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: engine
551 reports, newest first. Show all
Engine, Jun 20, 2023
My check engine light starting coming on and off intermittently. After a week of this going on, I took it to a ford dealership for a diagnostic. I had taken it to auto zone prior to the appointment and their diagnostic indicated a cylinder 2 misfire. They told me it was probably a coil or spark plug that needed replacing but to follow up with the ford dealership. The ford dealer informed me at my appointment that the engine coolant was low and had been leaking into the engine. Told me it would require a short block replacement and quoted me almost $13,000!! The car has never had any problems and only has 88,000 miles. After researching this problem, ford has had numerous complaints about the safety issues this could cause and even appears to have had recalls at some point previously. If so, I never received anything and there is no active recall on my vehicle.
Engine and engine cooling, Jun 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. After 4-5 attempts, the vehicle started but proceeded to vibrate violently. The contact stated that the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure reoccurred 12 more times. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and it was determined that there was coolant leak in the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigation, the contact related the failure to TSB: 22-2322 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 150,000.
Engine, Jun 15, 2023
Water intrusion on #3 cylinder in motor. Ford won’t cover the expense.
Engine, Jun 9, 2023
coolant leak, problems with block, problems with head gasket, blowing white smoke. (1.5L ecoboost)
Power train, Engine, Jun 8, 2023
The defect is the fly wheel. Was advised by a mechanic that the fly wheel breaks due to an oil pump issue or a tab inside the transmission itself. had to replace a broken fly wheel twice in 8 months. Looing up complaints and recalls it's the same motor and issue the edge was having. costing so far over 4500 dollars . The issue has been lloked at by 3 mechanics and now its back in a tranmission shop being looked at due to tranmission issues and broken fly wheel again . driving and there has been sound etc in the transmission area. lossing power and finally the car stopped . would not go in gear or move. had to be towed . first bill 685 dollars now looking at 5200. car only has approx 92000 miles same motor that the edge has been havong problems etc. this motor needs to be recalled as well or transmission .
Electrical system, Engine, Jun 6, 2023
The engine coolant leaked into the cylinders as a result the car had rough idles and startups with overheating issues as well we dying on me completely while driving. Confirmation on coolant leak by big o tires, solution is new engine. There was a cylinder 3 misfire code with the check engine light.
Power train, Service brakes, Engine, Jun 2, 2023
I take it to mechanic they say my car have transmission problems is making lot noise and stop and go really crazy. The dealer say there is nothing wrong with car. The. Brakes sometimes get me scared when I drive I feel we r not safe. No and they can’t fix it because they don’t have the part for the brakes. The msg was check owner manual something like that which can mean lots different problems in ur vehicle.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Jun 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was running rough before overheating. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact added coolant. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed there was coolant in cylinder #2 and there was coolant on spark plug #2. The contact was informed that the long block designed too thin, which caused the coolant to run off. The contact stated that failure was related to NHTSA ID Number: 10174400 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was contacted and declined to provide additional assistance. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 74,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Jun 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that coolant was leaking from the vehicle while driving and the engine was misfiring. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the long block. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and provided a case number. No additional assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 148,000.
Engine, May 23, 2023
My car has an internal engine coolant leak, also known as coolant intrusion. I have found online that this coolant intrusion issue is a defect in 1.5 liter ecoboost engines such as the one in my 2016 Ford Fusion SE. Now my car's coolant does not hold above the minimum level required which lead to overheating, and white smoke coming from the car, as well as a burning smell of coolant. No warning lamps or indication of overheating came on in the dashboard as these issues happened either. Now I have to replace the entire engine out of my own pocket because Ford has known about this issue, but failed to recall the engines as I can assume that they hope the coolant intrusion happens after enough time/miles driven passes that the affected driver's warranty is out of date, as is the case with me.
Engine, May 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that on several occasions, an abnormally loud clattering sound was heard after starting the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the long block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and the contact was advised to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, May 16, 2023
I purchased my car on 9/22/21 with 103,000 miles as well as opting into the extended warranty offer. Since then, I have had a LOT of issues. It was taken to the dealership on 8/1/22 due to an issue with acceleration; the car would stop operating while driving to a point where I’d have to pull over, turn it off, then turn it back on. The check engine light would come on with code P0299. I had to pay for the repair since it was deemed it was a vacuum leak...which wasn’t covered in my warranty. The issue returned shortly after, so my car returned to the dealership on October 3,2022. The diagnostics indicated I needed a new transmission, so I didn’t receive my car back until November 19, 2022. Shortly after receiving my car back, I noticed coolant leaking to the bottom of the engine. There is also white residue on my spark plug in the first cylinder. I have just returned from the dealership to have my vehicle diagnosed (5/16/23), but I was told I have exceeded the mileage for the warranty coverage; to have my car diagnosed for the 3 issues, it would cost $199.99 each....and it may result in requiring a new engine....which would cost around $8,000. So essentially, I am now stuck paying a car note on a vehicle that has had several MAJOR issues not even 2 years into ownership.
