Engine And Engine Cooling Problems of Ford Fusion - part 1

Coolant intrusion and requires short block replacement.

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine with white smoke coming from the exhaust system, with the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, the message “service vehicle soon” was displayed. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the engine was faulty due to coolant intrusion. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 84,112.

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I have a coolant intrusion for my car it is supposed to be recalled and serviced under warranty or the csp.

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The transmission failed completely. The vehicle will not engage or shift properly and cannot be driven. The failed transmission is still installed in the vehicle and available for inspection upon request.

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The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the power steering assist fault message was displayed. The power steering function was inoperable. The check engine warning light was illuminated due to a possible canister purge valve failure. Upon investigation, the contact linked the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 15v340000 (steering). The local dealer was not contacted, and the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 165,461.

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Coolant is leaking into the cylinders and causing overheating and no start.

The 1. 5l engine is having known issues with coolant intrusion into the engine under 100,000 miles. Many people are bringing up their issues staying Ford is confirming the mass amount of engine issues with intrusion and quoting $6,000 for new engines. This is absurd because these vehicles should not have an engine known to fail at 100,000 because of leaking coolant into the cylinder. I started losing coolant at 90,000 miles and having to fill it back up.

Shift cable came off the transmission shifter bushing.

Coolant leak into the cylinders. Replaced the first engine for the same issue, this is the second engine.

Going approximately 55 miles an hour on the freeway and my car starts profusely shaking. I pulled to the side of the highway tow truck comes up behind me. Ann, my cylinder 4 was noted to be misfiring. I had it towed to midas and that is where it was determined that engine coolant leaked into my cylinders and now being told that my car requires a new engine!! mind you I have already paid 5k to replace the timing chain because apparently my car skipped timing due to oil pan leak. Both of these issues are posted on TSB bulletins on the Ford website. I am not going to pay 11k for a new engine not to mention the 5k I already paid and all my other maintenance that I have paid for. Ford was deceptive knowing selling these vehicles with a qa issue! and they refuse to assist the consumer. They need to be held accountable for their negligence!!.

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Engine coolant intrusion in cylinders 2 and 3. This is a known issue with my particular build of car (4 cylinder 1. 5l eco boost engine).

Internal coolant leak into cylinder heads causing overheating and engine failure. Dealer confirmed diagnosis in writing. This matches Ford TSB 19-2346, but Ford refuses coverage since over 100k miles. This creates a safety hazard; vehicle overheats suddenly and can stall while driving.

The engine has suffered a complete failure due to a known defect in the 1. 5l ecoboost. This issue was already repaired once under Ford customer satisfaction program 19b37/21n12 (engine short block replacement) on 10/12/2020 at stilwell Ford, before I owned the vehicle. Less than 5 years later, the exact same defect has occurred again. Details of failure: •vehicle began running rough with loss of power and abnormal engine noise. •a compression test performed by my repair shop shows: cylinder 4 = 0 psi compression, with cylinder wall scoring and oil intrusion. •shop diagnosis: engine requires complete replacement (~$7,000 repair). •symptoms are identical to the coolant intrusion / cylinder failure defect covered by Ford’s prior csp. •this is the second time this defect has occurred on the same vehicle. Safety risk: •vehicle misfires and shakes violently, making it unsafe to drive. •sudden loss of power and potential stalling in traffic pose a serious risk of crash. •drivers are given no warning before engine failure occurs. Manufacturer response: •Ford acknowledges this defect under csp 19b37/21n12 but refuses further coverage since it was “already repaired” once. •as a second owner, I never received notice of the defect. •the fact that the failure recurred shows Ford’s repair program did not fully resolve the defect. Request: I am reporting this as a repeat safety defect. The failure has occurred again after Ford’s supposed remedy. Nhtsa should investigate whether Ford’s csp repairs adequately resolve the defect, and whether additional recalls or coverage extensions are warranted.

