‘Time Bombs’: Ford EcoBoost Oil Pump Defect Can Cause Engine Failure While Driving, Class Action Says

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A proposed class action alleges Ford’s 1.0L, three-cylinder EcoBoost engine is plagued by an undisclosed oil pump defect that can cause catastrophic engine failure, often shortly after a vehicle’s 60,000-mile powertrain warranty is up. 

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The sprawling 114-page complaint says the EcoBoost oil pump defect poses a serious safety hazard in that it can spark engine failure without warning and cause a vehicle to lose power or go into “limp mode” while driving, thus increasing the likelihood of a crash. 

According to the case, Ford is aware the EcoBoost engine problems tend to occur “just outside the warranty,” meaning the automaker is “unfairly transferring the cost” of fixing the oil pump issue, which prevents oil from circulating properly throughout the engine, to unsuspecting consumers. 

Per the suit, the oil pump defect affects several models of Ford economy, subcompact and compact cars, namely 2016 or later Fords equipped with a 1.0L EcoBoost engine, including 2016-2017 Ford Fiesta, 2018-2021 Ford EcoSport and 2016-2018 Ford Focus vehicles. More specifically, the case alleges the oil pump belt in affected vehicles can disintegrate or wear, causing a loss of oil pressure and the introduction of metal debris into the engine. 

The filing says that although Ford has consistently advertised these vehicles as equipped with its “award winning” EcoBoost engine and designed with “driveability” and fuel efficiency in mind, the automaker has failed to disclose that the cars are essentially “time bombs” due to the apparent oil pump defect.

“Specifically, the 1.0L EcoBoost engines have manufacturing, workmanship, and/or design defects which lead to a loss of oil pressure and an oil pump failure, causing the oil in the vehicle to slow or stop circulating, increasing engine temperature beyond specifications, and subsequently, causing the engine to seize.” 

As the case tells it, proposed class members are often unable to tell whether their vehicles are hampered by the oil pump defect until their engine has malfunctioned during operation. Symptoms of the problem include “abnormal noise” coming from the engine compartment, as well as increasing engine temperature and a drop in oil pressure, the filing says. 

Otherwise, the oil pump problem can cause an EcoBoost engine to stall or fail without warning, or send a vehicle into “limp mode,” which causes it to decelerate or stop abruptly in traffic, the complaint adds.

Ford has been aware of the oil pump issue plaguing its 1.0L EcoBoost engines for years, as evidenced by several technical service bulletins and a litany of consumer complaints dating back to at least 2016, the lawsuit says. 

“Despite Ford’s knowledge of the Defect, which renders the Class Vehicles hazardous and unsuitable for their intended purpose, it has failed to provide adequate repairs under warranty, and has also failed to disclose the Defect to unsuspecting consumers,” the complaint summarizes. 

The lawsuit looks to cover all persons in the United States who bought or leased, other than for resale, any 2016 model year or later Ford Focus or EcoSport vehicle equipped with a 1.0L EcoBoost engine. 

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