Engine And Engine Cooling Problems of Ford Mustang - part 1

While driving approximately 45 mph and entering a highway, my 2022 Ford Mustang gt California special suddenly lost power and shut off completely. The engine stalled without warning, creating a dangerous situation with surrounding traffic. I had to coast the vehicle and restart it. This vehicle has an open safety recall (NHTSA recall number 25v455 / Ford recall 25s75) related to a low-pressure fuel pump failure that can cause engine stalling while driving. The recall has been open for several months, and there is currently no available remedy or repair from the manufacturer. The incident I experienced matches the recall description exactly. Despite the known safety risk, the manufacturer has not provided a fix, leaving the vehicle unsafe to operate. I am concerned for my safety and the safety of others due to the risk of repeated engine stalling at highway speeds.

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“charge system service now” came on the dash, battery lost power after about 10 seconds, screen went black, dash went black, car locked up, opened the hood and the engine was on fire, called 911 who came quickly and put the fire out without the entire car burning, insurance later total losses the car. I don’t know if it was the battery or the engine responsible for the failure, because the flames were on the engine and not the battery, but the incident was triggered by a battery warning. I was on the interstate driving 60mph when the car shut off and everything including my headlights and even hazard lights went black. Not only could I have been struck by a car on the interstate, I could have died in a car fire. Because the car locked up, I couldn’t open the trunk or use any electronics. The door could have just as easily locked and trapped us inside a burning car. The car is on a salvage yard, no attempt to replicate has been made. Progressive insurance, and columbia fire inspected it and found that it was undetermined. “charge service system now” was the only warning before the infotainment screen shut down to reduce battery usage. Every light on the dash flashed right before everything on the dash went black and power was lost to the entire vehicle.

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Have a 2019 Ford Mustang 2dr 2. 3l ecoboost with 59,500 miles which I took to the dealership with a code p0302 and p0304 present, cylinder misfire, observed coolant level low, performed borescope in cylinder 2 and 4, found coolant intrusion, recommend long block engine replacement which would have cost me $10,728. 85. Concern is that the engine can stall suddenly and may cause an accident. Ford motor company knows about these kind of engine issues with ecoboost engines and have not offer any reasonable solutions. Vehicle VIN is the following: [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

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My 2018 Ford Mustang ecoboost experienced sudden engine failure at 70,915 miles. The dealership documented misfire codes p0300, p0301, and p0316, which match the known 2. 3l ecoboost coolant-intrusion defect. This defect causes loss of power, rough operation, misfires, and potential stalling, creating a safety risk during driving. Ford customer relationship center instructed me that the dealership must escalate the defect to the regional field service engineer. However, the dealer refused to do so, leaving the failure unresolved. This appears to be part of a widespread safety-related defect involving 2. 3l ecoboost engines, with risk of sudden loss of power, stalling, and internal engine failure.

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Ford's 2. 3l ecoboost engine defect that causes coolant to leak into the cylinders, leading to engine failures and potential fire risks.

Purchased just 2 months ago from Ford dealer, after 1 week noticed shimming of engine on cold start, next incident overheat warning, filled with radiator fluid, noticed slow lowering of fluid level, next day car would not start at all. Towed to mechanic in which they report blown head gasket and all 4 cylinders damaged. After searching this site I found others had same complaint but no recalls. Evidently there is a lawsuit, how do I participate so I can get my beautiful car repaired ASAP?.

Blown 2. 3 ecoboost. At approx 4700 miles while driving got an engine light and severe misfire. Report from Ford technician says that part of a spark plug broke off in #4 cylinder and caused severe damage. Motor (long block) and turbo replaced under warranty and after 700 miles is running fine.

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I had the coolant gasket problem that resulted in having to get the engine replaced. It was a 202 Mustang ecoboost premium.

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Blown head gasket @ 86,000 miles due to block defect. Now I have to either pay to replace the head gasket with the expectation that it will fail again due to the block defect, or replace the whole defective block.

The evaporator is leaking and apparently is a known issue from Ford and they didn't report this. The evaporator core is leaking and it blows hot air for a good amount. It draws a lot of power form the system and drops the rpm below idling. Forcing me to rev a cold engine so that it does not stall out.

