NHTSA Complaint #11579849 — 2016 FORD FOCUS

Purchased car end of 2022. After 3 weeks of driving the vehicle, the engine began to fail and the vehicle would stop driving/rpm would crash to 0 while driving. After seen by 3 auto shops, it resulted in the engine being destroyed due to the placement of a belt in oil within the engine and had to pay over 7000 out of pocket for a used engine and a new belt just for the car to run. Despite issues between the end of 2022 to now (March 2024) with starting the car or driving for a long amount of time, we were told the belt needed to be replaced after 50,000. The fix for the belt is over 2000 out of pocket which is absolutely ridiculous. It is March 28th today, on March 22nd my engine failed and the vehicle is liable to stop while driving, therefore unsafe to use. I have not driven the car 50,000 miles since the new belt was put in. It won’t start right away, but when it starts the entire car shakes vigorously anywhere from 3-6 minutes and the rpm bounces from 0 to 1.5 the entirety of it shaking. The engine makes a terrible sound throughout this process. After it “warming up” the rpm bobbles the whole drive time. My vehicle was driving “okay”, never “good” prior to this, it when I was out running errands- arrived to my destination, hopped back in the vehicle and it happened and my engine light has been on ever since. There is no fix to this recall yet. I have 1 vehicle, a full time job, and am in no financial position to pay a mechanic that we have already given thousands of dollars to in repair for an issue beyond our control. We should not have had to spend that amount of money on an issue this recall presented NOR should I have to spend another dime to repair a poor manufactured issue. Not including the fact that there should be full or partial reimbursement on the reality of how expensive the outcome of this issue truly is. Very disappointed with a recall & need an unavailable fix. . ***the 137000mi is subject to the previous engine- newer had 52000 when put in car.