The Lemon Index
The 1.5 L inline-4 turbo in the Ford Escape and Ford Fusion, model years 2014–2025. Owners filed 5,622 complaints about cars with it (matched by VIN); 66% name the engine, #1 of the 39 everyday engines we track (1 = the most).
Known issues, checked against owner complaints
Problems owners of cars with this engine name much more often than owners of the other 38 everyday engines we track (at least 1.5× the median, and 10+ complaints):
- Coolant loss into the cylinders. 2,893 of 5,622 owner complaints (51%) mention coolant loss or overheating, against a median of 1.2% for the other 38 everyday engines we track.
Coolant intrusion into the engine causing overheating issue that resulted in $4000 of repair costs and is still not fixed. While driving, the warning light came on to pull over immediately. I was at an intersection at a stop sign. Had to get it towed to the service shop.
2018 owner · NHTSA complaint 11776538 - Head gaskets. 261 of 5,622 owner complaints (4.6%) mention a head gasket, against a median of 0.1% for the other 38 everyday engines we track.
When I originally attempted to start the car, white smoke was pouring from the exhaust pipe. We came to the conclusion that my head gasket on the car blew. We came to this conclusion because it was misfiring and when you try to open the coolant lid there’s suction.
2019 owner · NHTSA complaint 11755101 - Misfires. 805 of 5,622 owner complaints (14%) mention a misfire, against a median of 0.6% for the other 38 everyday engines we track.
Misfire in cylinder 2. Diagnosed as coolant intrusion. Block and header replaced.
2019 owner · NHTSA complaint 11775546
What YouTube owners say Tone 0-100, higher = more praise than trouble.
Average owner tone 42/100 across 8 model years, from 76 videos about this engine and its cars (#129 of 165 engines with a YouTube study).
Most-watched videos
- DID FORD FIX IT? 2021+ Bronco Sport / Escape 1.5L 3 Cylinder Ecoboost Teardown. DISPOSABLE ENGINE! 322,183 views
- 2015 Ford Fusion 1.5L EcoBoost 0-60 MPH Review: Tiny but Mighty? 301,149 views
- 2015 Ford Fusion SE 1.5L Ecoboost DETAILED Review and Road Test 151,395 views
- 1.5L EcoBoost High Pressure Fuel Pump Replacement..How To, Special Request. Ford Escape, Ford Fusion 116,008 views
- 2017 Ford Escape 1.5L Cylinder Head Temperature Sensor Replacement 107,741 views
Counted from video titles and captions: praise words against trouble words, weighted by views. Videos only count when the title names this engine or a car that had only this engine in those years.
Cars with this engine Tap a year for that car's full report.
Model years from NHTSA VIN decoding of owner complaints. Only years we have a car page for.
Owner complaints by model year
Counts of complaints filed so far. Older cars have had longer to collect them, and popular cars draw more because more were sold: no one reports sales by engine, so there's no per-car rate. Compare the shares below instead.
By car
| Car | Model years matched | Complaints | Name the engine |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ford Escape | 2017–25 | 3,366 | 75% |
| Ford Fusion | 2014–20 | 2,256 | 54% |
“Name the engine” = the share of that car's VIN-matched complaints that list the engine as a problem area.
What owners complain about
Share of this engine's complaints that name each area (one complaint can name several).
What owners write
| Complaints that | Count | Share | Median, other everyday engines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mention coolant loss or overheating | 2,893 | 51% | 1.2% |
| Say the engine stalled, shut off or lost power | 850 | 15% | 13% |
| Mention a misfire | 805 | 14% | 0.6% |
| Mention fire, flames or smoke | 702 | 12% | 3.2% |
| Say the engine knocked, seized or failed | 576 | 10% | 2.7% |
| Mention a spark plug | 446 | 7.9% | 0.5% |
| Mention a head gasket | 261 | 4.6% | 0.1% |
| Mention the turbo | 92 | 1.6% | under 0.1% |
| Mention the water pump | 72 | 1.3% | 0.2% |
| Mention an oil leak | 26 | 0.5% | 0.6% |
Counted from the owner's own words in each complaint (all of the car, not only the engine). A share, not a failure rate.
