P0301 on Ford vehicles
139 owner complaints filed with NHTSA about Ford vehicles mention P0301 (Cylinder 1 Misfire Detected) - across 9 models. Below is where it shows up, by model and year.
Can you drive with it? Minimize driving; a flashing check engine light means stop - persistent single-cylinder misfire dumps raw fuel into the exhaust.
Symptoms, likely causes in order and realistic repair costs are on the main P0301 page - they do not differ much by brand. This page shows what is specific to Ford: which models and years actually report it.
Ford models reporting P0301
The number next to each year is how many NHTSA complaints for that car mention P0301. Owners rarely quote trouble codes when complaining, so real occurrence is many times higher - use these numbers to compare years, not as totals.
What Ford owners report
“The engine light on my 2017 Ford Escape EcoBoost 2.0L has come on a couple times in the last few months. My trusted mechanic has diagnosed the following codes: P0301 and P0316 - which indicates cylinder misfire and misfire detected on start up. There is an active TSB 22-2226 (Coolant intrusion into Spark Plug/Cylinder Bore) that matches up with those codes. This is my daughter's primary vehicle and we are not comfortable with her continuing to drive it for fear of total engine lockup. I took it into my local dealership to have them do their own diagnosis and to contact Ford corporate to determine the appropriate path to resolution. Current mileage is approximately 72,700 miles.”2017 Ford Escape · Sep 2026
“The contact owns a 2016 Ford Edge. The contact stated that coolant was entering the engine combustion chamber. The check engine light was illuminated, and the vehicle displayed DTC: P0301. The contact also referenced a scanner displaying code 4301. The contact stated that there was a sweet smell while starting the vehicle, which was consistent with coolant intrusion into the engine. The condition progressively worsened. The contact consulted with an independent mechanic. The contact was concerned that the vehicle might stall or that the engine could suffer catastrophic damage while driving on the highway. The failure mileage was approximately 83,000.”2016 Ford Edge · Sep 2026 · 83,000 mi
“Cylinder misfire (e.g., Code P0301-P0304) Low coolant levels with no visible leaks Rough idle/shaking on startup Check engine light”2017 Ford Edge · Sep 2026
“Head gasket blew, and car overheated immediately on the freeway, with no warning signs, and at only 43,000 miles when a failure like this should not occur. Had to find a place to pull over and be towed to avoid more engine damage. Both independent mechanic and Ford dealership has confirmed this. Official diagnosis is "Remove and replace cylinder head assembly and replace head gasket - coolant intrusion cylinder 1, P0316, P0301." Apparently it's a known issue with this particular engine and has a pending lawsuit.”2019 Ford Mustang · Aug 2026
P0301 on other makes
Makes with enough NHTSA reports of P0301 for their own page.
Counts are NHTSA owner complaints whose text mentions P0301 - owner-reported and unverified. Always confirm with a diagnosis of your specific vehicle.