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Ford Focus EcoBoost engine failure, who is responsible?

My engine stopped working on my Ford Focus EcoBoost and the oil light came on. The recovery man said had seized up and its a fault with the model between 2012 and 2015 registered cars so I checked and mine falls in the category.

When I took it to the garage the mechanic said to fully strip it to find the exact fault would cost £600-£800 and it's £4,500 for a new engine.

Do I sell it with no engine or is it Ford's issue? It has only done 78,000 miles so I feel there must be a problem with this type of engine.

Asked on 5 January 2023 by Victoria watson

Answered by Dan Powell
There has been a number of reported problems with older versions of the 1.0 Ford EcoBoost engine. These problems are linked to the degas pipe, which can fail and result in the engine overheating and failing. As far as I'm aware, Ford replaced these pipes as part of a national recall. However, if your car has been serviced outside of the Ford dealer network then it's possible this recall work has not been carried out. You can read more about the degas pipe issue in the good/bad section of our Ford Fiesta review, here: www.honestjohn.co.uk/ford/fiesta/2013/

It's possible the degas pipe isn't to blame. For example, if the engine has run out of oil or water then the failure symptoms will be the same. Your consumer rights will depend on how long you've owned the car and where you bought it from. If you've owned the car for less than six months and bought it from a dealer or trader then you may have grounds to claim the problem was present or developing at the time of sale.

For your consumer rights, see: www.honestjohn.co.uk/how-to-reject-a-car-your-cons.../
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