2.5 L Atkinson motor Hybrid has Solid Lifters.

[AutobahnSHO]

It would be an issue if the hybrid saw a life on track, but thats about it. I remember the old Taurus SHO with the Yamaha 3.0 and 3.2. With how those were driven you definitely had to check valve clearance and shim as needed every 60k or so.

With modern oils especially I wouldn't sweat it.

Shoutout for the OG SHO reference!!!

In 2002 I bought a 1991 SHO which had been registered in Germany since 1991. I didn't know you had to check the crankshaft bearings at 100k miles though and it died on Autobahn A6 at 172k miles in 2004

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[Peter Lukasch]

The 2.5 uses a "shim and bucket" valve train. Nothing to worry about in my opinion. Very reliable. I had a 650cc inline 4 Yamaha back in 1980 that had the same set up. Easy to adjust. I did it when I was 19. Pop the valve cover off, measure the clearance between the cam and shim (when valve is closed), put a thinner or thicker shim in to get the clearance correct. Ran the hell out of that Yamaha at the strip, no issues. Don't make a mountain out of a mole hill. You are worrying about a silly little thing that dont add up to nothing.

Motorcycles have been using shim and bucket valve trains for 45 years with no problems. (and I'm sure Maverick's seldom see 12.000 RPM). As long as the shims are on top of the buckets, it's not hard to adjust. You just require an assortment of shims. Toyota inline DOHC sixes have also used this system since the mid 80's. Valve clearances actually close up over time as the valve recedes into the head due to valve seat wear. Valve train noise actually becomes quieter, until the valves lip burns because the valve can no longer seat properly. From my past experiences though, it's a non issue, as these valve train designs tend to hold their clearances in spec for a long time because of their simplicity.

 

[grumpyunk]

Yeah these new vehicles are all like that, even the Maverick. So many single use fasteners for no reason other than to rack up the bill for dealership profits. I feel bad for that BS owner.

It is very common for the manufacturer to recommend(command) that fasteners not be re-used whenever disturbed from new. It is also as common or moreso for independent mechanics to re-use the fasteners without problem. The exception are the torque-to-yield head bolts, which are supposed in most cases to be a one-time-tighten fastener.
The CarWizard will follow the mfg recommendations because he stands behind his work, perhaps to a longer than normal standard, and because he wants to avoid comebacks potentially caused by trying to save his customers some money.
The 3-cylinder B-sport engine seems to be having a good number of failures, and exhausting the spares supply line within the OEM sources. That is unusual, and not a good sign(IMO) for the corn-popper engine.
It(the engine) was very well received when introduced, but has shown that it has some areas where there are inherent problems. The cooling system is one area. In this case, the dealer tech (if asked) gave a generic diagnosis without doing a reasonable inspection. It is shameful, that customers be treated this way. Perhaps they wanted to scare off the customer or steer them into a new vehicle. Either way, they were wise to seek a second opinion from someone without at least those two incentives to pump up the repair bill.
FoMoCo might have been better served to equip all B-sports with the 2.0 4-cylinder which has been improved since its first introduction. They could actually use the hybrid system installed in a whole bunch of Escapes. There should be a good supply once they turn off the Escape assembly line.(another short-sighted decision IMO). But what do I know?

 

[grumpyunk]

FWIW, the famed Jaguar straight six DOHC engine had bucket lifters that used small disks about the size of a nickel to adjust clearance. The Escape equipped with the 4 cylinder uses bucket lifters that have a bump on their underside that has varied thickness. When adjusting clearance, you must measure and record each valves clearance prior to disassembly, then using the clearance replace buckets as needed, using the proper 'thickness' to get the clearance of each valve to be in tolerance.
Most of these engines will be turned into other products before any valve clearance adjustment is needed.
The current 2.0 and 2.3 ecoboost engines have similar design valve adjustment procedures and requirements.
Most OHC engines that have direct action cam followers(buckets in this case) have similar adjustment features. Those designs with moving cam followers may have hydraulic supports that keep the clearance proper, or even mechanical adjusted supports to achieve the same thing.
The only thing that would lead to the need to adjust valve clearance is wear on the valve seat or the valve itself for the most part. Wear on the cam lobes and the bucket is generally not significant.(unless poor oil or lube maintenance is evident).
tom

 

[AZ Hybrid]

As a Ford technician for 35+ years I can tell you that having direct acting mechanical buckets is probably the most reliable valve train available. It’s adjusted when the engine is built and will last the life of engine. Unless you neglect oil changes but then you will have problems with bottom end way before you will see problems with buckets. It way more common to have a roller lifter fail than a mechanical bucket. It’s nothing to worry about. You have one of the most reliable engine and transmission systems Ford makes.

