Temperature gauge

There are two coolant temperature sensors. The one for the dash gauge has just one wire, a black/blue wire. Unplug that wire, then ground it to a paint-free place on the engine. Turn the ignition switch on, and the temperature gauge should go to full hot. If it does, check that connector for corrosion. On the 2.0L engine, that sensor is on the top left side.

Temperature sensors have an extremely low failure rate because there is just one part inside them. More problems are caused by wiring and connector terminal problems. If grounding its connector does not make the gauge read "hot", there is a break in that wire or there is a problem with the gauge.