2017 Ford Fusion · symptom sheet

Head gasket fails or coolant leaks into the engine

38owner reports
85,000median miles
$8,000median quote
0involved a crash

Newest report Jan 26, 2026 · checked Sep 19, 2026

38 of the 363 reports of overheating on the 2017 Fusion describe head gasket failure.

Part of Engine overheats or leaks coolant (363 reports)

Tick what matches of 38 reports

coolant is leaking or disappearing

the engine overheated

coolant got into the engine oil

the head gasket was replaced

there is a class action lawsuit

the engine needed to be replaced

What got replaced

Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the head gasket (38 reports) and the engine (9 reports).

Recalls and investigations

No recall on the engine covers the 2017 model year as of Sep 19, 2026.

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 2017 model year.

What owners paid

5 of the 38 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $6,300 to $9,000.

$6,300$8,000$9,000

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

When it happens

The middle half of failures fell between 58,000 and 108,849 miles, from the 26 reports that gave a mileage.

120

121

222

723

1324

1225

226

What owners wrote

“Engine failed. Lost all compression. Evidently this is a known problem with this engine where the head, head gasket and block fail between cylinders.”
Filed Jan 26, 2026

“1.5 Ecoboost engine leaks coolant into cylinder(s) causing misfire and engine overheating due to failed head gasket, cylinder head or crack in engine block. Ford TSB 21N12, 22-2322 and others address this exact issue. Ford failed to notify me of TSB, and the short time Ford allowed to replace engine has expired. Contact with Ford Corp resulted in no help with my car.”
Filed Mar 3, 2025

“Excessive blue smoke from tailpipe, car overheats on road, fails emission tests. Local repair shop diagnosed as bad head gasket due to improper engine block engineering design, known problem Ford 2017 1.5 Ecoboost Engine, per mechanic.”
Filed Aug 9, 2024

“Coolant intrusion - coolant leaking into the motor because of the engine block design and the head gasket failing. Can cause fire”
Filed Mar 26, 2024

Should you keep driving it?

This page can't tell you that. 0 of 38 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.