How reliable are Ford EcoBoost engines?
My local garage is a Ford specialist, but not an authorised dealer. I am considering buying a new Focus/Fiesta/B-Max through this garage, but the owner is sceptical about the EcoBoost engine. The owner has told me the engine is largely experimental until it has had three or four year’s general use by the population, at which time he expects problems to manifest themselves. Are you able to refute his claim? He has similar views with the auto stop-start system.
Asked on 8 September 2013 by chickasaw
Answered by
Honest John
The garage owner has sensible, old fashioned views. But these days the pace of development is so fast that to get the lowest CO2, lowest taxed engines you have to go for the latest technology.
Two exceptions are Honda's 1.8i VTEC in the Civic that did 45mpg in the previous Civic and does 48mpg in the current one and has no history of trouble. The other is Toyota's 1.8i Valvematic in the Avensis. Both these engines are chain cam (with chains that don;t give trouble) and non-turbo. But, even though they are more economical than Ford's 1.0 EcoBoosts they are not low CO2 in the EC tests so VED is comparatively high.
Two exceptions are Honda's 1.8i VTEC in the Civic that did 45mpg in the previous Civic and does 48mpg in the current one and has no history of trouble. The other is Toyota's 1.8i Valvematic in the Avensis. Both these engines are chain cam (with chains that don;t give trouble) and non-turbo. But, even though they are more economical than Ford's 1.0 EcoBoosts they are not low CO2 in the EC tests so VED is comparatively high.
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