This thread saved me a lot of work! My low coolant light and odd A/C operation were indeed caused by a dead engine cooling fan. I tested the fan by connecting it directly to the battery to confirm it had passed. I ordered a VDO fan from AutoZone for $195 which came in the next day. Installation took about six minutes.

All is mostly well. My cabin fan still shuts off occasionally but that's another story.

Cheers.