NHTSA Complaint #10949962 — 2013 FORD FUSION

MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WHILE I WAS ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK. WHILE SITTING IDLE AT A STOPLIGHT, THE CAR WARNED THE ENGINE WAS OVERHEATING SO I PULLED OVER AND SHUT IT OFF FOR 20 MINUTES. THE NEXT MORNING WHEN I WENT OUT TO MY CAR, I NOTICED A LARGE AMOUNT OF CLEAR FLUID HAD LEAKED OUT. ON MY WAY TO THE DEALERSHIP, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT OFF AND (ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP) STAYED OFF UNTIL I PICKED THE CAR BACK UP AND STARTED DRIVING HOME. AFTER RUNNING DIAGNOSTICS AT THE DEALERSHIP, IT TURNS OUT THAT THE ENGINE BYPASS SOLENOID VALVE SHORTED OUT DUE TO A FAULTY COOLANT TEE ON THE HEATER CORE INLET. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH, IT SEEMS THAT THIS WAS A RECALL ON 2013 FORD FUSION SE 1.6L CARS. I CONTACTED MY LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT MY SPECIFIC 2013 FORD FUSION SE 1.6L WAS NOT PART OF THIS RECALL (ALTHOUGH IT WAS INCLUDED IN THREE OTHER RECALLS FROM FORD). AFTER A SIMPLE SEARCH, I DISCOVERED THAT THIS SEEMS TO BE A WIDESPREAD ISSUE WITH THIS CAR-REGARDLESS OF THE RECALL. APPARENTLY OTHER 2013 FORD FUSION OWNERS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL ARE EXPERIENCING THE EXACT SAME ENGINE COOLANT PROBLEM. IT ALSO SEEMS THE ORIGINAL RECALL HAD TO BE REOPENED TO INCLUDE ADDITIONAL VEHICLES. PERHAPS IT NEEDS TO BE REOPENED AGAIN.