Engine And Engine Cooling Problems of Ford Mustang - part 2

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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 .

Check engine light came on. Took car to dealership where I learned that the car needs a new engine due to coolant leaking into the cylinders. I later learned this is a "known issue" with this engine, yet Ford has refused to fix or do a recall. The engine could fail or catch on fire if not replaced.

Took Mustang ecoboost to Ford dealership as result of steady check engine light. Prior to check engine light rough idle at start up that smooths out after 10 to 15 seconds. Dealer identified cyl 3 misfire as well as random misfires. They also observed carbon tracking on plugs. Dealer replaced plugs and performed gdi cleaning service. About three weeks following repair same conditions reappeared rough idle and check engine light. Upon dealer inspection and use of bore scope discovered coolant intrusion in cylinder and recommended long block engine replacement. The second dealer appointment was several days after my warranty expired and mileage was 30,106 miles. Although the dealership was very supportive and understanding Ford would not provide any assistance even after I also pursued relief directly. As a result the long block engine replacement cost is $8,200. After considerable research was able to identify that ecoboost 2. 3 engines as well as other small ecoboost engines all had a block defect that has since been corrected. The defect tends to permit, over time, coolant to leak into cylinders. Although a new head gasket may correct the condition, Ford normally recommends long block engine replacement as a long term fix. This condition if not attended to or if coming on suddenly will cause total engine failure. And, as failure can only occur when operating an engine failure under any driving condition is fraught with danger. To my knowledge Ford has not taken any steps to address this issue with the 2. 3 liter engine built prior to about February 2020. And, at that time made an engineering change to the engine block addressing the design defect. Additionally, Ford did provide relief to owners of other smaller ecoboost engines having a similar design defect. At the present time there are several class actions suits pending for this 2. 3 coolant intrusion issue. One final point should an ecoboost experience cyl or random misfires ensure bore scope is employed.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there were several unknown warning lights illuminated. Additionally, the contact noticed smoke inside the vehicle and there was smoke coming from under the hood. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with failed pistons and a blown engine. 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 a case was filed. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 73,300.

There is a coolant leak and that has caused significant damage to the engine due to a bad head gasket by poor manufacturing of the engine.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to auto zone, where the contact was informed that there was misfire in the engine. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion into cylinder #2. The dealer recommended that the long block be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for information on NHTSA campaign number: 16v779000 (engine and engine cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 81,000.

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For roughly 4mths beginning in April 2025, my 2018 Ford Mustang ecoboost has been suffering from a sporadic misfire, with it the system reporting the misfire and the check engine light coming on, the Ford app identifying the misfire occurring. It was initially repaired with replacing all spark plugs, ignition leads. The sporadic misfire would continue to occur, Ford dealership kept the car for 2 days in late July, took everything apart said they were unable to replicate the misfire, cleared the codes (p0303 being the main one that appears consistently) and said to come back if it occurred again. Roughly 2 weeks later the issue occurred again, took the vehicle back to Ford where they kept the car for 2 days, went through the same process and could not replicate the issue. They dug deeper into the issue and found that the coolant would not hold pressure and with the use of a video scope found that the intake valve had fractured and was leaking coolant into the engine as well as distributing multiple shards and pieces of metal from the valve intake fracture. Informed me that the only option was to replace with a new engine and turboboost. They reviewed and found that there were no recalls related to this issue for this vehicle. After undertaking my own research, I found this to be a known issue for Ford and that roughly 100k vehicles had been recalled starting with the 2020 vehicles for the same issue. The out of pocket expense is around 14k, and the vehicle is currently waiting on a replacement engine to arrive. Currently Ford are not offering any assistance in the cost of the replacement, been though they have been servicing the car since 2020 and it is regularly maintained per their guidelines of vehicle needs based on the mileage driven.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while the vehicle was stationary, the contact attempted to warm up the vehicle; however, when the contact returned to the vehicle, the vehicle was off. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact restarted the vehicle however, the engine sounded like it was losing power with an abnormal ticking sound coming from the engine. The message to “shift to park” was displayed; however, the gear shifter was already in park(p). The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, the vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure due to a lack of engine oil. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 129,000.

Campaign 23e12 under hood liquid fuel jumper line. Gasoline smells inside vehicle and engine stalls to start after refueling. Check engine light.

