We’ve often said that building cars is hard – and those difficulties don’t always end even after a company stops making them. It’s like bad news coming in even after one has turned off their phone.
At issue this time around is the 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine which was an option in certain models of the long-departed Ford Focus compact car and Ford EcoSport thing tiny crossover. More specifically, a faulty belt tensioner arm on the belt-driven oil pump may fracture or separate from the tensioner backing plate. A busted oil pump would cause an obvious loss of oil pressure, potentially leading to engine damage (duh) or, in specific conditions, the loss of power braking ability. It’s the latter which has apparently caused a crash and two injuries.
According to docs provided to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) by suits at the Glass House, over two thousand warranty claims have been filed related to this issue. It is said the company had a look at this issue back in 2022 but determined it was not a safety concern. Jeez. To fix affected cars, Ford dealerships plan to replace the oil pump drive belt tensioner assembly with a redesigned part but, as with most things in life these days, the replacement parts are not currently available.
Specifically, the recall targets EcoSport models with a 1.0L EcoBoost engine and an automatic transmission manufactured between April 3, 2017 and Oct. 12, 2021. This is in addition to Focus sedans and hatchbacks with the same powertrain combo manufactured between March 24, 2015 and May 4, 2018. There are approximately 140,000 units covered under the recall.
Whilst we continue to mourn the loss of both the Focus sedan and hatchback, particularly its spicy variants, precisely no tears have even been shed for the wretched EcoSport. As an unpleasant log laid by a company panicking its way into a segment it should have been in ages ago, the EcoSport was neither eco nor sporty – but at least it was expensive with a terrible interior. You’ll notice other models in its segment (Kia Soul, et al) had and continue to have no trouble finding buyers while the EcoSport has shuffled to the side. We’ll let you speculate why in the comment section.
[Images: Ford]
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