DeKalb Resident Successfully Has Engine Replaced Under Ford Recall After Nearly Two-Year Dispute Over Oil Change Concerns

DeKALB, Ill. (WLS) — A prominent car manufacturer has reversed its stance and agreed to replace a woman’s car engine under a recall program.

However, this resolution comes nearly two years after the initial dispute.

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Back in March 2024, the company had informed the I-Team that the engine issues were likely due to a problem during an oil change.

“They could have resolved this from the start, saving me a significant amount of money I couldn’t afford, only to eventually fix it anyway. It’s just unbelievable,” expressed Tanya Washington.

Washington, a resident of DeKalb, is relieved that her granddaughter can now enjoy driving a fully repaired 2017 Ford Focus in Alabama, thanks to the recall covering the engine repair costs.

In the I-Team’s March 2024 report, Ford said that Washington’s car troubles did not qualify for the engine recall, and that “Ford did find metal flakes and paper debris from a non-Ford oil filter, which appears to have come apart and released debris into the engine oil system.”

So, Washington paid $3,800 to get the debris cleaned so the car would run.

About a month after that repair, the check engine light came on again. So Washington and her granddaughter brought the car back to the dealership.

“They diagnosed it and said, ‘we reached out to Ford, and it was a recall on it, the same recall.’ And they said, ‘Ford agreed to replace the entire engine for the recall,’” Washington said.

Ford said the car would be covered under the same recall (23V905) that she was trying to qualify for in 2024.

It is a relief, considering an average new engine replacement can cost between $6,000 and $15,000.

Ford did not immediately respond to a request for an updated comment.