Ford is finally fessing up to the coolant-burning problem found in certain early models of the Ford Focus RS. More importantly, the Blue Oval is taking measures to address the issue with a recall announcement that involves fixing the faulty head gaskets no cost to owners.

The issue surrounding the Ford Focus RS has been going for almost a year. It took months of speculation and customer unrest, but the root cause of the issue was discovered late last year when it was revealed that Ford had mistakenly installed the wrong head gasket in the Focus RS’ 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine. A Focus owner took to Twitter to show that the gasket that was used on the RS was actually designed for the Ford Mustang.

In light of this development, Ford is taking steps to remedy the issue. A Ford spokesperson recently told Motor Authority that “owners of 2016-17 Focus RS vehicles are being offered a free inspection and repair, regardless of warranty or mileage status, for concerns of white exhaust smoke and/or coolant consumption stemming from an issue with cylinder head gaskets.”

“Ford dealers will test the cooling system, replace the cylinder head gasket and may replace the cylinder head, as required, at no cost to the customer,” the spokesperson added.

If your Focus RS hasn’t exhibited symptoms of the problem, it’s best to still have it examined, especially if it was built from Aug. 3, 2015, through July 6, 2017. In the event that your hot hatch is exhibiting problems, including white smoke from the exhaust or low coolant levels without any signs of external leaks, you’ll need to take up Ford’s recall offer, which runs through January 31, 2019. Similar recalls are also ongoing in the UK and Europe. Likewise, Ford is also offering to pay the cost of up to four days to companies for Focus RS units that are being used as rental vehicles.

The automaker said that repairs to the engine take less than two days so, hopefully, the year-long issue is resolved quickly. It’s about time the company puts the issue to rest.

References

Ford Focus RS

Read our full review on the 2017 Ford Focus RS.

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