Ford Focus wet timing belt danger

[DAVID R GRAHAM]

Good morning to all members. I am a newbie.

I have signed up to this site, because I feel a strong need to highlight the very real danger of the wet timing belt installed by Ford in the Focus.

Two days ago, that issue could well have caused a fatal accident, whilst I was driving at 70 mph on the A64 to Whitby.

Fortunately, I had just turned into the truck stop at the Highwayman Cafe, when the foot brake seized up. Had that happened minutes before, I shudder to think what the outcome might have been.

The car was then too dangerous to even contemplate driving. I was towed home by the AA. It was then that I learned, from the driver, about the very real danger of wet timing belts.

Later that day I learned from a local garage that Ford had been replacing such damaged engines free of charge. 

My car is now with Perry's Ford dealership in Worksop, where it was purchased.  It will remain there until it is deemed safe to drive on the road again. If Ford does not replace the engine, free of charge, with one that uses a chain rather than a wet belt. I will not be taking the car back. 

My very real concern, since my hair-raising experience, is that there are Focus drivers on the roads who are unaware of the potential danger of the wet belt powering their vehicles. 

Kind regards to all members,

David. 

[alexp999]

This comes up everyday unfortunately. The regular members here are well aware. 
 

Ford cannot replace a wet belt engine with a chain engine, it had more done to it than just the timing chain. The whole head is reversed. 
 

Plus the timing chain engine still has a wet belt for the oil pump. We’re no longer convinced the timing chain version will be much more reliable. 

[unofix]

1 hour ago, DAVID R GRAHAM said:

If Ford does not replace the engine, free of charge, with one that uses a chain rather than a wet belt. I will not be taking the car back. 

As Alex has already said swapping the engine to the later version with a timing chain is just not a possible option. Regarding Ford replacing it 'free' is something they will not even consider with a 2015 vehicle. Even with vehicles that are only a few months outside of the 3 year warranty, owners struggle to get any meaning full help from Ford. Problems with these engines come up on the forum every few days, the only advice that can be offered to potential owners of Ecoboost 1.0 is simply don't buy one.

[unofix]

This is just one of the many threads on the subject of the Ecoboost 1.0

Read the full story of @Sarah46 and her 'Ecoboom' engine (it's very long):

On 5/24/2022 at 1:11 PM, Sarah46 said:

Hi,

I have found this thread whilst doing searches on the internet for our current problem. We are just starting this process with Ford - our car is a 2018 1.0 Ecoboost ST Line Focus Automatic, we have owned it for a year ( Feb 2021 ) and we bought it from an Ancaster Dealership, it was serviced by them when we purchased it, and prior to that Ford dealerships, so all up to date inc the one we had done a month or so ago. Then last Tuesday my other half was on the M40 on his way to work, no warning lights, engine cut out. Was towed back here to a garage to be told the wet belt is the issue, engine overheated leading to crap in the engine and quoted £8k for a new engine.  Since then we find out that all garages seem to call this the "Ecoboom" engine for the amount of cars they see with this issue ( and a whole Facebook group dedicated to it ! ).

The car has not been sat idle as my partner has continued working through lockdown and been taking it to the station, so it's been driven every day. Ford customer services are being difficult ( as expected ) saying if it is outside Manufactures Warranty there is not much they can do, but there is a whole group of people with this exact problem on this car ( specifically the automatic ) and we have found a notice from Ford themselves to the dealers in the US warning them of this issue - so they know. Am just wondering how many years it will take them to acknowledge this, considering how long it took them to admit to the cooling issue.   

I have always trusted Ford, it's a name you believe you can trust - but we will never buy Ford again, we cannot afford £8k for a new engine on a car that is 4years old with 50k on the clock for an issue they are fully aware of, but are totally denying exists. We are paying out again for another diagnostics and to get the car to Ford for them to look at, but i'm not holding much hope they will cover this, which means we are left with a car that we cannot drive and with Finance still to pay. I am beyond angry with them.

