Full article at:Ford Canada has told a Newfoundland and Labrador woman who has had ongoing issues with her hybrid vehicle that she hasn't been using the gas engine enough — which she says defeats the purpose of owning it.
The automaker said the problem could be solved with changes to her driving habits, and is working with Lisa Sweeney to find a solution.
But Sweeney is worried she's stuck with a $40,000 paperweight.
"It's been very frustrating," she said. "I mean, I just want a car that works."
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"We thought this was a way of doing our part for the environment," she said.
The problems started a year later, when the check engine light came on.
Since then, the car has been back and forth for servicing at the dealership four times, and out of commission for a total of almost three months.
It was eventually discovered that sludge was building up in the vehicle's oil cap.
Ford Canada issued a bulletin in June, stating that the thick, milky substance was caused by condensation.
It forms when the vehicle is used in cold weather, combined with driving short distances that don't allow the gas engine to warm up to its full operating temperature.
A Ford Canada representative sent CBC Investigates a statement, noting that the company tested Sweeney's vehicle, and that the run time of an engine is reduced in a hybrid.
So in Sweeney's case, that means the car is "not burning off moisture that naturally occurs in a running vehicle."
As a fix, Ford Canada told Sweeney to routinely drive her car at highway speeds for 15 to 30 minutes, with the defroster on the highest setting. It also suggested more frequent oil changes.
"I generally don't drive on the highway," Sweeney said. "I have no reason to drive on the highway."
She does most of her driving to and from work — a 12-kilometre trek between her home in Mount Pearl and her employer in St. John's. The drive takes approximately 20 minutes each way, getting up to maximum speeds of 70 km/h.
"I have read the [owner's] manual from front to back," Sweeney said. "There is nothing stating in the manual that I would have to do these things."
She said Ford's suggested fix defeats the purpose of driving a hybrid.
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N.L. woman who bought hybrid to help the environment told by Ford to burn more gas to fix sludge issue
