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: other or unspecified
223 reports, newest first. Show all
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.
Exterior lighting, Other or unspecified, Back over prevention, Aug 31, 2022
Approximately 3 weeks ago my teenage driver called me at work to inform me that his display was "black" and he had no radio. When asked to provide more details, he said that the display screen in the care, which is a touchscreen that is divided into 4 sections (phone, navigation, climate, radio) was not functioning like intended. This screen also displays the backup view when in reverse. He also stated that there is no radio, his phone does not connect via Bluetooth as it did previously to allow for hands-free driving. My son said the screen was functioning as intended when he parked his car for the night, but upon starting the next day it was black- no warning or other symptoms of this problem. We had the car evaluated at the Ford dealership and told it could be two things, but unsure which-tech said have to fix one first and if that doesn't work then the other. APIM failure is one of the two potential problems. My son is a teenage driver, the lack of Bluetooth connectivity and the safety net of the backup display poses a risk for (1) driving distraction related to inability for hands-free driving (2) backup rearview display and additional alerts while car is in reverse malfunctioning increasing the likelihood of collision when in reverse. Ford has known issues with APIMs in various 2017 and newer makes/models.
Other or unspecified, Aug 30, 2022
The OEM lug nuts that Ford supplies are a 2 piece construction that swells and makes it impossible to change a tire on the side of the road because you have to pound the lug wrench to get it to go on. Ford knows about the problem and will not replace them. A set of 20 lug nuts cost over $200. The dealership told me they need replace so they can rotate my tires the next time I bring it in.
Other or unspecified, Aug 8, 2022
I received a letter that there was a recall on my car but that the vehicle was still drivable, so I continued to drive my car as normal. My daughter drove to her friend house where she simply put the car in park, not even turning off the engine, and 5 minutes later when she attempted to put the car in drive the car would not shift. There were no indicators on the dash that indicated what the problem was. This happened at 10:05pm. The car was parked in the middle of a circle in a housing complex. Around 12:03, after not being able to get a tow from anywhere else, we decided to start the online process of dispatching a tow through the Ford website. There were no tow trucks available at the time so my daughter decided to sit with the car until a tow truck was available to insure the car wouldn’t roll off and hit another vehicle. Around 2:27am my daughter woke up to people breaking into cars in the circle. (A police report will be later provided.) THANKFULLY she seen them before they seen her and was able to scare them off without getting hurt. Around 4:31am she received a call from Ford stating that a tow service will be provided due to the recall and that FORD will reimburse for the tow service. (This call was stated as being recorded so there should be evidence on FORD in of this) The original ETA was giving at 5:17am for 180-210 minutes. A tow truck did not come until 10:07. Leaving my daughter stranded in a clear unsafe situation for about 12 hours. It was NEVER suggested by the Ford representative or the website that i will have to get my car towed to the Dealership. After speaking to someone at the Dealership and the Customer Service Relation department i was told not only was it our fault for not getting the vehicle told to the Dealership but i will not be reimbursed for the previous tow (like i was told) but i will have to pay to get another tow to the Dealership. I was also told that they will not be able to provide me with a loan car until OCTOBER!
Other or unspecified, Jul 27, 2022
I bought a vehicle “as is” and the bumper keeps falling off. I went to go get it fixed a few different times and the last time I went to a mechanic and he told me not to order the parts that were necessary to fix the vehicle because it was a safety hazard to even drive around in it and can be deadly to anyone sitting in the back seat and that’s very unfortunate considering the fact that I always have my nieces and nephew with me. He also proceeded to say that the guy that sold me the vehicle should have never sold it to me or anyone for that matter. The guy that sold it to me refuses to refund me or replace the vehicle. I’ve been experiencing real bad anxiety since knowing that I’m riding in a safety hazardous vehicle. All I would like at this point is a refund because I’ve tried to go about this in a nice manner and the guy doesn’t even respond back to me anymore!
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.
Other or unspecified, Jul 12, 2022
The APAM system which controls the blue tooth speaker phone access has quit functioning and FORD offers no solution. This is a safety hazard since several states have outlawed holding a cell phone for calls. A vehicle this age should not have experienced this type of failure and the cost of repair is rather large.
Other or unspecified, Jul 12, 2022
After owning this fusion my dashboard is severely warping I’m assuming due to outside summer temperatures. It’s caused it to warp in a way that my windshield defroster is lacking to clear my windshield of any condensation, my HUD collision warning light and passenger airbag light are not being visible at all times when driving.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Jul 10, 2022
When we put the car into reverse there are times the transmission jerks a bit.
Other or unspecified, Jun 18, 2022
Automatic Trans Shift Cable. I put my car into reverse and was backing up- I then shifted into drive and my car started rolling backwards still. I had to slam on my brakes and use my braking brake to stop my car from rolling backward. This was very dangerous and it scared me!
Other or unspecified, Engine, Jun 13, 2022
The bushing that attaches the transmission shifter cable to the transmission has degraded causing the bushing to detach from the transmission.
