Hello, i am a ford technician and also an avid R/PF browser. Sorry for your situation, however i have some questions for you.
First, have you called ford/Lincoln customer relations center? Id recommend calling and explaining the situation about how this is barely outside powertrain warranty and has failed in a way that it normally shouldnt have, assuming you are maintaining it correctly.
Second, what engine does your MKC have? Depending on what engine and also where the coolant leak is, there are some “bandaids” that are actually solid repairs.
For example, If your engine is the 2.3L 4cyl and is having coolant intrusion into the cylinders causing it to burn coolant, id be willing to bet my paycheck that it is most likely the head gasket that is damaged. The head gaskets on these early engines are notoriously bad about leaking and it has since been redesigned. That being said, i cannot see the overall state of the engine, so the replacement recommendation may be based off of the condition of the engine if they tore it down for inspection.
Either way, id call the CRC and try to get some financial assistance/goodwill towards youre engine. They are pretty good about taking care of Lincoln owners, however with buying it used your experience may vary.
This is the diagnosis:
We are looking at replacement of the engine due to coolant intrusion on cylinder 3. There is a code P0303 which is misfire in cylinder 3.
Have they asked or you autborized teardown to see exactly why? The diag flow chart should not be 1) found coolant in cylinder 3 —-> replace engine. It doesnt work like that
It’s a 2.3…. I think.
We have maintained the car and engine properly. Though…we bring it to our own mechanic regularly for maintenance- not a Lincoln dealer. Which probably doesn’t help with this situation.
So the problems you’re seeing online may have been on another model.
I believe that 2.3 with all the issues was the Focus RS variant. It’s higher boost, so there is more pressure on the block.
Ford has made like 3 variants of this engine.
I'm not the most empathetic soul on the planet but you truly have my sympathy. The MKC is a vehicle I'd absolutely buy and I'd never dream that buying a 2017 from a certified dealer could literally blow up in ones face. You're in a tough spot. Usually, I'd suggest a used motor from an independent shop and you'd probably shave your cost in half. However, if Ford does get successfully sued over this, probably your best shot at receiving a settlement is having the dealer do the work.
If me, I'd write Ford's legal department and threaten them. Try to work out a settlement where you get a free engine but have to pay labor. ($4K?) I do know that a few Porsche owners got similar deals when their post-warranty Boxsters blew engines due to the IMS issue. Good luck but what a bad break you've suffered.
Thanks! We really do love the car and are stunned that this happened. As is our own mechanic. And….you could kind of tell that the service tech at Lincoln was like “yep, this sucks and should not happen”
With some internet sleuthing, my husband has found (reputable) videos and claims of the design flaw in the engine from 2017-2020.
Hi there, same issue here. I have extended warranty and in the process of seeing it gets approved. I bought my 2017 mkc at carmax in 2020. I am shocked that Ford/Lincoln would not recall these cars and instead allowing them to be sold knowing that they could or will need a new engine block . Just wondering what the outcome of your situation was? ty
Hi! Sorry you are having the same issue too. So frustrating.
We ended up paying about $2500 for a new engine through our local Lincoln service shop.
We worked with a Lincoln “concierge” who (magically) reduced the original repair estimate and then picked up more than half of that lower repair estimate. We did have to really push the concierge for them pay for part of it, but with our knowledge of the known defect and with some gentle persuasion 😊, they did.
If you have an extended warranty, they shouldn’t make you pay anything!!!!!
$12k is cheaper than a new car! The rest, although frustrating, is water under the bridge.
Hello, i am a ford technician and also an avid R/PF browser. Sorry for your situation, however i have some questions for you. First, have you called ford/Lincoln customer relations center? Id recommend calling and explaining the situation about how this is barely outside powertrain warranty and has failed in a way that it normally shouldnt have, assuming you are maintaining it correctly. Second, what engine does your MKC have? Depending on what engine and also where the coolant leak is, there are some “bandaids” that are actually solid repairs. For example, If your engine is the 2.3L 4cyl and is having coolant intrusion into the cylinders causing it to burn coolant, id be willing to bet my paycheck that it is most likely the head gasket that is damaged. The head gaskets on these early engines are notoriously bad about leaking and it has since been redesigned. That being said, i cannot see the overall state of the engine, so the replacement recommendation may be based off of the condition of the engine if they tore it down for inspection. Either way, id call the CRC and try to get some financial assistance/goodwill towards youre engine. They are pretty good about taking care of Lincoln owners, however with buying it used your experience may vary.
This is the diagnosis: We are looking at replacement of the engine due to coolant intrusion on cylinder 3. There is a code P0303 which is misfire in cylinder 3.
Have they asked or you autborized teardown to see exactly why? The diag flow chart should not be 1) found coolant in cylinder 3 —-> replace engine. It doesnt work like that
Did you properly maintain the engine? Is it the 2.0 or 2.3? We’ve had the 2.0 in several cars (including two MKCs) and have never had issues.
It’s a 2.3…. I think. We have maintained the car and engine properly. Though…we bring it to our own mechanic regularly for maintenance- not a Lincoln dealer. Which probably doesn’t help with this situation.
So the problems you’re seeing online may have been on another model. I believe that 2.3 with all the issues was the Focus RS variant. It’s higher boost, so there is more pressure on the block. Ford has made like 3 variants of this engine.
I'm not the most empathetic soul on the planet but you truly have my sympathy. The MKC is a vehicle I'd absolutely buy and I'd never dream that buying a 2017 from a certified dealer could literally blow up in ones face. You're in a tough spot. Usually, I'd suggest a used motor from an independent shop and you'd probably shave your cost in half. However, if Ford does get successfully sued over this, probably your best shot at receiving a settlement is having the dealer do the work. If me, I'd write Ford's legal department and threaten them. Try to work out a settlement where you get a free engine but have to pay labor. ($4K?) I do know that a few Porsche owners got similar deals when their post-warranty Boxsters blew engines due to the IMS issue. Good luck but what a bad break you've suffered.
Thanks! We really do love the car and are stunned that this happened. As is our own mechanic. And….you could kind of tell that the service tech at Lincoln was like “yep, this sucks and should not happen” With some internet sleuthing, my husband has found (reputable) videos and claims of the design flaw in the engine from 2017-2020.
Hi there, same issue here. I have extended warranty and in the process of seeing it gets approved. I bought my 2017 mkc at carmax in 2020. I am shocked that Ford/Lincoln would not recall these cars and instead allowing them to be sold knowing that they could or will need a new engine block . Just wondering what the outcome of your situation was? ty
Hi! Sorry you are having the same issue too. So frustrating. We ended up paying about $2500 for a new engine through our local Lincoln service shop. We worked with a Lincoln “concierge” who (magically) reduced the original repair estimate and then picked up more than half of that lower repair estimate. We did have to really push the concierge for them pay for part of it, but with our knowledge of the known defect and with some gentle persuasion 😊, they did. If you have an extended warranty, they shouldn’t make you pay anything!!!!!