Ford Buried a Timing Belt in Motor Oil to Save Gas -- Now the Feds Say 135,000 Cars Are a Safety Risk

The U.S. safety regulator says roughly 135,000 Ford Fiesta, Focus and EcoSport vehicles built from 2014 to 2021 pose an unreasonable safety risk due to failures tied to Ford’s 1.0-liter three-cylinder EcoBoost “wet belt” timing design. On Aug. 3, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration escalated its investigation after logging 355 complaints describing an oil pressure warning light followed by near-immediate loss of power or a seized engine. NHTSA describes the belt running submerged in oil—unlike a dry belt or chain—as shedding fragments as rubber degrades, which can clog the oil pump intake screen. The average failure mileage is about 70,000 miles, despite Ford’s 150,000-mile replacement interval.