2020 Ford Ecosport

"I am reporting a severe, high-risk safety and under-hood fire hazard involving a 2020 Ford EcoSport tied directly to federal Safety Recall 23S64 [23S64]. The vehicle suffered a catastrophic loss of internal oil pressure, leading to an official diagnostic scan by Kerry Ford confirming a hard-stored P0015 Camshaft Timing defect [23S64]. The dealership is actively evading the federal recall remedy by falsely claiming the failure is just a bad sensor [23S64]. The vehicle is now experiencing critical failure symptoms: it is consuming extreme amounts of gasoline rapidly and filling both the interior cabin and exterior air with a heavy, toxic odor of raw fuel while running, making it entirely unsafe to operate in public traffic [23S64]. Furthermore, our auto lender has verbally stated on a recorded line that they are refusing repossession because the car holds zero value, forcing a hazardous, un-remedied federal safety defect to remain stranded on a residential property [23S64]."

On April 3, 2026, this vehicle suffered a sudden, catastrophic mechanical failure as I was driving on US-169, in Kansas City, Mo.,l The engine seized and the fuel line ruptured resulting in an undercarriage fire with small explosions. I had to be physically extracted from the burning vehicle by a Clay County Sheriff’s Deputy, Clay County Sheriff’s Department, Liberty, Missouri (Report #CC2600810). This catastrophic asset and recall remedy failure is the direct result of a recognized federal safety defect (Ford Safety Recall 23S64 / NHTSA Campaign 23V905). The original engine blew from an oil pump failure in October 2024 and was towed to certified Ford dealer Smithville (Mo.) Ford on October 9, 2024 as per the recall. The new engine was not re-installed until May 24, 2025 due to delay in getting parts At the time of the recall reinstallation, the vehicle had 61,556 miles on it. When the fire happened on April 3 of this year, the vehicle had 70, 956 miles . I want to emphasize that Under explicit authorization from Ford Motor Company’s recall interim guidelines, the dealership performed a complete engine assembly swap. Per the official service invoice, this replacement engine was backed by a 3-year or 100,000-mile Ford Powertrain Warranty. At the time of the fire 11 months later, the vehicle had not yet reached 71,000 miles and was fully covered under active factory warranty.

My 2020 Ford EcoSport (1.0L EcoBoost) is covered by Recall 23S64 / NHTSA 23V905 (engine oil pump drive belt). The defect causes sudden loss of motive power at highway speed (65+ mph), usually after 40+ minutes of driving, with the powertrain warning light and code P0299 (turbo underboost). Losing power in Los Angeles freeway traffic is the safety hazard. The recall remedy has failed repeatedly. In Oct 2025 the dealer tore down the engine, confirmed the oil pump belt had disintegrated and clogged the oil pickup, and replaced the complete engine (long block) under the recall in Dec 2025. The recall now shows as completed for this vehicle, but since that repair, with under 500 miles driven: (1) the turbocharger failed again and was replaced under warranty in Feb 2026, about 77 miles after the new engine; (2) in Apr 2026 the dealer found a cracked valve cover leaking oil into cylinder 3 (codes P0313, P0299); (3) on May 23, 2026 I picked the car up and the same power-loss condition returned THE SAME DAY - the dealer then found a loose air charge pipe; (4) on Jun 20, 2026 I picked the car up again and it failed THE SAME DAY. Both same-day failures are corroborated by round-trip rideshare receipts. The vehicle has been at the dealer since Jun 20, 2026, and the service advisor has not answered my written requests for diagnosis or coverage for over a week. Before the recall was confirmed, the same defect caused repeated repairs from Jun 2024 on (13 shop visits, 9 to Ford dealers). In Aug 2025 Ford's own technical hotline directed an engine teardown to find the root cause; the dealer advisor declined it. The remedy under Recall 23S64 has not remedied the defect: the recall-replaced engine has failed component by component within 500 miles and the vehicle remains out of service. All components are available for inspection at the dealer. Full repair orders, invoices, and dated records are available on request.

Vehicle experienced sudden severe loss of motive power consistent with Ford Safety Recall 23S64 (NHTSA Campaign 23V905000). Prior to repair, the vehicle entered limp mode and could not accelerate beyond approximately 30 to 35 MPH. Low oil pressure warning indicators and check engine light illuminated repeatedly. Engine produced abnormal grinding and strained startup noises. Vehicle also experienced hesitation, shaking, and difficulty maintaining safe roadway speeds. While I was trying stop at a red light the vehicle struggles to brake although the brakes are applied, after coming to a full stop the vehicle shutdowns and would have restart. During operation, vehicle struggled to accelerate in traffic and braking performance became concerning due to severe engine power loss and unstable operation. On multiple occasions, the engine nearly stalled or shut down completely after stopping at intersections. Vehicle was delivered to Ford dealership for Recall 23S64 repair. Dealer completed the recall repair and stated oil pressure had been restored; however, the vehicle continued exhibiting the same severe loss of power and limp mode symptoms after completion of the recall procedure. Dealer later performed additional diagnostics and identified DTC P0087 (Fuel Rail/System Pressure Too Low) and a broken intake camshaft requiring major engine repairs estimated at approximately $9,000. Dealer stated the engine damage was not covered or related under the recall despite the vehicle originally presenting with the same low oil pressure, loss of motive power, and drivability symptoms described in Recall 23S64. Vehicle remains unsafe to operate due to unresolved loss of power and internal engine damage. Concern exists that the recall related oil pressure failure may have caused consequential internal engine damage that was not fully corrected by the recall repair procedure. Problem has been confirmed by authorized Ford dealership inspection and diagnostic testing.

