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Ford EcoBoost Engine Replacement Issue with These Model Years You Need to Know

Do you currently own a Ford with an EcoBoost engine or are considering buying a used Ford that has one? If so, you need to know which models are currently listed as having a coolant intrusion problem necessitating an engine replacement as the fix.
Not All EcoBoost Engines are Bad

Not All EcoBoost Engines are Made Equal

For the most part, the Ford EcoBoost found in many models has proven overall to be a good and reliable engine. However, due to design engineers trying to improve on a design that already works to improve its performance, it can sometimes turn into one of those “the best laid plans of mice and men” type of thing.

According to a recent Ford Tech Makuloco YouTube video, that apparently is what has happened and is affecting many Ford owners requiring an engine replacement even before the vehicle has many miles on it.

Related article: Ford EcoBoost Engine Problems All Ford Owners and Used Car Shoppers Should Understand

According to a Ford Technical Service Bulletin dated June of this year shown by the host, Ford acknowledges that some of their models with the 4-cylinder 2.0 L EcoBoost engine are experiencing a common problem of coolant escaping into the cylinders manifesting as white smoke, engine misfiring, loss of coolant and engine overheating. Essentially what is happening is that cracks in the block between cylinders are forming and leading to a blown engine.

Related article: Consumer Reports Analysts Reveal the Used Cars Most Likely to Need an Engine Rebuild and What to Buy Instead

Ford Models Affected

The TSB lists the following affected vehicles:

One of the following vehicles with a 2.0 L EcoBoost engine:
• 2015-2018 Edge
• 2017-2019 Fusion/MKZ (Lincoln) built on or before 8-April-2019
• 2017-2019 Escape built on or before 16-May-2019
• 2017-2019 MKC (Lincoln) built on or before 18-April-2019

What’s Going On?

To understand just what changes were made to the EcoBoost engine that led to the problem, here is a video posted below that is well worth understanding why the problem occurred and what has been done to correct the design problem so as not to misunderstand the reliability of the EcoBoost engine model and miss out on some otherwise good used cars with an EcoBoost engine.

Ford 2.0L EcoBoost Engine Misfire and Coolant Consumption Issue Fix!

And finally…

For additional articles related to blown engines, here are a few for your consideration:

• Blown Engine Blame Game, Who’s at Fault?

• New Ford Broncos are Having Major Engine Problems

• Consumer Reports Mechanics Advise Avoiding These Models Known for Blowing a Gasket

COMING UP NEXT: The One Toyota Corolla Model You Might Want to Avoid Unless the Engine's Been Fixed

Timothy Boyer is a Torque News automotive reporter based in Cincinnati. Experienced with early car restorations, he regularly restores older vehicles with engine modifications for improved performance. Follow Tim on Twitter at @TimBoyerWrites for daily new and used vehicle news.

Image Source: Pixabay

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Comments

Gunay Rzayeva (not verified)    October 12, 2023 - 2:44PM

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2016 Ford Explorer 2.3L under 50,000 mileage. Got exact same problem: coolant leaking into the engine. Dealer quoted $12k for engine replacement. Ford says not our problem. This is ridiculous!!!!

Dracula (not verified)    November 21, 2023 - 8:55PM

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2017 Ford Edge with 32970 miles.
Same issue on cylinder 1. Dealer quotes me $10816 for the new engine. Would I get the revised engine or old engine?
There needs to be a consumer protection law if the manufacturer has a proven design flaw.
Anyone get the revised engine number so I can get one aftermarket?

Mitchell (not verified)    January 28, 2024 - 12:52PM

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Yes, the coolant intrusion took my 2018 Ford Escape at 164,000. The dealer quoted me $13,000 dollars to replace the engine. Which I thought was outrageous. This is definitely an issue with the design of the engine. They would not even help with the repair. I went directly to Ford Customer Care. I've supported Ford Motors through 5 cars. My father worked at Ford. Funny how you support a company for such a long time but when you need their support they run. This family will no longer buy Fords. Recently I was asked to participate in a Ford Credit Survey. Which I've added my opinion with their survey many times this one got their attention. I don't think paying for a vehicle repair that are beyond the value of the vehicle. Especially when it due to a design flaw.

Ken (not verified)    April 30, 2024 - 6:51PM

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Dealing with the same problem currently on my wife's 2018 Edge Titanium. Just under 100k, it began having an intermittant miss on #2 cylinder. Changed the plugs and coil packs. No visible coolant loss at this point. At 100k the collant loss began. Went through the dealer, the Ford dealer Rep, and with multiple layers of Ford's so called customer service. This is a problem caused by a design defect in the 2.0 ecoboost. Ford absolutely will not cover the issue. 9300+ for a new long block. I have bought and owned Ford products all my life. My family has bought Fords. I currently own 3. Never again will they get a dime from me that I can avoid.

Robert (not verified)    July 2, 2024 - 9:10AM

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I've known several young engineers that were behind this engine build. I assure you that these young men are gear heads and know how to design a bullet type product. In the end, it's up to the front office BEAN COUNTERS that make decisions relegating poor decisions on engine builds. More power means better cooling and by opening the block will mean better cooling. Right? Wrong in this case. I feel for the people that bought their Escapes 2.0 EB after 5/17. If you haven't had a problem by now, you will soon. jmho.

Aleta Perez (not verified)    September 17, 2024 - 5:52PM

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I own a 2016 Ford Edge titanium with just over 69,000 miles, and I’m dealing with the EcoBoost coolant engine problem. I’ve been informed that I will need a new engine. It’s incredibly frustrating that this has been ongoing issue and Ford hasn’t issued a recall yet!!

Paul Dubuc (not verified)    October 4, 2024 - 2:59PM

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Our 2017 Ford Edge was diagnosed with this problem at 100K miles and after we had put $2000 worth of maintenance recommended at that mileage into it. All regular maintenance was done at the Ford dealer where we bought the car new. A couple of weeks later the check engine light came on. They replaced the coil pack. Two weeks later the light came on again and we were told it was a coolant leak in the #3 cylinder and it needed a new engine. Ford said there was nothing they could do. It has $0 trade in value.

Since the car was running well with no noticeable symptoms, I took it to a local repair shop that I trust. They couldn't find evidence of the problem. Maybe their equipment just couldn't detect it. They adjusted the pin tension on the electrical ignition connectors on the chance that might be causing the misfire. A couple weeks later the check engine like came on again. Same code. By that time I had heard of a coolant additive called K-Seal and bought a bottle. I drove the car for several hundred miles and, when the light came on again, added the K-Seal, taking care to shake the bottle first like the instructions say, and reset the check engine light. I've put a few thousand miles on it in the last 8 weeks, including 100's of highway miles and the light hasn't come on yet. How long that will last remains to be seen but the car is running fine. Maybe I can a few 1000 more miles out of it before selling it for junk. It still runs fine. This is my car now. My wife has a new 2024 Ford Edge which hopefully will never have this problem. I don't blame Ford too much. Car companies have been under intense pressure from government regulations to make car lighter and more fuel efficient. This can make them less reliable, I think.