 

[Escapologist]

You have one of the most reliable engine and transmission systems Ford makes.

Pretty much the only reason I am "here".

Or is it....
GDIs to the left of me, turbos to the right, Here I am stuck in the middle with you.

 

[Timothyd]

The Sky is Falling. Hand wringing over that and also the carbon buildup on the EB is ridiculous. With proper maintenance of todays modern engines, several hundred thousand miles without issue is common. If you scared or worried, there's options out there that you could trade it in on that "might" be a better fit for you.

Perfection is elusive but if you avoid experimental things like wet belts you'll probably be okay.

 

[jerrisn]

Be aware of this when you buy the Hybrid. At some point the lifters may need replacement if there is a problem. There is no adjustment. A super expensive cost due to tear down.

Called , Direct-Acting Mechanical Bucket Lifters. (DAMB) For damn expensive! Had I known at the time of purchase I would have passed. What about you?

I'd steer clear of buying a new car and hunt down a trusty old Ford Ranger instead. In my book, anything made after 2020 is a gamble—reliability seems to have taken a joyride off a cliff. That said, my 2023 XLT Hybrid has racked up 38,000 miles without a single hiccup, knock on wood. Even the golden children like Toyota and Honda come with their own baggage. So, pick your poison wisely and brace for whatever quirks come with it!

(I did buy the 100k warranty just in case)

 

[Escapologist]

Even the golden children like Toyota and Honda come with their own baggage.

Yeah they have been developing their collection of baggage a lot lately in my view.

 

[Thoron99]

I’ve been driving since the 1980s and can’t recall ever needing to get valves adjusted. Not even on the POS “Pintostang” I drove in high school.

 

[DonG]

Well, hopefully consistent and timely oil changes will help. If you don't do that, it is a recipe for disaster and shorter life anyway. It kind of really surprised me when I found out. I've learned now to look much harder and deeper at a new vehicle before purchase. I am looking at getting my wife a Hybrid. I've gone through all the SUV options and Toyota is the number one hybrid system hands down. Ford copied and Mazda put the whole drivetrain in there new model. The Honda CRV and KIA use a terrible set up and don't have a hug improvement on mileage. Although our last 3 SUV's have been the CRV which never dies and is super reliable with a high resale. Maybe I've got the jitters because of the massive amounts of recalls and well known quality issues with Ford. It's been 40 plus years since I purchased a Ford truck due to the failure and short life of that one. Have had many trucks and still have a full size.

Toyota uses Atkinson motors too

 

[GmanGM]

Well, hopefully consistent and timely oil changes will help. If you don't do that, it is a recipe for disaster and shorter life anyway. It kind of really surprised me when I found out. I've learned now to look much harder and deeper at a new vehicle before purchase. I am looking at getting my wife a Hybrid. I've gone through all the SUV options and Toyota is the number one hybrid system hands down. Ford copied and Mazda put the whole drivetrain in there new model. The Honda CRV and KIA use a terrible set up and don't have a hug improvement on mileage. Although our last 3 SUV's have been the CRV which never dies and is super reliable with a high resale. Maybe I've got the jitters because of the massive amounts of recalls and well known quality issues with Ford. It's been 40 plus years since I purchased a Ford truck due to the failure and short life of that one. Have had many trucks and still have a full size.

My 2005 Ford Escape hybrid went 150k w only 1 issue. The Maverick hybrid seems very similar 20 freaking yrs later. I wanted a plug-in hybrid small/mid size truck but nothing available so ended up w the Maverick hybrid seems and happy enough as it’s as close as I could get, - nothing else comes close to the 35+ truck mpg I get. Toyota and others left high mpg truck space unanswered for 4 model yrs. While I might have selected a Stout if it weren’t vaporware, I am thinking the Maverick hybrid will be pretty good. We will see what 2027 brings.

