digitalgpbandit Posted June 24, 2021 Share Posted June 24, 2021 I'm trying to help my niece who is in need of a new car to travel to school with by the end of summer. She stated she really likes the Fusion her neighbor has which is a dark grey 2018 titanium. She's driven my '12 2.5 SEL & said she really likes it. My in-laws want her to buy from a dealer so she has some kind of a warranty with it. Needless to say the pickings out there have been very slim. I did come across a very clean dealer maintained 2014 SE with 80,000 miles, however it is a 1.5 ecoboost. My experience is only with the 2.3/2.5 engines & know those are pretty solid engines so I was exclusively looking to find a 2.5. This one just happened to stick out to me and looks sharp in the dark side metallic paint. I don't know much about the 1.5 ecoboost and was hoping some of you out there with experience may know if they are prone to issues or if they're built to last. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alcohenusa Posted June 24, 2021 Share Posted June 24, 2021 I would consider selling my fully loaded 2018 Fusion (Platinum trim) for $27K. White Platinum Tri-coat, ceramic leather heated & cooled seats. 12K miles, no accidents, garaged. It is beyond the original 3/36 factory warranty but has the 8 year/85K Ford Protect warranty that I believe can be transferred by paying a fee to Ford. In Arizona. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waldo Posted June 25, 2021 Share Posted June 25, 2021 What kind of warranty are you expecting on a 7 year old car with 80k miles? And what do you mean by "dealer"? A Ford Dealer? Any brand OEM dealer? A licensed used car dealer? You can buy a car from a private party and then by a Ford extended warranty and you can find dealers who only offer a basic one-week, a few hundred mile "warranty". One option you might want to consider would be the rental companies. Avis, Enterprise, Hertz all have direct sales with really good deals on 2019 or 2020 Fusions. The 1.5L has been the bread-and-butter engine in the Fusion and Escape for 8 years. Plenty of them out there. The only issues I've heard of are related to cooling, but I think that if you're buying a higher mileage one, chances are if it hasn't had a problem by then, it won't in the future. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digitalgpbandit Posted June 28, 2021 Author Share Posted June 28, 2021 Thanks alcohenusa, but that's over her price range and too far away lol. I appreciate the thought though. Waldo, Generally looking at OE brand dealers, but a reputable licensed used car dealer is not ruled out. Most dealers will offer some kind of warranty upsell whether it be just powertrain or something that covers major components with some kind of deductible. The latter is what I got on my '12 Fusion for 3 years/unlimited miles when I purchased it at a Dodge dealer with 70k at 5 years old. I will check into the rental company used cars see whats out there. Regarding the cooling system issues....I heard something about the 1.5 being prone to head gasket issues. Is there any truth to that? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironblacksmith702 Posted June 29, 2021 Share Posted June 29, 2021 (edited) I know of a 2016 ford fusion se in North Eastern Oklahoma that has a rebuilt title. Looks really clean other than a scratch on the front bumper. It has 60k miles on it. And is selling for $7,950. https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inventorylisting/viewDetailsFilterViewInventoryListing.action?entitySelectingHelper.selectedEntity=&distance=50&zip=&utm_content=bodyListingCTA&source=email&type=priceDrop&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=PriceDropRedesign03%2F2021&utm_term=06/25/21&utm_source=priceDrop#listing=299506582 Edited June 29, 2021 by Ironblacksmith702 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waldo Posted June 29, 2021 Share Posted June 29, 2021 15 hours ago, digitalgpbandit said: Waldo, Generally looking at OE brand dealers, but a reputable licensed used car dealer is not ruled out. Most dealers will offer some kind of warranty upsell whether it be just powertrain or something that covers major components with some kind of deductible. The latter is what I got on my '12 Fusion for 3 years/unlimited miles when I purchased it at a Dodge dealer with 70k at 5 years old. I will check into the rental company used cars see whats out there. Regarding the cooling system issues....I heard something about the 1.5 being prone to head gasket issues. Is there any truth to that? Yes the cooling issues I was referring to can cause the head gasket failures. I don't know too much about it though, I'm sure you can search on this forum and others for a bit more details. And there's no reason you need to buy the warranty from the same place you buy the car. You can get a genuine Ford warranty on just about any Ford vehicle at any time no matter where you purchase it. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drolds1 Posted June 29, 2021 Share Posted June 29, 2021 OK, let's clear this up a little. This is more than a head gasket failure. There was a design flaw in the original 1.5 EB that resulted in coolant getting into the cylinders and causing engine failures. There were some stopgap fixes released to dealers, but in the end, Ford replaced long blocks per TSB 20-2100. At 80K on the car you're looking at, I'd say either it never had the problem or it did, and it's been fixed. Most failures occurred at relatively low mileage. If you search the forums under keywords such as "1.5 failures" or "long block replacement," you'll find a wealth of instances. I'll start you off here. I should think that obtaining a full service history is imperative on this car. A Ford dealer can help you out here by checking Ford OASIS. If the engine was replaced, it'll be there since these fixes are done by Ford dealers under the new car warranty, extended powertrain warranty or ESP warranty. Carfax is also a possibility. Personally, I'd avoid this engine anyway. IMO, it's too much car for a small displacement engine and is going to be overstressed. Just my opinion on the Internet and we know what that's' worth. I'd go with your instincts and look for one with the 2.5. Not very exciting, but a reliable workhorse nonetheless. We have a few members here at or near 200k miles on theirs. Of course, this advice is coming from someone driving a Lincoln MKZ 3.0TT with 400hp/400lb.