My car broke down three months ago and I can’t fix it – no one will buy it as the main part won’t ship until 2025

A FORD owner is stuck with a car he can’t drive or sell after it breaks down – no one can fix it until a certain part is available.

However, the part needed to solve the problem will not be available to technicians until 2025.

3

3

3

Atlanta resident Venessa Stevens has always been a Ford enthusiast, so she was excited to bring home her 2019 Ford EcoSport.

“I’ve always had Fords because I think they’re reliable,” she told the CBS affiliate TO WANT.

She was not aware of the active recall of 2016 to 2022 EcoSports and Focuses with 1.0 engines.

Although she noticed something wasn’t right one day while she was driving to work.

“It’s slowing down, very slowly and slowly,” she said.

“My engine light comes on, but no, the oil the light appears. So I’m thinking I need an oil change.”

She took the car to a mechanic, who confirmed the worst: her car was the victim of a defective part listed in the recall, the oil drive belt tensioner.

O memory says: “The The tension arm of the oil-filled drive belt may break or separate, causing loss of vehicle power and braking assistance, increasing the risk of an accident.

The plaintiffs in the class action lawsuit against Ford alleged: “The defect presents a serious safety risk because it can cause catastrophic engine failure without warning while driving, loss of motive power, and/or sudden activation of limp mode, increasing the likelihood of a collision.”

The lawsuit also pointed the finger at the automaker, saying it was aware of the defective part and is “unfairly shifting the cost of warranty repairs to unsuspecting consumers of the fuel-efficient vehicles in which these engines are equipped.”

Stevens was willing to pay for the repairs, but the technician said the part he needed was not available.

And it wouldn’t be available until the following year.

To make matters worse, the dealership wouldn’t give her a loan so she could drive herself.

“[Ford won’t] give loan cars because they don’t know how long it will take to receive the role,” she said.

She thought about selling or trading in her car, but no one touched it due to the recall.

[Ford won’t] They give out loaner cars because they don’t know how long it took to receive the part.

Venessa Stevens

Therefore, she has to pay off a loan and maintain insurance on a car that she will not be able to drive for at least six months until the part arrives.

Without a car to drive, she said she spent nearly $2,000 on carpools or relies on friends and family for rides.

Most recently, she had to pay nearly $700 to see her mother living 300 miles away and suffering from dementia.

“She’s 88 years old,” Stevens said.

“She has full dementia. Progressing; that’s where my fear lies, not being able to get to her in a timely manner. She depends on me for everything, even though I’m here in Georgiafour hours away.”

After Stevens spoke with WANF reporters, she said she received a call from a Ford representative asking how they could help.

Her local dealership told her that a new engine would be put in her car as the part wouldn’t arrive in time, and has since given her a loan to drive.

They also asked for receipts for ride sharing or rentals so they could reimburse her.

For other EcoSport or Focus owners, the recall website has been updated to offer a replacement engine in place of the replacement part.

“If your vehicle’s engine fails due to a damaged oil pump belt and/or oil pump belt tensioner, Ford has authorized your dealer to replace the engine assembly as an interim repair prior to the availability of replacement parts. repair for final repair,” the website reads.

“This repair will be free (parts and labor.”

Shortly after his story was published, the engine in his EcoSport was replaced.