NHTSA Complaint #11351662 — 2016 FORD FUSION

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON IN MY VEHICLE AND IT WAS IDLING ROUGH SO I TOOK IT BY AUTOZONE TO GET THE DIAGNOSTIC CHECK. IT SHOWED P0300, CYLINDER MISFIRE. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP BUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAD GONE OFF SO THEY CHANGED THE SPARK PLUGS THINKING THIS WOULD FIX IT. A FEW DAYS LATER, THE SAME THING HAPPENED, WITH THE ADDITION OF WHITE SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE EXHAUST, WHILE IDLING. WHEN I TOOK IT IN THE SECOND TIME, THE LIGHT WAS NOT ON ANYMORE AND IT WASN'T SMOKING. THEY COULDN'T REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. ABOUT A WEEK LATER, WHEN I STARTED THE VEHICLE, IT IDLED ROUGH AND THEN DIED. WHEN I STARTED IT BACK UP, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON AGAIN AND WHITE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE. WHEN I STARTED DRIVING, ON A CITY STREET, WHITE SMOKE BEGAN BILLOWING FROM THE EXHAUST. THE SMOKE WAS SO THICK THAT I COULDN'T SEE ANYTHING BEHIND ME. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE FORD DEALERSHIP AND MADE AN APPOINTMENT TO GET IT LOOKED AT AGAIN. THIS TIME THEY INFORMED ME THAT COOLANT WAS LEAKING INTO ONE OF THE CYLINDERS AND THAT I WOULD NEED A NEW ENGINE AND IT WAS GOING TO COST $7,300. MY CAR HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP NOW FOR ALMOST TWO WEEKS WAITING FOR THE EXTENDED WARRANTY COMPANY TO MAKE A DECISION ON WHETHER OR NOT THEY WILL PAY FOR THE REPAIR. TSB 19-2346 ADDRESSES THE ISSUE BUT THE VEHICLE OWNER STILL HAS TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR IF THEY DON'T HAVE A WARRANTY OR IT DOESN'T COVER IT. THE FIRST INCIDENT WAS ON 7/22/20 AND THE FINAL INCIDENT WAS ON 8/14/20.