2014 Ford Fusion · symptom sheet

Engine overheats or leaks coolant

101owner reports
99,000median miles
$6,500median quote
1involved a crash

Newest report May 14, 2026 · checked Sep 19, 2026

224 of the 1,287 complaints on this car are about the engine. 101 of those describe overheating.

Tick what matches of 101 reports

the temperature gauge climbed into the red

coolant is disappearing or on the ground

white smoke from the tailpipe

the heater stopped blowing hot

the dealer found a head gasket or cracked block

the engine was replaced afterward

What got replaced

Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the coolant hose or reservoir (13 reports), the water pump (10 reports), the head gasket (9 reports) and the thermostat (4 reports).

Recalls and investigations

One recall on the engine covers the 2014 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.

17V-209Mar 27, 2017

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014 Escape, 2014-2015 Fiesta ST, 2013-2014 Fusion and 2013-2015 Transit Connect vehicles equipped with 1.6L GTDI engines. If the vehicle is started and driven with an insufficient level of coolant within the engine cooling system, the engine cylinder head may overheat, crack and leak oil.

Risk and remedy

Risk: If the cylinder head cracks and leaks oil, the oil may contact a hot engine or exhaust component, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will install a coolant level sensor and the supporting hardware and software, free of charge. Interim notices informing owners of the safety risk were mailed April 21, 2017. The recall began on January 5, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S09.

NHTSA investigations into the engine on the Fusion

PE13-003opened Feb 21, 2013

Engine · model years 2010 to 2013

Electronic throttle body malfunction. Closed feb 28, 2014.

NHTSA summary

On February 21, 2013, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE13-003 to investigate allegations of electronic throttle body (ETB) failures resulting in sudden reduction of engine power in model year (MY) 2009-2013 Ford Escape, Fusion, Mariner and Milan vehicles. During this investigation, Ford identified a condition in subject vehicles equipped with 2.5L and 3.0L engines that may result in a sudden reduction of engine power.According to Ford, the ETB internal motor contacts may develop a high resistance material buildup condition on the commutator, resulting in intermittent electrical connectivity and reduced engine power. When this condition occurs, the Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) or Wrench light will illuminate and the vehicle may enter a limited limp home mode.Ford?s trade name for the feature is Failure Mode Effects Management (FMEM) mode.In this mode, engine power and vehicle speed are reduced, while full function of the power steering, power braking, lighting, and climate control systems are maintained.ODI?s complaint analysis indicate that the predominant failure mode involved reduced motive power associated with the limited limp home mode with engine speeds limited to approximately 900 RPM. Analysis of warranty claims provided by Ford identified 59,807 claims related to ETB replacements and approximately 50 percent of claims are associated with diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) P2111, Throttle Body Stuck Open, and P2112, Throttle B

None of these investigations covers the 2014 model year.

What owners paid

11 of the 101 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $4,500 to $7,000.

$4,500$6,500$7,000

$0k$2k$4k$6k$8k

When it happens

The middle half of failures fell between 69,000 and 130,704 miles, from the 70 reports that gave a mileage.

115

117

518

619

1320

921

1222

1723

2624

1025

126

What owners wrote

“I had multiple coolant leaks in the pass and I have to constantly replace the hose about every 2000-3000 miles Also my screen went out in my dashboard causing me to not be able to make any audio changes or station adjustments in my car Lastly whenever I get ready to increase my speed my car jerks back”
Filed Jun 9, 2025 · 3,000 miles

“2014 Ford Fusion 1.5 Eco boost engine now has 37,000 miles coolant leak into cylinders. Coolant container empty's quickly. Car is undrivable over heats causing a problem driving on the highway. Two mechanics confirmed.”
Filed Feb 2, 2024 · 37,000 miles

“Coolant leak into the cylinders of the 1.5 L GTDI EcoBoost engine and causes the vehicles to misfire, overheat and even catch fire. As a result of the failure which has been confirmed by an independent mechanic, the car is not operational only has 103K miles.”
Filed Sep 8, 2023 · 103,000 miles

“Replace my first engine because of overheating and severely white smoke due to leaking coolant. Now I'm about to replace my engine again, same problems. I found out from dealership this problem is on recall , just not my particular car but it's the same motor on the other approved cars.”
Filed Jun 27, 2023

Should you keep driving it?

This page can't tell you that. 1 of 101 reports involved a crash. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.

File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation.