-f7m]

What about the Focus ST with the Closed deck 2.0 Ecoboost? does this issue readily affect them as well, or is it entirely different being a closed deck block design? i would be curious to have some input on this

[@JT01991]

So the 2020 fusion 2.0 has the revised block?

[@ClasSickClips]

I have this issue now, 2019 ford fusion sel, it's been broke down since January, I still own a ton on it and can't get it fixed. Idk how this isn't a recall.

[@arielmateojesusdelacruz5186]

I own a first gen 2.0 ecoboost but the headifold exhaust port cracked and now spills coolant into my exhaust.. Not a very common issue but that also happens...

[@fjcarmo0369]

What years did this affect the 2.3L Mustang?

[@danielboone94]

I have a question for you man. For a 2018 limited F-150 that has the raptor EcoBoost motor what are the problems that need to be addressed if I'm buying a used truck within the 20,000 to 30,000 mi range

[@bigbuckoramma]

I think its REALLY strange, that even though this is considered a "common problem" on every other 1.5L, 1.6L, and 2.0L EcoBoost, you never hear about this being a problem on the Fiesta ST, even though it is the higher output variant of the 1.6L EcoBoost, and runs a higher boost map, and is, generally, driven significantly harder. Its almost like its a bad idea putting a tiny ass little turbo motor into a car that weighs more than 3500 pounds, and expecting it to last. Who knew?

[@The-AgeofAI]

Im not a ford person, but weve had a 2014 fiesta st since new and it has 330,000 miles on it, still even on the stock clutch. I by no means believe in ford quality, but have to ask if this engine in the st falls into the same category since you did mention the 1.6?

[@chosenone773]

How is the 2.3-liter EcoBoost I-4 on the 2020 Explorer?

[@sandasturner9529]

What happened to the .3 ecoboost

[@Pro1er]

I've been following this problem for a few years now, (along with the cracked exhaust manifold manifold problem). I have a 2019 Nautilus that I purchased in April of 2019 but it is not on the TSB. Does anyone know why the MKZ, MKC and Edge (Ford version of the Nautilus), is on the TSB but not the Nautilus? I can't find anyone who knows, including the dealer who is playing dumb claiming they don't know anything about the recall. Engine is a 2.0L

[@thrilledblock]

No issues on my 17 fiesta st with the 1.6 80k miles

[@walthamp8978]

Also the new mail truck the Postal Service is purchasing from Oshkosh the 2.0 Lit

[@jamesgeorge4874]

Ford stopped building things I would buy a long time ago.

[@HiKielLiHi]

I have a 2015 Ford Expedition XLT and it shifts so smoothly but at idle it shakes and when I start it up it shakes and but no check engine light..I'm trying to figure out wat it could be

[@schiedler1978]

What about ecoboost thats updated the newer block

[@alexellsworth3852]

Should mention the extended warranty for the 1.5l. Ford will replace the short block for free if the car is under 82k miles. We had it done on our 2018 Escape 1.5l right at 78k, then promptly traded it in, cause screw that thing.

[@alexellsworth3852]

Also had a 2014 Escape 2.0l, but thankfully a BMW has the foresight to rear-end me and total it, before it would inevitably let us down.

[@stephenbloom2545]

Yep, my mother had it happen on her 17 escape. $8000 repair

[@BruinHerr-bj7uk]

For 8k I would have parked it on the side of a mountain logging road and wait for the insurance check.

[@simplycleanpressurewashing758]

How about the 2.4 L in the fusion?

[@WiteNight]

Shit my buddy asked me to help him do a head gasket on a 2019 2.0T just got it back together and then I see this video lol hopefully it will fix the car long enough for her to trade it in

[@DoubleTap702]

What’s the better engine for the Explorer? 2.3 or 3.0?

[@xXlURMOMlXx]

3.0... it's the same as the 2.7 so rock solid reliability

[@leebornaman5508]

Vega engines?

[@seana806]

If you can literally pick up a engine like that right out of the box, I wouldn’t trust it one bit.

[@BruinHerr-bj7uk]

The diesel engine from my F350 weighs 1000 lbs dry.

[@montanagold59635]

I’ve been asking this question and nobody wants to answer. I have a 2017 Range Rover evoque with the ford 2.0 I haven’t seen anything online about them having the same issue. I have read that they used different blocks for the Range Rover but I can’t believe that. Anyway just wondering if anyone knows if I have to worry about this issue. Thanks

[@randellgribben9772]

The river Ecoboost is made in Spain,the better engines

[@TexasNationalist1836]

How do I improve the longevity of my 3.5 ecoboost gen one with 260,000 miles with an oil leak

[@stephenbloom2545]

My F150 has 504,000 on it now. Use a good synthetic oil and filter and you’ll be fine . The 3.5 in the explorers have an internal water pump change it every 150,000

[@TexasNationalist1836]

@@stephenbloom2545 yeah my truck already leaks oil and I lost my ac and heater not too long ago

[@stephenbloom2545]

@@TexasNationalist1836 bummer! My A/C locked up a month ago. I’ve been driving my expedition. I’m pretty much done with my pickup, 1/2 million miles is good enough. If it wasn’t so damned expensive to fix these things I’d run it some more but I really don’t want to drop $10k in a old pickup

[@stephenbloom2545]

@@TexasNationalist1836 what’s leaking oil?

[@TexasNationalist1836]

@@stephenbloom2545 no clue maybe driver side valve cover but with that engine it could be anything, it leaks a quart every 2 thousand miles so I am not too concerned with it

[@byronblue5710]

What about the 1.0l ecoboost

[@randellgribben9772]

The wet belts are the issue with these,at 50000 drop the pan and clean it out also with the oil pump pickup, they clog will rubber debris from the timing and oil pump belt,you can change it this time if you want,not too hard to do.

[@robertrpenny]

Should give this junk to the nearest kid building a go cart.

[@MrMan5014]

The old GM 8.2L V8 diesels had a very similar issue…block had a very similar design with no gussets around the cylinder walls and the cylinders would actually walk back and forth in the block and break the seal between the head/headgasket and block…they had to replace thousands of engines under warranty and in the end the engine was discontinued…Ford knows better and they never should have done this!!..just more Ford junk!..bring back the Duratec engines!…

[@donh8833]

The fact they failed like this so early is unacceptable. Just poor engineering.

[@philmorrison6898]

So what you’re saying is, don’t buy a ford!

[@peterpeter5666]

is there a hidden extended warranty on this?

[@Jey36912]

Just do 3.5L F-150 !!Videos!!!!!

[@ivory_mkz]

What about a 2016 Lincoln mkz 2.0L?

[@randellgribben9772]

Look on the valve cover, chain side ,if it has a vep sticker on it,it's the good engine

[@HowardJrFord]

I just had to replace the 2.0 in my 2016 MKZ at 95k miles due to coolant intrusion .