NHTSA Complaint #11363304 — 2017 FORD FUSION

AFTER 3 YEARS OF OWNING THE CAR AND 81,000 MILES (PURCHASED NEW AND NEVER HAD ANY ISSUES), VEHICLE'S ENGINE BLOCK CRACKED, RESULTING IN COOLANT CONTAMINATION. FORD'S INVESTIGATION SHOWED CYLINDER #2 AND #3 WERE MISFIRING AND OIL WAS LEAKING IN. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, POOR ACCELERATION, AND RUMBLING WHILE IDLING ALL FIRST OCCURRED ON THE HIGHWAY, JUST 2 DAYS AFTER A FORD SERVICE CENTER DID A COMPLETE ENGINE CHECK AND OIL CHANGE. ONCE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STARTED FLASHING AT US AND THE ENGINE WOULDN'T PUSH PAST 2K RPMS, WE IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER (AS FORD WARNED US THAT FLASHING INDICATED FUEL WAS DUMPING INTO THE ENGINE). THE FORD DEALERSHIP WE TOWED THE CAR TO HAD NO AVAILABILITY TO FIX THE CAR, AS 4 OTHER FUSIONS WITH THE EXACT SAME ENGINE AND ISSUE CAME IN EARLIER THAT WEEK. THAT'S WHEN THE SERVICE MANAGER ACKNOWLEDGED THIS IS A MUCH BIGGER ISSUE THAN WHAT WE BELIEVED WAS A RANDOM BREAK. FURTHER INVESTIGATION SHOWED THAT WE COMPLETED THE RECALL FORD ISSUED (CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM 19B37) 8,000 MILES PRIOR TO THE ENGINE CRACKING, WHICH WAS TO REPROGRAM THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE TO FIX: "COOLANT INTRUSION INTO THE CYLINDER BORES CAN LEAD TO COOLANT LOSS, EXCESSIVE TAILPIPE SMOKE, OR ILLUMINATED MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LIGHTS DUE TO ENGINE MISFIRE AND COULD POTENTIALLY LEAD TO ENGINE DAMAGE". FURTHERMORE, FORD ISSUED TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN 19-2139 THAT ACKNOWLEDGES THIS EXACT ISSUE AND THE WARNING SIGNS TO LOOK FOR, WHICH FORD FAILED TO IDENTIFY DURING THE ENGINE CHECK 2 DAYS PRIOR. IT'S CLEAR THERE IS A DESIGN FLAW OR MANUFACTURING DEFECT IN THE 1.5L ECOBOOST ENGINE FOR 2014-2019 FUSIONS, AND I'M CONFIDENT YOU WILL FIND THOUSANDS OF OTHER OWNERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE EXACT SAME ISSUE. FORD ACKNOWLEDGED THE ISSUE WITH RECALL 19B37, THOUGH IT'S APPARENT IT DID NOT FIX THE ISSUE. FORD IS JUST TOO CHEAP TO TRULY FIX THE MESS THEY CREATED.