 

[Johnnycrouch]

Have people been having problems with Maverick lifters? Any new vehicle will last 150k with regular oil changes. How many people will keep it long enough to worry about stuff like that? I put 16-18k a year on my vehicles. I’m ready for a new one in 6-8 years. Have owned many vehicles from ford to Chevy to dodge to Mitsubishi to Toyota. All I have ever had are minor problems. People work their self up over crazy stuff. Drive it and change the oil.

 

[scharris99]

Does this forum have a block filter or has as admin already booted the troll?

 

[Probity]

As a Ford technician for 35+ years I can tell you that having direct acting mechanical buckets is probably the most reliable valve train available. It’s adjusted when the engine is built and will last the life of engine. Unless you neglect oil changes but then you will have problems with bottom end way before you will see problems with buckets. It way more common to have a roller lifter fail than a mechanical bucket. It’s nothing to worry about. You have one of the most reliable engine and transmission systems Ford makes.

^I'm with you.

Until OP’s post, was unaware that Ford’s HEV 2.5L Atkinson engine had ‘solid’ lifters. For me it’s not an important consideration if it has Direct Acting Mechanical Bucket Lifters or roller finger follower or anything in between.

After reading OP’s post, I made a mistake and went down the interweb rabbit hole looking into solid lifters, DAMB (over-or-under shim), roller finger follower, hydraulic lifters in general, etc. etc. In some ways it’s worse than the catch can rabbit hole. I finally stopped myself as life is too short, and at the end of the day for my type of typical driving/maintenance to be performed, and the # of miles I’ll drive for any vehicle I own (less than 100k), it’s not a factor for me in a purchase decision.

These sorts of information searches are fraught with problems. It was almost hilarious when I asked different web-search questions about which Ford engines had DAMB or roller finger follower lifters, and if they were DAMB lifters do they use under-bucket or over-bucket shims. The OpenAI-generated ‘answers’ were all over the map (it taught me be very careful in how you word your specific questions. Supposedly (according to OpenAI) the 2.5L hybrid engines in Mav and Escapes have over-bucket shims but I’ll leave it to someone who has actually worked on one to tell me yea or nay.

A surprising source of ‘information’ (right or wrong) was the Dorian Ford dealership (in Michigan) website. It has some very specific information on valve lifters in 2024 MY engines in different product lines, not so much on 2025 MY engines. But I did find some of the info strange, which led to other questions.

Here’s their 2024 MY 2.5L hybrid engine info: 2.5L FHEV Engine: Power, Efficiency Overview . OK, the Mav/Escape 2.5L’s have DAMB lifters as per Dorian info.

It gets a little strange with their 2024 MY 2.0L EB engine info: Ford 2.0L EcoBoost® Engine Overview. Bear in mind this is before the 2025 MY ‘changes’ with the Modular Power Cylinder engine architecture. The Bronco Sport, Mav, and Edge with the 2.0L EB and DI-only are noted as having DAMB lifters. However the Escape with the 2.0L EB (with both PFI and DI – evidently MPC architecture?) is noted as having roller finger follower lifters. Go figure.

The 2024 MY 1.5L EB ‘Dragon’ engine info in the Escape and Bronco Sport was also strange to me. Ford 1.5L EcoBoost® Engine Overview. They claim the 1.5L EB in the Bronco Sport (with both DI and PFI – part of MPC architecture) has Roller Finger Follower with Hydraulic Latch Adjustor lifters. But the Escape with (DI-only?) 1.5L EB has DAMB lifters. There are people/videos I’ve seen that claim ALL 1.5L EB’s (in either Bronco Sports or Escapes) have the MPC architecture but I think that depends on where (China, India, Romania, Mexico?) the engine was made. I think the only way to tell for sure if your late model Escape with a 1.5L EB has MPC architecture is to pop the hood and see if you can find both the PFI fuel rail AND the DI rail (while the sales type with you mumbles “what in the wide wide world of sports is that knucklehead doing”).

Anyway, with proper care/maintenance/break-in etc. I’d hope to see ~150k miles on a Mav or Escape 2.5L Atkinson cycle engine with DAMB lifters. YMMV.

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