2017 Ford Focus: engine failure

Filed Aug 14, 2026 · Engine · OH

I was driving and during the drive I realized that if the accelerator pedal was pressed more than the lightest touch the car would stop accelerating. I decided that I had to turn back to go home, and during my return trip the engine oil pressure lamp started flashing at me. Soon after, I entered a roundabout and pressed the clutch. At this moment the engine stopped working (tach to 0 rpm) and I had to coast and pull over. The starter worked but the engine did not turn over--it was seized. Prior to that day, it seemed like the car was having trouble with its turbocharger--boost was delayed at first and later intermittent. Since I was on a mostly empty road this did not pose a safety threat to others, though I did slow down traffic as I pulled over on a two-lane road. If this same issue had happened later into my drive on a busier road or highway, mine and others' safety would have been put at risk due to my car suddenly not working with little warning. The engine is seized and needs to be replaced. It would be available for inspection as I have not yet replaced it. The current cost to repair has been quoted to me at between $9000 and $10000.

Filed Aug 4, 2026 · Engine · TX

Timing belt came apart and my engine blew in the middle of driving. I contacted ford and they said i had to deal with it. So I have had it repaired. I have invoices. Warning light came on seconds before it died. I only have 40,000 miles on my car.

Filed Jul 25, 2026 · Engine · IN

I presented my vehicle to Oliver Ford-Lincoln in Plymouth, IN for inspection under recall 23S64 / the federal safety agency 23V‑905. The dealership confirmed that the oil pump drive belt degraded, clogging the oil pickup pump screen and causing engine oil starvation and complete engine failure. The dealership subsequently denied recall coverage claiming "bad maintenance history". Under the federal safety agency Campaign 23V‑905, Ford explicitly acknowledges that the wet belt and tensioner are defective by design and cause oil starvation. Denying a safety recall remedy for the exact failure mechanism detailed in the federal recall notice based on discretionary maintenance rules violates federal safety recall requirements. Furthermore, I attempted to escalate this denial to Ford Corporate. Ford Corporate refused to generate an official case number, promised a callback, and abandoned the request. I am requesting the federal safety agency intervention to compel Ford Motor Company to honor the remedy mandated under Safety Recall 23V‑905.

Filed Apr 6, 2026 · Engine · MI

engine failure - coolant entering engine cylinder #2, Internal engine failure. Car was stalled loss of power on highway and almost killed. Towed to nearest mechanic shop. Need to disassemble and confirm failure point. Ford law suits for coolant internal engine damage and failure. This is a known defect with Ford Ecoboost engines. Including coolant/antifreeze entering the engine. Also, the coolant intrusion into cylinders. Requesting good will assistance as unable to use car for over 2 months. Ford headquarters is acting like they know nothing about this.

Filed Mar 17, 2026 · Engine · MI

Ford refuses to respond to emails nor return calls...... Cracked cylinder head caused from a known issue Ford failed to recall. The 2.0L Ecoboost uses an aluminum cylinder head with relatively thin casting areas between the combustion chamber and coolant passages. Coolant passages run very close to the exhaust valve seats. The turbocharged exhaust temperatures are EXTREMELY high. Thin aluminum sections are repeatedly exposed to rapid heating and cooling cycles. Over time this creates micro-fractures int he heat casting, which eventually grow into a crack between the combustion chamber and coolant jacket. This defect tends to occur between 60k - 100k miles. Safety: Car was smoking so bad that it could have caught fire. The car has been inspected by a Ford dealership and declared this to be the problem. The fix is a new engine that costs $12k. There were no warning lamps or symptoms prior to the failure. Car is still deemed inoperable as Ford refuses to help with the fix.

Filed Mar 13, 2026 · Engine · OH

The engine oil light came on during late September or early October of 2024 while on the highway. There was a severe loss of power. I was able to get the car back to my residence and changed the oil filter and oil. The error persisted, I then changed the oil pressure switch to see if that was the issue, but it did not resolve. In approximately December of 2024, a friend who is a mechanic and has thousands of hours of experience offered to look at the issue. He pulled the engine and found that the oil pump belt and timing belt were severely degraded and had clogged the oil screen. He replaced the two belts and cleaned the screen hoping it would resolve the issue. In approximately late may or early June 2025 I got the car back and by the beginning of August the engine had seized due to damage received when the oil pressure had failed due to a clogged screen back in 2024. Thankfully I was not on the highway when the engine seized.

