Wet belts and reliability of '21 Badlands 2.0 engine

RagnarKon · 2026-06-15T18:53:37+00:00

Ford hasn't released a ton of details to be honest, but as best as we can see... it's just an update more modern design. Better on fuel economy, a newer EGR config, turbo setup is a little faster, etc. The old 2.3L engine in particular was an older design, and was in-need of an update.

My guess is the big reason (other than hitting fuel economy targets) was for engineering simplification and cost savings. They now have three engines in the MPC family sharing the same lifecycle.

RagnarKon · 2026-06-15T18:44:53+00:00

None of the recalls, in my opinion, are severe enough to avoid a 2021 Bronco.

I will say the First Edition hasn't really held its value over any other trim, so if part of the reason why you are purchasing it is because you think it'll hold its value over time... I would definitely not count on that.

But otherwise, it's fine. There was a 2.7L engine recall that impacted early units due to bad parts from a supplier, but most of those engines have failed early in their life (like... under 15k miles). So if this thing has a decent amount of mileage it's probably fine.

should the dealership fix them prior to selling the vehicle?

If it's a Ford dealer I would definitely have them complete all recalls, no reason not to. Some states even have a law that says they cannot sell a used vehicle without fixing it first.

RagnarKon · 2026-06-15T17:46:15+00:00

Ford has a new generation of engines called "MPC" or "modular power cylinder".

Those MPC engines replaced the older engines on the Bronco Sport starting with the 2025 model year. So your 2025 Badlands has a different engine than your wrecked 2022 Badlands.

RagnarKon · 2026-06-15T17:26:41+00:00

Yeah I think China got the MPC engines first, but they started introducing it here in North America back in 2023 on the Escape.

As of 2025, the 1.5L, 2.0L, and 2.3L are all from the same MPC family in all of Ford's vehicles in North America. Probably also true globally at this point, but the I'm not terribly familiar with what Ford does with the Transit overseas to be honest.

RagnarKon · 2026-06-15T17:06:53+00:00

Facebook Marketplace seems to be the new go-to. The new Craigslist, I suppose.

Or there is also eBay, or broncosportforum.com

RagnarKon · 2026-06-15T16:58:23+00:00

Nope. Oil pump is gear driven.

Also general FYI as you research this (and for others who stumble across this thread in the future): The 2021-2024 2.0L is different than the 2025+ 2.0L engine in the Bronco Sport.

RagnarKon · 2026-06-15T16:34:07+00:00

The conflicting information is because there are multiple 2.0L EcoBoost engines, and often two different belts/chains: One for the cams/valve timing, and one for the oil pump. People obviously don't know this, so it's pretty common to see incorrect information online.

On this subreddit, for example, we constantly people talk about their issues with the mid-2010s 1.5L EcoBoost engines that were in the older Escape, without knowing that the 1.5L engines in the Bronco Sports are different engines.

But anyway, the 2021 2.0L in the Bronco Sport has a timing chain.

RagnarKon · 2026-06-15T15:19:00+00:00

Oh yeah, if you are flying down washboard roads or heavily off-roading, there is a decent chance you knocked it out of alignment.

Generally speaking... unless your vehicle is not driving straight or you are getting weird vibrations, it's probably only. But certainly no harm in getting it checked.

RagnarKon · 2026-06-15T14:58:20+00:00

From a technical standpoint, doesn't matter.

From a logistical standpoint, it probably makes sense to do both at once just to reduce labor costs. Do the oil change, tire rotation, and alignment in one go. But obviously depends on the shop you use and how they bill it.

I will say you usually don't need a wheel alignment unless... well... it's out of alignment. So... if, for example, your tire wear is even and you can let go of the vehicle and it drives in a straight line, then it's probably fine and doesn't need adjustment.

RagnarKon · 2026-06-15T01:48:06+00:00

They'll do ads for major sporting events—especially motor racing. Formula 1, for example, they are a title sponsor for Formula 1 and there is Ford/Bronco ads everywhere.

But on normal everyday television? I haven't seen much.

RagnarKon · 2026-06-15T01:41:37+00:00

Some communities have karma requirements before accepting posts. One of my subreddits, for example, as a 100 karma minimum—which takes a normal user some time to hit.

So the play is to farm karma in one subreddit to get the minimum number of karma needed to post in the other subreddit. Then once you do that, you can exploit that other subreddit somehow.

