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
440 reports, newest first.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, May 3, 2025
Unknown. Car will not start, dashboard says overheating, white smoke was coming out of muffler but stopped and etc.
Other or unspecified, Engine, May 3, 2025
Unknown. Car will not start.
Power train, Engine, May 1, 2025
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The engine experienced coolant intrusion, which is a known defect in certain Ford EcoBoost engines. My independent mechanic diagnosed the issue after I noticed significant engine performance problems. The affected components, including the engine block and cooling system, are available for inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Coolant intrusion can lead to engine overheating, misfires, and in severe cases, engine fires. This significantly increased the risk to my safety and that of others on the road. Had I not addressed the issue promptly, a fire could have occurred while driving. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? The problem was confirmed by an independent, certified mechanic—not by a Ford dealership. The dealer failed to properly diagnose or even acknowledge the problem, which appears to be common based on other consumer complaints. Ford did not identify what was truly going on with the vehicle, despite clear symptoms. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Ford has not inspected the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified, but they declined to take responsibility or offer a solution. There was no inspection by police or insurance representatives, as the issue was caught before a fire or accident occurred. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Yes. The engine began running rough and hesitating under acceleration. I also noticed excessive white smoke from the exhaust, and the check engine light came on intermittently. These symptoms began appearing several weeks before the full diagnosis, and Ford service failed to address them accurately during prior visits
Other or unspecified, Engine, Apr 28, 2025
The engine is losing coolant on a daily basis; I keep gallons of it my car to keep it from running out. The safety risk is the vehicle hoses burst while driving in rush hour traffic and causing a worse delay and maybe injury to myself and passengers. I had the vehicle checked by an independent service station and they recommend a head gasket replacement or engine replacement, and the dealer just brushed me off with the head gasket may need replacing but it is not a recall item. It has not been inspected by any other agency. The check engine light is an on and off again problem -- and that's when the coolant is low the light comes on and when I refill it, it goes off. The vehicle coolant system is losing coolant every two days -- as of this date 4/28/2025, smoke comes from the oil filler cap area but none from the tailpipe. This is a frustrating situation and lawsuit waiting to happen situation that could easily be avoided -- They know it's a problem and want the consumer to reveal this frustrating and potential mega colossal problem to grow out of control.
Engine, Apr 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost automotive power. The check coolant and engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was inspected by a local independent mechanic who diagnosed a misfire coming from the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was later towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with a coolant intrusion in cylinders #1 and #2. The vehicle was not repaired. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12, 22-2134, and 19b37; however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 98,207.
Power train, Engine, Apr 22, 2025
The check engine light came on and something about the cooling system. I can’t totally remember. The Service desk confirmed the eco boost engine has known issues of the cooling system which may cause the engine to go bad. Reported I needed a new engine and transmission. Then after they had started that job and after I put $1,500 down they called me back and said the radiator has issues from it all and needed changed as well. I asked him if all fords only lasted approximately a 100,000 miles or just this one and he responded that it is a known issue by ford and happens with this engine. It cost me approximately $15,000 out of pocket to get the car fixed. Within a week there were more “issues” with the engine and I am now being charged over $300.00 to fix this part that they didn’t change even though they put in a new engine.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Apr 21, 2025
Driver was driving at 55 miles per hour engine light illuminated. Car began to sputter and not drive. Ford Dealership mechanic,” DRIVEABILITY CONCERN, CUSTOMER STATES VEHICLE WILL NOT GO OVER 40 MPH AND HAS A MISFIRE PLEASE CHECK AND ADVISE. verfied engine is misfiring, hooked up scan tool and ran dets and found p0302 and p0316, #2 cylinder misfire and misfire and the first 1000 rev, ran a relitive compression test and found cylinder #2 is 25% diference than the other cylinders. pulled spark plug and put a boar scope in the cylinder and found a exhaust valve is missing a piece of the valve and the engine has ate the valve. recommend a ford long block” Owner was quoted $8553.37 for a used engine. Happened at 95,405 car is not drivable and unfixed. When owner asked what was the main cause the answers was “these cars just have bad engines”
Engine, Apr 15, 2025
We have a 2018 Ford Fusion EcoBoost. The engine started to run hot, we made an appointment to bring to dealer. Morning of the appointment car would not start. We had it towed to dealer. After several hours at the dealership they called to tell us the engine needed to be replaced, quote was $14,000. The issue they explained was coolant in the engine that corroded the engine and all parts. Not salveable, needed to be replaced. We have excellent service records on our car, always keep up with routine maintenance and have owned at least 10 Fords various makes and models. Never had an issue.
