My Fusion would shift into park using the shifter, but was actually in neutral allowing the car to roll forward and backward even though the shifter was in park. It is at the dealer now and they said they shifter bushing failed. There is a recall for Fusions (reference # 19s16), but the dealer says it does not apply to my vehicle. The recall is for Fusions with the 2.5 motor and I have the 2.0 motor. However, I asked the dealer and both vehicles use the same bushing, so I think my car should be covered. Luckily no one was injured in this incident but it could have been avoided if my car was included in the recall. This occurred in Provo, UT where my son is using the car for School.
2016 Ford Fusion complaints
Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2016 record →
During a tire repair at COSTCO (12/15/21) and a tire rotation at Big O Tires (1/24/22), all the lug nuts were difficult to remove and showed damage/warping. I had to purchase replacements for safety and future removal ability. I have the receipts and both dealers can be contacted for corroboration.
It’s the power steering it’s hard too turn my steering wheel at times
Coolant leak into cylinder 3 due to defective 2.0L Ecoboost engine. Requires complete engine replacement.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the defroster, HVAC system, and front and rear passenger's side windows and doors were inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The dealer replaced the main control; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact to take the vehicle to a dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 99,800.
Common issue with 2.0 ecoboost engines, coolant is leaking into cylinders. Caused engine to over heat causing a possible fire issue. There were no signs other than engine started to run rough. Vehicle still runs but smokes out exhaust.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while his wife was driving through a fast-food drive-thru, she shifted into PARK however, the gear shifted independently into neutral. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that an employee from the fast-food restaurant assisted with pushing the vehicle into the parking lot. The vehicle was not drivable. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer while speaking on the phone. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V362000 (Power Train) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the power steering assist and traction control warning lights illuminated. The power steering assists then failed. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to file a complaint with NHTSA. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V632000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was 38,898.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the lug nuts were swollen and were unable to be removed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and the contact was informed that there was a defect with the lug nuts. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the same dealer for tire rotation and the contact was informed that the lug nuts were swollen. The contact declined the repairs. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to NHTSA but, provided no further assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 44,010.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that upon placing the gear shifter into DRIVE, the vehicle began to reverse as the instrument panel showed that the gear was in REVERSE. The contact made multiple attempts to switch the gear shifter until DRIVE appeared on the instrument panel and was able to resume normal driving. The contact then called the dealer and an appointment was scheduled to have the vehicle diagnosed. The manufacturer had been notified of the failure and informed her that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V362000 (Power Train). The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
I replaced the starter battery after the original battery reached the end of its life. Upon installing the new battery, I had dashboard messages showing “Electric Power Steering Assist failed” And other cascaded systems offline because of no steering. Without the steering assistance, the safety of driving the car is questionable. It is more difficult to steer than a vehicle without power steering. It takes all the strength to turn the wheel, even when the vehicle is moving. This vehicle had been serviced for a previous related recall in which the steering bolts would fail. Perhaps the replacement bolts have also failed. Whatever the root cause, the resultant failure mode has a high severity (lack of steering capability by a normal strength person). This could cause an accident.
When I took my car in for service, I was told that my lug nuts were swollen and had to be replaced.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while she was stopped at a red light, the vehicle temporarily shuddered and stalled. There were no warning lights illuminated. The check engine warning light illuminated. The contact was able to continue to drive the vehicle. The contact also stated that she saw smoke coming out of the exhaust of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the short block needed to be replaced due to a coolant leak. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they would assist with the repair of the vehicle. The contact was awaiting a call back from the manufacturer. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.
Purchased a 2016 Ford Fusion SE in July of 2021. First week I had the car the engine didnt crank/start. Took it to the dealership that I bought it from they sent me to their mechanic and was told nothing was wrong with it. Happened the third week of purchase went back to the dealership and was told to use my warranty and to take it to Ford. Took it to Ford and was told it had high resistance in my negative terminal in the battery. (First attempt August 2021) I was charged $400 to get the corrosion clean and put a coat on the terminal for protection. A week later my engine didnt start again. Had this problem for several weeks,one day the engine would start the next it wouldnt. I called Ford and was told to bring it back. (Second attempt Oct 2021) Ford told me they diagnosed the car and didnt find any codes to lead to the problem. Kept telling me the engine was starting when they had it but when i went to pick it up it wouldnt for me. (Third attempt Nov 2021) Went picked my car up from Ford on a Monday morning because it was ready and that they still didnt find anything wrong with it and it was starting up just fine. Leaving from work Monday night engine didnt start had to get it towed again to Ford Tuesday morning. I have called Ford headquarters to file a complaint. Do not purchase a Fusion they are terrible cars and Ford theirselves cant even find out what the issue is with the vehicle.
