NHTSA Complaint #11354398 — 2014 FORD FUSION

I HAVE TAKEN GREAT CARE OF MY CAR AND HAD IT SERVICED REGULARLY. ALL OF A SUDDEN IT STARTED HAVING STARTUP ISSUES WITH WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM THE EXHAUST AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS INDICATING MISFIRE ON THIRD CYLINDER AND RANDOM MISFIRES ON STARTUP. SHORTLY AFTER THESE SYMPTOMS PRESENTED, THE CAR RAPIDLY OVERHEATED WHILE IN MOTION AND LEFT ME STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I TOOK IT TO TWO SHOPS AND BOTH CONFIRMED IT IS RELATED TO A KNOWN ISSUE WITH MY ENGINE (1.5 ECOBOOST) FOR WHICH FORD HAS RELEASED MULTIPLE CORRECTIONS IN THE FORM OF TSBS, FSAS, AND CSPS. THE DESIGN OF THE SHORT BLOCK AND THE ENGINE PROGRAMMING HAVE CAUSED THE COOLANT TO PREMATURELY DEGRADE THE HEAD GASKET WHICH LEADS TO COOLANT INTRUSION INTO THE ENGINE CYLINDERS. IN MY SPECIFIC CASE, THE ISSUE HAS PRESENTED IN CYLINDER 3. I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF THIS ISSUE BY THE DEALER FORD OF PORT RICHEY OR THE MANUFACTURER AND IT WILL NOT BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY DESPITE THE CAUSE OF THE ISSUE ORIGINATING AT THE MANUFACTURER FROM THE DESIGN OF THE SHORT BLOCK COOLANT PASSAGES AND THE ORIGINAL PROGRAMMING OF THE ENGINE. THIS SHOULD BE HANDLED AS A RECALL CONSIDERING IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE A VEHICLE THAT IS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO SPONTANEOUSLY OVERHEAT UNDER NORMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS, LEAVING A DRIVER AND THEIR TWO CHILDREN STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.