2006 Ford Fusion

Do not drive

Owners filed 730 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the air bags. It has been recalled 5 times.

When it fails
020k40k60k90k120k200k

429 complaints record an odometer reading. Failures cluster around 60,00075,000 miles; the median is 76,000 miles.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Air Bags309
20020
Power Train76
202
Power Train › Automatic Transmission51
010
Electrical System43
120
Engine27
010
Latches/Locks/Linkages23
000
Structure › Body20
100
Service Brakes20
300
Unknown or Other15
000
Structure › Body › Door15
000

5 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Air Bags › Frontal › Driver Side › Inflator Module21V158000
Filed Mar 10, 20212,602,668 vehiclesFord Motor Company

Defect. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2007-2011 Ranger, 2006-2012 Fusion, Lincoln Zephyr, Lincoln MKZ, 2006-2011 Mercury Milan, 2007-2010 Ford Edge, and Lincoln MKX vehicles. The driver's side air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.

Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver-side airbag inflator or module with an alternate one, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on April 9, 2021 for the passenger side, and November 14, 2022 for the driver side. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S12.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip › Control Unit/Module19V904000
Filed Dec 18, 2019600,166 vehiclesFord Motor Company

Defect. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2006-2010 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ vehicles. The valves within the ABS Hydraulic Control Units (HCU) may react with brake fluids containing specific corrosion preventative additives. This reaction may cause the valves to not close properly.

Risk. If the valves do not properly close, additional brake pedal travel may be required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will flush the brake system with DOT 4 fluid and install a new brake fluid reservoir cap. In addition, the HCU will be tested to detect a possible stuck valve condition, replacing the HCU as necessary. All services will be performed free of charge. The recall began April 1, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S54.

Air Bags › Frontal › Passenger Side › Inflator Module17V024000Do not drive
Filed Jan 10, 2017654,695 vehiclesFord Motor Company

Defect. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2012 Ford Fusion and Mustang and Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Ford is recalling certain 2009 Ford Ranger, Edge, Fusion and Mustang, Lincoln MKX, MKZ and Zephyr and Mercury Milan vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" or "Zone B" above, Ford is recalling certain 2007-2008 Ford Ranger, Edge and Lincoln MKX, 2006-2008 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ, 2005-2008 Ford Mustang and 2005-2006 Ford GT vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Risk. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy. Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. Interim letters informing owners of the recall and that parts are not yet available began mailing March 1, 2017. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S01.

Air Bags › Frontal › Passenger Side › Inflator Module16V384000Do not drive
Filed May 31, 20161,892,343 vehiclesFord Motor Company

Defect. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 Ford Ranger vehicles, 2006-2011 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles, 2007-2010 Ford Edge, Lincoln MKX vehicles, 2005-2006 Ford GT vehicles, and 2005-2011 Ford Mustang vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Ford is recalling certain model year 2007-2008 Ford Ranger, Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles, 2006-2008 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles, 2005-2006 Ford GT vehicles and 2005-2008 Ford Mustang vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Any vehicle not included in "Zone A", or "Zone B" is not included in the safety recall. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Risk. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy. Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. Ford mailed interim letters informing owners that parts are not yet available on July 15, 2016. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S01.

Equipment14E028000
Filed May 29, 201482,579 vehiclesFord Motor Company

Defect. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain all weather driver side accessory floor mats sold for use in model year 2006-2011 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan, 2006 Lincoln Zephyr, and 2007-2011 Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured November 9, 2007, through October 31, 2010. The affected floor mats may move and possibly interfere with the accelerator pedal.

Risk. The floor mat could shift such that it could interfere with the accelerator pedal, preventing its return to an idle position, which could result in unintended vehicle speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will install new replacement mats, free of charge. The recall began in July 2014. Owners may contact Ford's customer service at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14S07. NOTE: Vehicles built after October 31, 2010, while potentially equipped with the same floor mats, are equipped with a Brake Over Accelerator (BOA) feature that prevents simultaneous accelerator and brake application, allowing the vehicle to be safely stopped by pressing firmly and steadily on the brake pedal.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Air Bags
Filed Jul 21, 2026NC

The contact's wife owned a 2006 Ford Fusion. The owner received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 19V001000 (Air Bags) and 21V158000 (Air Bags) and requested to be removed from the recall distribution list. The contact's wife no longer owned the vehicle. The manufacturer was unreachable.

SuspensionCrash
Filed Jun 9, 2025NM

Tuve un Choque mi carro no freno y Choque a un carro que iba a dar vuelta a la izquierda, frene y mi carro no lo hizo , el impacto fue el que freno , mi carro se dano todo el frente , el punto es que yo lleve mi carro a remplazar las bolsas de aire al dealer , hace como 7 messes que porque estaban defectuosas ,, a mi carro no le hicieron ningun cambio de bolsas de aire solo las desconectaron , y al dia siguiente me prende en el tablero el foco De la bolsa de aire .no debieron desconectar eso no fue lo que me dijeron a mi

Service Brakes, Hydraulic
Filed Sep 13, 202365,000 milesCA

The contact owns a 2006 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake had to be depressed to the floorboard to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The brake pads and rotors were replaced, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

Engine
Filed Jun 13, 2023108,000 milesCA

The contact owns a 2006 Ford Fusion. The contact became aware of an oil leak on the ground underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that oil was leaking from the engine. The mechanic was unsure where the leak originated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but provided no assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 108,000.

