It seems counterintuitive, but the engines on modern cars are getting smaller and smaller, while making more and more power, and the “secret” is turbochargers. European sports cars like the Audi S4 & S5, BMW M3, Maserati Quattroporte and countless others have replaced their sonorous naturally-aspirated V8’s with smaller turbocharged V6’s, but it may surprise you that the humble Ford F-150 did it first.
The first factory-turbocharged cars were 1960’s oddities like the Chevy Corvair and Oldsmobile Jetfire, but the technology became more commonplace on sports cars from the 1980s, usually accompanied with exciting TURBO graphics and a healthy serving of lag. Early turbocharged engines had to use a relatively low compression ratio to be prepared for the pressurized intake air; otherwise, pressure inside the cylinders could get too high and start making stuff blow up. This meant that they were VERY slow at low RPM and couldn’t make much power until higher RPMs, when the turbo was spinning enough to create boost, but that’s not very practical if you’re just driving to the grocery store and don’t necessarily want to stay on the throttle until 6000 RPM.
In the 1990s, the Mk4 Toyota Supra and FD Mazda RX-7 used sequential turbochargers to combat turbo lag. These vehicles had two turbochargers; one small one that spooled quickly to reduce lag, and a second much larger one to make a lot more boost at higher RPM and get the headline-grabbing power numbers. Some diesel trucks use compound turbocharging, which is similar to sequentials, except the smaller turbo feeds directly into the larger one to get that one spooled up even faster. But the technology that pretty much killed the concept of turbo lag was direct fuel injection.
Most cars made between the 1980s and about 2010ish use port fuel injection, where the fuel mixes with air in the intake manifold, and that mixture flows into the cylinders. Cars with gasoline direct injection (GDI) instead inject fuel directly into the cylinders of the engine. Spraying fuel directly in there lowers temperatures inside the cylinder, which means the compression ratio can be raised, making the engine more powerful and efficient, even before the turbo boost kicks in. Turbos can now be smaller and more responsive at the lower RPMs that most cars operate at in casual driving. You no longer need to rev your car up to 5000 RPM or more to get boost; you can get some boost from the turbo at normal engine speeds when you’re accelerating from a red light or trying to make a pass, while still having enough power at low RPM to stay out of boost range entirely and get great fuel economy at regular cruising speeds.
The combination of GDI and turbocharging became popular in the mid 2000’s on attainable performance cars like the MazdaSpeed 3 & 6, Volkswagen GTI and BMW’s -35i cars, but Ford’s EcoBoost line of engines were the first time this technology was seen in a non-enthusiast application. The 2013 Fusion debuted with a range of turbocharged 4-cylinder engines while the competing Honda Accord and Toyota Camry still used a simple V6, but most controversial was putting the EcoBoost 3.5L twin-turbo V6 into the F-150 at a time when full-size truck buyers still had a lot of luddite tendencies. They hedged their bets by continuing to offer a V8, but the EcoBoost V6 made more power and got better EPA fuel economy numbers.
About a decade after the first EcoBoost vehicles were released, smaller turbocharged engines are the norm today. The F-150 can now be had with an even smaller 2.7L V6, and its perennial competitor, the Chevy Silverado, offers a 2.7L four-cylinder that makes comparable power. GM, Honda and pretty much every European brand have mostly turbocharged their entire lineups. Even Ferrari and McLaren have released new supercars that use a twin-turbo V6 instead of the V8 they used to have. But because these are normal cars doing normal things, they are seeing more use and mileage than older turbocharged cars, and just like an alternator or AC compressor or steering rack, turbos can wear out at high miles too. As part of our mission to make it easy to buy auto parts, we have put together this guide on how to find the correct replacement Ford or Lincoln EcoBoost turbocharger. Please find your engine and vehicle application on the list below, and follow the link to a guaranteed exact fit replacement turbo!
1.0L 3-Cylinder
2014-2017 Fiesta, 2015-2018 Focus, 2018-2022 EcoSport
We do not currently have a replacement turbo for this application listed on the site, but contact us and we can source one for you and set up a special order!