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, Apr 4, 2025
Engine throws misfire code on cylinder accompanied by loss of coolant with no visible leaks. Coolant intrusion into the cylinder has begun due to Ford’s engine block design flaw.
Power train, Apr 2, 2025
While maneuvering in parking lot car would not shift from Reverse to Drive after backing out of parking place, error on dash stated shift module failure. Tow truck driver manually engaged shifter to drive, too car to Freeman Ford. Upon inspection shifter grommet at transmission had worn not allowing car to change gears, $4 in parts, $300 in labor to fix. Fortunately the car was just blocking a post office parking lot, if this had been a maneuver in an intersection it could have caused an accident. There was no indication this failure was going to occur.
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.
Power train, Mar 26, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that after his girlfriend was occupied and parked in the residence, while attempting to reverse the vehicle the gear shifted independently into park. The contact mention he lifted the front end of the vehicle, and he noticed the shifter cable detached from the transmission shifting arm. The contact was able to attach the shifter cable on the transmission shifting arm but also noticed the shifter cable bushing has detached from the transmission as well. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired however the contact mention the vehicle will be getting repaired on March 29th. The contact related the failure to the NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000(POWER TRAIN). The insurance company had not been contacted yet. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure they informed the contact that NHTSA calls the manufacture to have recalls on their VIN. The contact was referred to NHTSA to file a complaint on the failure. The failure mileage was 102.000.
Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Mar 24, 2025
My car had a bad shifting linkage which I paid for out of pocket. My 2.0 Ecoboost engine is leaking coolant into my oil and makes a very loud concerning ticking noise, along with reduced engine power and sporadic/random loss of brakes. There has been recalls for these issues on most other Ford Fusion models and this one NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. My engine is going to blow any day now and I will be stuck paying for the rest of my car loan for a vehicle I cannot drive. All of the Ecoboost engines should be recalled for poor design.
Other or unspecified, Mar 24, 2025
Car will crank, but will not move into gear. Getting an service message "Shift System Fault". Some days it will move and other days (like today) it will not. I believe the 2018 fusion (my car) was missed from the list of recalls for this service message. I contacted a Ford dealer near me. Either they don't have a transmission tech or it will take days before my car can be looked at.
Seat belts, Mar 20, 2025, crash
The contact owned a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the front driver side seat belt did not buckle appropriately, another vehicle driving at an unknown speed moved to the left lane, then the other vehicle changed lanes again moving in front of the contact, and the other vehicle abruptly depressed on the brakes causing the contact to rear end him. The vehicle came to a stop and merged into the shoulder. The vehicle was damaged on the front driver's and passenger's side. There were no warning lights illuminated. The driver’s and passenger’s side air bags did deploy however the seat belt did not retract the contact, causing the contact to be injured. There was no property damage. A police report was filed. The contact sustained a concussion and his eyes swelled shut. It was unknown if the other driver in the other vehicle sustained any injuries. The insurance company towed the vehicle to an impound lot and then towed it to Copart. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance company. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The dealer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 89,000.
