Ford is the undisputed recall king in the automotive industry right now. It broke its own record for the most recalls ever issued in a single year last year, and it has recalled several million of its vehicles so far this year, too. On Monday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) upgraded a defect investigation into 135,551 2014-to-2021 model year Ford Fiestas, Focuses, and EcoSports powered by the brand's famously small 1.0-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine due to an "unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety."

 

As it turns out, the three-cylinder engine, commonly known as the Fox, has proven in NHTSA testing to use a timing belt that may degrade and create debris that clogs the mesh oil pump pick-up screen and starve the engine of oil. The primary concerns are that the issue appears with little-to-no warning, and that the issue is known to occur despite proper and routine oil maintenance.