There is a coolant intrusion on my vehicle, which resulted in either cracking the engine block or head gasket. In turn, this has caused a costly repair on a car with only 56,000 miles on it. Ford is aware of the issues with these engines and the seals on them. It’s a 2018 ecoboost! it also happened to my mom’s ecoboost around the same mileage. This isn’t normal and Ford is literally turning a blind eye to a very serious issue which results in total engine failure. On top of that the repair for this issue is costing $12,000 to repair at the dealership. This is absolutely absurd for a company as big as Ford, to build a faulty engine and then not offer any support/recalls to help all of those affected by it, including me.

Engine - blown head gasket this is a common issue with these engines and is a costly repair or potential engine failure.

I am filing this complaint regarding a vehicle I purchased from florida fine cars in miami gardens on [xxx}. The vehicle is a Ford Mustang gt with a roush supercharger (VIN: [xxx] ). Immediately after purchase, the car exhibited serious performance and safety issues that were never disclosed by the dealer. Within hours of driving home, the vehicle showed severe power loss, hesitation during acceleration, and loud mechanical noises at highway speeds. These issues were not detectable during the brief, low-speed test drive the dealership provided. Additionally, by the next morning, the car emitted a strong plastic or chemical odor under the hood, which intensified in the florida heat — suggesting a possible engine, exhaust, or emissions-related fault. The dealer misrepresented the condition of the vehicle, repeatedly claiming it was “fully inspected” and “in excellent condition. ” however, a certified Ford dealership technician later confirmed that the car “ran like garbage” and required immediate diagnostic attention. These defects are potentially safety-related, as they directly affect the engine’s performance, drivability, and emissions integrity. The vehicle could stall, lose power during acceleration, or emit toxic fumes. Florida fine cars has refused to take responsibility, despite clear evidence that the car was sold with undisclosed defects. Their actions constitute false advertising, misrepresentation, and a disregard for consumer safety. I urge NHTSA to record this complaint and investigate whether similar vehicles sold by florida fine cars (or others with aftermarket superchargers) have unreported safety or emissions defects. This poses a serious risk to consumer safety and compliance with federal motor vehicle safety standards. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

While entering an on-ramp and just before merging onto the freeway the vehicle failed to accelerate and I lost complete power from the engine. The vehicle was still powered on, but produced no combustion from the engine. The check engine light illuminated and a message appeared on the dash stating to shift the vehicle into neutral. I pulled off on the shoulder and shifted the vehicle into park. I shut the vehicle off and started it back up. After doing so I had full power once again. This is the sixth time this has happened.

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• what failed & is it available for inspection? air-conditioning system failure. Loss of cabin cooling; dealer recommends compressor replacement (may include related components pending contamination check). Vehicle is at a Ford dealer now; no repairs performed yet. I requested the dealer retain failed parts for inspection. • how was safety put at risk? I live in las vegas; ambient temps ~112°f-120 degrees. This is my primary vehicle for transporting my [xxx] and for my work schedule. With no a/c, cabin temps become dangerously high within minutes, creating a heat-related illness risk (child and driver), impaired concentration, and fatigue during necessary trips. • has the problem been reproduced/confirmed? yes. An independent shop first advised compressor replacement. A Ford dealer subsequently confirmed loss of cooling and produced an a/c repair estimate after diagnosis. • inspected by manufacturer/police/insurance? inspected/diagnosed by an authorized Ford dealer. I opened a Ford customer relationship center case (xxx) and requested goodwill/after-warranty review. No police/insurance inspection. • warning lamps/messages/symptoms & onset? no warning lights. Symptoms began with weak/intermittent cooling in early August 2025 and progressed to no cold air. Mileage at failure ~87,279. A/c clutch cycles but cabin air remains hot. (owner context: original owner, [xxx] vehicle: 2016 Ford Mustang gt 5. 0. ) information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

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I purchased this 2019 Ford Mustang ecoboost 2. 3l brand new in July 2019. It has been well maintained, regularly serviced by the authorized Ford dealer where I purchase the car. It has never been in an accident, and has only 36,100 miles. This vehicle passed inspection last month. The check engine light came on, and then had rough cold starts. I have been informed by the service station that antifreeze is leaking into the engine, and a new engine is required (estimated cost of $11,000). After researching this matter, it appears that there is a design flaw with this vehicle, given the high number of similar occurrences with 2015-2019 Ford ecoboost vehicles. It is my understanding there is even a class action lawsuit related to this issue. Luckily, there was no accident resultant from this engine malfunction in my case, but the NHTSA should investigate this issue, given the high risk it poses to highway safety!.