Engine, Mar 15, 2025
While driving about 60 miles per hour the vehicle started to buck and loose speed. The check engine light came on and I pulled over. The vehicle was taken to the dealership where I was told that I have a coolant leak. The leak caused a break in cylinder 2 and the engine would have to be replaced.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Mar 13, 2025
Was driving and car started overheating. Looking at coolant levels, they were low. Refilled coolant and car started fine. Next day driving the vehicle, the engine shut down completely. Took the vehicle to Parks Ford dealership in Hendersonville NC to find the problem. I received a call from a service representative and he said there is a coolant intrusion into the cylinder or cylinders and the engine needs to be replaced. I asked to check for recalls and he stated none were found. I did my own research and found many vehicles with the 1.5 liter Ecoboost engine have had this issue and have had a recall in the past. I. Short, Ford has said they will not have my vehicle fixed due to the fact the 3 year warranty has expired and or 85,000 miles have been passed. I have financed this vehicle starting [XXX]. As of now my vehicle has almost 110,000 miles. Doing more research into this Ford has offered a fix for this. A new midi small block replacement and head gasket replacement. Doing more research into this, I have found the vehicle engine could possibly catch on fire if the coolant intrusion is not corrected. The Ford dealership quoted me $9,000 without tax to replace the engine. This just isn't doable. How can this not be a safety issue if the vehicle can and will shut off while driving and potentially catch on fire? Ford should replace the flawed engine design that they have been very well aware of. I am still making payments on this vehicle to own and I cannot risk driving it because it is used to transport my children and my wife, not with the safety factors involved. Help to have the manufacturer flawed design fixed to the updated design, that has no issues of the same, would help blue collard individuals a tremendous amount. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Power train, Engine, Mar 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the "WRENCH" symbol was displayed. The contact was unable to shift the transmission into drive(D). The contact had to wait for approximately 15 to 20 minutes before attempting to restart the vehicle before shifting into drive(D). The contact stated that the failure recurred, and the vehicle was towed to the dealer. The dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.
Power train, Engine, Mar 3, 2025
At 135,815 miles, my 2018 Ford Fusion SE experienced a sudden transmission failure while driving, with no prior warning signs. The vehicle was towed to Certified Transmission, where technicians confirmed: Transmission fluid level was correct but black/degraded. Multiple failure codes were present. Transmission pump whined and stopped functioning. Diagnosis: Internal transmission failure (6/17/2024). The shop stated this issue is common in these transmissions. The entire transmission had to be replaced. At 141,164 miles, just 5,349 miles later, the engine shut off on the highway while driving, again with no warning lights. After pulling onto the shoulder, it restarted after 10 minutes but was smoking heavily. Coolant was critically low in the reserve tank. Diagnosis: Cracked cylinder head due to coolant intrusion, a known defect in 1.5L EcoBoost engines. I contacted Ford Customer Care about CSP 21N12, but they refused assistance since my vehicle exceeds 84,000 miles, despite this well-documented defect. Safety Concerns: Unexpected transmission & engine failure while driving creates a serious risk. Engine shutoff on the highway could have led to an accident. Coolant intrusion in 1.5L EcoBoost engines is a known issue, yet Ford has failed to notify all owners. This issue affects many owners and creates major safety risks. I urge the NHTSA to investigate and consider a mandatory recall to prevent further incidents.
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.
Power train, Feb 11, 2025
Transmission cable shifter bushing was defective and popped off of transmission shifter. This subsequently caused the transmission control module to overwork and fail.
Steering, Feb 11, 2025
No power stearing, Steering Gearbox malfunction. Power steering going out while driving is a major safety issue. Yes dealership confirmed issue and ordered parts for repair Ford dealership inspected issue and said that it needed repaired. Power steering went out while driving almost causing an accident. No warning, lights came on when the power steering went out saying that there was a power steering fault.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Engine, Feb 5, 2025
On 4 occasions, the car has shut off while moving and in traffic. A dashboard message appears, saying "full accessory mode". After coming to a stop, the car will immediately restart. My obd reader shows no error codes. The car has 18,000 miles on it and this problem occurs randomly. It happened first when the car was a few weeks old. I took it to dealer and they found no problem. Ot has happened 3 times since then. This problem has been reported at least 15 times on the ford fusion sport forum.