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
1,705 reports, newest first.
Fuel/propulsion system, Jul 9, 2022
When the car is going down the highway it will make a loud sound and the just shut off in the middle of traffic and some time it will not make a.sound,and it shuts off. This is a very dangerous thing to be happening on a highway. I have had several close call in which the person or people behind me had to swirl around me to keep from causing a major car crash. I have had my car to shut off on me several times before. I took it to have it checked out and the cause was determined to be within my fuel line, causing me to have the fuel tube replaced. As they where checking my car another Ford Fusion was having the same problem.
Power train, Jul 7, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while parking the vehicle, the gear shifter was shifted into park(P) however, the instrument panel displayed that the vehicle was shifted into Reverse(R). Additionally, the vehicle was unable to restart. The vehicle was towed to the contact’s residence. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The dealer informed the contact that NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) was associated with the VIN; 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 94,000.
Wheels, Jul 2, 2022
Lug nuts were impossible to remove as the wrench supplied by Ford would NOT engage the nut. WE spent two hours on side of a busy highway at risk while several people tried to remove the nuts. Finally, the tech from towing service had to beat the wrench onto each nut, destroying the outer shell in each case. After two hours in the Texas heat, spare was attached and we replaced ALL the nuts for $48 plus tax. VERY ALARMING SITUATION as we often travel on remote roads and areas.
Power train, Jun 30, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the gear shifter failed to move out of park(P) without warning. The vehicle was towed to her residence where a mechanically inclined relative inspected the vehicle. A code reader determined that power steering was defective. The DTC codes were reset however, the failure persisted. Upon investigation, the contact discovered that her vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train). The dealer was notified and the contact was informed that parts for the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer suggested that the contact could pay out-of-pocket for the repair and be reimbursed once the part became available. The contact declined the offer. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Power train, Jun 29, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in park(P), the vehicle inadvertently moved. While shifting into gear, the shifter moved into another gear. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was notified of the failure however, no additional assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 83,000.
Steering, Jun 28, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while pulling into a parking space the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact stated there were several unknown warning lights illuminated with unknown messages displayed. The vehicle was towed to the contact’s daughter's residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were contacted and stated that the VIN was not under recall. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.
Steering, Electrical system, Jun 28, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving on the highway at an undisclosed speed and attempting to shift to the next lane, the steering wheel was difficult to turn. The contact was able to get to the side of the highway and turn off and restart the vehicle. The contact stated that the Hill Start Assist Not Available message was displayed. The contact called the dealer to schedule an appointment however, there was no available appointment for at least a week. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 116,000.
Engine, Jun 26, 2022
Never serviced
Engine, Jun 24, 2022
I got a recall notice and called the dealership. They do not have the part until Q4! I rent this car on Turo and have lost revenue because of this.
Wheels, Jun 20, 2022
I always have my tires rotated at every oil change. This particular time (6/18/2022) the Service Manager (Steve) stated that I needed to replace my wheel nuts because of them swollen and he was afraid that if he takes off the wheels, they might not go back on or if I needed to remove the wheels on a roadside emergency that the wrench that comes with the car would not fit. He stipulated that this is happening more and more and it should be on a recall. We had to pay $9/nut (x20) to replace something that is "obviously" a Ford suppler issue and not the end user. Get this the program, get these recalled and get a better substitution.
Electrical system, Jun 20, 2022
Three of four door locks have malfunctioned. As well as electric driver side seat. We have fixed two at our expense, they are obviously defective. Unable to lock doors, a person could fall out. Dealer has confirmed issue and has attempted to get Ford to take responsibility. Has not been confirmed by police, etc No warning lights. Similar vehicles have had same issue and have been recalled. I don’t think we should have to pay for this expense when there is a known issue. We are requesting that this lock gets repaired and we are reimbursed for other two locks to be reimbursed. Thank you for your time. Vickie
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!
