Ford 3.7L Ecoboost feedback vs. 3.5 and 5.0v8

[TKRanch]

Good morning Green Screen! My son is getting ready to graduate from A&M and we are trying to find him a good used F150 and trying to figure out how the 3.7L holds up! Anyone have any knowledge, good or bad? I tend to lean more towards the 5.0 v8 so not having to deal with an expensive turbo issue, but he is trying to be thoughtful of fuel mileage. Looking at trucks between 2010ish and 2016 in order to stay in his budget! Thanks for feedback!

[chehunt]

I would stay away from the ecoboost if you can...lots out there! Lots of issues with cam phasers, solenoids and vct's. Think were mainly 2018 and older. I am waiting on a new 3.5 engine from Ford to replace in my son's 2018 truck. It does have 175k miles so there's that. His buddy just put a new engine in his with 115k miles.

[orchard]

You mean the 2.7?
There are millions of them out there and all get good mileage.
Do it.

[Bayouboy]

I have a newer model F 150 with a 3.5 and have had zero issues. The years you mentioned were not the best years for 3.5's. If you have to go with those years I would buy a non turbo engine.

[skeeteroneal]

My daughter has a 2019 Escape with the Ecoboost. Ford is having to replace the motor due to coolant leaking into Cylinder1. Its a known issue and there is a class action law suit over it. Not a fan for what its worth. Maybe the bigger ones don't have issues but this one is a POS. Only has 56,000 miles

[jshouse]

i have a 2014 fx4 with the 5.0, just rolled 170k miles. i have replaced all the coolant o-rings that leak, oil pan gasket and $800 worth of ac work at 150k miles, and just had the timing chain and all associated replaced at 165k miles, which wasnt cheap. i run 34" tires and barely get 13.5mpg. i have never kept a truck this long so i dont really know if thats all typical maintenance type stuff. the ac still acts up, cuts off sometimes and doesnt blow cold sometimes...frustrating.

used car prices are still high for me to want to buy a "new" one though.

[Tokio]

Had a 2013 4x4 with 5.0. Put 220k miles on it with absolutely no engine problems. No oil leaks at all. Did have to have AC worked on at about 150k. The transmission started acting up so I sold it. It was a great truck and got good file mileage.

[jshouse]

Had a 2013 4x4 with 5.0. Put 220k miles on it with absolutely no engine problems. No oil leaks at all. Did have to have AC worked on at about 150k. The transmission started acting up so I sold it. It was a great truck and got good file mileage.

my transmision shifts harder than normal every once in a while now too, i am hoping its nothing serious, just signs of a transmission with 170k miles on it.

did you ever change the fluid? seems like half the guys say dont ever do it lol.

[Tokio]

No. Never did. Oil changes all the time but never transmission. Probably should have had it changed at some point!

[WItoTX]

my transmision shifts harder than normal every once in a while now too, i am hoping its nothing serious, just signs of a transmission with 170k miles on it.

did you ever change the fluid? seems like half the guys say dont ever do it lol.

If you have never changed it, I wouldn't. That said, even at 170k, I probably would hesitate to change it. Lot of miles, and that old fluid helps the clutches grip.

[Silverstang]

I had a 2013 Fx4 with the 3.5 eco. Had the timing set replaced twice and spit the rods out with about 70k miles on it. Would not do again. Buddy has a 15' 5.0 with probably close to 400k on it by now if not more.

[TKRanch]

Thanks guys. I am trying to explain to my son that getting 2 to 4 miles per gallon more fuel mileage will not pay for replacing and engine or a turbo! Seems that the 5.0 or 5.4 are the way to go. It just makes it hard with options of 2.7, 3.5 and 3.7 Ecoboosts out there. Sure seems to be a lot of them!

[tps7742]

i have a 2014 fx4 with the 5.0, just rolled 170k miles. i have replaced all the coolant o-rings that leak, oil pan gasket and $800 worth of ac work at 150k miles, and just had the timing chain and all associated replaced at 165k miles, which wasnt cheap. i run 34" tires and barely get 13.5mpg. i have never kept a truck this long so i dont really know if thats all typical maintenance type stuff. the ac still acts up, cuts off sometimes and doesnt blow cold sometimes...frustrating.

used car prices are still high for me to want to buy a "new" one though.

I would think in todays modern vehicles that would be allot of mishaps mechanically. Not to praise Tundras but my 2012 has 183k plus on it, besides regular oil changes I have only had the brakes changed once and shocks.

[jshouse]

i think its slightly better than a crapshoot with any of them. i have a buddy that had either a 2017 or 2018 with the 3.5, it started having turbo issues at 70k miles so he traded it in.

another buddy bought his son a 2015 with the 5.0 this summer, it had 65k miles on it and the transmission went out, luckily he bought an extended warranty and they covered a brand new tranny for him.

my son turns 16 in january, we are looking for something right now and i dont know which way to go either.

[68rustbucket]

5.0 is better than 5.4