132,582 miles 2016 se awd Ford Fusion 2. 0 ecoboost. About two wks ago driving car at 55mph warning indicator engine temperature high came on. Pulled over turned off ac left engine run on side road for approx 2min thermostats went from just above mid line back down to normal level drove 10miles home engine coolant empty in reserve had just checked two days prior when checking all other fluids and it was at max. Filled back up with orange premixed coolant no leaks observed engine light went off drive two days check and coolant stayed third day noted coolant down under min check engine light on again filled back to max vehicle sputtering when starting then idled down and no stutter husband ran diagnostic and misfire cylinder 3. Changed all 4 plugs and cylinder 3 coil pack no antifreeze noted in any cylinders at that time. Car started up fine no check engine light drove two more days checking coolant level in resivor stayed at max driving third day 55mph for 3miles after just checking level engine temp high alert on pulled over shut off car checked revisor due to recent issues. Revisor empty, allowed to cool depressurized by unscrewing resivor cap minimal coolant back flowed from radiator. Filled resivor to full restarted car engine light on drove 8 miles checked coolant level little under min line, cooled engine topped back off drove home 11miles. Parked car husband ran diagnostic and misfire cylinder 3 again. Compression test all cylinders were at 148 accept cylinder 3 at 150 due to antifreeze in it. Checked oil no antifreeze in oil. Noted excessive white smoke from dual exhaust. Coolant pressure test done and noted antifreeze observed in cylinder 3. Technical bulletins and recalls checked noted multiple forums with coolant induction issues due to poor design of ecoboost engines by Ford. Still owe $10k on this car Ford should be responsible for all manufactured years with issues due to ecoboost. Unable to find anything for 2016 Fusion 2. 0. Please help!.

My car is at 119,000 miles and 2019 Ford Fusion. I was driving on a local street when my cars warning popped up with a notice that my cars coolant was overheated. I immediately pulled over and turned off the car. My cars coolant tank was completely depleted. The problem was determined to be a coolant leak into cylinder 2. The check engine code of p0302 misfire on #2 cylinder. This issue had the potential to result in an engine fire and severe injury.

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 mph, the vehicle was shaking abnormally with the check engine warning light illuminated before starting to blink afterwards. The vehicle was steered over to the side of the road and restarted; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to an auto zone, where a handheld diagnostic machine retrieved dtc: p0304, c2008-13, c2007-13, and b1111-53. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed, and it was determined that there was coolant intrusion in cylinder #4, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 86,996.

Purchased vehicle unknowingly part of program 19b37 that had not been completed. Coolant has leaked into the engine and now need s new engine. Does not qualify for service action 21n12 since original satisfaction program 19b37 was not completed and now past mileage. Now the vehicle needs an entire engine! still owe on the car, warranties have all expired. Engine must ne replaced due to the reported coant defect that I was not made aware of at purchase. Good should fix this!.

My complaint is, why does my 2016 Ford Fusion 1. 5l 4-cylinder ecoboost engine continue to be excluded from these major recalls? it's not fair as I deserve to have my engine, clock spring, & my rear view camera replaced just like the other Ford vehicles! I purchased my 2016 Fusion in 2018 & only a couple of years later I started having problems with the rear view camera but the dealership said that it wasn't covered under the warranty. I have always smelled engine coolant & oil but was always told that there is nothing leaking on the ground so there's nothing to worry about. Also I reached out to you guys in 2024 with the gmail address of [xxx] ) about my steering wheel clock spring & never heard anything back, so I purchased a new one on [xxx] & replaced it myself when it arrived. Also earlier that day, I had my valve cover replaced at brad howell Ford in kokomo, in because I have been constantly losing oil & smelling oil burning. Even after that, I continued to smell oil & engine coolant but still get told that there's nothing leaking. Well my next oil change after that, I told them to check again because I had to add more oil, & that's when they determined that it was the turbo drain tube, which they replaced on Nov. 5, 2024. That stopped the oil smell, but I continued to smell engine coolant which I continued to report to them, & at each oil change, they continued to top off the engine coolant. On Aug. 12, 2025 brad howell Ford decided to run a camera down into my cylinders & discovered that there's oil & coolant leaking down into my #2 cylinder. I contacted tonia frataccia, customer experience specialist, Ford cx/team, & I was told that my VIN# didn't make the recall list & that's why my engine wasn't replaced. It's not fair as my vehicle has the same defective engine & parts as the other recall vehicles & I deserve to have my car repaired also at Fords expense. Please help me, I need my car. Thank you for listening. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Yesterday, 08/12/2025, I was driving my vehicle on I-70 in rural kansas, to drop my mother off at the airport, and my 9-year-old daughter was in the vehicle. My vehicle's temperature went directly to warning status, and I was no longer able to accelerate. I immediately put my hazards on and tried to make my way to the nearest exit to ensure we were in a safe position. Ford knows that coolant intrusion is possible in the engine block. While discussing with Ford today on the phone from 11:07 am until 11:34 am, and being escalated to a supervisor, they said that nothing could be done on their end, and advised to contact NHTSA. The safety of myself and others was at risk because of the faulty manufacturing of the engine and coolant system, which they report is part of a customer satisfaction program, but this is a major safety concern because, in the event it was not midday and there were more vehicles on the road, there could have been an accident. Ford customer satisfaction program 21n12 one-time repair for vehicles included in 19b37 this is a known issue Ford recognizes through their customer satisfaction program. They are unwilling to assist, although in 2022, I was under the mileage specifications included in the customer satisfaction program.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that after the engine was replaced, there was an abnormally loud banging sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle with a cracked engine flex plate. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 59,851.

