NHTSA Complaint #11330943 — 2017 FORD FOCUS

I WAS COMING OFF FREEWAY AND GETTING ONTO ANOTHER FREEWAY WHEN, AS I WAS SPEEDING UP TO MERGE, MY CAR BOGGED DOWN AS IF RUNNING OUT OF GAS. I LOOKED AT THE DASH AND SAW MY OIL LIGHT HAD COME ON. SO I PULLED OVER TO AN EXIT WITHIN 30 YDS. AND PULLED ONTO A STREET ABOUT ANOTHER 30 YDS. AWAY. I SHUT OFF THE CAR AND LET IT SIT A FEW MINUTES THEN CHECKED OIL. WHEN I DID, THE OIL SHOWED FULL. I THEN CALLED THE FORD DEALER I TAKE MY CAR TO FOR OIL CHANGES AND SPOKE WITH A SERVICE GUY AND TOLD HIM WHAT HAPPENED. HE WAS PUZZLED AND ASKED A FEW QUESTIONS AND THEN WE TRIED TO RESET THE OIL LIGHT. AFTER DOING THE RESET THE OIL LIGHT CAME BACK ON. I TRIED STARTING THE CAR AND IT STARTED FINE. NO ABNORMAL SOUNDS COMING FROM THE ENGINE AND IT IDLED FINE. I DECIDED TO TRY THE FREEWAY AGAIN TO SEE IF THE OIL LIGHT WAS A FLUKE. THE NEXT EXIT WAS ONLY A HALF MILE AWAY SO I COULD EASILY GET OFF FREEWAY IF NECESSARY. AGAIN, THE FREEWAY WAS ONLY ABOUT 30 YDS AWAY SO WHEN I STARTED TO MERGE ONTO THE FREEWAY THE SAME THING HAPPENED. THE CAR ACCELERATED SLOWLY AND THEN BOGGED DOWN AND THE DASH FLASHED THE ENGINE NEEDED ATTENTION OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. AGAIN I GOT OFF AT THE NEXT EXIT, WHICH WAS RIGHT THERE WHEN IT HAPPENED. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE FORD DEALER NEAR WHERE I LIVE. SERVICE WAS CLOSED BUT SOME SALES PEOPLE WERE STILL THERE AND THEY TOLD US WHERE TO PUT THE CAR. THEY DIDN'T LOOK AT THE CAR UNTIL MONDAY AND EVEN THEN THEY DIDN'T REALLY OPEN THE CAR UP AND LOOK AT IT. THE TECHNICIAN SAID PROBABLY THE TIMING/OIL PUMP BELT BROKE OR SHREDDED AND CLOGGED UP THE OIL PUMP. TO OPEN UP THE ENGINE WOULD COST $800 TO FIND OUT THE ACTUAL PROBLEM AND IF THE TECH WAS RIGHT THE ENGINE WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED COSTING $7400. ALL THIS BECAUSE OF A FAULTY BELT DESIGNED TO LAST 125,000-150,000 MILES. LUCKILY I WASN'T DRIVING 65MPH IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FREEWAY AND BREAKING DOWN AND GETTING SLAMMED. *TR