Ford dangers being known as to the principal’s workplace once more, the principal on this case the Nationwide Freeway Transportation Security Administration. The U.S. authorities company’s Workplace of Defects Investigation (ODI) has opened a Preliminary Analysis on the 2018-2021 EcoSport, due to receiving 95 complaints about engine failures that homeowners have blamed on defective oil pumps. All the pertinent complaints deal with the 1.0-liter engine supplied as the bottom engine for the years in query. Within the U.S., the previously non-compulsory 2.0-liter engine turned the usual mill for the EcoSport’s ultimate mannequin 12 months available on the market right here in 2022. Roughly 240,000 models are concerned within the motion.
Two complaints on NHTSA website’s 2021 EcoSport FWD web page exemplify the development. One from Texas in June of this 12 months says the hatchback’s engine shut down after 5 minutes of driving, and solely then the oil and test engine warning lights illuminated. The proprietor had the automotive towed to the vendor, the service division supposedly advised the proprietor “your entire engine must be changed because of a failed oil pump inflicting bearing failure. That is at 75,000 Miles.” In January in Tennessee, an proprietor “acknowledged that whereas driving at 55 MPH, the low-pressure oil message appeared on the instrument panel. The contact pulled the automobile off to the shoulder of the freeway and had the automobile towed to the vendor. As soon as on the vendor, a diagnostic take a look at was carried out and confirmed that the oil pump and the oil pump belt had malfunctioned, which resulted in engine harm. The producer was notified of the failure. The automobile was not repaired. The failure mileage was roughly 60,539.”
Current tales on the recall is perhaps resulting in extra complaints coming in. A brand new entry from September 18 from an proprietor in North Carolina talks about an incident in a 2020 EcoSport FWD from July 18, 2023. After the engine shut off on the freeway, the proprietor had the EcoSport towed to a Ford vendor. There, it was “declared a complete loss by Geico Insurance coverage and Ford Mechanic Dept. The supervisor mentioned these automobiles have an issue with oil pump failure and the result’s engine failure. Automobile was towed to junkyard and subsequent day Geico modified their thoughts from their duty of complete loss. Geico mentioned it is everywhere in the web the oil pump failure difficulty with this automobile, and that’s it the duty of Ford to repair or complete automobile.”
An ODI investigation includes NHTSA engineers making an attempt to find out if a recall is important. There isn’t any timeline for completion, so EcoSport homeowners — a few of whom are nonetheless making funds — can’t know when there will probably be a decision, nor what that decision will probably be; the ODI may shut the investigation with out additional motion. For instance, the ODI started investigating the two.7-liter EcoBoost within the Ford Bronco in Could 2022 over an alleged valve difficulty, that analysis stays ongoing. In the meantime, a gaggle of EcoSport homeowners with the affected engine filed a lawsuit in June of this 12 months — with a 114-page submitting — and are looking for class-action standing.
In response to the EcoSport difficulty, a Ford spokesperson mentioned the carmaker is “working with NHTSA to help their investigation.”
