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Diagnostic trouble code

P0217

35 owner reports and 260 manufacturer filings across 40 model years from Ford, Lincoln.

PowertrainGeneric OBD-II code260 manufacturer filings35 owner reports

Where P0217 shows up

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints
Model yearFiled underBulletinsOwner reports
2017 Ford FusionEngine And Engine Cooling302
2018 Ford FusionEngine And Engine Cooling271
2019 Ford FusionEngine And Engine Cooling261
2017 Ford EscapeEngine And Engine Cooling157
2016 Ford FusionEngine And Engine Cooling162
2019 Ford EscapeEngine And Engine Cooling133
2018 Ford EscapeEngine And Engine Cooling124
2017 Ford EdgeEngine And Engine Cooling96
2018 Ford EdgeEngine And Engine Cooling91
2016 Ford EdgeEngine And Engine Cooling91
2019 Ford EdgeEngine And Engine Cooling8
2019 Lincoln MKZEngine And Engine Cooling71
2017 Lincoln MKZEngine And Engine Cooling71
2018 Lincoln MKZEngine And Engine Cooling7
2019 Lincoln MKCEngine And Engine Cooling51
2019 Lincoln NautilusEngine And Engine Cooling51
2018 Lincoln MKCEngine And Engine Cooling5
2017 Lincoln MKCEngine And Engine Cooling5
2016 Ford F-150Engine And Engine Cooling4
2018 Lincoln ContinentalEngine And Engine Cooling4
2017 Lincoln ContinentalEngine And Engine Cooling4
2018 Lincoln MKXEngine And Engine Cooling4
2017 Lincoln MKXEngine And Engine Cooling4
2016 Lincoln MKXEngine And Engine Cooling4
2020 Ford EdgeEngine And Engine Cooling3
2016 Ford EscapeEngine12
2019 Lincoln ContinentalEngine And Engine Cooling3
2020 Lincoln NautilusEngine And Engine Cooling3
2020 Ford EcoSportEngine1
2026 Ford ExplorerEngine1
2024 Ford ExplorerEngine1
2020 Ford Transit ConnectElectrical System1
2019 Ford Transit ConnectElectrical System1
2016 Ford Transit ConnectEngine1
2026 Lincoln AviatorEngine1
2025 Lincoln AviatorEngine1
2024 Lincoln AviatorEngine1
2020 Lincoln ContinentalEngine And Engine Cooling1
2016 Lincoln MKCEngine And Engine Cooling1
2016 Lincoln MKZEngine And Engine Cooling1

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.

What it gets filed under

Engine And Engine Cooling 204Engine 37Equipment 21Electrical System 12Power Train 8
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What owners said

Source: NHTSA complaint database

Owners’ 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.

Diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) may include P0300, P0301-P0304, P0316, P0217, P1285 and/or P1299 stored in powertrain control module (PCM)
2018 Ford EscapeAug 19, 2026NHTSA owner report
The diagnostic trouble codes stored were P0217 (Engine Overheat Condition), P0302 (Cylinder 2 Misfire Detected), & P0316 (Misfire Detected on Startup)
2019 Lincoln MKZAug 19, 2026NHTSA owner report
The codes pulled were P0217, P0303, P0316, P0420, and P06E9 - overheat, misfire, misfire, catalyst efficiency, and turbocharger coolant/fluid, all consistent with the coolant intrusion pattern described in TSB 22-2229
2019 Lincoln MKCAug 15, 2026NHTSA owner report
Diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) may include P0300, P0301-P0304, P0316, P0217, P1285 and/or P1299 stored in powertrain control module (PCM)
2016 Ford FusionJul 11, 2025NHTSA owner report
The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with several failures, and DTC: P0217, P0496, P04DB, P1825 and P1299 were retrieved
2020 Ford EcoSportat 64,444 milesJun 13, 2025NHTSA owner report

Manufacturer filings that name it

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications

Service bulletins and campaigns whose filed summary names P0217. Quoting the document number at a service desk is often the fastest route to a diagnosis someone has already written down.

What P0217 means

Source: SAE J2012 / OBD-II

The engine has run hotter than its permitted limit.

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 P0217

Source: NHTSA files and the OBD-II standard

Can I keep driving with P0217 stored?

Nobody can answer that from the code alone, and a site that does is guessing. A steady light generally means the fault was logged and the vehicle is in a reduced-risk mode; a flashing light means stop soon, because a misfiring engine can destroy a catalytic converter in minutes. 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.