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, Sep 28, 2022
antifreeze loss that allows coolant to enter into the cylinders of the engine.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Sep 26, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated with DTC: P301 (Cylinder #1 Misfire). The contact stated that he replaced the spark plugs however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that coolant was leaking into the engine and that the engine and the head gasket needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the VIN was not under recall and advised the contact to contact the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 64,000.
Engine, Sep 19, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated and jerked with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact then stated that she pulled the vehicle over and checked under the hood where she noticed that the coolant reservoir was empty. The vehicle was taken to Auto Zone where it displayed codes: P0302, P0131, P1299, P1450, P0300 and P0303. The contact then stated that she replaced the spark plugs, coils, coolant reservoir, thermostat, and coolant; however, the failure recurred. Additionally, the contact stated that white smoke was coming from the exhaust and the engine became overheated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact was informed that coolant had intruded into the engine cylinders, causing the engine to overheat. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Sep 9, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 65 MPH, the vehicle started jerking and stalled. The check engine warning light and the coolant temperature warning light were illuminated. The contact's wife veered to the side of the road. The contact's wife was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts however, the failure persisted and there was white smoke coming out of the exhaust. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that coolant was leaking into the cylinder head of the engine. The independent mechanic then towed the vehicle to an unknown dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist as the vehicle was not included in an unknown recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 100,382.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Engine, Sep 7, 2022
Recall notice 22S43 / NHTSA Recall 22 V413 Car rolls when in park with brake on. Now my car won’t start at all. I don’t know if they are related. I need to know because I can’t waste any money if I don’t have to.
Engine, Sep 1, 2022
Symptoms include - rough idle, car sputtering and dying, miss fire cylinder 2, loss of coolant. Followed the recommendations from the codes after the check engine light came on. Changed the spark plugs & coils, reset check engine light. Came back on within a week. Took to Ford on 8/22/2022. Diagnostic came back on 8/25/2022 as a known issue TSB 19-2375. Faulty design of the short black, coolant intrusion into the cylinders. There is a class action lawsuit already in motion. It's unfortunate and truly unacceptable that Ford knows the old design of the short block is defective and failed to communicate this to car buyers posing safety concerns with car fires and months of vehicles being out of commission due to parts being in back order. Currently the car is being repaired once completed I can provide a detail work order exceeding $8000.00 if needed.
Engine, Aug 30, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle overheated and lost motive power with the check engine and low coolant warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine and that the engine needed to be replaced. 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 failure mileage was approximately 121,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Aug 29, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while his son was driving 30 MPH, the engine made an abnormal sound and the vehicle started driving rough. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing and the contact was informed that coolant was leaking into the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the VIN was not under recall for the failure. The manufacturer was contacted and informed of the failure. The manufacturer confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was 100,000.
Engine, Aug 29, 2022
Brought car into Ford Dealership for check engine light and car cutting off while driving, dealer stated that a ignition coil was bad, had that issue fixed and approx 1 month later has same code and same issues was advised that there is coolant leaking into cylinder causing Check engine light and a dead cylinder and car will need new engine. After talking to service writer was told that it is a ongoing issue with this model car and engine and that there is several TSB letters advising the issue, I advised service writer at Ford, that we purchased the car New and every bit of service has been done at a Ford dealership and was never warned of this issue, service writer stated that Ford is not obligated to warn its customers of a possible issue.
Engine, Aug 29, 2022
RAN ROUGH ON COLD IDLE. ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. P0302, P0316. UPON INSPECTION FOUND ENGINE HAD CRACKING, ALLOWING COOLANT INTO THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER. CAR HAS 115,OOO MILES. WE OWE $4000 AND A ENGINE COSTS $5200. TURNS OUT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. A TOTAL ENGINE FAILURE SHOULD NOT BE "COMMON".
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Aug 26, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the engine had misfired. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine short block assembly, the evac system, front-end alignment, engine coolant, and cylinder #2 failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic where the diagnostic result was confirmed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Power train, Aug 25, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. While attempting to shift into gear, the vehicle shuddered and jerked. The vehicle failed to exceed 5 MPH while driving. The coolant in the engine was over the temperature message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine was cracked. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that the repair was not covered and provided no additional assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Aug 13, 2022
Head gasket failed at 75,000 miles and allowed coolant to mix with oil causing the engine to fail and needing to be replaced. Needless to say this is a very costly repair that I feel is Ford Motor Co. responsibility. This is far too frequent issue not to receive compensation
Engine, Aug 8, 2022
I started getting a check engine light on the car, hooked up obd miss fire cylinder 3, changed ALL the plugs and coil pack for cylinder 3. Cleared codes, ran fine for about 5 days. Misfire on cylinder 3 again, swapped cylinder 2and 3 coil packs, still misfire on cylinder 3 pulled plug, brand new mind you, looked horrible, cleaned it and swapped it with cylinder 2 plug, still misfire cylinder 3, car seemed to run fine when at higher rpm, but at idle was rough. Wife went to leave later in car….. engine coolant over temp came on, I get to the house, and notice that the coolant tank was low, added some coolant, started it back up, coolant seemed to disappear. Checked the dipstick… oil was a milky color so it’s either bad head or bad gasket. Upon looking this problem up there seems to be A LOT of problems with this design on fords motors where coolant is getting into one of the cylinders and ruining the engine.