 

 

[Eric Bloodaxe]

1 hour ago, DAVID R GRAHAM said:

Later that day I learned from a local garage that Ford had been replacing such damaged engines free of charge. 

There has been a lot of misinformation on this from e.g. Facebook groups, and a video which is widely circulating on the internet which has it's source in the US, where Ford have indeed replaced engines on cars with automatic transmission, for a slightly different issue.

Out of the many threads and hundreds of posts on here, we have only seen Ford offer contributions on cars just out of warranty, and then only with full, verifiable, Ford dealer service history.

If you want to pursue repair or engine replacement (same design) come back here as many members have now found repairers/suppliers who can help at lower cost than Ford.

 

[DaveT70]

1 hour ago, DAVID R GRAHAM said:

My car is now with Perry's Ford dealership in Worksop, where it was purchased.  It will remain there until it is deemed safe to drive on the road again. If Ford does not replace the engine, free of charge, with one that uses a chain rather than a wet belt. I will not be taking the car back. 

Good luck with that

I expect a £9000 bill

[Bol]

Car's maintainance was proper?

Before that, were there any issues or anything unsual about performance?

Wetbelt was the stock one?

How often was oil and oil filter changed?

 

Just as information.

[dezwez]

3 hours ago, DAVID R GRAHAM said:

Good morning to all members. I am a newbie.

I have signed up to this site, because I feel a strong need to highlight the very real danger of the wet timing belt installed by Ford in the Focus.

Two days ago, that issue could well have caused a fatal accident, whilst I was driving at 70 mph on the A64 to Whitby.

Fortunately, I had just turned into the truck stop at the Highwayman Cafe, when the foot brake seized up. Had that happened minutes before, I shudder to think what the outcome might have been.

The car was then too dangerous to even contemplate driving. I was towed home by the AA. It was then that I learned, from the driver, about the very real danger of wet timing belts.

Later that day I learned from a local garage that Ford had been replacing such damaged engines free of charge. 

My car is now with Perry's Ford dealership in Worksop, where it was purchased.  It will remain there until it is deemed safe to drive on the road again. If Ford does not replace the engine, free of charge, with one that uses a chain rather than a wet belt. I will not be taking the car back. 

My very real concern, since my hair-raising experience, is that there are Focus drivers on the roads who are unaware of the potential danger of the wet belt powering their vehicles. 

Kind regards to all members,

David. 

Hi welcome

[DAVID R GRAHAM]

On 3/27/2024 at 7:56 AM, alexp999 said:

This comes up every day, unfortunately. The regular members here are well aware. 
 

Ford cannot replace a wet belt engine with a chain engine, it had more done to it than just the timing chain. The whole head is reversed. 
 

Plus, the timing chain engine still has a wet belt for the oil pump. We’re no longer convinced the timing chain version will be much more reliable. 

Good morning alexp999,

Thanks for your speedy response to my post.

In all honesty, I am not at all surprised by the substance of your reply.

Privately, I have accepted the reality that my car is a financial right-off. It is a great shame. Until the belt failure, I was more than happy with the car. It is not a high-end model, but it suited my needs.

Taking on board what you and your fellow members have posted, I expect it is the end of the line for the car. I will know more when Perrys get back to me. If they fail to repair the car. I will be left with no choice but to scrap it.

What galls me most about the whole sorry affair, is the fact that Ford has been aware of the potentially dangerous design fault regarding the wet belt.

As I said in my initial post, had the brake locked on my car when I was travelling at 70mph on the A64 the outcome might well have been fatal. 

There it is. Life goes on, regardless of the vagaries of car ownership. 

Kind regards,

David.

[DAVID R GRAHAM]

On 3/27/2024 at 8:47 AM, unofix said:

As Alex has already said swapping the engine to the later version with a timing chain is just not a possible option. Regarding Ford replacing it 'free' is something they will not even consider with a 2015 vehicle. Even with vehicles that are only a few months outside of the 3 year warranty, owners struggle to get any meaning full help from Ford. Problems with these engines come up on the forum every few days, the only advice that can be offered to potential owners of Ecoboost 1.0 is simply don't buy one.