When problems show up
Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 53,000 and 106,000 miles; the middle report was at 80,000 miles (2,477 complaints with a mileage).
Recalls that name this engine 2
25V343000 May 2025 Electrical System Escape 2023, 2024, 2025
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Lincoln Nautilus, 2023-2025 Escape, 2023 Lincoln Corsair, 2025 Lincoln Corsair, Maverick, and Bronco Sport vehicles equipped with a 1.5L or 2.0L MPC engine and an engine block heater. The engine block heater may overheat when the vehicle is parked with the block heater plugged in.
Fix. Dealers will replace the block heater element and inspect the electrical cord, replacing it if necessary, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded blanking plug coupled, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Owner notification letters were mailed June 9, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.
22V859000 Nov 2022 Fuel System, Gasoline Escape 2023
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Escape and 2021-2023 Bronco Sport vehicles equipped with 1.5L engines. A fuel injector may crack and leak fuel inside the engine compartment.
Fix. Dealers will update the engine control software to include fuel injector leak detection and install a drain tube, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed January 9, 2023. Remedy parts are expected to be available in 1st Quarter of 2023. Owner notification letters were mailed February 28, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service
NHTSA recalls on these cars and model years whose text names this engine (its size or name). The rest (brakes, air bags, wiring ...) are on each car year's page.
In owners' words
Coolant intrusion into the engine causing overheating issue that resulted in $4000 of repair costs and is still not fixed. While driving, the warning light came on to pull over immediately. I was at an intersection at a stop sign. Had to get it towed to the service shop.
2018 owner · NHTSA complaint 11776538
Coolant intrusion on my 2018 ford escape 1.5-liter EcoBoost engine. Mileage is only 42500. Ford has offered no resolution or assistance. Known issue: 19b37 and 21n12 and TBS 22-2134. Technical Bullet 22-2229.
2018 owner · NHTSA complaint 11776204
The antifreeze is leaking into the engine or into another part of the vehicle. There are no external leaks. This causes a consistent refill issue and possible engine damage if left untreated.
2018 owner · NHTSA complaint 11775666
Against the other everyday engines
| Engine | Years | Complaints | Name the engine | Stalled or lost power | Burning oil | Recalls naming it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5 EcoBoost | 2014–25 | 5,622 | 66% | 15% | 0.2% | 2 |
| 6.2 V8 (Gen V) | 2014–25 | 7,219 | 65% | 24% | 2.2% | 2 |
| 2.4 Theta II | 2010–22 | 21,551 | 51% | 20% | 8.1% | 8 |
| 2.4 Ecotec | 2010–17 | 6,096 | 51% | 21% | 18% | 0 |
| 3.0 EcoDiesel | 2014–23 | 2,871 | 50% | 24% | 0.2% | 7 |
| 3.3 Lambda II | 2013–21 | 3,254 | 50% | 17% | 5.9% | 2 |
| 2.0 EcoBoost | 2012–25 | 9,735 | 48% | 12% | 0.1% | 0 |
| 2.0T Theta II | 2011–22 | 3,325 | 44% | 18% | 4.8% | 2 |
| 1.4 Turbo | 2011–22 | 3,926 | 39% | 17% | 0.9% | 2 |