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Head gasket failure from research online there seems to be a flaw in the engine block that leads to coolant leaking in between cylinder walls causing premature head gasket failure.

On April 6th, the ac in the car began stalling and a few days after the engine started making all sorts of noise and failing and ultimately stopped working. I kept the car in my garage until I was able to obtain the money to replace the engine. I just yesterday picked up my car from the shop that replaced the engine (where I paid $13,000). The car is back in the shop and having same stalling issues.

I own a 2018 Ford Mustang ecoboost with a gasoline direct injection (gdi) engine. At around 100,000 miles, the engine developed severe carbon buildup, resulting in cylinder scoring and catastrophic engine failure. Despite following Ford’s recommended maintenance schedule (including a 100,000-mile gdi cleaning service performed by the dealership), my car now has one cylinder with only 70 psi compression (confirmed by borescope and mechanical test). Other cylinders measure 135–160 psi. I have learned Ford is aware of this issue and has made design changes in later models (adding extra fuel pumps/dual injection systems) to address it, but no recall or owner warning has been issued for earlier ecoboost Mustangs. My research and discussions with bg products and independent experts show this is a common flaw with gdi-only systems, and Ford has failed to inform owners or provide a lasting solution. The dealership and Ford have offered limited goodwill, but the engine is beyond repair and requires a full replacement. I believe Ford’s failure to warn owners about this well-known defect constitutes a safety and reliability risk. I am requesting NHTSA to investigate this widespread issue and require Ford to take responsibility for affected vehicles.

Component/system: engine (coolant intrusion into cylinder 1); inspection available: yes; safety risk: sudden power loss on road; reproducibility/confirmation: dealer verified coolant in cylinder 1 after engine inspection; manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others inspections: no; warnings/symptoms: check engine light turned on, error code p0301, higher than normal engine temperature, low coolant in reservoir, white smoke, rough idle at turning of engine; first appeared: around 100,000 miles.

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On 03. 29. 25 (Saturday) the car started rough and the check engine light came on. I took it to the mechanic 03. 31. 25 (Sunday) and they inspected the car and told me that it is either the head gasket or the engine block is cracked because there is coolant intrusion into the cylinders. They asked me to call Ford customer service and ask if there was any way to cover it under warranty as the car only has 64k miles. I was told no, the warranty was 5yrs or 60k whichever came first and the 5 years was October of 2024. They suggested I file a report with the NHTSA. The vehicle right now is at the mechanic as I try to decide what I would like to do with it. If the engine failed when driving, I don't know what would have happened. There were no other symptoms to the problem prior to the failure. In fact, weeks earlier I had it inspected to see if any maintenance was needed and it got a clean bill of health.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle with a misfire in cylinder #1, and coolant leaking into the engine. The mechanic referred the contact to the dealer. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who confirmed the diagnosis and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 49,000.

While driving at highway speed it randomly shifts into first gear almost causing and accident/.

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Took car into dealership because it was running rough at start up and check engine light came on. They told us today that coolant leaked into cylinder requiring head gasket repair and pissible engine replacement. The car has less than 40,000 miles, has been gently driven, with full service records from the dealership and the extended warranty just ended in July 2024. Reading online forums, this is a very common issue due to design flaw of the Ford ecoboost engine. What recourse do we have?.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while at a stop sign, the vehicle lost automotive power. The check engine warning light illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle had a rough start prior to the failure. The contact stated that the vehicle was pushed into a nearby local independent service center where it was diagnosed with coolant leak intrusion into the engine. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was left for further investigation at the owner's expense. The vehicle was not repaired. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 16v779000 (engine and engine cooling); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 99,000. The VIN was not available.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 mph, the message "high temperature - pull over" was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact was consistently adding coolant to the coolant reservoir for the vehicle to return to normal operation. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was white smoke coming from under the hood. No warning light was illuminated. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to TSB: 19-2260; however, the vehicle was not included. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while stationary the vehicle's revolutions started to go up, and the vehicle kept accelerating without a reason or the accelerator being depressed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact then tried to look around to see if any mats or if anything else was making the vehicle accelerate on its own, but found nothing was making the vehicle accelerate. The vehicle was shut off and when the contact tried to start the vehicle, the vehicle kept accelerating on its own. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the mat air flow sensor was replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The independent mechanic was not able to provide a diagnosis. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The dealer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,682.

