P0118 Engine coolant temperature sensor signal too high
0 owner reports and 60 manufacturer filings across 16 model years from Ford, Lincoln.
Where P0118 shows up
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints| Model year | Filed under | Bulletins | Owner reports | Parts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 Ford Fusion | Engine | 5 | — | Coolant temperature sensor → |
| 2017 Ford Fusion | Engine | 5 | — | Coolant temperature sensor → |
| 2018 Ford Edge | Electrical System | 4 | — | Coolant temperature sensor → |
| 2017 Ford Edge | Engine | 4 | — | Coolant temperature sensor → |
| 2016 Ford Edge | Engine | 4 | — | Coolant temperature sensor → |
| 2016 Ford F-150 | Engine | 4 | — | Coolant temperature sensor → |
| 2019 Ford Fusion | Engine | 4 | — | Coolant temperature sensor → |
| 2018 Lincoln Continental | Engine | 4 | — | Coolant temperature sensor → |
| 2017 Lincoln Continental | Engine | 4 | — | Coolant temperature sensor → |
| 2018 Lincoln MKX | Engine | 4 | — | Coolant temperature sensor → |
| 2017 Lincoln MKX | Engine | 4 | — | Coolant temperature sensor → |
| 2016 Lincoln MKX | Engine | 4 | — | Coolant temperature sensor → |
| 2019 Ford Edge | Engine | 3 | — | Coolant temperature sensor → |
| 2019 Lincoln Continental | Engine | 3 | — | Coolant temperature sensor → |
| 2019 Lincoln Nautilus | Engine | 3 | — | Coolant temperature sensor → |
| 2020 Lincoln Continental | Engine | 1 | — | Coolant temperature sensor → |
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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P0118 by make
The same record, one make at a time: the model years, bulletins and owner reports that name P0118 on that maker’s vehicles.
What it gets filed under

60 manufacturer filings name P0118. 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 P0118.
- 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
- SSM 47791 Service bulletin2019-02-06 · Engine And Engine Cooling
- 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
- SSM 46906 Service bulletin2017-11-08 · Electrical System
- Some 2015-2018 F150/Edge, 2016-2018 MKX and 2017-2018 Fusion, Continental vehicles equipped with a 2.7L engine may experience 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 wiring betw
What P0118 means
Source: SAE J2012 / OBD-IIEngine coolant temperature sensor signal too high.
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 P0118
Source: NHTSA files and the OBD-II standardCan I keep driving with P0118 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.