I was on my way home from work approaching a red light coasting to a stop, I tried to slow down then I realized the car was accelerating and I pushed the brakes and pulled into a parking lot by the time I got in the parking lot the car was surging, really trying to takeoff. It went all the way to 5,000 rpm’s while I was in park.

My light engine comes on a few times. First it was the coolant, then the engine light came off. The next is when I was fueling my gas tank. I try to start it, it won’t turn on all the way. Third time it has happen. Went to ford they want to charge almost $900 just to fixed the vehicle. It had a recall in 2020. Bought the car used at Crain in Fayetteville Arkansas. They fix the belt and fuel pump. After they got it fixed I’ve been having the light engine comes on constantly. Now I’m stuck with no vehicle because I don’t feel safe driving it. 12/15/2025 the first engine light came on. For a coolant, then 1/24/2026 light came back on. For another coolant code, they check it and they said my coolant was fine. 3/04/2026 service engine soon alert is on because an issue has been detected with your vehicles’ s emissions system. 3/11/2026 service engine soon alert is on because an issue has been detected with your vehicles’ s emissions system. 3/12/2026 The Engine system has detected a fault. 3/12/2026. Came back on The Engine system has detected a fault. 3/20/2026 Your service engine soon alert is on because an issue has been detected with your vehicles’ s emissions system. I took it the shop on the 3/27/2026 They put a diagnosis on the computer The code came for P0496 EVAP System High Purge Flow 02 Sensor Signal Biased/Stuck Rich - Bank 1, Sensor 1 ABS Anti-lock Brake System U0155-00 Lost Communication With Instrument Panel Cluster They said it wasn’t part of the 80,000 warranty for the federal law. I’ve done research and it came up on the same code I got. So now they want almost $900 dollars with a $250 dollar diagnostic when I’ve already told them we went to auto part to get the code. They had to hook it up again to see if it’s the same code.

Incident Date: 12/28/2025 Location: [XXX] Related Recall: 23V905 / 23S64 On December 28, 2025, while driving at highway speeds on [XXX] , my 2020 Ford EcoSport suffered a sudden engine fire. There were no prior dashboard warnings or "Check Engine" lights until the fire began, the vehicle speed started to slow down itself, and I immediately pulled over on the side of the interstate. I turned off the vehicle, and lifted the hood, since I saw smoke, and there was a fire under the hood. I called [XXX] , and the [XXX] /Cobb County Fire Department responded to the scene and inspected the vehicle under the hood. I have video evidence of the fire department on-scene and the emergency inspection of the burning engine. This vehicle is subject to Safety Recall 23V905 (Ford 23S64) for oil pump belt/tensioner failure leading to engine seizure. Crucially, a recall "repair" had been previously performed on this vehicle, yet the engine still suffered a catastrophic thermal event. This indicates either an ineffective remedy or a negligent installation. The vehicle was towed to Hennessy Ford [XXX] ). Their diagnosis confirmed: "COIL PACK BURN AND BURNED THE #2 INJECTOR AND HARNESS AND VALVE COVER." Despite the federal mandate that recall-related failures be handled at no cost, the dealership attempted to charge me over $2,000 for the diagnosis and repairs. Furthermore, Ford Customer Relationship Center (escalated 03/27/2026) has stalled the case by moving it to legal counsel with a 15-day waiting period. I am reporting this as a serious safety defect and a failure of a prior recall remedy. I am requesting a full investigation into the fire and a manufacturer buyback as the vehicle's safety integrity is now compromised. Also, I filed a claim with Ford Customer Relationship Center, here is my case number: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

On March 13, 2025, while driving, my 2020 Ford EcoSport suddenly lost power and shut down. The vehicle is under Recall 23S64 (oil pump failure). I had to tow it to a shop, which confirmed low oil pressure, then to Ford, who confirmed complete engine failure and replaced the engine parts. I was without a vehicle for 34 days and Ford refused to provide a rental unless it was a Ford-brand, which was unavailable. After the engine replacement, further issues occurred: check engine light, battery failure, overheating, coolant leaks, and multiple installation errors including a missing coolant line bracket (causing leaks), cross-threaded turbo-to-cat converter stud, missing splash shield, and broken overflow line. Repairs cost thousands of dollars out-of-pocket. On May 13, 2025, a new recall was issued on the replacement engine, meaning my car remains unsafe despite the prior recall fix. These failures created unsafe driving conditions (loss of power on the road, overheating, potential engine fire risk). The problems have been confirmed by both Ford and an independent certified shop.