Self-Clogging Ford Oil Pumps Lead Feds to Investigate 1.0-Liter EcoBoost Engines

The National Highway Transport Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating nearly a quarter-million Ford EcoSport SUVs following a rash of complaints from owners. The complaints are centered around loss of power, which stems from what owners believe are faulty oil pumps, potentially even caused by debris sucked up from premature belt failures.

Yes, you read that right. The 1.0-liter, turbocharged three-cylinder found in the 2018 and later Ford EcoSport, as well as in certain model years and trims of the Fiesta and Focus, has an oil pump driven by a belt that Ford placed inside of the motor—and it's prone to failures. (The embed below uses strong language, be advised.)

https://www.tiktok.com/@victorshack/video/7272982580574653742?_t=8fRHVVOxCjG\u0026_r=1

Before we talk about some choice engineering and maintenance concerns, let's talk about what NHTSA is doing.

The agency's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) launched its probe on Wednesday following 95 consumer complaints about the oil pump failing. The investigation covers about 240,000 EcoSport vehicles sold in the U.S., with model years ranging from 2018 to 2021.

This issue isn't exactly new. Back in 2019, Ford issued a Special Service Message for 2018 and 2019 models regarding loss of oil pressure. Ford expanded that message by issuing SSM 49726 in 2021 for other global vehicles (such as the Ford Focus) built with the same 1.0-liter motor. Subsequently, SSM 49918 called for replacing the affected EcoSports' long block and turbocharger entirely.

So what exactly is going on here? Well, looking across the internet reveals quite a few complaints about oil pump failures. And almost all of them point their finger at the wet belt that Ford uses to drive the oil pump in the 1.0-liter EcoBoost.

https://youtu.be/0yx1-50iqnA?feature=shared\u0026t=780

In several tear-downs and complaints, internet mechanics are reporting that the oil pump belt tensioner is often the point of failure. When the tensioner fails, the belt will begin to shred its teeth and material will enter the oil pan. Next, the material will enter the oil pickup and can either begin to starve the motor, resulting in metal shavings appearing in the oil, or the belt will continue to shred and eventually the vehicle will lose oil pressure when the pump can no longer be turned.