As with all other ford 2.0l Ecoboost engine. There apparently is a design flaw causing coolant intrusion into the cylinders. Which would require a new engine per Ford.
I have a 2016 Ford Fusion SE 2.0L. Got a P0303 code for a cylinder 3 misfire. The spark plugs and coils were replaced to no resolve. Still getting a P0303 code. Short term fuel trims are good so I dont think its an injector issue. The car began to over heat with out warning about a week after the P0303 code started presenting itself. This is dangerous as the vehicle could catch fire.
When you put it in Reverse you have to pause. If your foot is on the gas is slams into reverse and makes a terrible sound and gives you a jolt! My girlfriend has the same exact car and hers did this as well. But there was a recall on her car and she had it fixed. I looked up recalls on my car 6 months ago and there were about 8 and now there are none. Can't seem to see why!
Defect in engine design allowed coolant to leak into cylinder. There have been recalls on the 1.6L and 2.0L ecoboost engines but not the 1.5L for the same issue. I was advised that his could cause the engine to misfire and overheat possibly causing a fire. A quick search revealed several incremental TSB, 21-2269 is the latest, regarding this issue. This happened with approx 57,000 miles and 5 years 6 months on the car. The only fix was a complete engine swap.
Distorted lug nuts
Engine light came on after car overheated. Took car into local auto service center and was told I had a blown head gasket. I'm filling this complaint due to the numerous other complaints regarding this same issue on the same year make and model of my car. Had I not taken my car to the service center immediately, potential for safety issue could have been high and impacted myself, family, and other individuals driving near me.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, a message stating that the engine was experiencing high temperatures illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact continued to drive the vehicle since he was approaching his residence. As the contact arrived at his residence, he opened the hood of the vehicle and noticed that there was no engine coolant; however, there was no evident coolant leak. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 52,000.
Trunk is randomly opening on it's own.
The contact’s daughter owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while her daughter was shifting gears, the shifter cable fractured. The vehicle was towed to an unknown local dealer and diagnosed with a deterioration of the shifter cable. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred several times. The contact stated that zip ties were used to hold the shifter cable in place. The contact stated the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V471000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 83,000.
TSB 19-2346 (https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2019/MC-10169807-0001.pdf) needs to include 2016 models of the Ford Fusion. My wife was starting our 2016 Ford Fusion 2.0l EcoBoost when it started shaking violently in idle. The check engine light began flashing. We had it towed into Ford where they are now quoting us a $10,000 full engine replacement for “coolant in the cylinders.” This is the exact same problem the 2017-19 fusions are experiencing, so I am not sure why the 2016 isn’t on this list.
The contact's wife owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the front driver’s side door and rear passenger’s side door failed to close and lock securely. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the door actuators had failed, and the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V177000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages). The dealer also advised the contact that he would be responsible for the cost of the repair because the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified the failure but referred the contact to NHTSA. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 117,600.
There was a recall for the bushing on the shifter cable for 2013 - 2016 Fusions with a 2.5L engine under recall number 19S15. My vehicle is a 1.5L engine and this bushing failed Thursday 10/28/2021. I never found the part to see how it failed. My wife tried to put the vehicle into park and heard a noise and the shifter went into park but the transmission did not (due to the cable not being attached). I was able to diagnose the issue after a while. I called the Ford dealer I use and they advised that the recall had been addressed. I later found out that this was not the case as the part was not recalled on my car. I was able to replace the bushing but feel this is a huge issue with all of these bushings. The part number is DG9Z 7K340A and is $1.17.
The contact owns a 2016FORD Fusion. The contact stated while driving approximately 5mph when attempting to put the vehicle into drive the vehicle would not shift gears. The contact stated no warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with needing shifter cable bushing bearing replaced and was repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with, NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V362000 (POWER TRAIN) however the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
Coolant leaking into Engine
The contact's son owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while her son was reversing into a parking spot to park the vehicle, the gear shifter would not move and remained stuck in reverse. The contact did not know whether there was a warning light illuminated. The contact stated that her son was able to move the gear shifter to park, then to drive with assistance. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the shifter cable bushing had failed and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that they could not cover the repair since the VIN was not included in a recall. A case was opened. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 65,200.
The car is missing on cylinder #1 and showing signs of a blown head gasket. Car will stall at random times as well. This is car has a the 1.5 ecoboost with a flway in the block design. Ford told me because of the flaw that I would have to purchase a new engine. There is currently a TSB out for this exact reason, yet ford wants me to pay for their mistake.