Engine
Filed Jun 5, 2023MO

The contact owns a 2006 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal creaking sound coming from the front end of the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired on several occasions due to the failure. The contact stated that each summer after the vehicle was repaired, the failure returned. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

Air BagsCrash2 injured
Filed Jun 2, 2023MS

The contact's daughter owned a 2006 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, she noticed that the steering wheel was locked, making it difficult to control the vehicle. As a result of losing control of the vehicle, the contact's daughter was struck on the driver's side by another vehicle, after which the driver's side air bags failed to deploy. The passenger-side air bags did deploy. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard, where it remained. No warning lights were illuminated on the instrument panel. A police report was filed. The contact's daughter was taken to the Emergency Room and treated for injuries to her head, left shoulder, and left leg. The other driver was also transported to the Emergency Room and treated for undisclosed injuries. The manufacturer was notified and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was not available.

Air Bags
Filed Nov 22, 2022MI

Takata recall. The contact owns a 2006 Ford Fusion. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V158000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the recall repair might be completed in the first quarter of 2023. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

Air Bags
Filed Nov 5, 2022AL

Recall received for this vehicle. Dealership not willing to repair.was told by service department head that the part would have to be ordered and they would give me a call once it came in. Been over 3 weeks and no one has called. Service department manager told me he was new and needed more time to see what's going on.

Air Bags
Filed Apr 26, 2022CA

Takata recall. The contact owns a 2006 Ford Fusion. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V158000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. 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 not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Engine
Filed Mar 20, 2022OH

The serpentine belt keeps coming off or breaking. The idler pulley bolt keeps breaking off into the engine.

Air BagsCrash2 injured
Filed Mar 15, 2022254,447 milesMO

The contact owned a 2006 Ford Fusion. The contact's husband was driving in poor weather conditions speed unknown, hit ice and the vehicle skidded into a streetlight pole on the passenger side door. The vehicle caromed across the road and hit the opposite curb and rolled onto the roof. The contact stated she was not aware of any warning lights being illuminated. The contact said that the driver’s side airbags did not deploy, and the passenger side airbags deployed but did not inflate. The police wrote out a traffic report and the driver were transported by ambulance to a hospital with injuries to his back, neck and head requiring emergency surgery. The passenger was being taken by the contact to a hospital today sustaining head pain and wrist pain. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The vehicle had not been diagnosed. The vehicle will not be repaired. The contact stated that she had received a recall letter for the air bags and that the vehicle had been taken to a local dealer. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 25,4447.

Exterior Lighting
Filed Nov 18, 2021ID

My front right turn signal suddenly stopped working. It lights up but won't flash. Due to this problem I have had numerous near crashes because other cars cannot tell that I am signaling to turn or change lanes. It was only because I double check where surrounding cars are that I have been able to avoid a crash. I have taken it to the dealers service center but they were not able to fix it in the three and a half days they had it. I finally had to go get it because I needed a vehicle to go to work and could not wait any longer. There were no signs that there was a problem until I noticed it wasn't flashing. The inside display and sound of the turn signal are all normal and I am unsure of when the problem first happened because the inside display has no abnormalities.

Electrical System
Filed Sep 13, 2021TX

Faulty evap temperature sensor on my 06 Ford Fusion I purchased a couple of months ago. It is a huge safety issue, the vehicle thinks it’s running ICE COLD when it’s over 100 degrees outside. It emits hot or fluctuating air at random and it’s giving wrong readings which can cause the car to overheat or not sense when it is overheating. I do not know if the needle is correct and if it’s about to smoke or not.

Service Brakes
Filed Aug 21, 2021GA

I've been hearing air in my brakes for two days and my brakes were not working as good as before. I haven't lost any brake fluid. As I was driving down the road and while braking to stop my brake pedal hit the bottom of my foot really hard and brakes went completely out and all I could hear was air and the brakes became almost impossible to press at all anymore.