I have experienced two engine failures in my 2005 Ford Mustang due to timing chain issues, specifically the failure of the timing chain cassette, guides, and tensioners in the 4. 0l sohc v6 engine. The first failure happened suddenly with no warning, resulting in severe bottom-end damage, including rod knock. The timing chain cassette ends tend to snap off, sending debris through the engine and damaging lifters, camshafts, and other critical components. The second failure was preceded by an audible “death rattle,” a known symptom of timing chain guide and tensioner failure. Despite this, my vehicle never displayed a check engine light or oil pressure warning before either failure. Unlike later Mustangs with an oil pressure gauge, mine only has a warning light, which never activated. This issue poses a major safety risk, especially at highway speeds. My first engine failure occurred with no prior symptoms, which could have led to an accident had I been merging or overtaking. A failing timing chain can cause misfires, loss of power, or sudden engine shutdown, endangering the driver and others on the road. Independent mechanics have confirmed this issue, and Ford service centers recognize it as a common problem with the 4. 0l sohc v6 engine. Ford has quoted $3,000–$4,000 for timing chain service, making repairs nearly as expensive as engine replacement. These engines rely on multiple chains and hydraulic tensioners that wear out over time, causing slack in the timing chain, jumped timing, and catastrophic damage, typically after 100,000 miles. Despite this, there are no clear warning systems to alert drivers before failure occurs. While timing chains are considered serviceable components, the high failure rate of the timing chain guides and tensioners in these engines, combined with excessive repair costs, indicates a design flaw. I have spent around $4,500 addressing this issue, yet the risk of recurrence remains.

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Blown head gasket causing coolant to leak into the engine at 49,000 miles.

Ford selling vehicles with malfunctioning engines. This malfunction is allowing coolant to mix in with the oil causing misfires, which leads to the car consuming all of its coolant which can cause the engine to catch on fire. Ford has known about this issue for years and are not trying to put a recall on the engine. They’re making customers pay out of pocket to fix the engine. The dealer determined that the failure was a result of coolant intrusion into cylinder #2 #3. Due to the failure, the engine needed to be replaced. There’s been reports of the vehicle engine completely shutting down while people are driving on the roads. There’s been reporting of the car overheating and catching on fire. The vast majority of consumers who bought the 2. 3 liter engines from years 2013-2019 are experiencing these problems. While driving on the highway, the vehicles engine misfired causing lost of power. Luckily I was able to move to the side.

Purge valve has gone out multiple times, replaced multiple times. Very bad randomly occurring idle.

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Vehicle engine is noisy with grinding sounds coming from lower side of engine, can be heard at idle speeds plus popping, ticking. Engine has no power, smells like raw fuel. Engine internal problems exist at 46,000 miles. Vehicle feels like will stall any minute. Ford engine v8 gt fastback, Ford Mustang. Engine internal parts grinding, popping and ticking sounds from engine while running. Under warranty but dealer is not honoring warranty. Nielsen Ford, morristown, NJ.

I was driving home from work at approximately 65mph when my transmission shifted and slammed back into gear. I stopped in a safe location, cut the car off and then back on, but the transmission is still slipping. The dealership was notified of powertrain, electrical, and oil consumption issues at three different service appointments, but the manufacturer has been no help at all. Had I not known what to do, this could have been a completely different scenario.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Mustang. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number:25v455000 (fuel system, gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that after storing the vehicle in storage for the winter and connecting a battery retainer, the check engine warning light temporarily illuminated for one day. The dealer was contacted and was unsure when parts would be available. The contact called another dealer, evansville Ford (428 n union rd, evansville, WI 53536); who was unable to confirm when parts would be available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 21,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Engine block failure at 47k miles. Car was driven at 1/4 throttle or less when detonation occurred creating a hole in the engine block. This is so prevalent that it is colloquially termed “ecoboom. ” cost of repair is nearly $9,500.

The contact owns a 2005 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. While driving at approximately 25-35 mph for approximately two miles, the engine started overheating. The oil pan gasket was leaking. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA campaign number: 16v779000 (engine and engine cooling). There were several hoses that were split. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the radiator and engine were cracked, and the pistons were loose. There was air in the oil. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 123,000.