P0116 The engine coolant temperature sensor reading does not track the engine's actual warm-up
1 owner report and 255 manufacturer filings across 60 model years from Buick, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Ford and others.
Where P0116 shows up
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints| Model year | Filed under | Bulletins | Owner reports | Parts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 Volkswagen Golf / GTI | Equipment | 22 | — | |
| 2019 Volkswagen Jetta | Equipment | 20 | — | |
| 2019 Volkswagen Atlas | Equipment | 17 | — | |
| 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan | Equipment | 16 | — | |
| 2019 Volkswagen Beetle | Equipment | 14 | — | |
| 2018 Volkswagen Passat | Equipment | 9 | — | |
| 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan | Equipment | 9 | — | |
| 2022 Volkswagen Atlas | Equipment | 8 | — | |
| 2017 Volkswagen Passat | Equipment | 8 | — | |
| 2018 Volkswagen Atlas | Not specified | 6 | — | |
| 2018 Volkswagen Golf / GTI | Equipment | 6 | — | |
| 2016 Volkswagen Golf / GTI | Equipment | 6 | — | |
| 2018 Ford Fusion | Engine | 5 | — | |
| 2017 Ford Fusion | Engine | 5 | — | |
| 2018 Ford Edge | Electrical System | 4 | — | Battery → |
| 2017 Ford Edge | Engine | 4 | — | |
| 2016 Ford Edge | Engine | 4 | — | |
| 2016 Ford F-150 | Engine | 4 | — | |
| 2019 Ford Fusion | Engine | 4 | — | |
| 2018 Lincoln Continental | Engine | 4 | — | |
| 2017 Lincoln Continental | Engine | 4 | — | |
| 2018 Lincoln MKX | Engine | 4 | — | |
| 2017 Lincoln MKX | Engine | 4 | — | |
| 2016 Lincoln MKX | Engine | 4 | — | |
| 2021 Volkswagen ID.4 | Equipment | 4 | — |
Showing the 25 model years where P0116 appears most; it is on file for 60 in total.
A model year appears here because the code is named in its record, not because every one of these vehicles sets it. Counts are mentions in the federal files, not failure rates — nobody publishes the denominator.
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P0116 by make
The same record, one make at a time: the model years, bulletins and owner reports that name P0116 on that maker’s vehicles.
What it gets filed under
What owners said
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners’ own words, one per nameplate, scrubbed of anything identifying. These are unverified reports filed with NHTSA — they are what was said, not a finding that it was true.
The repair order states that DTC P00B7, P0116 or P2681 was stored in the engine/motor control module
255 manufacturer filings name P0116. Start with what the maker wrote down.
A code names the test that failed, not the part. A bulletin that names it is often a diagnosis someone has already written down — quote its number at the service desk.
Manufacturer filings that name it
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communicationsService bulletins and campaigns whose filed summary names P0116.
- 24-NA-064 Service bulletin2024-04-02 · Electrical System
- This service bulletin advises the tech to re-program the ECM to correct a customer concern of the MIL Illuminated w/DTCs P0324 and/or P0116 Set.
- VIN4APIN20220831 Service bulletin2022-08-31 · Lane Departure — Blind Spot Detection
- Customer states rattle noise from the underbody heat shields Customer states MIL-on, fault P0442 and/or P0456 stored in ECM memory Customer states rattle noise under vehicle Customer states MIL-on, fault P0463 stored in ECM memory Customer states coolant light on, coolant level low Customer states MIL-on, fault P19F7 P3081 P0116 and/or P0117 in the ECM Customer states noise from the front en
- VINPIN20220829-2 Service bulletin2022-08-29 · Equipment — Other — Owners/Service/Other Manual
- Customer states rattle noise from the underbody heat shields Customer states MIL-on, fault P0442 and/or P0456 stored in ECM memory Customer states rattle noise under vehicle Customer states MIL-on, fault P0463 stored in ECM memory Customer states coolant light on, coolant level low Customer states MIL-on, fault P19F7 P3081 P0116 and/or P0117 in the ECM Customer states noise from the front en
- VIN4APIN20220829 Service bulletin2022-08-29 · Equipment — Other — Owners/Service/Other Manual
- Customer states rattle noise from the underbody heat shields Customer states MIL-on, fault P0442 and/or P0456 stored in ECM memory Customer states rattle noise under vehicle Customer states MIL-on, fault P0463 stored in ECM memory Customer states coolant light on, coolant level low Customer states MIL-on, fault P19F7 P3081 P0116 and/or P0117 in the ECM Customer states noise from the front en
- VIN4APIN20220819 Service bulletin2022-08-19 · Latches/Locks/Linkages — Doors — Latch
- Customer states rattle noise from the underbody heat shields Customer states brake noise, dust and uneven pad wear Customer states MIL-on, fault P0442 and/or P0456 stored in ECM memory Customer states rattle noise under vehicle Customer states MIL-on, fault P0463 stored in ECM memory Customer states coolant light on, coolant level low Customer states MIL-on, fault P19F7 P3081 P0116 and/or P0
- 11-201-21 Service bulletin2021-02-04 · Engine And Engine Cooling
- This bulletin announces availability of reprogramming files to optimize the Engine Control Module (ECM). The new files will address DTC P0116 and hard starting in cold temperature concerns when an accessory engine block heater is utilized.
What P0116 means
Source: SAE J2012 / OBD-IIThe engine coolant temperature sensor reading does not track the engine's actual warm-up.
A stored code names the test that failed, never the part that caused it. It is the starting point of a diagnosis, not its conclusion — the same code has several possible causes and the cheap one is not always right.
Common questions about P0116
Source: NHTSA files and the OBD-II standardCan I keep driving with P0116 stored?
Nobody can answer that from the code alone, and a site that does is guessing. A steady light means a fault was logged and the car should be checked soon; a flashing light means a severe misfire — slow down and get it seen as soon as possible, because severe misfire can quickly damage the catalytic converter. The safe read of this page is the mileage and the components, not permission.
Does a code mean the car is recalled?
No. Recalls are filed by campaign and matched by VIN, and none of them are triggered by a scan tool. If you want to know whether an open recall applies to one specific vehicle, check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls — that is the only source that settles it.
Why do the counts here differ from other sites?
Because these are not estimates. Every number on this page is a count of documents in NHTSA's own files: manufacturer communications that name the code in their filed summary, and owner complaints that name it in the narrative. We do not model, weight or extrapolate them.
Will clearing the code fix it?
Clearing turns the light off and erases the freeze-frame data a technician would have used to work out what happened. If the condition is still there the code returns, usually within a few drive cycles, and the diagnosis now starts from less information than before.