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Ford EcoBoost engines have given their owners cause for concern in recent years. Yet at the same time, these small-capacity, boosted engines have also received some praise and even prestigious awards for their impressive efficiency and commendable power outputs. It’s known that owners of 1.0L EcoBoost-powered cars suffered from timing belt issues while those with 3.5L EcoBoost V6 engines should be listening for rattling cam phasers. But how do people with the 2.3L EcoBoost engine feel about their car’s reliability?

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Before jumping in and exploring the issues which plague these engines, let’s first establish which cars house the powerful 2.3L EcoBoost engine. Most famously, the 2.3L EcoBoost engine powers the S550 and S650 Mustang — in entry-level guise, at least. It’s also the lump of choice for the latest Ford Focus RS, the Bronco, Ranger, Explorer, and various Lincoln models. While the exact details of the engines fitted to these cars do change from model to model, a lot of the same problems apply.

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Ford first began using the 2.3L EcoBoost engine roughly a decade ago and one of the first models to receive the new inline-four (alongside the S550 Mustang) was the third-generation, notoriously fast Focus RS. Soon after debuting, the RS began stealing column inches everywhere as the hot hatch was seemingly blowing head gaskets left, right, and center.

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However, research pointed out the issue fortunately wasn’t with the engine design, but rather a flaw in the gasket’s design. A revised part is now available and head gasket fears are no longer constantly in the back of RS owner’s minds. Ford also covered necessary repairs under warranty by either replacing the old gasket free of charge or replacing the entire cylinder head, or both.

EcoBoost Mustang owners have had their fair share of head gasket woes, with enthusiasts coining the phrase ‘EcoBoom.’ Thankfully, Ford improved the 2.3L EcoBoost cylinder head and gasket design in 2019, which means owners are much more comfortable with the Mustangs produced from 2020 onwards. Enthusiasts are keen to point out that modified cars are more likely to experience head gasket failure and that regular maintenance is key. Keeping the 2.3L EcoBoost engine stock and changing the oil every 5,000 miles is advice often handed out in enthusiast circles.

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It’s evident that some owners have had issues with the 2.3L EcoBoost engine, but it seems Ford has tackled the more concerning issues head on, which is encouraging; especially for those who own the 2020 models or newer, which benefit from the revisions. What’s even more encouraging is the significant numbers of owners who’ve taken to the internet to boast about the impressive mileages they’ve achieved in their EcoBoost-powered Fords.

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One owner managed to crack 222,222 miles in their 2.3L EcoBoost Mustang. When asked (in a separate post) what repairs they’d had to deal with over the years, the user simply answered, “Literally nothing. It still has the factory brake pads.” This isn’t a one-off either, as many others have taken theirs above 100,000 miles with little in the way of issues. Owners with higher mileage models tend to accredit their impressive reliability to keeping the engine stock or very close to it, not beating on the car too hard, and staying on top of regular maintenance.