2016 Ford Mustang: engine overheating

Filed Oct 21, 2026 · Engine · NY

Coolant intrusion caused by a crack in the engine block coolant leaking into cylinder 3, engine replacement needed. 50k miles on the vehicle.

Filed Sep 29, 2026 · Electrical · CA · fire

A new Walmart-brand EverStart Plus 96R, 590 CCA automotive battery was purchased on August 4, 2026, and installed in a 2016 Ford Mustang Convertible. On the evening of September 26, 2026, my family and I drove the Mustang and returned home at approximately 11:00 p.m. The vehicle operated normally. There were no warning signs, electrical problems, overheating, or other indications of a mechanical problem. The Mustang remained parked and untouched overnight. At approximately 2:00 p.m., 15 hours later, on September 27, my daughter came into the room and told me that the car was on fire. Riverside County Fire responded to the scene. Fire personnel specifically asked whether the Mustang had been driven or worked on that day. I told them it had not. The vehicle had remained parked since approximately 11:00 p.m. the prior evening. Fire personnel continued to suppress the fire, investigated the engine compartment, cut the battery cables, photographed the vehicle, and advised me that the battery appeared to be the possible source of ignition.

Filed Aug 5, 2026 · Engine · CA

Nelson v. Ford Motor Company is a class action lawsuit targeting a defect in Ford's 2.3-liter EcoBoost engines. The suit highlights coolant leaks into engine cylinders, overheating, and catastrophic engine failures. I have had my 2016 ford mustang ecoboost in and out of mechanic shops for months now accumulating well over $7K in out of pocket expenses. I have been to multiple mechanics trying to diagnose and fix the problem but in the end it was a design flaw in the 2016 ford mustang ecoboost 4 cylinder which caused it to leak coolant, misfire, and overheat. I have been having this problem for some time now, this put my safety and the safety of others at risk because I had to slow down dramatically in order to pull over on the freeway due to the engine overheating from coolant loss. I've also experienced problems like trouble starting, rough idling, loss of coolant, and huge clouds of white smoke coming from the exhaust upon start. I have saved every single receipt and invoice breakdown since this problem began. My mechanic has also been documenting everything including taking notes and photographs of every issue. My car is currently in the shop right now being worked on. My mechanic says that he can temporarily patch the problem with a high performance head stud, copper sealant, and an ExtremeHeat metallic repair paste by JB Weld to momentarily solve the issue. He says that he does not know how long this patch will last so he is insisting I either get a new car or to see what my options are regarding the class action lawsuit filed against Ford.

Filed Dec 15, 2025 · Engine · TX

From what I can remember its always been an issue with cylinder 3. I was always repaired by Ford Auto Nation of Fort Worth and Auto World Repair 2021 Engine Failure: Confirmed and repaired blown head gasket 2022 Check Engine Light code P303 - Found faulty as well as ignition coil on cylinder 3 2025 Engine Failure: code P303 - Found faulty as well as ignition coil on cylinder 3 Excessive smoke during idle Cracked engine block due to coolant leak through cylinder wall

Filed Aug 29, 2025 · Engine · AZ

Coolant intrusion into the cylinder head. This caused a sudden halt of he vehicle which could have caused an accident and loss of life. The engine coolant overheating temperature warning light came on. Vehicle was inspected by ford dealership and found to have blown head gasket. The car is vat for inspection.

Filed Mar 20, 2025 · Engine · 99,000 miles · LA

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while at a stop sign, the vehicle lost automotive power. The check engine warning light illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle had a rough start prior to the failure. The contact stated that the vehicle was pushed into a nearby local independent service center, where it was diagnosed with a coolant leak intrusion into the engine. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it was left for further investigation at the owner's expense. The vehicle was not repaired. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 16V779000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 99,000. The VIN was not available.

Filed Dec 11, 2024 · Engine · 79,575 miles · NC

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed with a cylinder #3 misfire, and that the spark plugs, coil pack, vacuum sensor, and engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred two days later. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer where it was diagnosed that the coolant level was low and there was coolant leaking into cylinder #3, and the engine needed to be replaced again. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 79,575.

Filed Oct 30, 2024 · Engine · 127,249 miles · AL

Engine Failure. In the right situation, complete loss of power of vehicle could cause several safety problems including Injury and/or Death. The problem was determined by the dealer and Extended Warranty Inspector. There were no warning lamps or any other indications of a complete engine failure. No smoke exiting the exhaust, no contaminated oil, plenty of coolant in radiator, and was not making any noise. Reason for taking the car in for service was, on Oct 1, 2024 the gauge was acting erratic. The car never ran hot. The car was taken to the dealership on Oct 2, 2024. 2 days after, received a call with results stating that I need a complete engine replacement due to overheating and coolant found in cylinder #3.

Filed May 15, 2024 · Engine · SC

A warning light appeared warning that the engine was overheating. However the temperature hand never indicated this. I pulled over immediately and turned the car off. I had it towed to a dealership that would accept my extended warranty. They discovered that the engine block was cracked and that the vehicle will need the engine replaced. My warranty company will not cover it because they said it is a known defect from ford. I know that ford had this same issue on other ecoboost engines but mine is a 2.3l and they have not included that one in the recall.

Filed May 14, 2024 · Engine · 85,080 miles · AL

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine was misfiring. In addition, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact inspected the vehicle and became aware of coolant leaking into the engine cylinder. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The warranty company declined to cover the repair under warranty because the failure was a known failure with the manufacturer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and the contact was advised to report the failure to the federal safety agency Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 85,080.

Filed Oct 19, 2023 · Engine · CA

My car is a single owner car, that has documentation of regular oil changes, engine upkeep, and general maintenance since its purchase in 2016. No major issues had been experienced until August, 2023. While driving the car home from work, I felt an immediate loss of power from the engine, my a/c went out, and an error flashed saying the temperature sensor for the cylinder heads showed the engine was overheating. So, in 100+ °F weather, I pulled the car over and turned it off. I let it sit for just over 15 minutes before turning it back on, only to find the car was still in failsafe mode. With less than five miles to return home, I drove, a car that refused to get up to 25 mph in the blazing heat (and no a/c), back home. I immediately called my local Ford dealership and set up an appointment to bring it in the next week, their soonest available appointment. In the meantime, I had to find people to carpool to work with. The next Monday, the car is brought in, and that day I’m informed the cylinder head cracked and I’d need a new engine. I couldn’t believe it. I’d always taken care of my car, never put it under any type of undue stress, how could the cylinder head have cracked? The dealership explained the damage was due to a well-known defect in the design of the engine. I was still flabbergasted. The engine fails, not through fault of the user, but from bad design on the part of the manufacturer, and I’m still the one responsible to pay $8,000 for a new engine? I am disappointed Ford put out a car with engines that WILL eventually fail, and then chooses to force their customers to be financially responsible for their error. My engine losing power with absolutely no notice could have resulted in a life threatening car accident had I chosen to drive the freeway that day, or could have forced me into unsafe situations had I been traveling. I will never buy a Ford again based on this experience and the business practices displayed.

Filed Sep 6, 2023 · Engine · 77,000 miles · FL

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that approximately 3 to 4 times while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle overheated and then stalled without warning. The failure had occurred at various speeds. The contact stated that the failure had escalated to the point where the vehicle was no longer drivable. The contact had the vehicle towed to the dealer who diagnosed with coolant intrusion into cylinder #4, causing the engine to misfire. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 77,000.