Get advice from Independent Certified outboard mechanics who aren't tied to a particular manufacturer for the best advice, they'll be able to tell you the motors they see most often and those that are most problematic & costly to keep running. Regular maintenance is the key to longevity for just about anything mechanical and outboards are no different, but as already mentioned they all are gonna blow at some point and in some cases for no apparent reason.

Boat owners have a bad tendency to say what they spent their money on is/was the best out there regardless. This is particularly true for those who only go out a handful of times per year, so if your going to take an owners advice to heart pick one that runs his rig regularly (50-80 + yr), you'll get a more informed/experienced opinion from someone who's rig spends more time on the water. Good luck in your endeavor.

Evinrude Fichts were bad bad news, every once in a blue moon you will still see one but most of them have probably already dun blowd up.

I will add the 115 yamaha 2 stroke to that list, they take a lickin and keep on tickin, these things were built right.

For me it's the Yamaha SHO. I just know too many people who had major problems with them. I see a lot of bayboats I like but they have a SHO on the back. For saltwater the Suzuki 4 stroke is what I want. They are tank plus get great gas mileage. I know a number of peple who have run them significant hours without any major issues. On my bass boat I have a 200 Optimax. It's been the worst motor I have owned but I have been pretty lucky not having major motor issues on the others. The Opti has had a new lower unit, high pressure injection pump and fuel pump with under 600 hours. Best motor I ever owned was a Johnson 150 Faststrike. Absolutely zero issues with it.

Most engines in their first 1-2 years of mass production.

Yamipop HPDI and Ficht. Those 2 above all others. Of course there are outliers, and ALL motors blow with bad maintenance. But those two especially blow. HPDI just requires a lot of filter maintenance that people don't keep up with is what I'm told by my mechanic buddy.

Boyyyyyy my fast strike was a sweet little motor. Miss it.

Ficht. Dont even think twice about it.

Not a Yamaha owner but I think when it comes to the HPDI that the Series 2 has had significantly less problems than the original.

I run a older Evinrude intruder there bad*** but there correct on the ficht steer clear

I bought a new boat with an optimax with In 2005 and it broke down the first time I put it in the water. Then it broke down again the next time I took it out after the dealership said they fixed something. It was a fight to get it but I finally was able to get a new motor

I still have a 1997 fast strike and it is still going strong. Very few issues. I did have to put a new lower unit on it last year

Suzuki.

+1 on the Yamaha 115

My 1999 Opti-Pop still runs like new and have had zero problems.

Yamaha SHO fo sho, bullet proof. Change the oil and filters and keep fishing.