1.5L 3-Cylinder
2020-2022 Escape, 2021-2022 Bronco Sport
We do not currently have a replacement turbo for this application listed on the site, but contact us and we can source one for you and set up a special order!
1.5L 4-Cylinder
2017-2018 Escape, 2014-2017 Fusion
1.6L 4-Cylinder
2013-2016 Escape, 2013-2014 Fusion, 2014-2016 Transit Connect, 2014-2019 Fiesta ST
2.0L 4-Cylinder
2013-2016 Escape, Fusion, MKZ, 2013-2017 Taurus, 2013-2018 Focus ST, 2015-2017 MKC, 2016 MKT
2.0L 4-Cylinder
2012 Explorer & Edge
2.0L 4-Cylinder
2013-2015 Explorer, 2013-2014 Edge
2.0L 4-Cylinder
2017-2020 Escape, Fusion & MKZ, 2015-2018 Edge, 2017-2019 MKC
2.3L 4-Cylinder
2015-2020 Mustang
2.3L 4-Cylinder
2017-2019 Focus RS, 2021-2022 Mustang
We do not currently have a replacement turbo for this application listed on the site, but contact us and we can source one for you and set up a special order!
2.3L 4-Cylinder
2017-2019 MKC
We do not currently have a replacement turbo for this application listed on the site, but contact us and we can source one for you and set up a special order!
2.3L 4-Cylinder
2019-2022 Ranger, 2021-2022 Bronco
We do not currently have a replacement turbo for this application listed on the site, but contact us and we can source one for you and set up a special order!
2.7L V6
2015-2017 F-150
Left/Driver Side – Order Here
Right/Passenger Side – Order Here
2.7L V6
2015-2018 Edge Sport, 2019-2020 Edge ST, 2017-2019 Fusion Sport, 2017-2020 Continental, 2016-2018 MKX
Left/Radiator Side – Order Here
Right/Firewall Side – Order Here
2.7L V6
2018-2022 F-150, 2021-2022 Bronco
We do not currently have a replacement turbo for this application listed on the site, but contact us and we can source one for you and set up a special order!
3.0L V6
2017-2020 Continental & MKZ, 2020-2022 Explorer & Aviator
We do not currently have a replacement turbo for this application listed on the site, but contact us and we can source one for you and set up a special order!
3.5L V6
2011-2012 F-150
Left/Driver Side – Order Here
Right/Passenger Side – Order Here
Pair w/ Gaskets – Order Here
3.5L V6
2010-2019 Taurus, Flex & MKT, 2013-2018 Explorer, 2010-2016 MKS
Left/Radiator Side – Order Here
Right/Firewall Side – Order Here
Pair w/ Gaskets & Oil Lines - Order Here
3.5L V6
2015-2017 Expedition, Navigator & Transit, 2013-2016 F-150
Left/Driver Side – Order Here
Right/Passenger Side – Order Here
Pair w/ Gaskets – Order Here
3.5L V6
2017-2022 F-150, 2018-2022 Expedition, Navigator & Transit
We do not currently have a replacement turbo for this application listed on the site, but contact us and we can source one for you and set up a special order!
V6 models use two turbochargers; one on each cylinder bank. They will each mount up differently, so please verify which one needs to be replaced before ordering, or consider replacing them both at the same time. Make sure you clean or replace the oil lines (directions here) for better long-term reliability; poor oil supply is the primary cause of the warranty claims we see. Also worth noting that we only carry stock replacement turbos for vehicles that were turbocharged from the factory; you cannot just add one of these turbos to a base-model car for extra power. Feel free to contact us via email or the website’s chat function for more expert assistance getting the correct turbo for your Ford EcoBoost, PowerStroke or any other vehicle. BuyAutoParts is your source for direct-fit replacement turbos from known brands like Garrett, BorgWarner, Stigan, IHI and more!
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