Technician and purveyor of the YouTube channel FordTechMakuloco, Brian Makuloco, has produced quite a few interesting and informative videos pertaining to common issues with a wide berth of Blue Oval models and specific powerplants over the years – many of them addressing the EcoBoost family, specifically. Makuloco has worked on a ton of EcoBoost-powered Fords in his shop over the years, many of them Ford F-150 pickups, and as such, he has some good insight into which engines available in that pickup are the most reliable, as well as which ones shoppers might want to consider avoiding.
In a recent post on Instagram, Makuloco shared a bit of quick, consolidated insight into this topic. “I constantly get asked which engine should I choose for my F-150,” he wrote. “This is the way I see it from a mechanic’s perspective: If you want power, reliability and oil leaks, go with the 2.7L EcoBoost. If you want decent power, reliability and coolant leaks, go with the 5.0L Coyote. If you want plenty of power with coolant AND oil leaks, go with the 3.5L EcoBoost. If you want exceptional reliability with modest power, go with the 3.7L, 3.5L or 3.3L NA engines.”
Makuloco has covered many Ford F-150 EcoBoost woes in recent times, including several pertaining to the 3.5L V6. That includes the roller followers in the second-generation version of that powerplant, which it uses instead of the direct acting mechanical buckets present on the first-generation version of that same engine, but unfortunately, those components are also apparently coming loose over time and “chewing up” the outer portion of the cam lobe that they come into contact with.
The tech also recently had a total of three Ford F-150 pickups in his shop with the 3.5L EcoBoost recently, all of which were in need of a new engine, and all were from a different model year – 2011, 2015, and 2017. Each had no compression in spite of having relatively few miles on the clock, save for the newer model, which had a second-generation version of this particular powerplant. The newer Ford F-150 was also consuming coolant at an alarming rate, billowing out white smoke while it runs.
After Ford determined the root cause of the issue.
A little good news in a rather expensive world.
Active users of the app have grown by a staggering amount.
Public safety and community centers were the focus to start.
It's apparently something that a lot of folks want.
A year that marked huge changes for the luxury sedan.
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Bottom line is that Ford can’t build a decent engine and hasn’t for 40 years. Ever since around the time of the original Taurus things started going downhill.
Here we are again with another SCEcoBoost negative comment. For all the complaining you do about Ford i dont understand why you would frequent a site for something you dislike so much. Its like you have TDS but with Ford.
I've got a 2015 3.5 ecoboost and I've had valve cover oil leaks. Currently 130,000. My 2017 ford transit just turned 470,000 miles and my 2011 f150 has 402,000 miles both with the 3.7 v6. Replaced water pumps on both and both have new transmissions. I love my 3.5 so I hope I keep going but hearing all the ecoboost problems worries me. Bring back the 5.4 Triton. My 2007 econoline turned 800,000 miles on the original engine and I was hoping to see a million until I hit a deer. Love that motor
2013,2015,2017 3.5 eco love all of them genevert 21mile gallon on 4×4 pull bassboat never lacking power it race trock