I’m thinking about getting a Ford Focus 1.0 EcoBoost, but I’ve heard mixed reviews. Is it worth it?
Honestly, it’s a great little engine when it works. It’s got decent power, good fuel economy, and is fun to drive. It even won awards when it came out. The problem is reliability—it can be hit or miss.
If you service it regularly and use the proper Ford oil, it might be fine. But yeah, you mostly hear horror stories about it breaking down.
@Noor
To be fair, it was one of the UK’s best-selling engines for years. Tons of cars had it, so naturally, you’ll hear about issues more often just because of how many are out there.
@Noor
I saw someone say it won awards but started having problems once people put serious miles on it. I’m also considering the 1.5 TDCi, especially the under-100bhp ones. They’re reliable but so slow. I might end up with a diesel since I’m cutting costs. Haven’t seen many 1.0 EcoBoosts make it past 120k miles.
@Phoenix
I managed 112k miles on my Fiesta EcoBoost before selling it. Maybe I sold it just in time! 
Adi said:
@Phoenix
I managed 112k miles on my Fiesta EcoBoost before selling it. Maybe I sold it just in time!
I just hit 123,456 miles on my ‘13 Focus. You might’ve jumped ship too early! 
@Brigham
How often have you had to deal with the timing belt? What’s your maintenance routine?
Phoenix said:
@Brigham
How often have you had to deal with the timing belt? What’s your maintenance routine?
Haven’t touched the belt. Bought it at around 50k miles, and I just do annual oil changes with Castrol. The belt replacement would cost more than the car’s worth now, so I’m riding it out.
There’s a minor head gasket leak, a bad air sensor on the exhaust, and some rust issues, but I’m not fixing any of them. Only big repair I did was the clutch master cylinder, which surprisingly failed before the timing belt.
@Noor
My friend’s got 80k miles on his and won’t replace the belt no matter how much I tell him to. At least he changes the oil every 8k miles, so it’s holding up so far.
Marley said:
@Noor
My friend’s got 80k miles on his and won’t replace the belt no matter how much I tell him to. At least he changes the oil every 8k miles, so it’s holding up so far.
Honestly, with regular oil changes, he might avoid any issues altogether.
@Quincy
True, but the belt can still fail regardless.
Marley said:
@Quincy
True, but the belt can still fail regardless.
It’s not that the belt snaps; the teeth strip off because the belt degrades in the oil. People leave the oil too long, and the contaminated oil wears the belt down. Changing oil every 8-10k miles or six months can save it.
Ecoboom. Enough said.
Linden said:
Ecoboom. Enough said.
Head gasket goes brrrrrrrr
Linden said:
Ecoboom. Enough said.
Head gasket goes brrrrrrrr
It’s usually not the head gasket—it’s the wet belt in the oil sump breaking apart and blocking the oil pickup, causing oil starvation and engine failure.
@Marley
Yup, it’s the wet belt. If you miss a service or use the wrong oil, it deteriorates and ruins the engine. Happened to me. Cost me £1,500 for a new engine, turbo, and clutch.
Linden said:
@Marley
Yup, it’s the wet belt. If you miss a service or use the wrong oil, it deteriorates and ruins the engine. Happened to me. Cost me £1,500 for a new engine, turbo, and clutch.
£1,500? That’s crazy cheap. Was it second-hand? Ford quoted me over £8k for mine, but I ended up paying around £6k total.
@Ali
Local garage helped with the Ford goodwill claim. I think I only paid for the turbo and clutch since the engine replacement was covered due to the known issue.
People always ask this here.
If the wet cambelt was replaced at 90k, it should be fine for another 100k if you stick to regular services and use Castrol Magnatec 5w20 oil. The belt lasts about 10 years or 100k miles.
The reason these engines fail is:
- People neglect servicing and let the belt stew in old oil.
- Drivers redline the engine immediately after starting it.
I’ve had mine for 8 years and no major issues. Just change the oil every six months, and it’s good to go.
@Max
Yeah, but 42k miles in 8 years is barely any driving. Doesn’t really prove reliability.