There are 50 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2013 Ford Fusionin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
The transmission shift cable bushing at the transmission end of the shifter cable has completely degraded and detached, which is a component available for inspection upon request. This failure caused a significant safety risk as the gear shifter inside the cabin moved freely while the transmission remained in its last gear, creating an immediate rollaway risk and preventing the vehicle from being shifted into Park. The safety of others was put at risk because the vehicle could not be secured and could have moved in an unintended direction. This specific problem has been confirmed by a Ford dealership, yet the dealer refused to perform the necessary repair under Recall 22S43 (NHTSA Campaign 22V413), claiming the VIN was not covered despite the vehicle exhibiting the exact failure and being within the recalled model year and assembly plant range. Prior to this total failure, there were no warning lamps or messages, though the instrument cluster occasionally showed a gear position that did not match the physical shifter before the bushing finally disintegrated. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer or insurance representatives.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. While the contact's wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the engine overheated. The contact was informed that there was a burning odor coming from the vehicle. The contact was called for help. The contact arrived at the location and inspected under the hood, and became aware that the coolant level was low. The coolant reservoir was refilled, and the contact became aware that coolant and oil were leaking onto the manifold. The vehicle was driven to the residence with the persistent burning odor. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to bring the vehicle to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The contact referenced an unknown recall with a similar failure; however, the VIN was not under recall. The contact stated that the oil and coolant leaking onto the manifold was a fire hazard. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was abnormal white smoke coming out of the tailpipe. The contact stated that upon inspecting the oil dipstick, the contact noticed that there was coolant in the oil, and the contact also noticed that there was a small amount of oil in the coolant reservoir. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V209000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), for which the VIN was included. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the recall repair would be performed on the vehicle; however, the contact was concerned that the recall remedy would not correct the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 109,200.
Vehicle ran very well, however engine caught fire while exiting highway. Insurance adjuster states common issue with Ford EcoBoost engines. Reported to Ford whom dismissed issue of engine fire
The contact owned a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, there was smoke coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that the message "Coolant Over Temperature" was displayed. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The contact then exited the vehicle and raised the hood and there was black smoke coming from the engine compartment. The contact backed away from the vehicle and approximately 3 minutes later the vehicle caught on fire. The Fire Department was contacted and arrived at the scene and extinguished the fire. A Fire report was filed however, the contact had not received a Fire report number. The Police also arrived on scene and collected information from the contact; however, the contact was unaware of a Police report being filed. There was no injury sustained. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The contact was made aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V209000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that the vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a complaint was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 155,000.
My vehicle has this issue and is not in the recall notice. Due to the on going issue we parked the vehicle and have not drove it. The affected cars have an engine block heater that may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short-circuit when the block heater is plugged in, increasing the risk of fire. Customers with affected vehicle may notice coolant spots on the driveway or garage floor, a loss of cabin heat, overheating, smoking or a warning indicator for low coolant levels. No accident or injury has been reported linked to the malfunction, according to Ford.
In 2019, my car suddenly began to leak engine coolant. A low engine coolant signal alarmed, the car started to smoke, and then was un-usable. I took it to a Ford dealership, they ran some diagnostics, and determined that the issue was related to a known recall. They repaired the issue and for 5 years, things seemed ok. This April, the engine coolant warning came back on and the car shut down. I inspected the engine coolant revisor and it was extremely low and the check engine light came on. I took the car in to be inspected and it was noted that the hoses and gaskets were corroded. The hoses and gaskets were replaced and that seemed to resolve all of the alarms and check engine light, but weeks later, the low engine coolant light came back on. This week the same Ford dealership determined that there was an issue with the water pump and that it needed to be replaced. I wondered if anyone else with a Ford Fusion experienced water pump issues and there seem to be two class action lawsuits against Ford siting several vehicle models with faulty water pumps. I can submit my water pump replacement receipt when I receive it from the Ford dealership on Monday.
Constantly drinks coolant and has been fixed at least once.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated, and there was smoke coming from underneath the hood. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and opened the hood to inspect the vehicle. The contact stated that upon opening the hood, the contact became aware that oil was leaking at the rear of the engine compartment by the firewall. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the cylinder head had fractured. The mechanic determined that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V209000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was in the process of being repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 55 MPH, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was hot(H). No warning lights were illuminated. The contact exited the highway, however, upon pulling over to the side of the road, the vehicle shut off and coasted to a stop. The vehicle was towed to a local independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the engine had experienced coolant intrusion. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.
Engine was losing power while driving. Upon inspection of engine it was noticed that coolant was being lost. I took it to dealership and was told I needed a new engine. I went ahead and got the engine replaced at the ford dealership. I was told this would fix the issue. After having the car back I noticed I was still losing coolant. I took it back and they claimed to have fixed the leak in coolant system. It was fine for a while but it’s back to losing coolant with no visible signs of where the coolant is going.
Engine was leaking oil and it caught fire twice. Emergency activates while driving and yes it's available upon request. My, family members and others around where at Risk because whole car could of caught fire. No one has confirmed it or inspected yet. Brake light stays on. Engine was leaking about a week.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed coolant leaking underneath the vehicle. The low coolant warning light was illuminated. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer referred the contact to the manufacturer for further assistance. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 139,753.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed, however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact safely guided the vehicle to the shoulder of the road. In addition, the contact noticed white smoke coming from under the hood. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion to cylinder #3. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. In addition, the contact was informed that recall repair NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V209000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) was performed, however it did not remedy the failure because the head gasket was warped. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline and report the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that an independent mechanic went to the residence and performed a diagnostic test on the vehicle. The diagnostic test received the code for a misfire in cylinder #4. The vehicle was towed to the independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a coolant leak and a misfire in cylinder #4. The contact was informed that the head gasket and the timing chain needed to be replaced. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under recall. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was being repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 93,800.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated with the engine coolant warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the head gasket had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 119,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low coolant level warning light illuminated, and the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a coolant leak and 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 but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 116,000.
Coolant leaks and never fills the reservoir.
The purge valve is likely malfunctioning, which affects the fuel system. Yes, it is available for inspection upon request. The malfunction caused the vehicle not to start after pumping gas, potentially leaving me stranded in unsafe locations, which could be hazardous, especially in high-traffic areas or remote locations. The issue has not yet been officially reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. No, the vehicle or component has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. There were no warning lamps or messages before the failure. The issue first appeared when the vehicle failed to start immediately after refueling.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving approximately 5 MPH, the engine temperature indicated that the engine was "HOT" and the message "Low Engine Coolant" was displayed before the vehicle stalled. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V209000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 214,934.
Showing 1–20 of 50 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026