Ford, Mercedes, Renault, Volkswagen, and BMW have all recalled vehicles this year due to safety concerns. However, Ford has hit the headlines again due to a group of Ecoboost engine owners threatening to take legal action against the manufacturer. 44,000 of the 438,000 1.0 litre Ford’s sold with an Ecoboost engine have been recalled, but despite repairs having been completed, some owners are experiencing additional engine problems which are putting their lives at risk. Yet Ford is refusing to fix these issues due to the cars being out of warranty. So are they are in the right or are Ford’s future vehicle plans preventing them from doing the right thing? 

The recall

The Ford Focus 1.0-litre Ecoboost was recalled in 2017 following concerns that the degas hose, which is part of the engine’s coolant system, could cause the engine to break down or blow a head gasket. However, despite the Ecoboost engine being installed in hundreds of thousands of vehicles, including the popular Fiesta, Ford opted to only recall the Focus, stating that it was more likely to develop the fault. Mr Middleham is one of the Focus owners after he and his partner spent £7,700 on their Ford Focus Ecoboost. They had it repaired following the recall notice, but just three months later their engine problems returned and smoke started billowing out of the exhaust.

No help from Ford

Given the situation, you’d think that it would have been in Ford’s best interest to immediately fix the problem, especially when an independent garage alerted Ford that the replacement pipe they had fitted had come loose causing the engine to overheat. Prolonged overheating of a car engine can cause a vehicle to catch fire, thus increasing the risk of serious injury to anyone within or near to the car. Shockingly, Ford disagreed with the garage’s finding and offered to contribute just 55% towards the cost of further repairs, stating they were not obligated to pay for any of the repairs due to the vehicle no longer being under warranty.

Safety impact

As responsible companies and brands, every car manufacturer, including Ford, should be putting the safety of their customers first. According to Co-op Insurance, 79% of consumers state that safety is very important when purchasing a vehicle. However, Ford customers don’t feel that Ford is treating their safety as a priority which has led to the creation of the Facebook group ‘Ford EcoBoost Nightmare’. To date, more than 2,100 individuals have joined the group which aims to take legal action against Ford if they don’t sort the Ecoboost safety issues out immediately. Those in the group feel they have no choice but to obtain professional legal advice over their car-related dispute issue as they question whether their beloved vehicles are best left on their driveways for the sake of their and their family’s safety. While many of Ford’s Ecoboost engines have been subject to repair, there’s clearly still something wrong with these engines. Regardless of whether these vehicles are still under warranty or not, the multi-billion pound company needs to ensure that they are doing all they can to make the Ecoboost roadworthy and safe to drive.