-ft. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbf2530 Posted June 29, 2021 Share Posted June 29, 2021 12 minutes ago, drolds1 said: OK, let's clear this up a little. This is more than a head gasket failure. There was a design flaw in the original 1.5 EB that resulted in coolant getting into the cylinders and causing engine failures. There were some stopgap fixes released to dealers, but in the end, Ford replaced long blocks per TSB 20-2100. At 80K on the car you're looking at, I'd say either it never had the problem or it did, and it's been fixed. Most failures occurred at relatively low mileage. If you search the forums under keywords such as "1.5 failures" or "long block replacement," you'll find a wealth of instances. I'll start you off here. I should think that obtaining a full service history is imperative on this car. A Ford dealer can help you out here by checking Ford OASIS. If the engine was replaced, it'll be there since these fixes are done by Ford dealers under the new car warranty, extended powertrain warranty or ESP warranty. Carfax is also a possibility. Personally, I'd avoid this engine anyway. IMO, it's too much car for a small displacement engine and is going to be overstressed. Just my opinion on the Internet and we know what that's' worth. I'd go with your instincts and look for one with the 2.5. Not very exciting, but a reliable workhorse nonetheless. We have a few members here at or near 200k miles on theirs. Of course, this advice is coming from someone driving a Lincoln MKZ 3.0TT with 400hp/400lb.-ft. Hi drolds1. Show off. ? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drolds1 Posted June 29, 2021 Share Posted June 29, 2021 1 hour ago, bbf2530 said: Hi drolds1. Show off. ? ? Coming from a guy with the same setup. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbf2530 Posted June 29, 2021 Share Posted June 29, 2021 35 minutes ago, drolds1 said: ? Coming from a guy with the same setup. Stealth my friend...stealth. ? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drolds1 Posted June 29, 2021 Share Posted June 29, 2021 21 minutes ago, bbf2530 said: Stealth my friend...stealth. ? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted June 30, 2021 Share Posted June 30, 2021 Wait - my F150 has 470 lb/ft. Do I win? ? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbf2530 Posted June 30, 2021 Share Posted June 30, 2021 2 hours ago, akirby said: Wait - my F150 has 470 lb/ft. Do I win? ? Hi akirby. In a towing/hauling contest...Yes! ? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digitalgpbandit Posted June 30, 2021 Author Share Posted June 30, 2021 Some great info guys I greatly appreciate the help. I also didn't realize the 1.5 runs a timing belt opposed to a chain which I am not a fan of. I'm still gonna try to stick with the 2.5 for her. I did come across a clean '16 with a 2.5 about 35-40 mins from here so were going to go check it out this weekend if its still there. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alfric653 Posted December 31, 2023 Share Posted December 31, 2023 Thanks for the helpful info! I found out the 1.5 runs on a timing belt, which isn't my preference. I'm leaning towards the 2.5. Found a clean '16 model nearby, planning to check it out this weekend. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WKelley Posted January 1 Share Posted January 1 2.5L is the most reliable engine choice albeit the least powerful. still, 170ish HP is plenty to move the car along, it would be my only choice. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reggieros Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 On 6/30/2021 at 9:46 PM, digitalgpbandit said: Some great info guys I greatly appreciate the help. I also didn't realize the 1.5 runs a timing belt opposed to a chain which I am not a fan of. I'm still gonna try to stick with the 2.5 for her. I did come across a clean '16 with a 2.5 about 35-40 mins from here so were going to go check it out this weekend if its still there. Thank you for the useful information, especially about timing belt selection. Choosing the '16 model with a 2.5-liter engine sounds appealing. Best wishes for your weekend exploration—I hope it is as clean and appropriate for your requirements as you anticipate! Best wishes! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drolds1 Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 4 hours ago, Reggieros said: Thank you for the useful information, especially about timing belt selection. Choosing the '16 model with a 2.5-liter engine sounds appealing. Best wishes for your weekend exploration—I hope it is as clean and appropriate for your requirements as you anticipate! Best wishes! The post you replied to is 2½ years old. Presumably, they found a car by now. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reggieros Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 On 1/7/2024 at 8:22 PM, Reggieros said: Thank you for the useful information, especially about timing belt selection. Choosing the '16 model with a 2.5-liter engine sounds appealing. Best wishes for your weekend exploration—I hope it is as clean and appropriate for your requirements as you anticipate! Best wishes! The appreciation you provide is much welcomed! Picking the 2016 model with a 2.5-liter engine seemed good. I wish you a weekend of adventure that exceeds what you're expecting. Safe and nice trips! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbf2530 Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 (edited) On 1/13/2024 at 5:40 AM, Reggieros said: The appreciation you provide is much welcomed! Picking the 2016 model with a 2.5-liter engine seemed good. I wish you a weekend of adventure that exceeds what you're expecting. Safe and nice trips! Hi Reggieros. As drolds1 mentioned, you are dragging up old threads. And now you are quoting and thanking yourself. Edited January 15 by bbf2530 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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