On repair order #:[xxx] at lorenzo Ford, the dealership technician documented the following: “verified customer concern, dtc p0304 perform pinpoint test, inconclusive, perform coolant pressure test and found coolant intrusion into cylinder 4. ” this confirms a coolant intrusion defect causing misfire and overheating — exactly the well-documented issue affecting 2. 3l ecoboost engines that is now the subject of a pending class action lawsuit (filed June 2025). Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Check engine light on. Code is p0301 for multiple cylinder misfires. At startup I can hear coolant sloshing around and white exhaust. Coolant is leaking into cylinder 1. The Ford dealer says it needs a new engine. 2019 Ford Mustang ecoboost at 55k miles.

See attached document for complaint.

The coolant over temperature warning light of my 2016 Ford Mustang ecoboost came on and the engine immediately went on limp mode and I stopped the vehicle and switched off the engine. The vehicle quickly lost power and this created safety concern for other drivers who would have bumped me. I towed the vehicle to the nearest Ford dealership for inspection and they found that coolant went into the engine and the coolant bottle was empty. As a result the dealership has said that the engine engine needs to be replaced…. A big shock for me as I have never had any prior issue with this car which is only 59k illegal on the clock. After further research of my own, this seems to be a common issue with Ford ecoboost engine before year 2020. What surprises me is that there was no other indication or warning before this incident which could have obstructed me to take precautionary action.

Coolant intrusion into the cylinder head. This caused a sudden halt of he vehicle which could have caused an accident and loss of life. The engine coolant overheating temperature warning light came on. Vehicle was inspected by Ford dealership and found to have blown head gasket. The car is vat for inspection.

Since purchasing the vehicle (used) there had been several issues with the engine.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact found oil underneath the engine compartment. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 49,000.

My vehicle experienced a blown head gasket due to a faulty engine block design at 56k miles. The car started running rough for 10 seconds upon a cold start up and was also misfiring. This is due to coolant intrusion through the gasket and it got into cylinder 3 which could have caused catastrophic engine failure or worse. There are several class-action lawsuits against Ford for the defect. Ford has not taken any steps to address this issue with the ecoboost engines on 2015-2019 models. Additionally, Ford did not provide relief to me and I had to pay out of pocket to fix this.

My 2021 Ford Mustang ecoboost is currently experiencing an ongoing issue with the evap purge valve, a critical emissions component. The vehicle suffers from stuttering, rough idle, and a check engine light, especially immediately after refueling, where the engine has stalled multiple times—posing a serious safety risk during traffic re-entry and acceleration. The purge valve has not been replaced, and the issue remains unresolved. I contacted Ford customer relations and three separate Ford dealerships, all of which refused to service the vehicle under warranty, despite the fact that it is still covered under the federal emissions warranty (8 years/80,000 miles) and the powertrain warranty. This refusal contradicts federal warranty guidelines, as the purge valve is clearly part of the evaporative emissions control system. The failure disrupts vapor flow and fuel trim stability, leading to erratic engine behavior and emissions system malfunction. I previously owned another Ford Mustang ecoboost while living in a different part of the state, and that vehicle experienced the exact same purge valve issue, including stalling after refueling and triggering the check engine light. This recurring failure across multiple vehicles suggests a design flaw or supplier defect that Ford has failed to address. There are hundreds of documented complaints and videos online, including on youtube and Mustang forums, showing other owners experiencing the same purge valve failure and warranty denial. This suggests a systemic issue that Ford is aware of but continues to ignore. I believe this issue warrants investigation for warranty non-compliance, emissions system reliability, and potential recall consideration due to the safety and environmental risks involved.

