Watch out for those award-winning engines that turned out to be unreliable!

You're no doubt familiar with the Car of the Year and Utility Vehicle of the Year awards, at Canadian, North American and world levels. There are also awards for the best engines, presented by various organizations and media.

The problem is, that they don't usually take reliability and durability into account. Some engines excel in their early days and delight their drivers, but end up experiencing several problems over time. Yet reliability is one of the most important criteria for many buyers, especially when it comes to used vehicles.

Here are two examples of award-winning engines that turned out to be unreliable...

Ford

Ford's 1-liter EcoBoost engine was destined to revolutionize the automobile. Its low displacement power combined with remarkable fuel economy seemed promising, hence the many awards it received. It was found in certain Ford Fiesta, Focus and EcoSport models, among others.

The owners were soon disillusioned, however. Among other things, the cooling system was not up to scratch, leading to overheating and premature wear of the mechanics. Class action lawsuits were filed in response to this very problem. The engine's turbocharger tended to fail even at low mileage, and the supposedly maintenance-free timing belt wore out after a few years, causing further damage.

BMW-MINI

The Prince engine developed by BMW and PSA Peugeot Citroën is a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that has won the international award for best engine in the 1.4 to 1.8-liter category on more than one occasion, its performance being widely acclaimed. The BMW 1 and 3 Series used it, but not in Canada. However, it was found in some MINI Coopers in the early 2010s.

This engine suffered major problems, including timing chain breakage and carbon build-up in the intake valves. There was also excessive oil consumption in several cases.

If you're shopping for any of these used models, consider yourself warned.