Good morning unofix,

Thank you for your reply to my post. Please see my reply to alaxp999 for my response. 

Kind regards,

David. 

[DAVID R GRAHAM]

On 3/27/2024 at 9:20 AM, DaveT70 said:

Good luck with that

I expect a £9000 bill

Good morning DaveT70.

Thanks for your reply to my post. I don't believe in luck. I believe in facts. From the moment I learned of the existence of wet belts, and the irreparable damage they can wrought on an engine, I knew, from a financial standpoint, that the car was a write-off.

Life goes on, despite the vagaries of car ownership. 

Kind regards,

David.

[DAVID R GRAHAM]

On 3/27/2024 at 9:05 AM, Eric Bloodaxe said:

There has been a lot of misinformation on this from e.g. Facebook groups, and a video which is widely circulating on the internet which has its source in the US, where Ford has indeed replaced engines on cars with automatic transmission, for a slightly different issue.

Out of the many threads and hundreds of posts on here, we have only seen Ford offer contributions on cars just out of warranty, and then only with full, verifiable, Ford dealer service history.

If you want to pursue repair or engine replacement (same design) come back here as many members have now found repairers/suppliers who can help at a lower cost than Ford.

Good morning, Eric Bloodaxe,

Thanks for your reply. Please see my reply to alexp999 for an update on my initial post.

Addendum: I would not part with any money to get the car repaired. I may look at more reliable makes of car. 

Life goes on, regardless of the vagaries of car ownership. 

Kind regards,

David. 

[DAVID R GRAHAM]

On 3/27/2024 at 9:26 AM, Bol said:

The car's maintenance was proper.

Before that, were there any issues or anything unusual about performance?

Wet belt was the stock one?

How often was the oil and oil filter changed?

 

Just as information.

Good morning, Bol,

Thanks for your response to my post. The car was annually serviced by a trusted non-Ford centre. I took it on faith that the oil and filters were changed if warranted. I can check on that. Before the belt failure, there were no issues. In ignorant bliss of the belt issue, I was very happy with the car. 

Kind regards,

David.

[Bol]

Nice.

Because it is important as many experienced owners mention in this forum that oil should meet specific requirements.

[TomsFocus]

52 minutes ago, DAVID R GRAHAM said:

The car was annually serviced by a trusted non-Ford centre. I took it on faith that the oil and filters were changed if warranted. I can check on that.

As a non-Ford garage, it would definitely be worth checking which oil they've been using and whether or not they've been using engine flush. 

Too late for your car now unfortunately, but you may save someone else's by informing the garage of incorrect servicing if that has been a factor here.

[DaveT70]

1 hour ago, DAVID R GRAHAM said:

I don't believe in luck. I believe in facts.

Good, because the fact is Ford won't pay and certainly won't be able to fit the latest level engine in your car.

In regards to financial right off, instead of scrapping it and loosing all of your money, consider fitting a known running used engine and move the car on

[Alan G H]

As said previously, you could get a second hand engine fitted, and either move it on or run it for a while.

If you really won't spend any money on this car, you will probably be able to sell it (provided the body/interior are tidy).

I would suggest advertising it as spares or repair, either as an auction on eBay (starting price what a local scrap yard would offer), or using Gumtree.

[StephenFord]

4 hours ago, DAVID R GRAHAM said:

.... I may look at more reliable makes of car...

I know this awful incident has left a very bad taste in your mouth, and I sympathise. Ford make plenty of 'reliable' cars so I wouldn't write them off totally in the future, but wouldn't blame you if it did.

If you do see something that catches your eye, pop a post on here to gain opinion, there is a vast amount of expert knowledge on this forum (myself excluded!), and get an owners perspective of any potential replacement...

