Sunday, October 18, 2026 · Trucking & Freight
Ford Maverick 300T Install Adds 50 Horsepower, With About $7,500 in Total Costs
Noted by Dan Bridger · 955 reads
A dealer installed Ford’s 300T kit on a 2026 Maverick Lariat, raising output to 300 hp. The owner reports about $7,500 for parts and installation.
The Ford Maverick 300T kit turned a compact pickup into the performance vehicle its owner wanted, adding 50 horsepower and 70 lb-ft of torque. The dealer installation took three days, and the owner’s total cost for the parts, professional work and tax came to about $7,500. His first drive left him pleased with the acceleration and comfortable with the added exhaust noise.
From Escape to Maverick
The owner spent 37 years driving trucks, including single trailers, super-sets, Rocky Mountain doubles and triples. After retiring, he returned to northern Wisconsin, where winter driving convinced him to choose all-wheel drive. He also wanted a smaller vehicle that was easier to park than a full-size pickup.
His household had owned three Ford Escapes. The last was a 2022 SEL with a 250-hp, 2.0-liter engine and an eight-speed transmission. He valued its performance, citing a road test that recorded a 14.4-second quarter-mile run on 91-octane fuel. When he began looking for a replacement, he found that the Maverick shared a platform with the Escape, was only a few inches longer and taller, and offered the same engine and transmission.
What the 300T kit changes
At the SEMA show in Las Vegas in November 2025, Ford described a 300T package for 2025 and later Mavericks equipped with the 2.0-liter EcoBoost. The owner understood that kits would become available in 2026, though a shipping date had not been specified. The package combines a turbocharger from the 2.3-liter Mustang EcoBoost, a Ford-engineered ProCal tune, a larger Mishimoto intercooler and a Borla cat-back exhaust. Ford’s stated output rises from 250 hp and 280 lb-ft to 300 hp and 350 lb-ft.
The owner says Ford will cover the remaining original factory warranty when a dealer or ASE-certified technician completes the installation. He chose the package because the components had been tested and assessed together, and because Ford engineers judged the Maverick capable of handling the increased output. For a new vehicle, that professionally installed, factory-backed route mattered more to him than finding a lower-cost modification.
He took delivery of a new Lariat in January 2026. The four-door pickup suited his preference for a smaller vehicle, returned 27 miles per gallon on premium fuel and included a 4,000-pound towing package. He says the standard 2.0-liter engine already had enough pep for everyday driving; the 300T was intended to add performance without giving up the truck’s practical size.
Three days at the dealer
After waiting for kit production and shipment, the owner received his parts on October 6 and brought the Maverick to the dealer on October 12. The work continued into a third day. By Tuesday, the shop described the job as substantial, and the owner estimated about 12 hours had been spent. He recalled an 18-hour typical installation estimate from Ford’s earlier material. On Wednesday, October 14, the dealer said the installation was complete and that the truck was awaiting a wash and paperwork.
Performance and the full bill
The owner picked up the truck on October 15, 2026, in rainy weather. On a roughly 50-mile round trip, he found the acceleration strong when he pressed the throttle. He noticed more noise at startup, then remembered that his stock Maverick was also loud for a few minutes after a cold start. By the end of the trip, he was more accustomed to the sound. Gentle throttle input kept it less intrusive, he reported.
The turbo, tune, intercooler and Borla exhaust cost $3,550, before some tax and shipping charges on the exhaust. Labor was billed at about $200 per hour. The itemized work included $2,320 for the turbo, $1,020 for the intercooler, $100 for the Borla exhaust and $300 for programming. The dealer also changed the oil and filter.
The owner flags two additional tasks for anyone weighing a do-it-yourself installation: the air conditioning system must be evacuated and recharged to remove and replace the intercooler, and the truck needs an alignment because the subframe must come out for the turbo work. With sales tax of almost $400, he put his all-in expenditure for parts and professional installation at about $7,500.
On the road, he felt a slight turbo lag but said it seemed similar to the stock setup. Sport Mode, selected with a steering-wheel button, downshifts to keep the engine in its power band. He says that helped the truck respond promptly when he needed to accelerate past a slower vehicle.
The Lariat cost about $37,000, and the 300T work brought the total to roughly $44,000. The owner compares that with more than $40,000 for his previous Escape. He is considering Lobo springs, depending on whether the change would also require different wheels and tires. For now, he says the Maverick meets his needs, is easy to handle and park, and has the added performance he wanted.
