NHTSA Complaint #11354636 — 2016 FORD FUSION

AT 78,000 MILES MY CAR HAD A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COME ON UPON STARTING THE ENGINE FOLLOWED BY A DROP IN POWER UPON STARTING IT. THE CHECK ENGINE TURNED OFF ON MY WAY TO THE SHOP, AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHY IT CAME ON AND TURNED OFF. ABOUT 1 WEEK LATER IT CAME ON AGAIN AND I HAD IT CHECKED AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS A 'CYLINDER 1 MISFIRE' WITH A ERROR CODE P0301. I HAD THE SPARK PLUGS AND IGNITION COILS ALL REPLACED. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN ABOUT 2 WEEKS LATER AFTER EXPERIENCING A DROP IN POWER UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE. AND SHORTLY TURNED OFF AGAIN. I THEN RECEIVED A 'HIGH COOLANT TEMPERATURE' WARNING WHILE DRIVING, AND MADE A STOP TO REFILL MY COOLANT HOUSING TO THE 'MAX' LINE. NOT EVEN 2 WEEKS LATER I RECEIVED THE SAME 'HIGH COOLANT TEMPERATURE' WARNING WHILE TRAVELING DOWN THE INTERSTATE FOLLOWED BY SUDDEN EMISSIONS OF WHITE SMOKE OUT OF THE EXHAUST PIPES. THERE WAS NO 'CHECK ENGINE LIGHT' ON DURING OR AFTER THIS INCIDENT. I PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER AND SHUT THE ENGINE OFF, THEN HAD IT TOWED TO A TRUSTED MECHANIC. HE DETERMINED THAT THE COOLANT MAY BE LEAKING INTO THE CYLINDER 1 CAUSING IT TO MISFIRE AND EVENTUALLY LEADING TO A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. THIS CAR WAS METICULOUSLY CARED FOR AND MAINTAINED AND SOMEHOW HAS A BLOWN HEAD GASKET BEFORE REACHING 80,000 MILES. THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE IS STILL TO BE DETERMINED.