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.
Engine and engine cooling, May 17, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle briefly vibrated before returning to normal functionality. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined there was a misfire in cylinder #2, requiring the spark plug to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, who determined that coolant intrusion had damaged the engine block, requiring the engine 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 but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 102,000.
Engine and engine cooling, May 16, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, The check engine warning light illuminated off and on and the vehicle was driving rough. Upon inspection, the contact discovered that the engine coolant level was very low. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed a cylinder misfire caused by coolant intrusion in cylinder #2. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the vehicle did not qualify for the Extended Warranty coverage for the failure. The failure mileage was 50,000.
Engine, May 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 55 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer who determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
Other or unspecified, May 15, 2024
Went to store and placed vehicle in park Whe returned vehicle would not shift into gear Shift fault warning on dash see owners manual Had to have vehicle towed to dealer for repairs Informed bushing had failed
Power train, May 14, 2024
The flex plate is cracked at 87,000 miles and causing the vehicle to make a loud rattling noise near the bottom of the engine toward the back of the transmission. While driving the vehicle it drags while accelerating on turns and gives a hard shift in gears from park. The vehicle was inspected by Aamco transmission and several Ford dealers where i was told that this seems to be a common issue with the ford fusions according to several ford dealers but the ford manufacturer is refusing to place a recall for this matter. There is no warning indicating the issue is near or has occurred until the flex plate has already caused damage.
Engine, May 13, 2024
Coolent intrusion cylinder 2 103000 miles car is undrivable sucking coolant in to cylinder within 30 minutes to an hour. paid 23,000 for a car I cannot drive. 2018 ford fusion out of warranty now for will not help or replace since no recall was placed on this vehicle. Something needs to be done there are so many others and car isn't even 7 years old.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Engine, May 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving or while stopped at a traffic light, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was sputtering while driving at various speeds. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that after refueling, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the failure was due to the canister purge valve. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the canister purge valve was stuck. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 113,000.
Engine, May 7, 2024
2018 ford fusion 1.5 L coolant intrusion at 65,000 miles. Ford refuses to help us in this matter. Our vehicle was not placed under their recall list which was for 2013-2019 escapes and fusion 1.5 L ecoboost motors for design flaw causing coolant intrusion. Our car has that EXACT motor and exact problem. It has a cylinder 3 coolant intrusion.
Power train, May 5, 2024
Upon shifting the gear to put the vehicle in park, the shifter automatically put itself in neutral and the parking brake enabled. A warning came on the dash, saying SHIFT SYS FAULT Service Required. A wrench light was illuminated as well. The bushing securing the shifting cable was gone, as if it crumbled to pieces. I have replaced this bushing a few times within the last year.
Engine and engine cooling, May 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated the vehicle was low on coolant and failed to start. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion into the engine. The contact stated that there was an increase of white smoke coming from the exhaust. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.
Engine and engine cooling, May 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the spark plugs. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, who determined that coolant intrusion had damaged 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: 19B37. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 76,000.
Engine, Apr 30, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed white smoke coming from the tailpipe. Additionally, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to a safe location and parked the vehicle. The contact checked the oil level and confirmed that the oil level was adequate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a coolant leak into cylinder #3. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed of an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 131,768.
Engine and engine cooling, Fuel system, Gasoline, Apr 29, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted; however, the failure persisted. The contacted stated that the failure persisted, and the vehicle would not restart. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed as a malfunction with the gas cap. The contact was informed that the gas cap needed to be replaced. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 73,000.
Engine, Apr 26, 2024
My 2018 ford fusion is suffering an engine intrusion problem as a result of horrible engine design. Ford did NOT disclose or announce this very well known problem. My engine has overheated multiple times caused me to pull over on the HIGHWAY in fast moving traffic. Not only is the overheating a danger to my safety but so is sitting in a sedan on the side of the highway with tractor trailers passing me at speeds of 70mph.
Power train, Apr 26, 2024
Vehicle throws a system shift error when shifting vehicle. Due to loose transmission shift cable. Missing retention clip. Reported error on previous Ford fusion models. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Power train, Engine, Apr 16, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the temperature gauge displayed that the engine was overheating. The transmission warning light was intermittently illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road, and the vehicle was towed to the dealer, who related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12 (Short Block Replacement After Coolant Intrusion) associated with the VIN; however, the mileage exceeded the warranty coverage. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The contact was advised to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000.
Engine, Apr 11, 2024
When driving our 2018 Ford Fusion on vacation my wife and I were 10 hours away from home when the motor began to fail. The check engine came in and began flashing, while driving at 75 mph on [XXX] near Tifton Georgia our engine lost all power and the car began smoking profusely. The car developed a very serious misfire and was struggling to stay running. My wife was driving and had to cross 4 lanes of traffic in a vehicle lacking power and profusely smoking from under the hood reducing visibility. Two service centers have now diagnosed the car with a bad head gasket and block and informed us that the engine will need to be replaced. Ford has now informed us that our vehicle qualified for the [XXX] customer satisfaction campaign but we were never notified and now they are refusing to cover the engine due to us being 10,000 miles over their qualifications. The vehicle had issues previously with engine oil level raising as driving. When questioning the dealership they told us it was normal and there was no coolant or fuel in the oil. We have now found records that the dealership reprogrammed the power train control module according to their [XXX] campaign and cleared codes related to these coolant intrusion issues. This issue was caught and we were blatantly lied to about the coolant going into our oil. Because of this and Ford’s failure to notify us my wife and I were put into a dangerous situation traveling at a high rate of speed in a vehicle that lost majority of its power suddenly with no warning. We then put ourselves and other motorists around us at risk by having to cross 4 lanes of traffic in a cloud of white smoke in order to get ourselves to a safe place to stop. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine, Apr 11, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was shaking abnormally. The contact stated there was white and black smoke coming from the tailgate and the hood area. The accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. In addition, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the roadway. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact stated that a family friend who is an independent mechanic diagnosed the vehicle with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and the contact was informed that the repair would not be covered under an extended warranty. The contact was also informed that there were no available recalls associated with the VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Apr 11, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while her son was driving 70 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle began to run rough, and the driver veered to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the local Nissan dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was no coolant in cylinder #2, and the head gasket was blown. The driver was referred to the local Ford dealer. The driver called the local dealer and was informed that there was no recall or Customer Satisfaction Program coverage for the repair. The vehicle was shipped back to the contact's residence. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that an engine replacement was needed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had been contacted and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 94,444.