I have a 2015 Ford Fusion ecoboost t back in 2019 took it to Ford for regular maintenance and they told me it had a recall for another engine (coolant intrusion) at that time I had no problem with my car so needless to say I was shocked . Now 2026 August 15 my car shuts down coolant temperature warning comes on , I pulled over had a mechanic look at it and he tells me the head gasket is no good coolant intrusion this is a safety issue and cars could catch on fire ?? called Ford they said nothing they can do . All I can say is shame on Ford they need to do the right thing and fix these safety issues.

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Coolant is leaking into the head gasket of the 2014 Ford Fusion hybrid similar to the other 2014 Ford Fusion cars (they have a recall on them for this issue). Upon calling the nearest Ford dealership, I was told that the recall did not apply to my vehicle, even though the same recall has been made for other 2014 Ford Fusions (just not the hybrid specifically). The safety of the driver and passengers in the car is at risk due to the coolant fluid mixing into the engine oil, eventually causing a blown head gasket and potentially engine failure. This problem was identified within minutes of getting a routine oil change, as coolant was found in the cap of the head gasket. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. There were no warning signs. The car notified me when I needed to change my oil, but otherwise, no dash lights came on and no notifications were sent to the dash.

The contact owned a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 75 mph, there was smoke coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that the message "coolant over temperature" was displayed. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The contact then exited the vehicle and raised the hood and there was black smoke coming from the engine compartment. The contact backed away from the vehicle and approximately 3 minutes later the vehicle caught on fire. The fire department was contacted and arrived at the scene and extinguished the fire. A fire report was filed however, the contact had not received a fire report number. The police also arrived on scene and collected information from the contact; however, the contact was unaware of a police report being filed. There was no injury sustained. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The contact was made aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 17v209000 (engine and engine cooling). The contact stated that the vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a complaint was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 155,000.

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I would like to respectfully request that my 2018 Ford Fusion, with the 1. 5l ecoboost engine, be considered for inclusion in the customer satisfaction programs related to the engine issues I'm experiencing. Despite my vehicle not being initially listed, the problems I've encountered, including the diagnostic trouble code p0302 and the coolant leak into cylinder #2, suggest that it may be suffering from a similar defect or design flaw that the program aims to address. Given the safety risks associated with the current condition of my vehicle, I believe it would be fair and reasonable to include it in the program and provide the necessary repairs or replacements to ensure the vehicle is safe to operate. I would appreciate your assistance in facilitating this process and exploring options for resolving this issue in a manner consistent with the treatment of similar vehicles.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at 40 mph, the contact heard a slushing-type sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact also stated that the vehicle stalled, and would also violently shake, and the vehicle overheated with the check engine and powertrain warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 136, 000.

My coolants been leaking starting at around 110k miles and it seems like the 2016 Ford Fusions with 1. 6l are know to have coolant intrusions due to a defect in engineering by Ford. This problem eventually leads to corroded head gaskets and can cause the engine to basically explode in the middle of nowhere which is a safety concern. The costs of repair is over 4k+ for a new engine or just to replace the head gasket for something Ford engineers should be liable for. Please look into this and you may even look at my car if you like.

