2016 Ford Flex

Ford hid the fact that some of its vehicles may suffer a sudden internal water pump failure that poses significant safety risks to drivers including sudden catastrophic engine failure. From 2007 through at least 2020, Ford has incorporated the Cyclone Engine—containing a faulty internal water pump—into thousands of vehicles. Internal Water Pumps should last for the useful life of the engines without the need for any service, maintenance, or repair. Despite knowing for more than a decade that its' vehicles incorporating the "Duratec Engine", contain a defect in design that can cause the internal water pump to prematurely fail well before the end of the useful life of the engine. The issue has lead to a repair estimate of $2700 USD or could lead to catastrophic engine failure due to the water pumps' placement inside the engine block (Poor Design). In the past, Ford has also represented that the water pump will not need to be serviced or maintenance, but the internal location of the water pump in the engine conceals it from view and inspection when other routine services are being performed. The water pump is in line with the crankshaft and located over the main body of the engine, it reportedly allows coolant to leak from the water pump into the oil pan. Making matters worse, mixed coolant and oil can lead to engine failure, too.

THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AND WAS TURNING LEFT FROM A STOP AT A STOPLIGHT. WE WERE PREPARING TO ENTER A HIGHWAY ON-RAMP. THE ENGINE SUDDENLY QUIT (NO WARNING) AND WOULD NOT RESTART. HAD THIS HAPPENED A FEW MOMENTS LATER (MERGING INTO HEAVY HIGHWAY TRAFFIC), AN ACCIDENT WOULD HAVE BEEN LIKELY. WE WERE NOT ABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE AND THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED. IT ONLY HAS 31,000 MILES. IT GAVE NO SIGNS OF IMPENDING PROBLEMS, THE ENGINE FAILURE WAS COMPLETELY WITHOUT WARNING. (THERE WAS PLENTY OF FUEL IN THE TANK ALSO).

ECOBOOST 3.5L VEHICLE EXPERIENCED TOTAL LOSS OF POWER AND WHITE SMOKE FROM TAILPIPES WHILE DRIVING 65MPH ON EXPRESSWAY BUT STILL RAN. DROVE STRAIGHT TO AN INDEPENDENT SERVICE CENTER WHERE THEY DIAGNOSED LOW BOOST PRESSURE DTC AND FAILURE OF BOTH TURBOCHARGERS. TOWED VEHICLE TO FORD SERVICE CENTER WHERE THEY DUG DEEPER AND ARE NOW TELLING ME THERE WAS A COOLANT SYSTEM LEAK WHICH WASHED OUT THE ENGINE OIL AND CAUSED THE ENGINE TO OVERHEAT AND THE TURBOS TO FAIL(LOCK UP). THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS DOCUMENTED ISSUES WITH COOLANT SYSTEM LEAKS AND OIL SUPPLY TO TURBOS CAUSING FAILURES/FIRE/OVERHEATING IN ECOBOOST ENGINES... DEALER IS NOW TELLING ME THE ENTIRE ENGINE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED INCLUDING THE TURBOCHARGERS IN THE BALLPARK OF $13,000.

"TAKATA RECALL" MY ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON 2000 MILES BEFORE MY MANUFACTURES WARRANTY EXPIRED. I HAVE A FORD SHOP HERE, BUT THEY ARE RATED SO LOW AND I HEAR NOTHING BUT BAD STUFF ABOUT THEM, SO I CALLED THE NEXT CLOSEST 95 MILES AWAY IN SPEARFISH, SD. I EXPLAINED TO THE GUY WHAT CODE THE ENGINE THREW, BUT MY LIGHT IS NOW OFF. HE SAID NOT TO COME IN, UNTIL MY ENGINE LIGHT CAME BACK ON. MEANWHILE MY ENGINE STILL HISSES AND THE EXHAUST ODOR IS SO STRONG INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. I HAVE 36,879 MILES ON MY 2016 AND EITHER HAVE AN EXHAUST LEAK FROM THE HEADERS OR THE MANIFOLD. THE ENGINE LIGHT WON'T COME BACK ON AND NOONE WILL CHECK THE VEHICLE WITHOUT IT ON. THERE IS NO REASON FOR MY "NEWER" VEHICLE TO HAVE AN EXHAUST LEAK TO THIS EXTENT.