2019 Ford Fiesta Engine Problems

•Make: Ford •Model: Fiesta ST •Model Year: 2019 •Engine: 1.6L EcoBoost •Mileage at Incident: 95000 Component Affected: Engine / Cooling System Summary of Problem: Coolant is leaking into the combustion chamber of my 1.6L EcoBoost engine due to a suspected internal engine defect. This issue caused noticeable white smoke from the exhaust, engine misfires, and a loss of power while driving. The coolant loss was not visible externally, indicating internal leakage. After diagnostic testing at a Ford dealership, I was informed the engine block or cylinder head is compromised, allowing coolant intrusion into the cylinders. The dealer quoted approximately $12,000 for a full engine replacement and confirmed that this is a known issue with Ford EcoBoost engines. Safety Concerns: The vehicle became unreliable and unsafe to drive, especially at highway speeds, due to the misfiring and sudden power loss. If this failure had occurred during certain driving conditions, it could have led to an accident. Furthermore, the cost of repair is unreasonably high for a systemic engine defect not caused by consumer neglect. Request for Investigation: This appears to be part of a broader, well-documented problem with various EcoBoost engines across Ford’s lineup ( TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN 19-2346 2.0L EcoBoost - Coolant In Cylinders, White Exhaust Smoke And/Or Illuminated MIL). I am submitting this complaint in hopes that NHTSA will investigate the safety implications of this engine defect and push for accountability from Ford through recalls or reimbursement programs.

The incident happened on November 1, 2023, and the complaint is on a 2019 Ford Fiesta with approximately 22,700 miles and still covered under the power train warranty. A family member and I were driving and I started to feel nauseous, and had difficulty thinking clearly. This improved once exiting the vehicle. My family member experienced the same symptoms of nausea and difficulty thinking when driving, and additionally had a headache. This was improved by rolling down the windows. The vehicle was taken to Pearson Ford in Zionsville, Indiana and was found to have a cracked exhaust manifold with exhaust fumes leaking into the cabin. This was deemed a premature part failure of the exhaust manifold, as there was no damage done to the vehicle and the vehicle having low miles, approximately 22,700. The dealer agreed to replace the exhaust manifold under warranty, but had to order the part. Repair is still pending.

Catastrophic Engine Failure due to the manufacturer's recommendation and use of conventional motor oils in the form of Synthetic Blend Motor Oil or Super Premium Motor Oil, a specification WSS-M2C945-B1 , from the 2019 Ford Fiesta Owner Manual. It leaves the driver and occupants stranded in the middle of the road with an inoperable vehicle. Being a small 4 cylinder engine the engine is high revving and produces sludge. Whereas if the manufacturer recommended Full Synthetic oil as the car parts store do as part of the oils usable for that specific model. There would have been no engine failure as occurred with my vehicle on 11/22/2022. No sludge would form in the engine. Because synthetic oil is proven not produce any sludge in an engine. I believe a recall should result in the manufacturer recommending full synthetic in the owner manual and engine oil be replaced by dealer service to full synthetic as well as engine work be done due to damage from conventional oil.

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle displayed an engine overheating warning on the instrument panel. The contact pulled over and waited for the engine to cool down before continuing to drive. The contact stated that the failure was most prominent during warmer weather and became increasingly persistent over time, causing the contact to conclude that the failure was due to the extreme heat this summer. The contact opted to stop driving the vehicle due to the persistent failure. The contact became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V209000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) and believed that it may be related to the symptoms his vehicle was experiencing. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer nor an independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and it was confirmed that neither the vehicle’s model year nor the VIN was included in the recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 9,000.

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.

Purge valve canister failed on my 2019 Ford Fiesta. I only mention this, because 2012-2018 Ford Focus models had a recall that was similar, and my Purge Valve Canister went out after 1 year and approximately 60,000 miles.