Engine, May 13, 2023
Coolant started leaking into the engine block. Appears that the reason for this leaking into the engine is because of a design flaw that Ford is aware of in the ecoboost versions of their engines. The vehicle is now un-driveable because of the risk of overheating and safety risks.
Engine, May 1, 2023
Coolant is leaking into the engine. Ford fusion ecoboost essentially has a coolant intrusion. Ford knew about this and still won't it.
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Engine, Apr 25, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V162000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulics) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The 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 not made aware of the issue. The contact also stated that an abnormal clunking sound was coming from the front end of the vehicle with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Engine, Apr 19, 2023
I noticed that my coolant in the reservoir kept getting low. I will add coolant every other day. Then I noticed my tailpipe left a trail of white smoke. Then a check engine light came on. I scanned the code and showed P0302. A misfire in cylinder two. I began reading that thai is a common issue. My car only has 87,000 Miles.
Engine, Apr 19, 2023
Purchased car 2 months ago. Vehicle started overheating and was towed to the local ford dealership. Was called and quoted $14,400 to replace the engine due to an issue that Ford apparently knows about and has a class action suit against them for. Car is only 7 years old and should not need an entire engine.
Engine, Apr 19, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle started to lose forward momentum. The contact stated that the engine started to misfire and vibrate after each misfire. The contact stated that when the engine misfired, the vehicle nearly stalled. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated during the misfire. The contact stated that when he manually downshifted, the check engine warning light would flash on and off. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that that a piston had melted. The mechanic stated that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 147,000.
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Engine, Apr 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH on a mountainous roadway and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact continuously depressed the brake pedal until the vehicle responded. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle. The contact stated that she continued driving and the vehicle lost motive power nearby an independent mechanic shop. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The independent mechanic was unable to diagnose the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V162000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor 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 102,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Apr 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was shuddering. The message "Engine Coolant Over Temperature" was displayed. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact stated upon turning off and restarting the vehicle, the vehicle shuddered significantly and made abnormal knocking sounds. The contact stated that after the vehicle remained stationary for a while, the vehicle responded as needed; however, there was dark smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the ignition coils were replaced; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the mechanic, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring increasingly, and the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to another independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion in the engine and the engine needed to be rebuilt. The vehicle was not repaired. An unknown dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in an unknown recall. The contact related the failure to Ford Technical Service Bulletin Numbers: 20- 2100 and TSB 22-2229. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Apr 13, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated, with smoke coming from the exhaust tip. The service engine soon warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the engine block needed to be replaced because of coolant intrusion; however, the contact was advised to take the vehicle to a local dealer for the repair. The vehicle was then taken to a local dealer, who confirmed the independent mechanic's diagnostic result. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in Customer Satisfaction Program 21N12 (Short Block Replacement After Coolant Intrusion). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.
Engine, Apr 11, 2023
Cylinder two misfire diagnosed with having coolant run into the cylinder. This can cause fires and cause car to stop causing potential road hazard. Dealership said engine is no good and this is a ford known issue for this type of engine but there are no ford backed fixes and it would cost me $8k for a new engine in order to be road safe. This needs to be brought up yo fire and they should fix this known issue on eco boost engines.
Engine, Apr 11, 2023
Engine on my 2016 has coolant leaking into the engine through cylinder 2. This is a known issue and Ford has not done anything to correct issue. Dealership says engine is bad and wants over $8K for a new engine. Ford should do right by it’s loyal customers.
Engine, Mar 27, 2023
Coolant is leaking into the engine cylinder. I have to fill my coolant every 2 weeks. Ford says the fix is to replace my engine. My engine has 97000 miles and is outside of warranty.
Engine, Mar 17, 2023
Coolant leaking into Cylinder 1 causing the spark plug and ignition coil to be replaced. Replaced the parts and Engine light came on again. Called Ford and they are not willing to investigate the problem nor fix the problem. Was told that since my engine was built out of the Flat Rock assembly plant, it was not on the recall list.