2018 Ford Fusion

On [XXX], I drove my 2018 Ford Fusion Titanium AWD to a doctor 37 miles away through rural PA. The car was a reliable workhorse, needing only regular shop visits, and had 108K miles by this date. Midway through the [XXX] drive , a red warning square popped up on the dash to tell me that the engine was overheating, and a pink warning square said the car would lessen electrical draw so that it could cool the engine. Both alerts disappeared quickly. There was no unusual sound or smell before the alerts nor the rest of the drive. I also had no prior dash alerts, only ?3 misfires months apart I now know were symptoms of [XXX]. During down time before/after the doctor, I Googled the error messages and read my owner's manual. I restarted the car w/o incident after it had sat for 45 minutes. Six miles into my way home, the same red square popped up, though no second alert did. I pulled over at a clearing 3 miles later. I sat by the side of the road without cell service for 45 minutes. I had no coolant or water with me. I was unable to remove the coolant lid after the wait, nor could I see if there were coolant in the reservoir. I needed to move the car because of having no cell service. After a total of 75 minutes, I restarted the vehicle and moved 2 miles up the road. A red triangle icon appeared and stayed on. I called my dealer, described what happened, and they told me to tow the car the 21 miles to them. My dealer found no issue beyond a cracked spark plug on cylinder 3 that they replaced 4K miles earlier. Not satisfied, my B-I-L and I researched the incident and found the 2.0L EcoBoost coolant intrusion issue. I had the car tested according to Ford's TSB #19-2346 at a separate dealer; they duplicated the intrusion in cylinder 3, and we had a diagnosis. I was fortunate that the car didn't stop mid-traffic, didn't catch fire, and I was stranded in daylight in an Amish community. The other side of that coin is grim. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

My 1.5L EcoBoost engine experienced coolant intrusion into the cylinders, a known and documented defect associated with this engine family across multiple Ford model years. Prior to the failure, the vehicle displayed symptoms consistent with internal coolant loss, including white exhaust smoke, coolant level dropping without visible external leaks, and rough running. No external coolant leak was ever identified. The vehicle was subsequently diagnosed by an independent service center, which confirmed coolant intrusion into the engine internals consistent with a head gasket or coolant jacket failure. The component is available for inspection upon request. The failure rendered the vehicle completely undriveable. The vehicle has been out of service for approximately 12 months and has not been driven since the failure occurred. The repair was quoted at approximately $12,000 for a full engine replacement, exceeding the current market value of the vehicle. Safety was put at risk due to sudden loss of engine performance and drivability while the vehicle was in use on public roads. Coolant intrusion can cause hydrolock, catastrophic engine seizure, and sudden loss of power, all of which create risk of collision, particularly at highway speeds. This failure is consistent with a well-documented defect in the 1.5L EcoBoost engine design, which has been the subject of technical service bulletins and consumer complaints regarding coolant entering the combustion chamber. The failure occurred with no prior accident, overheating event, or owner-caused damage.

Formal Complaint – 2018 Ford Fusion 1.5L EcoBoost – Engine Block Defect Statement of Issue:I am writing to report a premature engine failure on my 2018 Ford Fusion 1.5L. The vehicle is exhibiting all symptoms of the well-documented "coolant intrusion" defect described in Ford Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 22-2222. Despite following all recommended maintenance intervals, the engine block has failed, allowing coolant to enter the combustion chamber.Observations:Confirmed coolant loss with no external leakage found via pressure test.Significant white smoke and rough idle upon cold start. Desired Resolution: Since this is a known manufacturing defect involving the engine block's cooling channels—and not a result of wear and tear—I am requesting a "Goodwill Repair" for a long-block replacement. The current TSB denial based on [8 years] is unacceptable for a known catastrophic design flaw that compromises vehicle safety.

The engine has coolant intrusion. It is available upon inspection. Safety at risk due to side effects from the intrusion such as: engine overheating, misfiring, massive coolant loss that could cause an engine fire. The problem was diagnosed as a blown head gasket, but there is evidence of coolant loss and corrosion of spark plugs etc from coolant in engine. Has not been inspected by insurance or police. Symptoms started March 2026; check engine light on showing code P0303 (misfire in cylinder 3) and code for over temperature sensor. It occasionally ran hot, rough start up, misfiring, coolant loss (without external leaks), trouble accelerating, eventual service wrench light, and sometimes flashing engine light when it misfired bad.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH on the highway, the vehicle experienced a sudden loss of power steering functionality while decelerating. The vehicle jerked, and a driver assistance system warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 157,017.

Coolant intrusion in cylinder 1. Confirmed by Suburban Ford of Sterling Heights, MI. Known design flaw. Can potentially cause the engine to seize, misfiring of cylinders, excessive exhaust. Codes for rich fuel mixture and cylinder misfires were found when check engine light appeared. Checked plugs and coils before a camera was put into the cylinder to confirm the coolant intrusion. Dealership and manufacturer refuse to assist with repairs even though there was a recall for certain vehicles with this exact issue.

I was driving the vehicle on the freeway when the check engine light appeared and after a few seconds the cars engine suddenly shut off. There was a loss of power steering from the lack of engine power which made it difficult for me to steer and a sudden loss of speed which made several vehicles take evasive maneuvers to avoid having an accident with my car as I merged onto the shoulder of the freeway. After getting the car home I checked the vehicles trouble codes which appeared as P0301 cylinder 1 misfire and P0302 cylinder misfire and P0300 general misfires. I noticed a lack of coolant which I refilled and started the vehicle again to see if and how it would run. The car started but ran very rough at first and white smoke started billowing out of the exhaust. After a couple of minutes I decided to drive just down the street to my local Ford service center. They called me yesterday to tell me that the 2.0L 4 cylinder Ecoboost head gasket has failed and has allowed engine coolant to pour into the cylinder 1. The engine cylinder begins to misfire causing the engine to shake and emit white smoke from the exhaust as the coolant is burned off with the fuel. We are now seeing this safety issue and complaint with many vehicles that have the same or similar engine. They say the only remedy is to replace the long block engine with one that supposedly has a "fix" to the coolant delivery system within the engine block. Knowing what I know now, I would never have considered the purchase of this vehicle. The safety issue alone makes cars with these engines a danger to the owner and the public.

Transmission is now not shifting out of park and this is after having issues with the engine allowing coolant to get in and causing damage with the cylinders. Would not pass the pressure test. When calling ford customer service and headquarters telling me there is no way they can help with good will. Find this troublesome when they already know the EcoBoost causing issues to the car and my car is not at 120,000 miles yet. After seeing the 2013-2016 models already have a recall for the exact same thing and you're going to say this is not related is beyond ignorant on the company's behalf.

- There is a crack in the engine block; coolant is leaking into cylinder 3. I am having the car taken by carvana on 3/30 and it will no longer be available for inspection, but I have record of the mechanical issues from taking the vehicle into the dealership on 3/18. - My/others safety was not immediately at risk, but I know that my engine could have blown while driving, causing an accident or even an engine fire. - As stated, issue was confirmed by dealer, and I have records of this - N/A - Check engine light appeared on approximately 3/5; was unable to have car inspected right away and continued driving. Started to get intermittent errors stating that the engine was overheating/coolant was low on 3/12. Stopped driving car more than 2 miles at a time after this. Boyfriend correctly diagnosed issue on 3/15 and I had the issue confirmed by dealer on 3/18.