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2.3 EcoBoost vs 1.5 VTi-TECH / T-GDI: which engine is more reliable?

According to our risk index, the 1.5 VTi-TECH / T-GDI carries less risk than the 2.3 EcoBoost: 7/100 (low risk) versus 41/100 (moderate risk). The 2.3 EcoBoost has 2 documented serious faults, the main one being «Focus RS cylinder head gasket and block: coolant entering the cylinders»; the 1.5 VTi-TECH / T-GDI has no documented serious faults.

Risk index

2.3 EcoBoost

41

Moderate risk · 2 serious faults

Risk index

1.5 VTi-TECH / T-GDI

7

Low risk · 0 serious faults

Lower risk

The index (0–100) weights the severity and frequency of the three most serious documented faults. How it is calculated

20 sourcesHow we work

Is the 2.3 EcoBoost reliable?

The 2.3 EcoBoost is the turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine that Ford has fitted since 2015 to the Focus RS (350 hp), the fourth-generation Focus ST (280 hp) and the Ranger. Its documented fault is the cylinder head gasket on Focus RS cars built up to July 2017, which Ford repaired free of charge. We have found no evidence that it affects the ST, which uses a variant derived from the Mustang.[1][2][3][4]

See the 3 of the 2.3 EcoBoost faults

Is the 1.5 VTi-TECH / T-GDI reliable?

MG/SAIC's "1.5" covers two different engines: the naturally aspirated VTi-TECH (106 hp), the entry-level engine in the MG ZS, and the turbocharged T-GDI (162-170 hp), found only in the MG HS and as the petrol engine in its plug-in hybrids. Neither has well-documented engine faults in independent sources yet: the complaints published concern electronics, the automatic gearbox and finish, not the engine block.[5][6][7][8][9][10]

See the 2 of the 1.5 VTi-TECH / T-GDI faults

Side-by-side comparison

Comparison of 2.3 EcoBoost and 1.5 VTi-TECH / T-GDI
2.3 EcoBoost1.5 VTi-TECH / T-GDI
Technical data
TypeEngineEngine
FuelPetrolPetrol
Displacement2,261 cm³—
TimingChainChain
Power270–350 hp106–170 hp
Productionsince 2015[1][4][11][12]since 2017[5][6][13][14][15]
Reliability
Risk index (what is it?)41Moderate risk7Low risk
Documented faults32
Of high or critical severity20
Worst severityCritical severityLow severity
Main faults
  1. Critical severity: Focus RS cylinder head gasket and block: coolant entering the cylinders
  2. High severity: Engine wiring harness damaged by the gearbox housing (fourth-generation Focus)
  3. Medium severity: Oil leaks from the filler cap, the oil cooler and the sump
  1. Low severity: Jerky or harsh automatic gearbox shifts when cold or at low speed (MG HS)
  2. Low severity: Electronic warnings and occasional sensor faults (MG HS)
Most expensive documented repairNo reliable dataNo reliable data
Which versions to buy
BuyRecommended versions
  • 2.3 EcoBoost 280 hp (Focus ST, 2019-2025)[4][16]
  • 1.5 VTi-TECH naturally aspirated 106 hp (NSE / NSE Plus, from 2017)[8]
  • 1.5 VTi-TECH naturally aspirated 106 hp (15S4C, MG3, 2013–2024)[17]
With cautionVersions to be cautious about
  • 2.3 EcoBoost 350 hp (Focus RS, 2016-2018)[2][3]
  • 2.3 EcoBoost 270 hp (Ranger T6.2, Mexico, from 2023)[12]
  • 2.3 EcoBoost PHEV 281 hp (Ranger plug-in hybrid, from 2025)[12][18]
  • 1.5 T-GDI turbo 162 hp (GS61H, 2018-2024)[9][10][19][20]
  • 1.5 T-GDI turbo 170 hp (15FDE / 15FKE, from 2024)[6]
AvoidVersions to avoidNoneNone

Severity of each fault: green, low; amber, medium; red, high; dark red, critical. How we rate them

Cars that each one is fitted to

2.3 EcoBoost

1.5 VTi-TECH / T-GDI

Other comparisons

With the 2.3 EcoBoost

With the 1.5 VTi-TECH / T-GDI

Compare other engines

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Sources

Every fact on this page links to its source. If you find an error, let us know.

  1. Ford EcoBoost engineWikipedia · Other source · consulted 2 November 2026
  2. Ford Focus RS (Mk3) | PH Used Buying GuidePistonHeads · Motoring press · consulted 2 November 2026
  3. Ford Focus RS engine problems: owners promised free repairsevo · Motoring press · published 23 January 2018 · consulted 2 November 2026
  4. Ford Focus ST (Mk4) | PH Used Buying GuidePistonHeads · Motoring press · published 19 November 2023 · consulted 2 November 2026
  5. MG ZS (crossover)Wikipedia (inglés) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026
  6. MG HSWikipedia (inglés) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026
  7. Essai complet : MG ZSFiches-Auto.fr · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
  8. Fiabilité et pannes du MG ZSFiches-Auto.fr · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
  9. Fiabilité et pannes du MG eHSFiches-Auto.fr · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
  10. MG HS PHEV: guía definitiva de problemas y soluciones del SUV, el híbrido enchufable más vendidoAutopista.es · Motoring press · published 10 November 2025 · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish
  11. Ford Focus RS (tabla del Focus RS Mk3, 2015-2018)Wikipedia · Other source · consulted 2 November 2026 · in German
  12. Ford Ranger (T6)Wikipedia · Other source · consulted 2 November 2026
  13. MG HSWikipedia (alemán) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in German
  14. MG HSWikipedia (francés) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
  15. List of General Motors enginesWikipedia (inglés) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026
  16. Used Ford Focus ST (Mk4, 2019 to date) review and buyer's guideevo · Motoring press · published 4 August 2022 · consulted 2 November 2026
  17. Témoignages de fiabilité MG (MG3 1.5 VTi-Tech 106 ch sin testimonios; solo los del híbrido de 2024)Fiches-auto.fr · Owners' forum · consulted 2 November 2026 · in French
  18. Ford Ranger (tabla del Ranger Plug-in-Hybrid)Wikipedia · Other source · consulted 2 November 2026 · in German
  19. MG – Common problems (llamadas a revisión de la UE y del Reino Unido)car-recalls.eu · Other source · consulted 30 October 2026
  20. MG HS SUV (2019-2024) Exclusive 1.5T-GDI 5d: opinión de propietario (10 jun 2022)Parkers · Owners' forum · published 10 June 2022 · consulted 30 October 2026