Engine, Aug 4, 2022
Started noticing white smoke come from exhaust looked for a coolant leak and couldn’t see any. Was topping all fluids after oil change in July 2022 this is all when I started noticing the white smoke. Come to find out there is coolant intrusion in one of the cylinders. Talked to 3 master techs from different ford dealerships and they all had said that there is not amount of preventative maintenance that could have been done to try and stop the issue. If I would have known about issue before buying would not have bought the car. Ford says that if you replace the head gasket and there is no damage to from intrusion that the issue will happen again. But if you buy there new long block kit that will fix the issue. Not sure why this isn’t a recall when there was nothing that could have been done.
Engine, Aug 3, 2022
At about 108,000 miles I had coolant intrusion into the engine. I was quoted $8,800 to replace the short block. My car was only worth $10,000 as quoted by CarMax so I will not be making the fix which is what most people with this issue are doing.
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 26, 2022
The contact's mother owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. Additionally, the vehicle failed to respond while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the engine coolant temperature warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the roadway and turned off the vehicle. The contact restarted the vehicle and shifted to drive (D) however, the failure recurred. Additionally, the vehicle began to vibrate with an abnormal amount of exhaust coming from the exhaust pipe. The contact pulled over and had the vehicle towed to the residence where an independent mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and determined that there was a leak in the coolant system which caused coolant to leak into the exhaust system. The contact was not aware of what repair was performed. The contact stated a week later while driving the failure recurred. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired after the failure. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Engine, Jul 25, 2022
Coolant leaking into engine. Engine light on. Engine needs to be replaced according to service center. Known issue with 2016 Ford fusions with 1.5L ecoboost engines. Safety at risk due to overheating.
Engine, Jul 21, 2022
Check engine light came on and code shown was for the turbo. I had the turbo replaced then check engine light came on again and it was showing missfire on a cylinder. This has been an ongoing battle with the turbo going out again because the engine is burning so much coolant. Recently I lost engine power driving on a main road and was almost hit from behind. This engine is flawed and should be illegal for it to be used in any vehicle. I have had nothing but trouble out of this car from the time I purchased it.
Engine, Jul 20, 2022
Vehicle has been diagnosed with water intrusion in cylinder #4. TSB from Ford shows an known issue that requires replacing the block. Even though my safety was not in question, this know problem should be up for a recall. Thank you.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Engine, Jul 19, 2022
Recall on the shift cable caused my vehicle to completely stop working/ moving while I was out with my son. No notification was ever giving to me in regards to this problem. This has caused so many issues, specially not given a rental car to be able to to move around. My vehicle is not drivable all because of a recall from Ford company. Ford refuses to provide a rental or any assistance. Being a single mother, Making it hard for me to go to work or even see my kids.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Jul 17, 2022
Upon start up of the vehicle the vehicle sputtered . I would give it some gas and then a large grey cloud of smoke come out the exhaust.
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 12, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 40-50 MPH, the warning message "Vehicle Overheating" was displayed. The contact veered to the side of the road to allow the vehicle to cool down and the continued driving; however, the failure reoccurred several times while driving. Upon arriving at her residence and parking the vehicle, the contact noticed that there was no coolant in the coolant reservoir. The contact refilled coolant reservoir: however, upon attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that there was white smoke coming out of the exhaust. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine short block needed to be replaced. The dealer advised the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under an unknown recall as the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic who provided the same diagnostic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but did not provide any assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 175,000.
Engine, Jul 12, 2022
The engine failed to start due to engine coolant leaking into the engine compartment. While this occurred while the vehicle was parked, the engine could have failed while driving and endangered the driver and any passengers. The problem has been confirmed by a Ford dealer as a complete engine failure requiring engine replacement outside of the warranty but too soon for normal wear and tear. There were warning lamps for overheating and engine misfiring.
Engine, Jul 11, 2022
While driving all the coolant drains into the engine causing the engine to over heat. I have read many reviews about this same issue. While driving this happened to me and I had to pull over VERY quickly on a dual lane highway (very unsafe)! Almost got hit by a semi in the process of having to pull over twice! Contacted Ford many times and they stated this is not a recall and all expenses would have to be paid out of pocket! VERY UNHAPPY CONSUMER!