Power train, Jun 17, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) 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 issue. The contact had experienced an unstated failure and was informed by the dealer that the vehicle might be repaired in October 2022. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Engine, Jun 16, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while his wife was driving 35-45 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power and was sputtering. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine was losing compression. The dealer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that it was a known failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that though it was a known failure, they could not assist as the vehicle did not have an extended warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 68,176.
Engine, Jun 15, 2022
My 2016 Ford Fusion with a 2.0 EcoBoost engine began experiencing a misfire in cylinder 4. I took the vehicle to a Ford Service Center for a diagnosis, and they said that the cause is coolant intrusion into the cylinder, and the only fix is replacing the engine. I still own the vehicle and it is available for inspection. My safety and the safety of others are put at risk because, in the event of an unexpected total engine failure, I could lose power causing me to be stranded, power steering function, ABS function, etc. There is currently an ongoing class-action lawsuit titled Miller, et al. v. Ford Motor Company, so others have also experienced this issue. The vehicle engine has been inspected and diagnosed by a Ford Service Center. They stated that a faulty design makes the engines susceptible to coolant intrusion. There were no warnings about the failure before the misfire started occurring.
Power train, Jun 13, 2022
Was in reverse to enter a parking spot, shifted down to drive (lever moved to D) but car stayed in Reverse. I could freely move the lever from Drive to Reverse but the transmission would not shift out of reverse. I moved car to parking spot, moved lever to park (car never shifted out of reverse), put the emergency brake on, then shut the car off. The car will no longer start now because the transmission is stuck in Reverse (lever is in park). Significant safety issue...I could have unknowingly reversed into anything or anyone at first when I "shifted" to Drive remaining in reverse. Upon inspection the bushing/cap did fall off of the shifting cable, which was recalled on thousands of Fords same model and year. Consumer had to pay for a cap and seal to replace the one that was missing.
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.
Back over prevention, Jun 9, 2022
The back up camera keeps failing.
Tires, Jun 8, 2022
235/50 R 17. Seriously horrible groove wandering to the point that I feel extremely unsafe to drive. I'm guessing it's all four tires but, I'm only allowed to pick one. It happened the first day after purchasing the vehicle on 5/24/22. I put more money down on the car because the tires were fairly new. Now they have to be replaced because they are dangerous. They must be recalled!
Electrical system, Visibility/wiper, Jun 8, 2022
“Temporarily Lost communication with the Climate System” when this appears on the dash, AC won’t turn on, windows won’t roll up or down, defrost doesn’t work, nothing on the dash works except hazard lights, doors won’t lock, can’t adjust mirrors. Happens very sporadically, coincidentally when it starts to get hot (80° and above)
Engine, Jun 7, 2022
Complete engine failure and extreme overheating from a known block issue at Ford. My car is essentially totaled needing a new engine due to known faulty engine blocks in the 1.5 and 2.0 liter motors from 2013-17. Overheating caused engine to stall on the interstate nearly causing several accidents. Once restarted we got home and was afraid the engine was going to catch fire until cool. Rolled vehicle outside. Ford should be ashamed that they only released a safety/service bulletin and not a recall. Now we are without a needed vehicle unless we can replace the engine at a cost of $5500 to $7500. Who has $7k laying around to fix a known issue to Ford?
Fuel/propulsion system, Jun 7, 2022
The car stalls on idle repently and check engine light won't turn on, so there no error codes. But apparently it's a fuel pressure sensor.
Engine, Jun 4, 2022
Coolant leaked into the engine. Caused engine to overheat
Engine, Jun 2, 2022
Canister valve replaced to help the vac system, multiple codes appeared, all relating back to the engine! Coolant linking into engine! Issue has been on going.
Power train, Jun 2, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated when he tried to shift the vehicle into drive it failed and it would stay in Park gear. The contact opened the hood of the vehicle and noticed that the bushing detached from the transmission. The vehicle was towed to the contact's home where he was able to get a temporary repair on the vehicle. The dealer and manufacturer were contacted and both of them stated that the vehicle was not under NHTSA Campaign Number:19V362000(POWER TRAIN) and that he would have to pay for the repairs. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 1306