NHTSA Complaint #11474375 — 2019 FORD FIESTA

In SEP-2021, the engine overheating warning light came on. We stopped the car and realized that the coolant level in the overflow reservoir was very low. There was no obvious leak on the ground or on the engine. We purchased coolant and topped off the coolant reservoir to the appropriate level. A couple of weeks later, we noticed again that the coolant level had gone down significantly while there was no sign of coolant whatsoever on the floor of the garage. We dropped off the car at our local Ford dealer on 20-OCT-2022 for a diagnosis. On OCT-22, the service department confirmed that the engine had overheated and that the head gasket had blown and informed us they would contact Ford to discuss the repair. Further feedback from the dealership was that they would need to tear down the engine at Ford's request for further investigation. We received a loaner vehicle from the dealership on 29-OCT-2022. Fast forward to FEB-2022 and the dealer confirmed that they had found no external leaks and the diagnosis had revealed codes P1299 and P0303. Further testing revealed coolant found in cylinder # 3 so the coolant was found to be leaking inside the engine. Engine block was found to be cracked. They also confirmed that Ford Motor Co. had agreed to replace the engine under warranty. The repaired vehicle was finally returned to us on ... 20-JUN-2022, 8 months after it was dropped off at the dealership.