The engine on this 2016 Mustang gt is a 5-liter v-8. The 2015-2017 model years were equipped with plastic valve covers. This is a known defect with these vehicles. The plastic valve covers warp/melt/distort over time, causing motor oil to leak in significant amounts onto the exhaust manifold creating smoke and odor. There is a potential for fire in the engine compartment because of this leak. Ford issued a service bulletin regarding this known defect but has not as yet issued a recall.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that after the vehicle was started in the morning, the vehicle was idling rough. The contact stated that later while driving at various speeds, there was a misfire coming from the engine. The contact stated that while checking the engine oil level, the contact became aware that the coolant reservoir level was low. The contact refilled the coolant reservoir however, the engine misfire continued. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that there was coolant intrusion into the cylinders, and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact notified the manufacturer of the failure and was referred by the manufacturer to contact the NHTSA safety hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 115,288.

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My engine began experiencing misfires at around 40,000 miles. They were on and off. The check engine light would pop up and go away for around a month. Then the vehicle began having a rough start and check engine light would not go away. I sent the vehicle back to the dealer where they determined that my engine was having misfires due to a coolant leak into cylinder one, stemming from a poor engine design. The engine needed to be replaced. The repair was covered under my warranty.

Coolant intrusion into cylinder/cylinders problem confirmed by a dealer check engine light, cylinder 1 missfire is when I noticed an issue.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, there was a misfire coming from the engine. The contact stated that the vehicle was shaking abnormally, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the head gasket had failed, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 66,637.

1. 2020 Mustang ecoboost is equipped from factory with redesigned block to minimize/eliminate coolant intrusion and or head gasket failure. I still had the dreaded "ecoboom" issue with coolant intrusion on two cylinders as a result of a broken head gasket and poor engine block design. Regular maintenance was perfomed and use primarily top tier 93 octane fuel. 5k mile interval 5w-50 oil changes according to manual using Ford spec oil full synthetic. Cold start misfires and excessive engine shaking are still occurring despite short block replacement by Ford and they won't diagnose properly. 2. Electrical/audio. Issue with crackling audio, audio skipping and both iphones and androids having disconnection issues. Factory reset the sync module twice, attempted reset by unplugging car battery and also checked alternator. Replaced car battery with fresh battery and issue persists. 3. Powertrain: the 10r80 auto transmission is extremely jarring and does not shift smoothly. Hesitates throughout gears, sluggish gears changes. Gives whiplash effect even after a filter and oil change for the transmission with oem fluid and filter. Premature transmission gasket housing failure as well causing atf to leak onto ground.

My vehicle recently had a head gasket leak due to a faulty engine block design. I noticed one day the coolant was lower than it should be but nothing concerning, over a month or so it got progressively lower & the car would also sputter/misfire on startups from time to time. This is due to coolant slipping through the gasket & getting into the cylinder & oil which can lead to catastrophic engine failure or worse. Eventually I got a check engine light & was told it was a misfire after running a diagnostic on the vehicles obd2. I researched what the issue could be &it became more & more apparent that it was a head gasket issue. The oil was contaminated & coolant was getting very low. Apparently it’s a big issue since Ford is now facing a class action over the defect. The vehicle also has some issues with the transmission, for example ill start the car up on a cold California morning 50°f & let it warm up before driving & when I go into reverse after the car will jolt hard as if you were backing up & hitting something like a wall, even in the afternoon when you start it from a cold start & go into reverse it will do it. Not sure why but it’s concerning to say the least. The transmission also feels confused when shifting, when I’m in 4th about to push fit it will get confused & revs will drop slightly before going up again to up shift, also when downshifting due to braking the shifts can feel a bit hard, especially when needing to stopping fast. The engine & transmission are the most importantly parts of a vehicle & without them working properly is something no one should have to face.

The contact owns a 2024 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to restart. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was not available.

2020 and above Mustang ecoboost 2. 3l engines are supposed to have the revised engine block design to mitigate coolant intrusion into cylinders and head gasket leak issues. My 2020 model year Mustang ecoboost with the updated block, is suffering from coolant intrusion into cylinder #1. Confirmed by independent ase certified repair shop as well as Ford dealership. No codes. Symptoms includes cold start misfires and cold start white smoke from exhaust. Mpg was inconsistent as well since the air/fuel ratio is disturbed by coolant intrusion. Car is at roughly 37k miles. If issue is not remedied, your engine may blow up during operation without warning.

5. 0 gt engine continues to lose power and has loud “clicking” when idling. First appeared after may 2025 oil change. Mustang dealer ran codes check - nothing shows up. Mustang dealer has recorded a video / audio of sound and recommends engine replacement. The engine only has 22,000 miles on it .