A mechanic is opening up about the Ford EcoBoost engine. Are his concerns valid?
If you ask TikTok creator and mechanic Victor Shack (@victorshack), Ford’s usual bells and whistles don’t mean the EcoBoost engine in the Ford Escape is worth the hype.
In a video that’s now been viewed more than 18,600 times, Shack gives viewers a close-up look at a 2019 Ford Escape with Titanium trim and an EcoBoost engine—and he’s not exactly impressed.
What’s wrong with this Ford Escape?
“It’s Thursday again,” he says at the start, filming the back of the Ford Escape. “We got this [expletive].”
He explains the car has around 96,000 miles on it and shows “what’s left” of the engine after what appears to be a serious mechanical failure.
“This is one of them ones where the timing belt drives your oil pump,” he says, while showing the misshapen piston. “You see that piston all chewed up like that?”
According to Shack, the car’s 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine just isn’t powerful enough to handle the size and weight of the vehicle. “Too little of a [expletive] engine for this giant-[expletive] car,” he says.
At one point, he also points out one of his main concerns with the design: a small internal timing belt responsible for driving the oil pump. “Isn’t that wonderful?” he says sarcastically. “What an [expletive] joke.”
What caused the damage?
Shack says it likely came down to too much boost—specifically, a melted boost line near the exhaust header that caused the engine to take in excess air.
“You start charging it with a lot of [expletive] air,” he explains, “and this is what happens.”
He doesn’t blame the car owner, though—adding that most of the parts under the hood looked like someone had already been trying to fix it. But to him, the issue lies with the engine design itself.
“You got this little 1L motor, put a big [expletive] giant turbo on it, expect it to move the car,” he says. “I can’t believe an engine company would produce this.”
Later, Shack jokes that the engine looks like it belongs in a lawnmower rather than a four-door car.
Still, he says the shop will try to get it road-ready again by cleaning it out and replacing the piston. “Just gonna clean it up, throw a piston in it, send it down the road,” he says.
By the end, he’s still in disbelief: “Unreal, man.”
Are EcoBoost engines reliable, according to other experts?
Ford’s EcoBoost engines are marketed as the best of both worlds—small and efficient, but with enough turbocharged power to move bigger vehicles.
But if you ask around, especially among experts, you’ll get mixed reactions.
According to Consumer Reports, earlier EcoBoost models, especially the 1.0L and 1.6L versions, have had their share of issues. Some drivers reported coolant leaks, engine overheating, and even full engine failure.
CarComplaints.com, a site that gathers driver-submitted issues, also shows a pattern of engine-related complaints in certain EcoBoost-equipped models, especially between 2011 and 2016. A number of owners cited stalling, misfires, or turbo-related failures.
That said, not every EcoBoost engine received complaints. Later models with the 2.0L and 2.3L engines have earned better reliability ratings, and Ford has made updates over the years to address past problems.
Still, most experts agree: if you’re going with an EcoBoost, keep up with maintenance and don’t skip your oil changes.
Viewers shared their own experiences
In the comments, several viewers said they weren’t surprised by the engine failure—especially given the size of the car compared to the motor.
“All modern vehicles are throwaways for the most part,” one person wrote. “What it costs is irrelevant.”
Another added, “I’m amazed it made it to 96K! I’ve seen them blow up as low as 40K!”
One viewer pointed out that similar setups exist overseas too. “In Europe and the U.K., there’s the 1.0 Ecoboost available in the Mondeo,” they wrote. “Same car as the U.S. Fusion. That’s a huge car for a 3 popper 1.0!”
@victorshack Speechless with this shit
♬ original sound – Victor Shack
The Daily Dot has reached out to Shack via TikTok messages and Ford via email for comment.
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