[DAVID R GRAHAM]

Good morning StephenFord,

Thanks for your feedback. You are quite right about Ford cars in general. I expressed a knee-jerk reaction to the belt failure. Prior to that, I had always maintained that Ford makes reliable and durable cars. I was pleased with the Focus. The situation is open-ended at the moment. It remains to be seen what Perry's Ford dealership comes back with regarding the state of the engine. A very large fly in the ointment - and I am embarrassed to go public about it- is the fact that, to my knowledge, I never had the car serviced: MOT yes, but not serviced. Such a glaring omission might well blow my case out of the water. 

Kind regards,

David. 

[StephenFord]

3 minutes ago, DAVID R GRAHAM said:

... to my knowledge, I never had the car serviced: MOT yes, but not serviced. Such a glaring omission might well blow my case out of the water.

Sadly, that will  certainly not help! The MOT under the bonnet really only looks at the battery to make sure it's held securely, and that nothing obvious looks as if it's about to drop off. Good for spotting blown bulbs though...

[alexp999]

On 3/29/2024 at 9:15 AM, DAVID R GRAHAM said:

The car was annually serviced by a trusted non-Ford centre.

 

12 minutes ago, DAVID R GRAHAM said:

I never had the car serviced: MOT yes, but not serviced.

So which is it?

[DAVID R GRAHAM]

On 3/29/2024 at 10:27 AM, DaveT70 said:

Good, because the fact is Ford won't pay and certainly won't be able to fit the latest level engine in your car.

In regard to financial right off, instead of scrapping it and losing all of your money, consider fitting a known running used engine and move the car on

Good morning DaveT70,

I am sure you are right about getting Ford to fit a new engine. I have no illusions there. Despite that, I have contacted Ford UK via CRC and am in the process of supplying them with a complete breakdown of the incident leading to the failure of the engine. I await a response from Perry's Ford dealership as to the results of their inspection of the engine. 

Kind regards,

David.

8 minutes ago, StephenFord said:

Sadly, that will certainly not help! The MOT under the bonnet only looks at the battery to make sure it's held securely, and that nothing obvious looks as if it's about to drop off. Good for spotting blown bulbs though...

Thanks, StephenFord. I do know that my local MOT service centre does a lot more than check the battery is secure. The car has a reliable MOT history. 

[StephenFord]

5 minutes ago, DAVID R GRAHAM said:

Thanks, StephenFord. I do know that my local MOT service centre does a lot more than check the battery is secure. The car has a reliable MOT history. 

I fear you misunderstand what an MOT is. It's a strict set of laid down government guidelines to look at, your MOT service center won't be making their own rules what to check...

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/car-parts-checked-at-an-mot/car-parts-checked-at-an-mot

[iantt]

Ref your original post, "the foot brake siezing up" will not have occured but as the engine stops running, the servo assistance of the brakes would have faded away and left full brake operation but with no assistance. Not an ocurance any one would encounter normally and can be very scary when it happens. A lot more pressure required from the driver to stop vehicle but brakes none the less are still fully operational to bring the car to a stop 

[Ecoboomer2024]

Same happened to me no warning just no power to breaks after coming off the motorway and towards a roundabout, had to use hand break. Lucky to be alive. Scary to hear this is so common. Mine was on a well looked after C-Max 2017 with just over 60k miles on clock owned it since new. First I knew of it was while shaken talking to the AA guy who opened the bonnet checked no vaccum pressure, said Ecoboom engine with wet belt, I hate these and told me all about it. Second person I talked to said the same. Third person I talked to at a garage said he gets 1 a week. Then I found out a family friend had the issue. Called the Ford garage. Never heard of it. Nothing on their system. Called Ford never heard of it nothing on their system. Dangerous and needs to be made public quickly. Got told by both Ford garage and Ford I need to pay for them to look at it. Approx £150 to investigate £1800 to potentially fix if it's an engine problem. They say there are no known safety issues on the car. I told them to try typing in the issue in Google but apparently if their computer says no on their system then they deem it safe. They don't even use the DVSA recall info.

Would like to speak to others who have been through the same and really this needs to be on the DVSA website with any owners of this wet belt engine design that impacts breaks being made aware ASAP