I have a 2016 Fusion with a 1.5 L EcoBoost, 54,000 miles on it. I am out of warranty by less than a year. My car told me that the engine was overheating while I was driving down the highway. I pulled off the road, and found there was no coolant in the reservoir. I filled the coolant up and kept an eye on it while scheduling a repair appointment. Every time I would drive the car, it would stutter when accelerating, only when it was cold. Once it warmed up it was not an issue. Every time I would also have to refill the coolant. I took the vehicle in, and found out it was misfiring on cylinder 4, and the coolant was leaking into the engine. Since it is out of warranty, it is $3,000 out of pocket. My car could have started on fire, or started smoking from the engine and caused a major accident had this gone on for too long. The misfire of the cylinder did not cause any warning lights to go on in my car. It would throw a code for a little bit, then disappear, it was a soft code not a hard code.
In September 2021 my 2016 Ford Fusion that has a 1.5L Eco boost engine had white smoke emitting from the exhaust. A check engine light came on and a test revealed that the #3 spark plug or ignition coil as bad. I had all spark plugs and ignition coils replaced. The light went off and three days later the check engine light came back on. We took it to Bob Tomes Ford 950 S Central Expy, McKinney, TX 75072. A Service inspection revealed that engine coolant was leaking into the cylinders and could potentially cause engine over heating and possibly a fire. This has been a known problem and numerous Service Bulletins (TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN 1.5L EcoBoost - Low Coolant, White Exhaust Smoke And/Or Illuminated MIL - Built On Or Before 06-Apr-2019 19-2139) have been released on this issue, A compete engine replacement is the only repair option due to the original engine design since 2010 was a defective design which Ford actually recalled in the 1.6L engine but not the 1.5L. Ford Motor Company requires the consumer to bare the cost of repairs. My vehicle warranty was out by 2 months when this problem started at 82,000 miles. There is currently a law suit filed for this issue in U.S District Court for the Eastern District of California, Case # 2-2021cv00468. filed March 15, 2021.
I’m not certain how or when but the hood sensor must be wrong because it always says the hood is open no matter how I close it
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving approximately 30mph when the vehicle failed to brake while the brake pedal was depressed. The contact was able to pull over and drive to a local mechanic where it was diagnosed with needing a brake hose replaced. The contact stated no warning lights were illuminated The manufacturer was informed of failure and told the contact that they were unable to assist. The failure mileage was approximately 195,610.
Lug nuts expand in hot climate and cannot be removed by owner. Discount Tire had to remove. I replaced them all, for $55, so there is no future problem.
At times when i put the car in gear & other times when i am actually driving, all of the warning lights & alarms (Rear Park Aid, ABS, Hill Start Assist Not Available, Service Advance Trac, & Stability Control Off), come on all at the same time. When these lights & alarms pop on, the steering gets a little harder, not losing all power steering, but again, the steering is a little harder & i don't think that's a good thing to have happen. Also while driving, the Anti-Lock Break System starts clicking. And sometimes when i start to mash on the break peddle, the peddle kind of drops down a little. Not to the point where it has caused the breaks to lock up, but i'm still not comfortable with that. If you were to do an online search of this problem you will see that several people are complaining about this same problem. I have reported this problem to my Ford Service Center, Southworth Ford in Marion, IN, as early as March of this year & the latest report 10/4/21, but they say they can't find anything wrong right now, but for me to document every time it happens, even after i have tried to show them the videos of this problem stored on my phone. I also contacted the Auto Safety Center, & they were the ones who directed me to you. I wish that i knew how to share the videos that i have with you, but i have not learned how to do that as of yet. Thank you for your time & all that you all do to keep us safe on the road. God Bless you all! Have a Blessed weekend!
Shifter cable link bushing broke. I noticed the problem when I got back into my car, after fueling. The car turned on. But the shifter was really loose and would not shift into drive, or any gear. I searched for the "symptom" online and found there was a recall for the bushing on the shifter link cable issue. I checked the part in my engine compartment and they separated, confirming a break In the link. I happened to be close to an auto parts store so I went and purchased the bushing. After replacing/fixing the issue next to the gas pump, I proceeded to the ford dealership so they could do a proper fix as per the recall. When I arrived at the dealership, they stated my cars VIN# was not part of the recall, which I did not understand why, since the same exact problem for the recall had just happened to my car as the other cars with the same year, model and issue as on the recall. I had the ford dealership fix the problem because I did not want to get into an accident on the road. Since as per the recall the car not being able to shift could cause a real dangerous situation.
