2016 Ford Fusion
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 1,705 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 5th highest complaint count among 15 Fusion model years with reports.
Of the 2016 reports, 61 involved a crash and 6 involved a fire. 32 people were injured and 1 person died.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Power train, manual transmissionJun 9, 2026
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Focus and 2013-2016 Fusion vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall numbers 18V169 and 18V845. The clutch may fracture, resulting in damage to the transmission assembly and possibly a transmission fluid leak.
A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components can increase the risk of a fire.
Dealers will update the software, free of charge. Additionally, dealers will inspect Focus vehicles and replace the clutch assembly as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed August 5, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S43. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 6,2026.
Campaign 26V376000 on NHTSA.gov
Back over prevention, sensing system, cameraOct 13, 2025
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Flex, 2015 Explorer, Lincoln MKT, Lincoln MKZ, 2015-2016 C-Max, Escape, Taurus, 2016 Fusion, 2018-2019 Taurus, 2019 Lincoln MKT, Fiesta, and 2020 Mustang vehicles. The rearview camera may display a distorted, intermittent, or blank image when the vehicle is in reverse.
A rearview camera that fails to properly display an image can reduce the driver’s view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model and model years. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on October 25, 2025. Additional letters will be mailed once the final remedy is available on each phase. Mustang owner notification letters were mailed January 2, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA9. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 14, 2025.
Campaign 25V695000 on NHTSA.gov
Latches/locks/linkages, doors, latchNov 17, 2023
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015 Fiesta, 2016 Fusion, and 2016 Lincoln MKZ vehicles sold, or ever registered in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Washington, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands. A component inside the door latches may break, which can make it difficult to latch or possibly allow the doors to open while driving.
Vehicle doors opening unexpectedly while driving can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
Dealers will inspect the door latch date codes and if necessary, replace all four side door latches, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 20, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S15. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall number 20V-177.
Campaign 23V775000 on NHTSA.gov
Service brakes, hydraulic, foundation components, hoses, lines/piping, and fittingsMar 10, 2023
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles. The front brake hoses may rupture and leak brake fluid.
A brake fluid leak will increase brake pedal travel and extend the distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will replace the front brake hoses, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 27, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23S12.
Campaign 23V162000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, automatic transmission, gear position indication (prndl)Jun 10, 2022
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2019 Escape, 2013-2018 C-Max, 2013-2016 Fusion, 2013-2021 Transit Connect, and 2015-2018 Edge vehicles. The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach.
A damaged or missing bushing may prevent the vehicle from shifting into the intended gear, and cause the vehicle to move in an unexpected direction. Additionally, the vehicle may roll after the driver selects the 'Park' position. Either scenario increases the risk of a crash or injury.
Dealers will replace the under hood shift bushing and add a protective cap over the shift cable bushing, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters, informing owners of the safety risk, were mailed July 1, 2022. Remedy parts are expected to be available in 4th Quarter 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed October 27, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S43.
Campaign 22V413000 on NHTSA.gov
Latches/locks/linkages, doors, latchMar 23, 2020
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014-2015 Fiesta, 2014-2016 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles sold, or ever registered in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Washington, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands. A component within the door latches may break making the doors difficult to latch and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.
A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.
Ford will notify owners, and Ford or Lincoln dealers will replace the side door latches, free of charge. The recall began September 21, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S15.
Campaign 20V177000 on NHTSA.gov
Steering, electric power assist systemAug 29, 2019
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2016 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ, 2015-2016 Ford Edge, and 2016 Lincoln MKX vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Road salt or other contaminants may corrode the electric power steering gear motor attachment bolts.
If the bolts corrode, the steering gear motor may detach from the gear housing resulting in a loss of power steering assist, requiring a greater steering effort, especially at lower speeds, and increasing the risk of a crash.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering gear motor bolts and apply a wax sealer. If any of the steering gear motor attachment bolts are broken or missing, a new steering gear will be installed in the vehicle. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began October 18, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S26.
