Cause
Obstruction in the grille shutter mechanism
Something jamming the active grille shutters. They close at speed to reduce drag and open when cooling is needed, and they sit at the very front of the vehicle where everything the road throws forward arrives.
Leaves, plastic bags, road debris and ice all jam them, and so does minor front-end damage that distorts the frame. The module commands a position, does not see it reached, and reports the motor — which is usually healthy. Stuck closed is the one that matters: cooling airflow is lost and the engine overheats in traffic while everything else looks correct. Look at the shutters and clear them by hand before testing anything electrical, and expect ice to be the cause of a fault that appears on one cold morning and never again.
Typically an easy fix. Often worth checking before paying anyone to look.
Codes this can cause (1)
Codes where this is a likely explanation first, rather than merely a possible one.
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