Are Turbocharged Engines More Or Less Reliable Than Regular Engines?

Drivers looking to get more out of their engines often opt for turbocharged options. Turbocharged engines typically offer more power than a regular engine by using the exhaust gas to force extra air into the combustion chamber. This allows the motor to burn more fuel to get more performance, and you aren't always sacrificing fuel economy as a result. A smaller 4-cylinder engine can reap the rewards of extra power and better fuel efficiency, so it can be worth making an upgrade from that standpoint, especially if you opt for a twin-turbocharger.

However, turbocharging an engine comes with its share of risks. While it is not guaranteed that you will run into issues, if you upgrade your engine to support turbocharging, you're introducing more components that have a chance of failing. Simply put, having more points of failure raises your chances of running into problems. Of course, many people use turbocharged engines every day with no issues, so your turbocharged motor shouldn't be any more or less reliable than a regular engine, but it can be more costly.

Upgrading to a turbocharged engine can get expensive, so it's normal to be worried about something going wrong and being handed a hefty repair bill. It's a fair concern, and you'll often find your insurance rates higher with a turbocharged engine since they have a higher repair cost than a non-turbocharged engine. Having a turbocharger doesn't automatically mean you'll be rolling your car to a mechanic more often than you would without one. However, you'll need to perform routine maintenance like oil changes more often to keep your turbocharger running efficiently, and that'll drive up costs. Turbochargers also introduce turbo lag where you'll experience a slight throttle delay, but that's a common occurrence and nothing to be concerned about.

Companies that have specialized in turbochargers for years should ease your concerns. Honda, BMW, Audi, Ford, and several other manufacturers have all made some of the most reliable turbocharged engines ever built. Ford's first-gen twin-turbocharged 3.5L EcoBoost V6 was plagued with issues, but a second iteration has largely squashed those problems, and now it's one of the best EcoBoost engines made by the company. To put it plainly, turbochargers with multiple iterations under their belt are reliable and aren't inherently at more risk than non-turbocharged engines. When in doubt, you can simply look up the specific engine you're interested in to see if there are any reliability concerns, and the same goes for non-turbocharged motors too.

If you're upgrading your current engine to a turbocharged one instead of buying an engine that's already turbocharged, there are a few things you should be aware of. For starters, your engine might not be equipped to handle the extra power and it could require you to upgrade parts like its pistons and valves beforehand. If you don't do that, you're certainly going to run into issues sooner rather than later. It's best to talk to a mechanic to figure out if your current motor fits the bill for a turbocharger.

Deciding to upgrade comes down to personal preference. If you're happy with your engine's performance, then a turbocharger won't be as beneficial. If you are looking for better performance and fuel economy, it can be worthwhile, but if the tradeoff is making several costly upgrades to the engine that could lead to more trouble down the road, it's not going to be worth it for everyone.