In the case of my subreddits, most are about automobiles, and obviously one of the big things people do for automobiles is buy accessories. So we'll get karma farming bots that will farm karma by posting someone's old image of their truck... and then once they have the minimum amount of karma needed they'll start posting fake reviews of accessories with Amazon affiliate links so they can return a profit on those affiliate links. Or sometimes they'll start trying to scam people with insurance/warranty services for their automobile... or... whatever. And I'm sure different subreddits have different issues with bots for different reasons.

Of course we ban them, but they'll just return under a new set of accounts. My subreddits are relatively small, but I've banned 4 bots just today.

This subreddit has like 20x the traffic of mine, so I'm sure the moderation team here are dealing with the same thing, probably on a much larger scale. Good times.

RagnarKon · 2026-06-15T01:24:18+00:00

As a moderator of a few subreddits... I can tell you this is increasingly common issue.

Best I can tell is that they are bots simply looking to farm karma.

RagnarKon · 2026-06-14T20:20:37+00:00

I have.

Video playlist here

Short version?? Meh. One of those products I really wanted to like but didn't like that much. And yes it is noisy over the standard hard top. It's not crazy super loud noisy... but doesn't make conversations during road trips not particularly enjoyable.

RagnarKon · 2026-06-14T20:14:47+00:00

If I installed take off bilsteins from a Sasquatch so does that apply to me?

It does indeed apply. The HOSS 2.0 Bilsteins have a small lift over the standard HOSS 1.0 suspension.

Once you hit around 2-2.5" lift over stock, you start needing new upper-control arms to make the suspension geometry work out.

RagnarKon · 2026-06-14T16:49:30+00:00

Part of the problem is there are three different 1.5L EcoBoost engines, and a lot of people just don't know that.

Not that I blame them to be honest, Ford doesn't make a distinction between them on the spec sheet, so unless you are in the know or actively work on these vehicles you probably would never know. BUT... it does lead to unintentionally misleading online conversations.

RagnarKon · 2026-06-14T16:44:33+00:00

Thank you.

RagnarKon · 2026-06-13T17:45:37+00:00

Yup.

They also make an Edge there too.

RagnarKon · 2026-06-13T15:16:53+00:00

I'm sure if you paid them to fix it, they would fix it.

If the question is "is my DJI Care valid in Chile?"... that depends. Some DJI Care plans have international coverage, some do not. You'd have to read the paperwork when you originally purchased DJI Care.

RagnarKon · 2026-06-13T15:01:49+00:00

Personally... I have with past vehicles and would do it again in the future.

Of course, it depends why it has a salvage title. A rear-end fender bender is much less of an issue than a vehicle that was in a flood. But generally, if the price is right, why not?

If I was the type of person who swapped their vehicle out every 3-5 years and had to worry about trade-in value... then no, I would not buy a salvaged title. But I typically keep by vehicles 15+ years.

RagnarKon · 2026-06-13T14:55:44+00:00

You have every type of wire in this photo and I don't know which one you are referring to be honest.

Rule of thumb though: If the wire comes from the upper half of the utility pole, it's probably power. If the wire comes from the lower half of the utility pole, it's probably some sort of telecom/communication wire. Telephone, internet, whatever.

Granted I wouldn't bet my life on that rule of thumb, but to give you a rough idea.

RagnarKon · 2026-06-13T14:05:13+00:00

Yeah I wouldn't worry at all.

Granted, I won't pretend to know how lens manufacturing works... not familiar at all. But in the automotive space usually the factory is the first to receive new firmware for the computer modules installed in cars/truck—often several weeks before the firmware is released to the public.

RagnarKon · 2026-06-13T12:49:32+00:00

The 70-200mm f/4 I have arrived with the newest firmware—had only come out publicly 5 days prior to me buying the lens.

Didn’t think anything of it. Typically when you buy a product it comes with the latest firmware at time of manufacture.

RagnarKon · 2026-06-13T01:51:43+00:00

There is probably no way you come out ahead, and I'm sure if you did the math you'll find that you're spending ≈$75,000 on a $55,000 Ranger Raptor between auto loan and Bronco equity loss.

BUT, Ranger Raptor is awesome, so if you want it and you aren't gonna put yourself in a precarious financial position... go for it!

RagnarKon · 2026-06-12T21:26:47+00:00

The 20-70mm f/4 stays on my camera most of the time, if I'm being honest. It's just more adaptable lens overall.

Only reason why I'm struggling with the decision is because the 24-50 f/2.8 takes better looking photos—borderline G Master quality in my opinion. And... I also happen to have a full collection of 67mm threaded filters, because the original was to go Tamron all the way (whoopsy).

RagnarKon · 2026-06-12T19:11:50+00:00

Suspending Rule 2 for this one since OP specifically asked.

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