Trunk/deck lid pops open at random times. Weather conditions and time of day do not appear to be a factor as to why or when the trunk pops open. When it does happen the release mechanism clicks continuously for ~10 seconds or until you click the lock button on the fob. It will pop open when you begin to drive, up to the point that the car auto locks. This started happening approximately one year ago, September 2020, and lasted for a few weeks and then stopped. It started popping open again in the spring of 2021 and lasted for a few weeks. It has started popping open again in the beginning of September 2021.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while having an oil change performed at an independent mechanic, she was informed that the lug nuts were swollen. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 50,000.
Driving on internet highway at approximate 65 mph, the car shut off. I coasted to the roadside in heavy traffic. after many tries, the car restarted and got off the thruway and drove home. This car has 21907 miles on it. I made an appointment at Gary Crossley Ford in Kansas City, Mo. They told me it was a fuel faulty purge valve, and because the car with 21907 miles on it was out of warranty and would cost $870.00. I have since researched the purge valve and find that it is a pretty common event to shut the car off on crowded highways. This is a serious and dangerous problem. When I called Ford Dearborn to check if there was a recall, I was told it wasn't a problem.
I'm just wondering how it is even remotely legal to sell a vehicle, whether used or new, with current open recalls. When I purchased my vehicle through Triple J Auto in Guam, they never informed me of any open recalls when I purchased the vehicle. Technically the car was in a used status, but, coming from the Department of Highway SAFETY, it seems preposterous that you would allow any vehicle to be sold with open recalls against the vehicle. I am just looking for any information as to how this could have gone unresolved for over three years, without me just looking up the VIN on a random day. Thank you
Water seeping into cylinders causing engine warning light, missing, stalling and lost horsepower. Problem was found upon Dealership doing a pressure test and removing spark plugs to see the issue and confirmed. Water loss was being noticed during oil changes couple years before this incident. Last oil change 1200 miles ago noticed a big loss of water in the reservoir. First warning light appear 2 months ago but cleared a couple days later until this last warning light a week ago with noticeable performance issue.
The trunk lid randomly pops open on it's own requiring you to stop, get out and close it. It has happened repeatedly both when driving and when the car is parked. It does not seem to happen if all of the doors are locked. When it does happen it obscured the rear view and can create an unsafe situation when you have to stop on the road. It has happened many times over the past year.
Internal coolant leak inside cylinder causing misfire told engine could catch fire
The engine block failed, cracking, causing coolant to leak into the number 3 cylinder. Causing a misfire code. I could hear what sounded like water flowing behind the dash for awhile. Eventually noticed I was a little low on coolant, then ended up using a whole gallon of coolant in about a week. The dipstick also had coolant on it when I checked the oil level. The car has been at the shop since January 23rd, 2021, they tested the head and it was fine. When I noticed it was a serious issue, coolant was blowing out the tail pipes in white clouds. I have a short video of this happening.
Stopped at store and placed the vehicle in park. After taking foot off break vehicle rolled forward. Shifter handle was in the park position but the dash indicator showed the vehicle was in neutral. Applied the emergency break to prevent vehicle from rolling further. Attempted to shift through gear selector and back to park but the shifter handle would not move out the park position. The following recall (18S20) has been issued but according to Ford it does not apply to my vehicle. 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. Based on the number of complaints on this sight the recall affects most if not all Ford Fusions. Paid for repairs, but Ford will not reimburse cost. By the way parts totaled $7.64 small price for Ford to pay to protect its customers and the public.
I was driving in the freeway, and then suddenly a red alert message popped in my speedometer saying to stop, and I couldn’t accelerate no more. At the time I was going 70mph and then the message appeared and I could accelerate no more, the car didn’t recognize the pedal. It happened yesterday. I never had that happened to me. I have 74k miles in the car
While driving, my car stalled the for the first time without warning when I was turning into a parking lot (luckily). This was scary because I frequently drive to work using the nearby interstate. Is there a recall for my car??
I can be driving and/or stopped and ABS, stability control and steering wheel indicator lights come on. Once I stop car and turn off for a few seconds and then turn back on, errors go away. Nothing may happen for a week but then the next week it may happen every time I drive. For me, this is a safety issue because once steering wheel has no power it is very, very hard to turn. I am attaching a “vehicle diagnostic report” that shows 2 of 18 systems had errors.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while reversing out of a parking space, the contact shifted from reverse to drive and the vehicle did not respond, and the vehicle started to roll backward. The contact depressed the brake pedal and shifted the vehicle into the park. The vehicle continued to roll backward and eventually stopped and would not move. The contact restarted the vehicle and the vehicle failed to move. The contact had the vehicle towed to the local dealer to be inspected. The vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the shift cable bushing fractured and caused the shift cable to detach. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
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NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
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