Ford was an early adopter of the oil-bathed timing belt with the 1.8-litre DuraTorq TDCi in 2007. The 1.0 EcoBoost uses this solution and has become the target of an investigation by the NHTSA, the agency responsible for traffic safety in the USA.
The 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine was used in the US in the Fiesta, EcoSport and Focus. According to the NHTSA, 135,551 cars produced between 2014 and 2021 are the target of the investigation.
According to the agency, the oil-bathed belt releases debris during the normal operation of the vehicle. These pieces clog the crankcase fisherman, impairing engine lubrication and resulting in severe damage, which can lock the engine with the car in motion.
Owners point out that the oil pressure light does not always come on before the engine has problems. The NHTSA found that these failures occur regardless of whether the car is properly maintained or not.
The EcoSport also used this 1.0 turbo in the USA (Photo: Ford | Disclosure)
Ford even reduced the time to change the timing belt of this engine from 240 thousand km to 160 thousand km. On average, failures appear with about 110 thousand km, well before these deadlines stipulated for replacement.
The purpose of this investigation is to determine whether these defects should be grounds for a recall. This type of recall is mandatory for defects that may affect the safety of the occupants.
This 1.0 EcoBoost engine from Ford was offered in Brazil only in the Fiesta. Initially it was in the top-of-the-line Titanium version, then it came with an option package in the intermediate SEL.
It is still in production for the European market, but there it changed the oil-bathed belt for a conventional metal chain in 2019. This improvement has not been implemented in the North American market.
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