P1285
33 owner reports and 201 manufacturer filings across 28 model years from Ford, Lincoln.
Where P1285 shows up
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints| Model year | Filed under | Bulletins | Owner reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 Ford Fusion | Engine And Engine Cooling | 22 | 2 |
| 2019 Ford Fusion | Engine And Engine Cooling | 22 | 1 |
| 2017 Ford Fusion | Engine And Engine Cooling | 22 | 1 |
| 2017 Ford Escape | Engine And Engine Cooling | 12 | 8 |
| 2019 Ford Escape | Engine And Engine Cooling | 13 | 3 |
| 2018 Ford Escape | Engine And Engine Cooling | 12 | 4 |
| 2016 Ford Fusion | Engine And Engine Cooling | 13 | 2 |
| 2017 Ford Edge | Engine | 5 | 6 |
| 2018 Ford Edge | Engine And Engine Cooling | 5 | 3 |
| 2017 Lincoln MKZ | Engine And Engine Cooling | 7 | 1 |
| 2019 Lincoln MKZ | Engine And Engine Cooling | 7 | — |
| 2018 Lincoln MKZ | Engine And Engine Cooling | 7 | — |
| 2024 Ford Escape | Engine | 5 | 1 |
| 2023 Ford Escape | Power Train | 6 | — |
| 2019 Ford Edge | Engine And Engine Cooling | 5 | — |
| 2016 Ford Edge | Engine And Engine Cooling | 5 | — |
| 2019 Lincoln MKC | Engine And Engine Cooling | 5 | — |
| 2018 Lincoln MKC | Engine And Engine Cooling | 5 | — |
| 2017 Lincoln MKC | Engine And Engine Cooling | 5 | — |
| 2025 Ford Escape | Engine | 4 | — |
| 2019 Lincoln Nautilus | Engine And Engine Cooling | 4 | — |
| 2020 Ford Edge | Engine And Engine Cooling | 2 | — |
| 2025 Ford F-150 | Power Train | 2 | — |
| 2024 Ford F-150 | Power Train | 2 | — |
| 2020 Lincoln Nautilus | Engine And Engine Cooling | 2 | — |
| 2022 Ford Bronco Sport | Engine | — | 1 |
| 2026 Ford E-Transit | Power Train | 1 | — |
| 2016 Lincoln MKC | Engine And Engine Cooling | 1 | — |
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
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.
Diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) may include P0300, P0301-P0304, P0316, P0217, P1285 and/or P1299 stored in powertrain control module (PCM)
Dealer diagnosis confirmed codes P1285 (Cylinder Head Overtemperature) and P05A1 (Active Grille Shutter failure)
Diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) may include P0300, P0301-P0304, P0316, P0217, P1285 and/or P1299 stored in powertrain control module (PCM)
The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed and the mechanic retrieved DTC: P1285 (Cylinder head over-temperature)
Diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) may include P0300, P0301-P0304, P0316, P0217, P1285 and/or P1299 stored in powertrain control module (PCM)
Manufacturer filings that name it
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communicationsService bulletins and campaigns whose filed summary names P1285. Quoting the document number at a service desk is often the fastest route to a diagnosis someone has already written down.
- TSB 26-22172026-05-06 · Engine
- This bulletin supersedes 24-2441. Reason for update: consolidation of prior bulletins and an update the Service Procedure to diagnose and replace the cylinder head temperature (CHT) sensor with an updated version. Some of the vehicles listed in the Model Statement above may exhibit all of the following conditions: * Illuminated power train malfunction (wrench) indicator/malfunction indicator lamp
- TSB 26-20602026-02-23 · Power Train
- Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit a loss of engine coolant at the heater hose assembly near the engine cooling fan. The vehicle may also have diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) P1299 and/or P1285 stored in the powertrain control module (PCM). This may be due to an incorrectly indexed hose connection at the thermostat housing causing contact with the cooling fan.
- SSM 543312025-10-28 · Power Train
- Some 2024-2025 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 2.7L engine, built on or after 27-Aug-2024 may exhibit an illuminated powertrain malfunction (wrench) indicator with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P1285 and/or P1299 stored in the powertrain control module (PCM) and Engine Coolant Over Temperature and/or Service Vehicle Soon warning message displayed on the instrument panel cluster (IPC). This ma
- SSM 542882025-10-10 · Engine
- Some 2023-2025 Escape vehicles built on or before 16-Sep-2024 equipped with 1.5L EcoBoost engine may exhibit an "Engine Coolant Over-Temperature" warning message displayed in the IPC and an illuminated MIL with DTCs P1285 and/or P1299 stored in the powertrain control module (PCM) during hard acceleration or under high load conditions. This may be due to machining chips trapped in the cylinder head
- SSM 541142025-08-04 · Power Train
- Some 2023-2025 Escape vehicles built on or before 16-Sep-2024 equipped with 1.5L EcoBoost engine may exhibit an "Engine Coolant Over-Temperature" warning message displayed in the IPC and an illuminated MIL with DTCs P1285 and/or P1299 stored in the powertrain control module (PCM) during hard acceleration or under high load conditions. This may be due to machining chips trapped in the cylinder head
- SSM 540682025-07-24 · Engine
- Some 2023-2025 Escape vehicles built on or before 16-Sep-2024 equipped with 1.5L EcoBoost engine may exhibit an "Engine Coolant Over-Temperature" warning message displayed in the IPC and an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P1285 and/or P1299 stored in the powertrain control module (PCM) during hard acceleration or under high load conditions. This ma
What P1285 means
Source: SAE J2012 / OBD-IIP1285 is a manufacturer-specific code: the second character is a 1, which under the OBD-II standard hands the definition to whoever built the vehicle. The same code can mean one thing on a Ford and something unrelated on a Hyundai. Any site that prints a single definition for it is guessing.
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 P1285
Source: NHTSA files and the OBD-II standardWhy does this page not define P1285?
Because it cannot be defined honestly. The second character of a trouble code says who owns its meaning, and a 1 or a 3 hands that to the manufacturer. Sites that print one definition for a manufacturer-specific code are showing you one automaker's meaning and hoping it is yours.
Can I keep driving with P1285 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.