Other or unspecified, Jun 1, 2022
While in motion, the trunk of this vehicle pops open randomly roughly once a week. It completely unlatches while the vehicle is locked and gives an alert that the trunk is open.
Steering, Other or unspecified, Service brakes, Apr 27, 2022
While I am driving, the "Service AdvanceTrac" light comes on and flashes between these two error messages: "Hillside Start Assist Not Available" "Check Rear Park Aid" While these lights are flashing, the ABS light, airbag light, and the stability control light all come on and stay on, as well as the power steering goes out. This happens at random times, driving on expressways, in local stop and go traffic. In addition, the times the lights are not blinking and power steering is out, the brake pulses when you use it as if the ABS system was triggered- but for no reason. The road is fine, driving conditions are perfect--- no reason at all for it to happen. I bought the car from Dana Ford in August 2020 and brought it in over 6 times for this problem. Dana Ford had my car for well over 6 of the first 9 months I had it, and it was never fixed while under warranty. They claimed when they took it on a test drive, there was no problem, even though they told me they can see all the error messages the car gives on their computers and even though I have many many pictures and videos of the problem. I"m driving around with kids in the car, and my steering goes out, and if that isnt happening, my brakes are pulsing and skipping. Dana Ford jerked me around until my warranty was up---never fixing it.
Air bags, Seat belts, Other or unspecified, Mar 29, 2022
seatbelt and airbag lights won’t go off, constantly dinging. code reader says there’s an issue with my restraint system
Other or unspecified, Mar 21, 2022
I was driving on the highway and as I was making a turn on an off-ramp, my passenger side door swung open and almost hit a person on a bike. I immediately pulled over to check on the young man. As I tried to secure the door, it appears the door will not latch and secure itself. The door was latched and secured. I had no warning lights or notifications. The door latch just gave way and stopped working.
Other or unspecified, Mar 9, 2022
While driving to get into an Interstate Highway, the car key was tapped and suddenly the car engine shut off, panel blacked out and showed a message “ Transmission not in park”. Tried to accelerate and was not able since car was already moving I had enough acceleration to pull over if not probably i would cause an accident.
Other or unspecified, Back over prevention, Mar 3, 2022
Driver side safety door lock latch gave out and door does not close to lock. Door opened in the middle of traffic. Used a rope to tie door closed in inside but door ajar light comes on still. Will not lock closed. They have recalls on this same problem just not my vehicle even though it’s the same part. Safety Rear left cross traffic sensor just gave out and flashes code on dash now. Will not sense vehicle approaching on drivers side now as well.
Other or unspecified, Jan 28, 2022
When I put my car in reverse, the image displayed for the backup camera is inverted. Ex. If a car is on my right side, it will display that it is on the left side on the screen. It has been doing this for over a year and only seems to work maybe 1/50 trips, in particular when it is extremely cold. Newer fords have been recalled for this error as it is a major safety hazard when reversing.
Other or unspecified, Jan 24, 2022
During a tire repair at COSTCO (12/15/21) and a tire rotation at Big O Tires (1/24/22), all the lug nuts were difficult to remove and showed damage/warping. I had to purchase replacements for safety and future removal ability. I have the receipts and both dealers can be contacted for corroboration.
Other or unspecified, Latches/locks/linkages, Nov 17, 2021
Trunk is randomly opening on it's own.
Other or unspecified, Nov 2, 2021
There was a recall for the bushing on the shifter cable for 2013 - 2016 Fusions with a 2.5L engine under recall number 19S15. My vehicle is a 1.5L engine and this bushing failed Thursday 10/28/2021. I never found the part to see how it failed. My wife tried to put the vehicle into park and heard a noise and the shifter went into park but the transmission did not (due to the cable not being attached). I was able to diagnose the issue after a while. I called the Ford dealer I use and they advised that the recall had been addressed. I later found out that this was not the case as the part was not recalled on my car. I was able to replace the bushing but feel this is a huge issue with all of these bushings. The part number is DG9Z 7K340A and is $1.17.
Other or unspecified, Oct 22, 2021
The contact's son owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while her son was reversing into a parking spot to park the vehicle, the gear shifter would not move and remained stuck in reverse. The contact did not know whether there was a warning light illuminated. The contact stated that her son was able to move the gear shifter to park, then to drive with assistance. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the shifter cable bushing had failed and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that they could not cover the repair since the VIN was not included in a recall. A case was opened. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 65,200.
Other or unspecified, Sep 5, 2021
I was driving in the freeway, and then suddenly a red alert message popped in my speedometer saying to stop, and I couldn’t accelerate no more. At the time I was going 70mph and then the message appeared and I could accelerate no more, the car didn’t recognize the pedal. It happened yesterday. I never had that happened to me. I have 74k miles in the car
Other or unspecified, Sep 2, 2021
While driving, my car stalled the for the first time without warning when I was turning into a parking lot (luckily). This was scary because I frequently drive to work using the nearby interstate. Is there a recall for my car??