Service Brakes
Filed Jun 18, 2021NY

Safety Recall Notice 19S54/NHTSA Recall 19V-904 Received recall notice April 2021 that the parts HCU (hydraulic control unit) for the antilock brake system is faulty. Brought to the dealer on April 21, 2021, Sayville Ford, Sayville NY and they told me to pick up the vehicle, had the same soft pedal. Drove it home and 2 weeks later hit an uneven surface and pedal went to the floor, had to pump numerous times to stop, almost hit a parked car. This had happened 2 times before I received the recall notice and both times ended up in the intersection. Brought it back to Sayville Ford they had it for 2 weeks and called me to tell me that Ford Motors Denied the claim and will not fix the problem. I bought this vehicle new in 2006 for my wife and I will not let her drive it. It is very dangerous to be driven on the road at this point. The vehicle has only 32,000 miles I spoke to Ford Motor Corp and they will not honor this Recall 19S54. Please help, I do not know where to go from here. My name is [XXX] and my wife name is [XXX], we live in Bohemia NY my phone #[XXX]. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

Exterior Lighting
Filed Jun 7, 2021MI

The headlights are so foggy that night driving is dangerous. I applied a liquid to the exterior of both lights and that improved visibility for about a year. I believe this is caused by a reaction to the plastic used on the lenses. The vehicle is available for inspection however I have not taken it to a dealership for this problem. I have noticed this headlight problem on other vehicles.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic
Filed Jun 1, 2021MD

The contact owns a 2006 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the brake pedal would depress to the floorboard without warning. The contact had the brake master cylinder replaced by an independent mechanic however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that the air bag warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact received notifications for NHTSA campaign numbers: 19V904000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) and 21V158000 (Air Bags) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not yet available. The contact then called Century Ford of Mt. Airy (302 Century Dr, Mt Airy, MD 21771) where she was informed that part could be ordered. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. Vin tool confirms parts not available.

Unknown or Other
Filed May 11, 202150,000 milesCA

THE TRANSMISSION SLIPS WHEN ACCELERATING AND VIOLENTLY LURCHES THE CAR FORWARD. THIS IS EXTREMELY UNSAFE AND THERE'S NO REASON WHY THE TRANSMISSION SHOULD BE REPLACED. I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO EXPERIENCES THIS, THERE ARE TONS OF REPORTS OF INDIVIDUALS WITH THE SAME ISSUES WITH THEIR 2006 FORD FUSIONS.

Unknown or Other
Filed May 11, 202150,000 milesCA

THERE'S A BLATANT TRANSMISSION SAFETY CONCERN FOR ALL 2006 FORD FUSIONS. ACCORDING TO MULTIPLE WEBSITES WITH FORUMS, HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING TRANSMISSION CONCERNS. THE ISSUE IS WHEN ACCELERATING, THE CAR SLIPS OUT OF GEAR AND VIOLENTLY LURCHES FORWARD AND NO LONGER ACCELERATES, CREATING AN EXTREME SAFETY HAZARD ESPECIALLY ON THE HIGHWAY. THE ONLY WAY, AT LEAST FOR ME, TO GET IT BACK INTO GEAR IS TO COMPLETELY STOP ACCELERATING FOR A FEW SECONDS AND THEN TRY ACCELERATING AGAIN. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY A SAFETY HAZARD ON THE HIGHWAY AND STREET DRIVING. NO MECHANICS OR FORD MECHANICS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIX THIS ISSUE, ONLY RECOMMEND THAT THE TRANSMISSION BE REPLACED, WHICH IS NOT AN IDEAL REPAIR, ESPECIALLY WHEN THIS IS HAPPENING AS SOON AS 50,000 MILES HAVE BEEN PUT ON THE CAR. I'M SCARED TO DRIVE MY CAR, ESPECIALLY ON THE HIGHWAY BECAUSE MY ACCELERATION IS LIMITED AND THIS COULD HAPPEN AT ANY TIME. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING TO MY CAR SINCE IT HIT 50,000 AND THERE'S NO WAY I CAN AFFORD A NEW TRANSMISSION, NOR SHOULD I HAVE TO REPLACE IT SINCE THIS HAS HAPPENED IN MULTIPLE 2006 FORD FUSIONS. THIS ISSUE HAS ALSO HAPPENED TO MY DRIVING AROUND TOWN. THERE ARE MANY REPORTS ON HTTPS://REPAIRPAL.COM/TRANSMISSION-PROBLEM-242 AND SOME ON HTTPS://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/FORD/FUSION/2006/TRANSMISSION/TRANSMISSION_FAILURE.SHTML AND HTTPS://FORDPROBLEM.COM/2006-FORD-FUSION-POWER-TRAIN-AUTOMATIC-TRANSMISSION-PROBLEMS-DEFECTS/AMP/

Air Bags
Filed May 4, 2021NY

2006 FORD FUSION. CONSUMER STATED THAT THEY NO LONGER OWN VEHICLE. *LD *JS

20 of 730 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2010
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
2020180330Routine
2019314300Above average
2018438210Above average
20171,109480Above average
20161,6201360High concern
20159931350Above average
20141,3301990High concern
20131,79019901Fatalities reported
20122,514693Do not drive
20112,7859101Do not drive
20105,1271391Do not drive
20091,022750Do not drive
20081,353660Do not drive
20071,064551Do not drive
2006 — this page730540Do not drive

Compare every Fusion year →

Reading this record

NHTSA has issued a do-not-drive warning for a recall on this vehicle.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Mar 10, 2021. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.