The 4 Most Common Ford 2.0 EcoBoost Engine Problems - I4 Turbo 2.0L (2023)

Ford’s 2.0L EcoBoost debuted in 2010 and is a turbocharged, inline-4 cylinder direct injection gas engine. Ranging from 200-252hp and 221-270lb-ft of torque, the engine combines modest power levels with great fuel efficiency. The 2.0 EcoBoost has been used in many of the base line Ford, Volvo, Land Rover, and Lincoln models since its inception.

The 2.0 EB is actually built off-of the 2.0L Mazda L-series engine block. However, the EcoBoost uses unique heads, a different fuel injection system, and twin-independent variable cam timing (Ti-VCT). In 2015, the 2.0 EcoBoost went through a significant update.

1st Gen 2.0 EcoBoost

Despite being heavily revamped in 2015, the 1st Gen engine was not a failure. It was the first EcoBoost engine to use twin-independent variable cam timing whereas the other EcoBoost engines such as the 2.3L and 3.5L used more traditional VVT systems.

The 1st Gen 2.0 lasted until 2018 before it was fully phased out in the United States by the 2nd Gen 2.0. There are still a number of European Ford cars using the Gen 1 engines. Here are all the models that use the 1st Gen 2.0 EcoBoost:

• 2010-Present Ford S-Max, Galaxy, and Mondeo
• 2010-2013 Volvo S60, V60, and V70
• 2012-2017 Volvo XC60 T5
• 2011-2015 Ford Explorer
• 2011-2014 Ford Edge
• 2011-2017 Range Rover Evoque
• 2012-2016 Ford Falcon
• 2013-2015 Ford Escape
• 2013-2015 Land Rover Freelander 2
• 2013-2016 Ford Fusion
• 2013-2017 Ford Taurus
• 2013-2015 Lincoln MKZ
• 2015-2017 Land Rover Discovery Sport
• 2015-2018 Lincoln MKC

2nd Gen 2.0 EcoBoost

Ford gave the 2.0 a major revamp in 2015 in favor of more performance and better fuel efficiency. However, the real reason for the new engine is that the Ford/Mazda partnership lapsed and Ford had to design it’s own 2.0 EB engine instead of piggy-backing off of the Mazda L engine.

The 2nd Gen variation received a new aluminum block, new cylinder head with an integrated exhaust manifold, and changed to a twin-scroll turbocharger. Additionally, the twin-scroll turbo by BorgWarner has an active wastegate.

In addition to a higher compression ratio, the fuel system and oil cooling system received upgrades. The overall result was better gas mileage and more low-end torque, making it more capable as a tow vehicle. The 2nd Gen 2.0 EcoBoost is currently used in the following cars:

• 2015-Present Ford Edge
• 2015-Present Ford Everest
• 2016-Present Ford Tourneo
• 2016-Present Ford Escape
• 2017-2020 Ford Fusion
• 2021-Present Ford Bronco Sport
• 2016-Present Lincoln MKZ
• 2020-Present Lincoln Corsair
• 2019 Lincoln MKC
• 2019-Present Lincoln Nautilus

• Cracked Exhaust Manifold
• Turbo/Boost Control Solenoid Failure
• Low-Pressure Fuel Pump Failure (LPFP)
• Carbon Build-up

1. 2.0 EcoBoost Cracked Exhaust Manifold

Both generations of the 2.0 EB have an integrated exhaust manifold design. The manifold is made of stainless steel and integrated directly into the cylinder head. Note on European version of this engine, the exhaust manifold is not integrated, using a tradition cylinder head with individual exhaust ports and a conventional manifold.

On the 2.0 EB, exhaust gas temps can reach excessive temperatures, especially when towing or driving up grades. The constant heat cycles created by engines and fluctuating temperatures expands and contracts the stainless steel exhaust manifold. When you combine the continuous expansion and contraction with a vibrating engine, the exhaust manifold can form hairline cracks.

When an exhaust manifold cracks, air begins to seep out of the crack instead of flowing out of the exhaust. While this is not healthy for the environment, it also has significant performance and drivability implications. Turbochargers need back-pressure to operate efficiently. When the exhaust manifold cracks, all back-pressure is lost which means the turbo has to work extra hard to produce normal power levels.

Symptoms of a Cracked Exhaust Manifold

• Whistling, whining, or chirping noise coming from the engine
• Poor performance
• Lack of acceleration
• Excessive boost or psi from the turbo
• Exhaust fume smells inside the car

Driving with a cracked manifold is a really easy way to blow your whole turbocharger as it makes the turbo spool excessively. Unfortunately, when the exhaust manifold cracks, the repair can be rather expensive. On the 2.0 EcoBoost, the turbocharger is integrated with the exhaust manifold. And the exhaust manifold is integrated with the head.

As noted above, this most commonly occurs while towing vehicles, especially when towing upgrade. However, it is becoming more and more common on stock cars under normal driving conditions.

