NHTSA flags timing-belt failures in older Ford models as safety hazard

Federal regulators have elevated a defect inquiry into 135,551 Ford Fiesta, Focus and EcoSport vehicles built between 2014 and 2021, all powered by the 1.0-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine. The NHTSA says timing-belt material can break down, producing debris that clogs the oil-pump screen and triggers low-oil-pressure warnings before the engine loses power or seizes. Data show 355 incidents, with failures typically occurring around 70,000 miles and 98% happening before the 150,000-mile belt-replacement guideline.

Ford has introduced a non-safety customer-satisfaction program that shortens the maintenance interval to 100,000 miles or six years and offers reimbursements for prior timing-belt-related repairs, though the exact scope of coverage is not yet defined. One driver in Wilmington, Delaware, described a sudden loss of power on the highway after the oil-pressure light illuminated. The agency’s upgrade to an engineering analysis is a prerequisite step before it can compel a formal recall.