Campaign 19V632000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, automatic transmission, lever and linkage, floor shiftMay 13, 2019
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2016 Fusion vehicles equipped with 2.5 liter engines. The bushing that attaches the transmission shifter cable to the transmission may degrade over time and cause the bushing to detach from the transmission. The condition could allow the driver to move the shift lever to Park and remove the ignition key, while the transmission may not be in Park, with no warning message or audible chime.
If the vehicle is exited without the transmission being in Park and without the parking brake being applied, the vehicle may unexpectedly move, increasing the risk of a crash.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the shifter cable bushing, free of charge. The recall began September 10, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S16. Note: Owners are directed to use the parking brake until the recall remedy repairs can be made. This recall is an expansion of 18V471.
Campaign 19V362000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, automatic transmission, lever and linkage, floor shiftJul 16, 2018
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2014 Ford Escape, and 2013-2016 Ford Fusion vehicles, equipped with six-speed automatic transmissions. The bushing that attaches the transmission shifter cable to the transmission may degrade over time and cause the bushing to detach from the transmission. The condition could allow the driver to move the shift lever to Park and remove the ignition key, while the transmission may not be in Park, with no warning message or audible chime.
If the vehicle is exited without the transmission being in Park and without the parking brake being applied, the vehicle may unexpectedly move, increasing the risk of a crash.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the shifter cable bushing, free of charge. The recall began September 20, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S20. Note: Owners are directed to use the parking brake until the recall remedy repairs can be made.
Campaign 18V471000 on NHTSA.gov
Steering, steering wheel/handle barMar 12, 2018
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Lincoln MKZ and Ford Fusion vehicles. The steering wheel retaining bolt may loosen allowing the steering wheel to detach while driving.
A steering wheel detachment can cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel bolt with a longer bolt, free of charge. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S08.
Campaign 18V167000 on NHTSA.gov
Seat belts, frontDec 5, 2016
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2016 Ford Fusion vehicles manufactured November 2, 2012, to July 31, 2014, and 2013-2015 Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured November 14, 2012, to July 31, 2014. In the event of a crash, heat from the deployment of a seat belt pretensioner may cause a front seat belt anchor cable to fail.
If the driver or front passenger seatbelt cables cannot properly restrain the front seat occupants, they would be at an increased risk of injury.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will apply a protective coating to the seat belt cable, free of charge. The recall began May 16, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S42.
Campaign 16V875000 on NHTSA.gov
Seat belts, front, anchorageApr 27, 2016
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2016 Ford Fusion vehicles manufactured from March 10, 2016, through March 16, 2016. The front driver seat track assembly's rear riser may have been improperly welded to the seat track rail, and as a result, the driver may not be adequately restrained in a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 207, "Seating Systems" and 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages."
An improperly welded driver seat riser may fail to adequately restrain the driver during crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Ford quarantined the affected vehicles at dealerships prior to their sale. Dealers will replace the front driver seat track rail, free of charge. The recall began on May 19, 2016. Ford's number for this recall is 16C05.
Campaign 16V250000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, storageOct 1, 2015
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2016 Ford Fusion vehicles manufactured September 3, 2015, to September 13, 2015, and 2016 Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured September 3, 2015, to September 12, 2015. The affected vehicles have a fuel tank that may have insufficent wall thickness. As a result, the fuel tanks may crack in the event of a crash and thus the vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 301, "Fuel System Integrity."
A fuel tank that cracks may leak fuel, increasing the risk of a fire.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tank, free of charge. The recall began on October 19, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15C11.
Campaign 15V618000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: back over prevention
131 reports, newest first. Show all
Back over prevention, Jul 27, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while reversing, the rearview camera displayed a distorted image. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Back over prevention, Jul 23, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while in reverse(R), the rear-view camera intermittently displayed a blank or distorted image. Additionally, the rear-view camera error message was displayed on the screen. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
Back over prevention, Jul 23, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera displayed a blank screen. The message “Camera Unavailable” was displayed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.