Filed Mar 11, 2026 · Electrical, Engine · WA

Recall maintenance with regard to the federal safety agency ID Number: 19V515000 for a Purge Valve was completed 1/9/2025. Starting in October 12, 2025, driving on the freeway, a large "bang" was felt/heard. I pulled over, the dust cover under the car had ripped partially off and took a portion of my grill trim with it. The car still ran perfectly fine, so I continued the mile and a half to my house. I did not see anything that I may have hit on the highway and did not see anything eject behind my car when this incident happened. I noticed the oil light begin to flicker as I was ½ mile from home for maybe a second, then it was off and then flickered again, it did not stay lit. I filed a claim with my insurance-Progressive-they wanted to total my car without inspecting it. I negotiated and they had me take it to The Ford dealer who inspected it visually to see if the cause was internal combustion as my insurance claimed, or external damage. See photos. They recommended a full engine replacement after only a visual inspection and charged me $276.70. I had the oil-pan replaced as shown on my bank statement $1053.77, with Interstate Automotive who verified no engine damage was found. Next the LCD instrument panel showed distorted, or not at all, or perfectly fine at times, which made it hard to read, and no instrument warnings are given for any issue, just the check engine light. As of today, 3/10/26, car will no longer reverse or progress into 2nd gear, is sluggish and feels as though it has no power at all. This happened randomly on 3/9/26 after the car would not start and it was believed to be a battery issue. The battery was replaced 3/9/26 $148.08. When the diagnostic codes for the check engine light were tested, they showed a faulty CO2 module issue. New parts will be installed on 3/11/26. All of the above described issues seem as though they could be related to a major safety issue with this vehicle, but Ford insists any courtesy fixes are not available to my VIN.

Filed Feb 25, 2026 · Engine · MI

My vehicles engine died in traffic and left me stranded in the middle of a busy road. Upon a mechanics review the issue is a siezed engine because of the oil pump pickup tube clogged with pieces of the oil pump or timing chain pulleys that had broken off.

Filed Jan 5, 2026 · Engine · 100,000 miles · AL

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. While the contact's husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed, however the vehicle failed to accelerate. The contact ws unsure if any warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the replacement engine was purchased from the dealer. The contact later received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the dealer was contacted several times, and the contact was informed that parts were not available, and the call was disconnected. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

Filed Jul 28, 2025 · Engine, Fuel system · CA

Catastrophic engine failure, engine died and was unable to shift into gear My 16 year old daughter was driving on a busy highway when the engine died, causing her to stop completely on a 55 MPH road. She was unable to get the car into a gear to have it pushed to the side of the road and had to sit in the car with traffic flying by her until we could get a tow truck (approximately 30 minutes). She was unable to get out due to the traffic being so heavy. The vehicle had a limited warranty left on it, and it was towed to a facility where they diagnosed with blown head gasket and/or cracked cylinder head. It was towed to a dealership where it was discovered the car had an active recall that caused the engine failure. There was no warning signs previously.

Filed Jul 28, 2025 · Engine · 55,784 miles · IN

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH in traffic, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the brake pedal was firm. There was no warning light illuminated; however, an engine message was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed and determined that the oil pump drive belt had fractured and there were debris inside the engine, causing engine failure. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V905000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was 55,784.

Filed Apr 5, 2025 · Engine · IL

I had a head gasket repair that failed almost causing an accident on the interstate. Then I had a new long block engine assembly, turbo charger, catalytic converter replaced due to a crack in cylinder 3. Car had 45,500 miles and never ran without oil. This occurred [XXX]. Warranty did cover this repair. Then at 65,000 miles I had another new long block assembly, turbo charger, and catalytic converter replaced again due to a crack in cylinder 3. Again the car was not run without oil. I did pay for this repair. Kunes Ford service department told me that the same cylinder 3 keeps cracking on the 1L 3 cylinder eco boost engines. Also be advised that they are not listing engine replacements on service repair records. The engine/turbo charger/catalytic converter replacement from July 2024 is not even listed. A case was opened with Ford but I still had to pay $1500 for the repair due to a manufacturer defect in cylinder 3. Ford is not listing any of these repairs correctly on the vehicle service records. The July 2024 repair is not even listed under the service records. Ford also had cases opened up but I do not currently have the case numbers. Kunes Ford has the no fear power train warranty, all service done at Ford and it was not honored for this repair. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)