Dear NHTSA, I am reporting a potential safety and design issue related to my 2016 Ford Fusion titanium with the 2. 0l ecoboost engine. The vehicle is experiencing coolant loss with no visible external leak, which is a documented issue under Ford TSB 19-2208. This condition can lead to sudden engine failure or hydrolock due to coolant entering the combustion chamber. A compression test revealed all cylinders at 155 psi, indicating the block has not yet failed — but the symptoms are known warning signs of the defect Ford acknowledged in its customer satisfaction program 19n05, which does not include my VIN despite identical failure risk. Ford has refused to provide goodwill support under case [xxx], despite this being a well-known failure that has prompted engine replacements in other affected 2. 0l ecoboost models. Please document this case as part of your ongoing safety tracking. I believe this design flaw represents a serious long-term reliability and safety concern. Vehicle: 2016 Ford Fusion titanium engine: 2. 0l ecoboost mileage at onset: 130,000 approx. VIN: [xxx] sincerely, [xxx] [xxx] [xxx] [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while pulling out of the driveway at 5 mph, the engine light was illuminated. The vehicle was hard to start. The contact stated that the failure was similar to customer satisfaction program 21n12. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer for an oil change and unknown engine repairs were completed. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that an engine replacement was needed. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer referred the contact to the manufacturer. The manufacturer was contacted, who referred her to the NHTSA hotline. The manufacturer declined financial assistance, and the matter would be escalated to the negative feedback department. The failure mileage was approximately 69,000.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the contact noticed smoke coming from the engine compartment. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that coolant intrusion into the cylinder had caused the engine to fail. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 112, 000.

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On cold startup, a significant amount of white exhaust is sometimes observed coming out of the tailpipes. The exhaust has a sweet aroma and after checking the coolant levels, it appears that the coolant levels have dropped and the exhaust smoke is being caused by a coolant intrusion into the engine block. No warning lights have been observed and it only happens about half of the time.

Vehicle is experiencing coolant intrusion from a crack in the engine block which is a known issue by Ford for my particular vehicle year (2017). Ford has issued a TSB/recall for model years 2017-2019, but when I contacted Ford, I was told my car is not eligible/included in the recall because of the plant that the vehicle was manufactured at. I believe this issue should qualify for manufacturer recall as this is known issue.

My engine experienced coolant intrusion into cylinder #2, which caused misfiring and engine failure. This has been a known issue with this year model, but since I am just outside of the warranty mileage (69k) and my VIN doesn't have any recalls, I have been advised to purchase a replacement engine. I simply cannot afford to replace an engine in a car I am still paying a loan for. For this to be a known issue and not be recalled is a serious safety concern and has caused me to lose confidence in the manufacturer. I am currently trying to see what a shop near me would charge to replace it but I am not sure that I can afford the repair costs. I shouldn't be expected to need to replace an engine when the year model has known issues and I have taken care of any and all maintenance on the car to keep it running well. I expected to have this car for many more years, especially with the low mileage and how well I've cared for it.

Coolant intrusion 1. 5l.

In 2019, my car suddenly began to leak engine coolant. A low engine coolant signal alarmed, the car started to smoke, and then was un-usable. I took it to a Ford dealership, they ran some diagnostics, and determined that the issue was related to a known recall. They repaired the issue and for 5 years, things seemed ok. This April, the engine coolant warning came back on and the car shut down. I inspected the engine coolant revisor and it was extremely low and the check engine light came on. I took the car in to be inspected and it was noted that the hoses and gaskets were corroded. The hoses and gaskets were replaced and that seemed to resolve all of the alarms and check engine light, but weeks later, the low engine coolant light came back on. This week the same Ford dealership determined that there was an issue with the water pump and that it needed to be replaced. I wondered if anyone else with a Ford Fusion experienced water pump issues and there seem to be two class action lawsuits against Ford siting several vehicle models with faulty water pumps. I can submit my water pump replacement receipt when I receive it from the Ford dealership on Monday.

The check engine light came on. The car was regularly losing coolant but none was leaking out. I topped it off but the coolant level lowered again. My mechanic suspects it is a problem with the ecoboost engine where the coolant leaks into the cylinders. I know there is currently a class action lawsuit against for for Fusions from 2013-2019 addressing this problem.