Fuel/propulsion system, Apr 10, 2024
My car has stalled out coming up to a stop sign. It makes a sound coming from gas tank. I can not turn it off while pumping gas because it will not start after pumping gas. It is the purge value according to my mechanic. I know the recall on this issue is on the focus models but the fusion is basically the same car
Engine, Apr 9, 2024
My car is over heating, having trouble starting, shacking, and blowing white smoke out of the tailpipe. It's saying mis fire so I replaced the spark plus and it's still doing it.
Engine, Apr 7, 2024
P302 code. P1299. Overheating, coolant in number 2 cylinder. Head gasket failure due to engine block design flaw. Catastrophic engine failure Not covered under warranty due to mileage limitations past 84,000 on vehicle and a repair cost beyond retail value of the car.
Power train, Apr 5, 2024
Failed transmission. Hard shift from 2-3, and 4-5. Also transmission is slipping. Only 40,600 miles on the car. Car is a dealership for evaluation, they recommend replacing the transmission.
Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Apr 2, 2024
I PURCHASED THE CAR [XXX], FEW WEEKS LATER THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON THEN DISAPPEARED, I WAS ALSO EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE SEAT COOLING FUNCTION, AS THE TOUCH SCREEN CONTROLS WAS SHOWING THAT THEY WERE BOTH ON AND IT WAS STILL WINTER/RAINY SEASON OUTSIDE. I TOOK THE CAR INNTO FORD DEALER AT SAN BERNARDINO CA, THEY TOLD ME THAT MOST LIKELY IT WAS JUST A DASHBOARD LIGHT MALFUNCTION BECAUSE THE DIAGNOSTICS RESULTS CAME OUT FINE AND AFTER RESEARCHING IN OTHER MANUALS EVEN THOUGH THE SEAT COOLING FUNCTION WAS SWITCHED TO "on", THE CAR DID NOT COME EQUIPPED WITH SEAT COOLING ONLY HEATED SEATS. 3 WEEKS LATER AFTER TAKING MY CAR HOME, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN ON Y DASHBOARD, I BOUGHT AN OBDII DIAGNOSTIC TOOL, THE RESULT CAME BACK WITH 2 DIFFERENT POWERTRAIN CODES THAT WERE STRICTLY MANUFACTURER CODES. 1ST CODE WAS P1450 WHICH IS DEFINED AS UNABLE TO BLEED GAS TANK - EXCESSIVE VACCUM. 2ND CODE WAS P2196 WHICH IS DEFINED BY O2 SENSOR STUCK TRYING TO CORRECT 1ST CODE. THE P2196 EVENTUALLY CLEARED ON ITS OWN BUT THE P1450 BECAME PERMANENT. I HAD A DIAGNOSTIC MECHANIC TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND HE TOLD ME THE SAME THING, EXCEPT THAT THE MAIN CULPRIT IS THE PURGE FLOW VALVE, WHICH IS A RECALL ISSUE ON OTHER FORD FUSIONS. WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR, I WAS SHOWED THAT THE CAR HAD NO RECALLS BUT THE "MYFORD" APP AND OWNERSHIP DIDNT TRANSFER TO ME RIGHT AWAY UNTIL 30 DAYS AFTER THE PURCHASE, WHICH IS WHEN IT FINALLY LET ME VIEWED THE CARS PRIOR SERVICE / MAINTANANCE HISTORY AND EVEN THOUGH THE CAR SALES LADY SHOWED ME VIN RECORDS WHERE IT SAYS THERE IS NO RECALLS AND IT HAD NO ACCIDENTS, RECORDS THAT SHE SHOWED ME 30 DAYS PRIOR TO ME GAINING ACTUAL OWNERSHIP THRU "MY FORD" WHEN PURCHASING THE VEHICLE. THE "MY FORD" APP STATES THAT IT SEEMS AS IF THE CAR WAS IN AN ACCIDENT IN THE PAST BECAUSE ALMOST $8000 WENT INTO REPAIRS TOWARDS TRANSMISSION AND OTHER MAIN COMPONENTS. CALIFORNIA SMOG CHECK RECORDS SHOW THAT THE CAR HAS ONLY HAD 1 TEST IN CA LAST SEPT 2023. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine and engine cooling, Apr 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH after an oil change was performed on the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle lost motive power an hour later. The contact was able to pull to the side of the roadway. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the failure recurred while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was a coolant intrusion in the engine and the short block needed to be replaced. The dealer determined that the failure was related to Ford Campaign Number: 21N12. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered due to the mileage. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.