2018 Ford Fusion
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 440 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 13th highest complaint count among 15 Fusion model years with reports.
Of the 2018 reports, 9 involved a crash and 1 involved a fire. 6 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
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
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
Representative owner complaints: engine and engine cooling
88 reports, newest first. Show all
Engine and engine cooling, Sep 2, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust pipes. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic several times, and the contact was informed that the engine was consuming antifreeze. The ignition coils and spark plugs were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The mechanic associated the failure with the engine. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the short block was warped and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was scheduled to be repaired. The contact researched the failure and stated that it was a known issue that the manufacturer had failed to correct. The manufacturer was notified of the failure via telephone; however, no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 122,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 23, 2026
See attached document for complaint.
Engine and engine cooling, Nov 25, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started shuddering violently, hesitated, and failed to accelerate to approximately 35 MPH. The check engine warning light was flashing. The contact related the failure to the Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the cylinders. The dealer informed the contact that the engine small block needed to be replaced, but a full engine replacement was recommended. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and filed a complaint. The manufacturer advised the contact that a future report would be issued. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was running rough, jerking, and shaking. The transmission and coolant temperature warning lights were illuminated. The message "Engine Overheating - Reduced Power" was displayed, and the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. The contact pulled over and had the vehicle towed to the residence. The vehicle was later towed to an independent mechanic, who determined that there was coolant intrusion in the engine, a blown head gasket, and a cracked engine block. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 148,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Sep 16, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine with white smoke coming from the exhaust system, with the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, the message “Service Vehicle Soon” was displayed. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the engine was faulty due to coolant intrusion. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 84,112.
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Engine and engine cooling, Aug 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the vehicle was idling roughly with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who suggested that the spark plugs be replaced and a tune-up be performed based on the mileage. The dealer performed the spark plug replacement and tune-up, and the check engine warning light was no longer illuminated; however, the vehicle was still idling roughly. The vehicle was returned to the dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle with coolant intrusion into the engine. The contact was informed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the rear brakes and rear brake rotors needed to be replaced due to a brake fluid leak. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V162000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and opened a case. The manufacturer informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall or special programs for the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 73,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Aug 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that after the engine was replaced, there was an abnormally loud banging sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle with a cracked engine flex plate. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 59,851.
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle briefly began to shake violently before returning to normal functionality. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that coolant intrusion into various cylinders had resulted in damages to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 130,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Jul 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where a code reader determined that there was a misfire in cylinders #1 and #3. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where the engine misfires were confirmed, and the engine's long block needed to be replaced. Upon investigation, the contact discovered Technical Service Bulletin: 22-2229; however, the vehicle was not covered under the TSB. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The failure mileage was 88,300.
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 11, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the low coolant warning light had illuminated prematurely. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact was unable to find a coolant leak. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle overheated while driving, which required the contact to pull over temporarily and to resume driving after the vehicle had cooled down. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion into the engine, which caused the engine to slowly fail. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to file a safety complaint. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle started shuddering. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant leaking into the cylinder. The mechanic informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact called the local dealer for parts; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall for the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 91,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Jun 18, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle shuddered. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated, and the message "Coolant Overheating" was displayed on the instrument panel. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that there was coolant intrusion into the cylinders, and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Jun 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving 5 MPH, the contact heard a sound like running water coming from the engine. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant leaking into the engine, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact related to the failure of the Customer Satisfaction Program: 19B37 (Engine - Powertrain Control Module Reprogramming). The contact was transferred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 102,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Jun 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the fuel tank. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with a coolant sensor failure. The coolant sensor was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the coolant sensor. The contact stated that recently, the failure had recurred. The vehicle was taken to a different independent mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine block was cracked and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The contact related to the failure to the Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12; however, the vehicle was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.
Engine and engine cooling, May 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the message "Engine Overheating" was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that there was internal coolant intrusion into the cylinders, and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, May 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated and the check engine warning light illuminated. In addition, the contact noticed white smoke coming from the exhaust, and the engine was running abnormally rough. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion in cylinder #1, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.
Engine and engine cooling, May 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message “Low Engine Oil Pressure” was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the cylinders. The contact was informed that the engine block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12 (Short Block Replacement After Coolant Intrusion); however, the vehicle was not covered. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 54,000.
Engine and engine cooling, May 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the message that the engine was overheating was illuminated. The vehicle was restarted after the contact added coolant to the reservoir. The contact stated that after adding coolant to the reservoir, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that coolant had leaked into the cylinders, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired, and the contact was referred to the dealer for further assistance. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 155,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Apr 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at 35 MPH, the check engine light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that there was a coolant intrusion into the engine and the long block needed to be replaced.The local dealer was contacted, who confirmed that there was no recall on the VIN. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 95,308.
Engine and engine cooling, Apr 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that there was coolant intrusion into the engine, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Mar 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, a warning light indicating that the engine was overheating was illuminated. The contact added coolant to the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing an excessive coolant consumption. The vehicle was taken to Advance Auto, where it was diagnosed with a misfire in cylinder #3. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with coolant intrusion in cylinder #3. The dealer determined that the short block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 91,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Mar 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the residence. A dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the failure was a known issue and that the engine needed to be replaced; however, there was no recall on the VIN for the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Feb 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the temperature gauge began to indicate that the vehicle was overheating, prompting the contact to discontinue driving the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that coolant intrusion into various cylinders had resulted in damage to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program 21N12. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 103,500.
Engine and engine cooling, Jan 30, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the engine was misfiring with white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The size of white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe had increased over time. The “WRENCH” warning light remained illuminated. The check engine warning light was illuminated intermittently. The vehicle was hesitating while attempting to start. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who diagnosed that the engine block had coolant intrusion in two cylinders and was causing the misfire. The contact replaced the coils and spark plugs; however, the failure persisted. The contact became aware of NHTSA ID Number: 10213732 (Engine and Engine Cooling) which was linked to the failure. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the vehicle was not included due to the mileage. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the vehicle was not covered under the NHTSA ID Number. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to file a safety complaint. The failure mileage was 119,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Jan 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the vehicle shuddered with white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with coolant leak into the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and filed a complaint. The vehicle remained at residence unrepaired. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000.