P0117 Engine coolant temperature sensor signal too low
2 owner reports and 94 manufacturer filings across 26 model years from Dodge, Ford, Jeep, Lincoln and others.
Where P0117 shows up
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaintsShowing the 25 model years where P0117 appears most; it is on file for 26 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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P0117 by make
The same record, one make at a time: the model years, bulletins and owner reports that name P0117 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 vehicle subsequently developed additional problems including shaking, a check-engine light, Cylinder 1 misfire, and diagnostic code P0117 related to the coolant temperature sensor/circuit
Upon running a diagnostic, the following error codes displayed; P0420, P0340, P0197, P0117, P1D83, P2181(several codes showing up more than once showing permanent, pending)
94 manufacturer filings name P0117. 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 P0117.
- 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
- SSM 48991 Service bulletin2020-07-10 · Engine And Engine Cooling
- Some 2015-2020 F150/Edge/Fusion, 2016-2018 MKX, 2019-2020 Nautilus, and 2017-2020 Continental vehicles equipped with 2.7L EcoBoost engines may exhibit an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) and/or Engine Coolant Over Temperature warning with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0116, P0117, P0118, P0119, P0128, P0217, P0330, P1026, P1299, and/or P130D. This may be due to the engine coolant te
- SSM 47791 Service bulletin2019-02-06 · Electrical System
- Some 2015-2019 F150/Edge, 2016-2018 MKX, 2019 Nautilus and 2017-2019 Fusion/Continental vehicles equipped with a 2.7L engine may exhibit a malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) and/or wrench lamp with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0116, P0117, P0118, P0119, P0217, P0330, P1026, and/or P130D. This may be due to a engine coolant temperature (ECT) sensor connector which is not fully seated or damaged w
What P0117 means
Source: SAE J2012 / OBD-IIEngine coolant temperature sensor signal too low.
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 P0117
Source: NHTSA files and the OBD-II standardCan I keep driving with P0117 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.