| 2.4 Tigershark | 2014–22 | 9,631 | 35% | 34% | 4.5% | 5 |
| 1.5 Turbo | 2016–25 | 4,471 | 33% | 27% | 0.3% | 1 |
| EA888 2.0T | 2009–25 | 7,443 | 29% | 16% | 3.7% | 5 |
| A25A | 2018–25 | 2,979 | 26% | 12% | under 0.1% | 1 |
| 1.5 Turbo | 2017–22 | 6,390 | 26% | 14% | 0.2% | 0 |
| J35 V6 | 2003–25 | 24,038 | 24% | 14% | 0.9% | 4 |
| Skyactiv-G 2.5 | 2014–25 | 2,631 | 22% | 11% | 2.7% | 1 |
| 2.7 Turbo | 2019–25 | 1,090 | 22% | 12% | 0.5% | 0 |
| 2AZ-FE | 2001–09 | 7,176 | 22% | 3.7% | 8.6% | 0 |
| 5.4 Triton | 2005–14 | 3,952 | 21% | 15% | 0.1% | 3 |
| 5.7 HEMI | 2003–24 | 23,895 | 19% | 23% | 0.1% | 6 |
| QR25DE | 2002–20 | 16,161 | 19% | 14% | 1.5% | 4 |
| 5.3 V8 (Gen V) | 2014–25 | 13,191 | 18% | 13% | 0.5% | 3 |
| 3.6 Pentastar | 2011–25 | 34,634 | 18% | 16% | 0.4% | 9 |
| 2.3 EcoBoost | 2015–25 | 3,975 | 16% | 9.9% | 0.1% | 12 |
| 3.8 Lambda II | 2020–25 | 4,423 | 16% | 8.0% | 5.6% | 0 |
| FB20 | 2012–25 | 2,336 | 15% | 8.2% | 1.7% | 0 |
| 3.6 V6 | 2009–23 | 14,214 | 14% | 14% | 0.1% | 1 |
| K24 | 2002–19 | 15,062 | 14% | 5.1% | 1.6% | 0 |
| 2GR-FKS | 2016–24 | 3,758 | 12% | 11% | 0.2% | 2 |
| 3.5 Cyclone V6 | 2007–19 | 21,313 | 12% | 11% | 0.1% | 0 |
| VQ35 V6 | 2002–25 | 12,613 | 12% | 11% | 0.2% | 1 |
| 3UR-FE | 2007–21 | 1,377 | 12% | 8.8% | 0.4% | 0 |
| FB25 | 2011–25 | 9,853 | 11% | 6.2% | 1.5% | 0 |
| 2AR-FE | 2009–18 | 4,673 | 11% | 6.6% | 1.3% | 1 |
| 2GR-FE | 2005–18 | 8,680 | 10% | 3.5% | 0.3% | 0 |
| 3.8 V6 | 2007–11 | 7,877 | 9% | 17% | 0.5% | 0 |
| 5.3 V8 (Gen IV) | 2007–14 | 9,241 | 8% | 4.5% | 1.3% | 0 |
| 1GR-FE | 2003–24 | 5,757 | 7% | 4.0% | under 0.1% | 0 |
| 4.8 V8 | 2007–13 | 726 | 6% | 4.8% | 0.1% | 0 |
Shares of each engine's own complaints, matched by VIN. They show what owners complain about, not how often engines break.
Quick answers
Is the Ford 1.5 EcoBoost reliable?
No one reports sales by engine, so there's no per-car score. Of the 5,622 complaints owners filed about cars with it, 66% name the engine, #1 of the 39 everyday engines we track (1 = the most). 2,893 (51%) mention coolant loss or overheating, against 1.2% for the other engines. 261 (4.6%) mention a head gasket, against 0.1% for the other engines.
What cars have the Ford 1.5 EcoBoost?
In our data: the Ford Escape and Ford Fusion, model years 2014–2025, matched by the VIN in each owner complaint.
What are the most common 1.5 EcoBoost problems?
In owner complaints to the government: engine, transmission & drivetrain, electrical.
How many recalls name the 1.5 EcoBoost?
2 NHTSA recalls on these cars name it.
Complaints: NHTSA owner complaints filed under each car's own NHTSA names (the same ones its car pages count), all years filed, one per complaint number. Engine: decoded from the complaint's VIN with NHTSA's vPIC decoder (displacement, cylinders, engine model, turbo, hybrid) and the engine maker's model years; a VIN that doesn't decode to exactly one engine is left out. Older cars have had more years to collect complaints, and popular cars draw more because more were sold. Source: NHTSA owner complaints (FLAT_CMPL + COMPLAINTS_RECEIVED_2025-2026), received through 20261111; engines: NHTSA vPIC VIN decoder (batch); NHTSA recalls API. Engine names and model years: Ford.