Ford has issued a recall for nearly 140,000 cars because they can suddenly lose oil pressure. That could lead to an engine stall or a loss of braking power.
The affected cars use a 1.0-liter 3-cylinder engine with a 6-speed automatic transmission. They include:
- 2016-2018 Ford Focus
- 2018-2022 Ford EcoSport
Ford tells the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration the engine oil pump drive belt pretensioner in these vehicles can fracture or separate from its backing plate, or the belt itself may degrade. In any case, that can cause the pump to fail and oil pressure to fall suddenly.
“A loss of engine oil pressure can result in engine damage or seizure, which can result in a loss of motive power and a loss of the mechanical vacuum pump required to provide power braking assist, increasing the risk of a crash.”
Ford says it is aware of “one allegation of a crash resulting in two injuries potentially related to this concern” and has received nearly 2,100 related warranty claims.
Dealers will replace the drive belt pretensioner assembly and the belt to fix the problem.
Recall repairs are always free. But millions of us miss recall notices every year and unknowingly drive recalled vehicles. Find out if your car needs free safety repairs at our easy recall center.