Back over prevention, Jul 23, 2026, crash
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while reversing, the rearview camera displayed a black image with the message “Please See Dealer for Repair" displayed, causing the vehicle to reverse into the rear of another vehicle that was also reversing. The contact stated that both vehicles were reversing at approximately 5 MPH. There was no reported injury or damages. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that parts were only available to repair Mustangs. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000.
Back over prevention, Jul 22, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in reverse, the rear-view camera displayed a blank screen or a distorted image. The contact received notification of NTHSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); and associated the failure with the recall. The local dealer was contacted; however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
Back over prevention, Jul 21, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while in reverse, the back over prevention camera display a black screen. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part for the recall repair was not available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue but was unable to provide a timeframe for parts availability. The approximate failure mileage was 85,000.
Back over prevention, Jul 20, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera displayed a blank screen. Additionally, the rear-view camera error message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with an inoperable rear-view camera display. The contact was informed that the rear-view camera display needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the parts were unavailable. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.
Back over prevention, Jul 14, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while vehicle was in reverse(R), the rear-view camera displayed a blank image. The contact received notification of NTHSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown.
Back over prevention, Jul 10, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact received notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to complete the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that while reversing, the rearview camera image displayed a black screen. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time to perform the recall repair. A local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the recall remedy was unavailable. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 90,000.
Back over prevention, Jul 9, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact received a notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while in Reverse, the rearview camera failed to display a clear-view image. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
Back over prevention, Jul 8, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact received notification of NTHSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to complete the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Exterior lighting, Back over prevention, Jul 8, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to complete the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while reversing, the rearview camera was inoperable. Additionally, the contact stated that while making a turn, the turn signal delayed to engage as intended. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or a dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 71,202.
Back over prevention, Jul 7, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while reversing, the rearview camera displayed a black image intermittently. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.
Electrical system, Back over prevention, Jul 2, 2026
Back up camera does not work and other electrical elements not working in conjunction with it
Back over prevention, Jul 2, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while reversing, the rearview camera failed to properly display an image. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
Back over prevention, Jun 30, 2026
See attached document for complaint.
Back over prevention, Jun 24, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera displayed a blank image. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent, however the failure was persistent during the winter months. The dealer was made aware of the failure, and the contact was informed that parts were unavailable to repair the vehicle. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
Engine, Back over prevention, Jun 23, 2026, crash
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message "No Coolant" was displayed on the instrument panel, and there was smoke coming from outside of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a blown head gasket. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The independent mechanic made the contact aware of an undisclosed recall; however, the VIN was not included in a recall related to the failure. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact stated that while reversing at an undisclosed speed, the rearview camera image was inverted and the rear passenger’s side of the vehicle crashed into an unoccupied vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The failure had occurred on several occasions. A police report was not filed. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. A local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 99,000.
Visibility/wiper, Back over prevention, Jun 16, 2026
My backup camera does not work any longer. I have had several near-misses of collisions with both cars and people. Please make the recall fix available!! On the date of incident field, I just put the last time it happened. There have been multiple dates.
Back over prevention, Jun 9, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while reversing, the rearview camera displayed a black image. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part required to complete the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer was not made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Back over prevention, Jun 8, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact received a notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera displayed a distorted image, with an unknown warning message displayed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000.
Back over prevention, Jun 8, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part required for the repair was unavailable. The contact stated the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while in reverse(R), the rearview camera displayed a distorted image alongside an erroneous representation of object proximity, causing surrounding objects and vehicles to appear further away than they actually were. The dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the remedy was not available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 135,000.
Back over prevention, Jun 4, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention). The contact stated that while in reverse(R) on several occasions, the screen display started blinking, went blank, and the screen became inverted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 93,000.
Back over prevention, May 28, 2026
See attached document for complaint.
Back over prevention, May 19, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted; however the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was/was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the rearview camera displayed a blank image. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.