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Ford B-MAX 1.0 EcoBoost 120hp Titanium common faults.

2012–2018, MPV, petrol, 120 HP.

The fault list covers: M1JA engine, IB5 transmission.

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2 fault write-ups. Both are important. No recall on the list.

If you know the year, pick it. Faults for other years drop out of the list.

Before you buy

Known faults

2 important faults

IB5 manual: worn synchros and differential bearings in the larger models

expensive

In the smaller models, the Fiesta, the Fusion and the B-Max, the IB5 holds up well, but in the larger Focus and especially the Mondeo it does less well: there the engine torque and the weight of the car put a heavier load on the same gearbox.

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The synchros and the gears can wear before 100,000 km, and around 150,000 km the differential bearings need replacing. On cars with the 1.8-litre engine the differential pinion pin often breaks when the wheels spin.

between 100,000 and 150,000 km

What to check

  • While rolling, change down into second and third: worn synchros grate here
  • At a steady speed, listen for noise: a worn differential bearing gives a droning sound
  • In a slow corner, listen for knocking from the gearbox
2 more steps in the write-up

1.0 EcoBoost: the wet timing belt breaks down early

expensive

The timing belt runs in oil, under its cover, and cannot be seen from outside. Contaminants building up in the oil attack the belt material, so it breaks down early if oil changes are skipped or the oil level drops below the minimum on the dipstick. Fragments of the disintegrating belt end up in the sump and can block the oil pickup, after which the engine is left without oil pressure.

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The early signs are a rattle on cold start, slowly rising oil consumption and the oil pressure warning light. The factory replacement interval is ten years or 150,000 miles, but Haynes recommends replacing it at least two years and 50,000 miles earlier. A professional belt change costs more than GBP 2,000, and that is less work than cleaning out the sump, the oil pickup and the lubrication system after the belt has already broken up.

In engines built after December 2019 Ford switched to a timing chain. The water pump is driven by the same belt, so a failure of the water pump bearing can take the belt with it. This is an interference engine, so when the belt snaps the valves and the pistons meet.

What to check

  • Start it from cold and listen to the first seconds: a rattle is a sign the belt is breaking down
  • Check the level and condition of the oil on the dipstick: a level below minimum speeds up the breakdown
  • Ask for the service book and the oil change invoices: here the skipped change is the cause
2 more steps in the write-up

Checklist

Ford B-MAX 1.0 EcoBoost 120hp Titanium

First what you would check on any car. Then the faults of this model.

Before you buy

Checklist

The printed sheet starts with what you would check on any car. What you tick stays on this device only.

On every car

Ask the owner

Faults of this model

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Engine and transmission

M1JA · 1.0

88 kW (120 HP) · petrol

IB5 · 5-speed manual

manual · 5 speed

Torque limit185 Nm
MakerFord/Getrag

We built the code from the model and the gear count. The factory sheet does not state it.

Variant data

What is in this version

Factory data

Trim
Titanium
Body
MPV
Fuel
petrol
Transmission
manual
Engine size
999 cc
Power
88 kW (120 HP)
Drive
FWD
Production
2012–2018

Factory service interval

The manufacturer specifies this for this version. Of the mileage and the time, the one that comes first is the one that counts.

  • Air filter

    • 60,000 km or 4 years

  • Cabin (pollen) filter

    • 30,000 km or 2 years

  • Brake fluid change

    • first: 3 years, then 2 years(first change at 3 years, then every two years)

  • Spark plugs, petrol

    • 60,000 km or 6 years
All Mk1 versions

Information, not an expert opinion

We write the descriptions, and we put the source next to them. A person reviews them before they go out. They are still information, not a technical expert opinion.

  • A fault on the list does not mean the car you are looking at has it.
  • A fault missing from the list does not mean the model is fault-free. Write-ups are made model by model. Not all of them are done.
  • You decide whether to buy. This is no substitute for an inspection. That needs a workshop and a history check.
Details in the terms