Federal regulators are intensifying scrutiny of some older Ford vehicles after reports that a key engine component can fail with little warning, leading to sudden power loss or even engine seizure.
For drivers, that can turn an ordinary trip into a costly — and potentially dangerous — breakdown.
What happened?
Ford's discontinued Fiesta, Focus, and EcoSport models are the focus of a deeper federal investigation. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said 135,551 vehicles from model years 2014 through 2021 that use the automaker's 1.0-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine are under review.
According to Fox Business, the NHTSA identified 355 cases in which a low engine oil pressure warning appeared shortly before the vehicle either lost power or experienced a sharp reduction in power while being driven.
Investigators said early analysis pointed to the timing belt as a possible cause. If belt material breaks down, the resulting debris may clog the oil pump pick-up screen and reduce oil pressure, and the NHTSA said that can happen with so little warning that "loss of power or engine seizure is imminent."
Fox Business noted a complaint from a 2017 Ford Focus owner, which described how quickly the problem can unfold. While traveling on a highway in Wilmington, Delaware, the oil pressure light came on and, within about an eighth of a mile, the car "lost all power and the engine began to sound like a tank."
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Why does it matter?
In the agency's view, the issue presents an "unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety."
The financial consequences can be severe. Some drivers said engine failures left them with repair bills in the thousands, and the NHTSA said the problems were reported even in vehicles that had received regular and proper oil maintenance.
The agency said these failures typically happened at around 70,000 miles, and 98% took place before Ford's recommended 150,000-mile timing belt replacement interval.
What's being done?
NHTSA's move to an engineering analysis is a step in the federal recall process. It does not automatically mean a recall will follow, but it brings the investigation closer to that possibility if regulators determine that Ford needs to take further action, according to Fox Business.
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Ford told regulators in June it was launching a non-safety customer satisfaction program for global vehicles using the 1.0L Fox Classic belt design. The company said it would shorten the maintenance interval to 100,000 miles or six years.
The NHTSA also said Ford is offering reimbursement to eligible customers who already paid for engine repairs or replacements tied to a timing belt issue. However, the agency said it was not immediately clear which vehicles are included in that program.
"Based on NHTSA's analysis of the data, failure rates, information provided by Ford, preliminary engine teardown analysis, and precedent recalls regarding loss of engine oil pressure with the presence of driver facing warnings, (the agency) believes there is an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety," the organization said, per Fox Business.
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