NHTSA Complaint #11572551 — 2018 FORD ECOSPORT

Related to Safety Recall Notice 23S64/NHTSA Recall 23V905 On May 2, 2021, I was driving in cruise control and noticed that the car was struggling to maintain speed. After maybe 10 minutes or so of driving the car a warning light came on that I did not recognize. I pulled over and researched online to see what it could indicate. It said it was for oil pressure. I was maybe 20 miles from a town on a Sunday afternoon, so I drove it to the next town. Sometimes the warning light would flash and sometimes it would stay off for a time. In the town I bought a quart of oil, thinking that maybe the oil was low. It then started fine and drove normally for about 15 miles (I was about 15 miles from home by then) and then the oil pressure light came back on. I was able to drive the car home. When I turned the car on in the morning, the oil pressure light came on immediately, so I had the vehicle towed to the dealership. The repair report shows "Engine oil pump drive belt tensioner defective." There was damage to the engine, so they had to replace the engine, which cost me $6101.61 minus the cost of a rental car while the vehicle was being repaired. I received the safety recall notice in the mail today.