Without knowing what failed, we can only guess at the problem. Ford sent out a notice to dealers that some aftermarket oil filters had check valves that disintergrate and clog oil passages, causing the engine to lose lubrication. If you had the root cause of the failure, that might give you support to go back to the place that did your oil changes. Did they really replace your filter when they did the oil change? What filter did they use? What oil did they use (meet the Ford spec)?

The time to have gotten Ford participation in the repair was before it was done and paid for, but that is water over the dam now. Your selling dealer might go to bat with Ford for you - sounds like the repairing dealer had no equity in your case.

Perhaps you can contact the dealership and ask them what failed. (Lack of lubrication is almost always owner responsibility).

 

I agree: determining the root cause of the engine failure is important. That said, I STILL have a $6,500 unexpected ownership expense that I believe should be borne by the Ford Motor Company.

I am pursuing ALL avenues:
* Ford Customer Service (800-393-3673) is not helpful at all. Even a Supervisor is not authorized to escalate the issue.
* Ford Credit does not care if the vehicle is working - or not. "We are a bank, and have no interest nor leverage with Ford." I DO give them credit for suspending loan payments for three months while "I work it out with Ford".
* I have filed an official complaint with the National Highway Safety Transportation Administration. My view is that an engine failure @ 65 mph is a safety issue.
* I did not get any credit for the engine core, so the suggestion of a third party investigation is a good one. I expect to ask the dealer to not allow Ford to examine the engine without compensation.
* I am considering legal action with a firm that specializes in defective product issues.
* The dealer where I purchased the vehicle is attempting to escalate through their Zone Manager network. This holds the most promise.

Right now, I am in the dark: the engine failed whilst enroute to vacation, and has been repaired at a dealer 170 miles from home. When I pick the vehicle up late this week, I expect to have a face-to-face conversation with the Service Manager.

Sorry, folks, but I am NOT a Ford Hybrid fan. Replacing an engine @ 65,000 miles is not my definition of "reliable", and Ford's "Too Bad" cavalier treatment of this customer compounds the issue. My best advice: do not purchase a Ford Hybrid product. Second best advice: If you do, insist on a 7 or 10 year, 150,000 mile drivetrain warranty, and factor those costs into your purchase decision.

 

I would think that a loss in oil pressure would send an alert to the computer (and light up a warning on the dash light) long before a catastrophic failure would occur. At least that's how all the cars I've ever owned have worked. When I had an oil pump fail, the gauge and light responded in less than a second.

I'm in the camp that says the timing belt broke and probably took the head, valves, pistons and cylinder walls with it, but that's pure conjecture going off the reported symptoms (mainly the squealing belt sound).

I do have a bit more sympathy now that we hear Ford extended the powertrain warranty to 60,000 miles and this happened at 65,000. That's far closer than the 65,000 to 36,000 mile jump before.

I think pictures of the old engine would help further diagnose the failure.

 

I had no warning before the dash warning lights lit up and the tachometer tanked to zero, other than a few seconds of whining belt sound. I didn't even have enough time to change lanes in preparation to stop the vehicle. I don't think the computer knew anything was wrong until whatever broke, broke.

 

Still sounds like a timing belt failure to me.

 

Who did your maintenance? What products did they use?

If it turns out that someone used products that don't meet the Ford specs, you might want to talk to your oil changer.

Have your selling dealership call the repairing dealer to get the cause of the failure. One service guy talking to another may get to the root of it. If they found sludge, disintergrated oil filter material, etc. that would put you on another track. You might want an oil sample from the failed engine also.

 

All oil changes were performed by the same Jiffy Lube near my home. More than half were performed by the same service technician. They used manufacturer-recommended and approved oil filters, and PennZoil 5W30 - the recommended viscosity. (I have to believe PennZoil exceeds all manufacturer specs, including Ford.) I have full and complete maintenance records for every oil change - at an average of 3,400 miles between each. (Well above Ford's recommended 5,000 mileage interval).

(Why Jiffy Lube, you ask? When I went to the Ford dealer to schedule the first oil change @ 1,000 miles, the first appointment available was six days out, and would take more than an hour. In 2006, Jiffy Lube was the only third-party service company that had Ford-recommended and approved oil filters for the FEH. I checked. And stayed loyal to Jiffy Lube.)

 

Oops, Pennzoil 5w30 doesn't meet the Ford specs for your vehicle. Did they recommend that to you?

May not make any difference but depending on what caused the failure, you might want to have a discussion with Jiffy Lube.

 

"Pennzoil 5w30 does not meet the specs for your vehicle"?

Can you please provide more details? This is indeed news: I specifically requested "manufacturer specified and recommended" oil.

 

5W20 is the Ford specified motor oil, not 5W30. Do you have any copies of the work done at Jiffy Lube that can vertify they used 5W30?

There is no timing belt in the 2005-08 Escape Hybrid despite what the Toyota rep stated in this thread.