How Easy is the Ford Maverick 2.0L to Work On?

The dealer told me that these newer cars can’t really be worked on yourself anymore, but when I popped the hood, it didn’t seem too complicated.

How hard is it to maintain or repair a Maverick long-term for someone with average mechanical knowledge?

Dealers lying? Shocking. :roll_eyes:

It shouldn’t be too bad. The 2.0L Ecoboost has been around for over a decade now, and plenty of people have done their own maintenance and mods, especially in the Focus ST crowd.

Nova said:
It shouldn’t be too bad. The 2.0L Ecoboost has been around for over a decade now, and plenty of people have done their own maintenance and mods, especially in the Focus ST crowd.

Just FYI, the current 2.0L Ecoboost was completely redesigned in 2016. It kept the same name, but it’s a totally different engine from the original version.

Depends on what you mean by ‘work on.’ Oil changes, transmission flushes, air filters—no different than any other gas-powered car. It really comes down to your skill level.

I’ve even had people ask me if mine was electric. :joy:

@Arley
I get the ‘that’s fully electric, right?’ question at least once a week. People have no clue.

@Arley
I mean things that aren’t major but could come up over time—like replacing sensors or simple fixes. My other cars are all older, and I try to handle minor repairs myself.

It just sounds like there’s a lot of programming involved in these newer cars, which makes me wonder how much DIY work is still possible.

@Winslow
Yeah, there’s a lot of tech in these vehicles, but that’s true for pretty much all new cars. The dealer is probably just trying to sell you an extended warranty or a maintenance plan.

They’re just trying to sell you a warranty package.

This is my third Ford with a 2.0L Ecoboost, and honestly, it’s pretty easy to work on—assuming you keep up with maintenance. I had 150k miles on each of my last two, and they ran like new when I sold them.

If you go AWD, pay extra attention to:

  • Oil changes – Don’t push it to 10k miles like Ford says. Most people actually fall under ‘severe’ driving conditions and should change it much sooner.
  • Transmission fluid – I changed mine every 30k miles instead of trusting Ford’s ‘lifetime’ fluid nonsense. Never had an issue.
  • PTU & RDU fluid – If you have AWD, change the power transfer unit and rear differential unit fluid every 30k. You’ll be shocked at how dirty it gets.

All of this is DIY-friendly if you have a jack and jack stands. Your dealer isn’t being honest with you.

@Ainsley
Good post. Just did my RDU fluid at 18k—definitely not a ‘lifetime’ fluid. :joy:

@Ainsley
PTU?

If you’re really looking to ‘work on yourself,’ I’d recommend therapy. :laughing:

I used to work at a fleet maintenance shop with over 140 vehicles. The biggest issue wasn’t mechanical work—it was the computer diagnostics.

Our guys trialed an expensive scanner that cost thousands plus a $1,200 yearly subscription fee. Without it, they could clear codes, but some fixes required sending vehicles out. That’s the real issue with modern cars—some things need proprietary software.

@Amory
Yeah, that’s the real limitation these days. You can do all the physical repairs yourself, but if you need to reset certain modules, you’ll need a scanner that’s way out of the price range of a normal DIYer.

Mechanical stuff like oil changes? Easy.

Electrical issues? That’s where things get complicated if you don’t have dealer-level software.

It’s basically the same 2.0L from other Ford models (Escape, Fusion, etc.). No harder to work on, and the Maverick’s engine bay is actually decently laid out. I’ve only done oil changes so far, but it’s pretty straightforward.

Once it’s out of warranty, I won’t hesitate to do more myself.

With Forscan (Ford’s diagnostic tool) and some patience, you’ll be fine.

The only annoying part about oil changes is the plastic underbody panel you have to remove, but people have already done turbo swaps on these things, so it’s definitely not impossible to work on.

Physically, it’s easy to work on. Well-laid-out engine bay.

If you start getting weird computer errors, though… good luck.

It depends on what you’re doing.

Some parts are now ‘non-serviceable,’ meaning you have to replace the whole component instead of just fixing a piece of it. The A/C compressor and CV axles fall into that category.

Also, there’s no belt tensioner anymore. If you need a new belt, it’s a stretch-fit design, meaning you can’t reuse the old one and will probably sacrifice a few during installation.

That said, if you’re mechanically inclined, the Maverick is very DIY-friendly. Just don’t expect it to be as simple as working on a 2000s truck where you could climb inside the engine bay.