2. Turbo/Boost Control Solenoid Failure

The turbo control solenoid or valve, also known as a boost solenoid, is responsible for controlling boost. It is an electronic component that controls the wastegate on the turbo via vacuum pressures and the ECM. The wastegate controls the flow of exhaust gases to the turbo turbine, essentially controlling how much the turbo spins and how much boost it produces.

When the boost solenoid goes bad, it improperly opens and closes the wastegate. When this happens, the turbo either products too much or not enough boost compared to the amount of pressure you are putting on the accelerator pedal.

Boost solenoids naturally fail over time. They are electrical and can go bad from corroded wires, dirt buildup, water, and various other natural wear and tear causes. While on most vehicles, solenoids tend to last around 10yrs or so, boost solenoids on the 2.0 EcoBoost are known to fail in half that time or around the 50k-80k mileage mark.

Symptoms of a Failing Boost Solenoid – 2.0 EcoBoost

• Engine builds no boost under acceleration
• Poor performance, loss of power
• Rapid changes in boost pressure
• Decrease in fuel economy
• P0299 engine code and check engine light

While replacing the boost solenoid costs about $50 for the part, it can be a little tricky to DIY since the valve is located on the turbocharger which is buried in the engine bay.

3. EcoBoost Low-Pressure Fuel Pump (LPFP) Failure

Direct injection fuel systems use two fuel pumps: a high pressure and a low pressure pump. Because direct injection systems deliver fuel to the injectors at nearly 30,000psi of pressure, it would be extremely difficult for one pump to grab fuel from the gas tank and send it all the way to the injectors while maintaining these pressure levels.

Therefore, a low-pressure fuel pump is used to relieve the stress and demand on the HPFP. The low-pressure pump pulls gas from the gas tank and delivers it to the high-pressure pump.

On the 2.0 EcoBoost, the fuel filter that sits within gas tank can become clogged which forces the LPFP to overwork itself trying to pull enough fuel from the tank to send to the HPFP.

2.0 EcoBoost High-Pressure Fuel Pump Failure

It is worth noting that the high-pressure fuel pump is also prone to failure. This is pretty normal on any direct injection engine as the HPFP operates under extremely high pressures. The HPFP has an impeller on the inside of it which builds the pressure and pumps the gas towards the injector. This impeller can break or weaken which results in low fuel pressures.

EcoBoost LPFP / HPFP Failure Symptoms

The result of both of these failure are generally the same. A bad HPFP will deliver low fuel pressure, whereas a bad LPFP will cause the HPFP to not deliver enough fuel.

• Engine misfires
• Air to fuel ratio’s are running lean
• Poor performance
• Lack of acceleration
• Rough idling
• Check engine light

4. EcoBoost Carbon Build-up

As with all direct injection engines, the 2.0 EB suffers from carbon build-up. On DI engines, the fuel is delivered directly to the cylinders via fuel injectors. On port injection engines, the fuel is delivered to the intake manifold where it is then delivered to the cylinders. When the fuel is delivered via the intake manifold, you have highly pressurized fuel passing through it, which helps keep the intake valves clean.

However, with direct injection, since the fuel completely bypasses the intake valves. Over time, carbon deposits build-up inside of the intake valves which restricts the air flow to the cylinders. While excessive carbon build-up won’t happen overnight and likely won’t be noticeable early-on, it can have some performance impactions.

As the engine ends up with less air, air-to-fuel ratios can be impact, overall performance will decline and the 2.0 can lose power and feel sluggish.

Ford EcoBoost Carbon Build-up Symptoms

• Cylinder misfires
• Sluggish performance
• Lack of acceleration
• Rough idling

Usually the first sign to appear will be misfires, and the misfires will be the cause of the poor performance. The carbon develops on all of the intake valves, but it does not do so evenly. Ultimately, various cylinders can have more build-up than others which causes an uneven amount of air to enter each cylinder. Typically, any power losses occur over a number of years so it is difficult to diagnose any issues here before misfires kick-in.

EcoBoost Walnut Blasting

The best option to preventing any carbon build-up performance issues is to walnut blast your intake ports. This process uses a shop vac and walnut media shells. The shop vac blasts the shells through the intake ports which clears out all of the build-up.

Walnut blasting typically costs around $500. We recommend doing it every ~80,000 miles on any direct injection engine. Again, this is not something that needs to be done immediately unless you are experiencing serious issues from the build-up.

Ford 2.0 EcoBoost Reliability

The 2.0 EcoBoost is a reliable engine. Generally speaking there are not very many common problems and the internals and major engine components have solid longevity. Despite Ford building their own block in Gen 2 vs. using the Mazda block for Gen 1, both versions are just about equally as reliable.

These engines should easily withstand 150,000 miles. However, once you break past these mileages, you should naturally expect to start having to replace various material components of the engine and its systems. LPFP/HPFP, water pumps, hoses, turbo seals, etc. are all relatively expensive problems that commonly pop-up on high mileage 2.0 EB’s.